All posts by alexisy2@illinois.edu

Plagiarism Assignment

Based on the my originality report, I realized that they aren’t always accurate. Despite incorporating sources in my paper and not having a works cited, I only received a plagiarism score of 2%. It should have recognized key phrases and ideas that I retrieved from the sources I used in my paper. However, it did highlight one key phrase from the source by Amanda Taub, but that was it. Although this tool can be a helpful tool for teachers, it has been proven that it is not always accurate. It has the potential to wrongly accuse someone of plagiarism or not catch plagiarism at all. The concerns for plagiarism checkers are held at a high regard, but it should be handle in way that is accurate and protects both the teacher and student.

Metaphor Ideas

The process of drawing can easily be compared to the writing process and here’s how:

  1. The pre-drawing phase is considered to be the time where the artist considers what the object looks like or the different dimensions necessary to complete his piece. It is also the time where you decide what colors best complement your piece and begin sketching. This pre-drawing phase can be compared to the pre-drafting page of your paper, where you gather all of your sources and begin to structure your paper.
  2. The drafting phase is when the artist begins applying details that make the drawing come to “life”. The artist begins to grasp his sense of direction and put his work into perspective. This step is similar to when we begin putting actual words on our paper after gathering all of our evidence. We begin to bring our ideas to “life” by putting them on the paper, while managing to make minor improvements.
  3.  The revising phase is the point where the artist begins looking at his work with a critical eye, adding detail and maybe even color. They also tend to seek feedback from their peers with the intention of improving their work. Similar to when we have our workshops in class, we use that time to gain feedback and find ways to improve our work.
  4.  The editing phase requires a sense of “correctness”.  You begin to sharpen your lines and erase those smudge marks to make everything nice and neat. This can be compared to the moment before you hit that submit button on compass. You want to make sure everything is correct and free of errors.
  5. The publishing phase, the last and final stage. This step is the easiest, yet most nerve- wrecking because you want your art to be audience ready and perfect. When you finish writing your paper, you want your paper to be ready to grade and polished. You want to try to avoid forgetting to put your name or easy to fix grammatical errors.

The writing and drawing process are one in the same. Both require time and patience to ensure perfection ;).

White: The New American Language

Growing up in a predominantly African American neighborhood, I wasn’t always exposed to the best examples in regards to proper grammar. Most of the schools in our area were ran by the state and lacked sufficient funding to ensure we had the best teachers or resources in order to learn. Although I was expose to a poor education system, both of my parents are college educated and always placed a strong emphasis on having a strong academic performance. Having positive role models and later relocating into a predominantly white institution in high school, I frequently received comments from my peers in regards to me talking “white”, especially considering where I came from. Associating proper grammar usage and a strong vocabulary as a white trait references the idea of the “Invisible Knapsack” and white privilege. It would be considered less “out of the ordinary” if a white male or female spoke in a educated manner, but viewed as a exception for other races. The lack of awareness for this issue will only lead to similar feelings of isolation among those who aren’t exposed to white privilege.

Unofficial!

Despite the highly anticipated Unofficial party among UIUC students , I plan on spending the day engaging as normal. Being that I don’t have class on Friday, thanks to Professor Mary, I will be spending the day catching up on some well-needed sleep. After I catch up on nap time, I’ll most likely be going out a little later when all the commotion settles down. This way my friends and I can actually ENJOY our first “Unofficial” here as first time college students. I believe that students that participate heavily in this “celebration” will most likely end the night making regretful decisions or choices that might have more costly consequences. These consequences may also have consequences that affect other UIUC students either in the classroom or simply walking on the sidewalk. I am hoping for an enjoyable and safe Unofficial weekend!

Research Question: REFINED

After countless changes to my research question I believe I found the one! For my paper I plan to research the connection between homelessness and mental illness. Gerard’s interview inspired me to go beyond what I know and to explore new curiosities. Sometimes focusing on a topic you’ve explored or done research on already can block your ability to see pass what your prior knowledge. Now knowing that ignorance can be the best tool in research, I’ve became inspired in learning more and making new observations about a topic that so many people in America are experiencing today. To refine my topic and to condense my research, I chose to highlight the employment barriers homeless people with mental illness experience. Ultimately making an intersection between money concerns and one’s health. This intersection allows me to expand, while also focusing my research for my paper. There won’t be any new changes in my future because “Homelessness and Mental Illness in the Workplace” is the topic I’ve chosen.

Death Penalty and Juveniles ?

In Philip Gerard’s interview, I found great meaning in the idea of ignorance being advantageous  in writing. Sometimes biases and prior knowledge of the subject can prevent a writer from, in the words of Gerard, “…unlocking something really important and exciting.” Contrary to belief, nobody knows everything. This became apparent when I looked over the blog post that listed several possible research topics. It included some topics that I’ve thought of and several that left me curious. One topic that caught my attention and spoke to my curiosity pertained to the death penalty. I only know that the death penalty exists in some states for adults, so I decided to focus on how the death penalty affects juveniles both physically and mentally. My opinions on the death penalty definitely vary from case to case and whether the person is an adult or a child. Because I have a rather neutral stance on the topic, I’m hoping that through my research I’m able to gain more information that I can use in  providing both aspects of the death penalty, ultimately giving an all encompassing perspective. My approach going into my research is just to remain open-minded and explore all avenues that are available. By doing so, I hope that my paper will be informative and have the ability to uncover and excite new ideas.

My Research Paper

Hey Brother,

So recently I’ve found out that I have an upcoming research paper in my Rhet 105 class. Although I’ve done research papers in high school, my topics weren’t always that interesting, which led me to get bored after writing the first paragraph. In order to avoid that this time around, I plan to focus on movements that are happening right now. One of the movements that I’m interested in is the Black Lives Matter movement. I figure that with the ongoing tensions in America and the history of African Americans as a people, I will be able to make connections that will introduce new perspectives. I think it will also be beneficial in learning more about African American history and what a better time than in February A.K.A. Black History Month ! If I do choose this topic, I would be interested in exploring the life of one of the first African Americans at the University of Illinois and comparing their experiences to modern day life on campus as an African American . I would also be interested in exploring other movements and activists groups at that time.  So, I think I got a good idea on what I plan on researching, but I’ll let you know if anything changes!

Sincerely,

Alexis

Critical Response Feedback

Despite this being my first time writing a paper for a college course, I believe my creativity and prior knowledge regarding sentence structure and the introduction of sources made my response rather successful. When approaching this assignment, I thought it was important to include all the attributes that makes me a good writer, while also being concise. The attempt to try to remain concise caused me to make some grammatical errors involving proper tense usage and citations. Although those mistakes appear to be minor, when fixed, they can make for an exceptional paper. In order to receive that exceptional paper, I plan to review those topics by reading my “Writer’s Reference” handbook and most importantly, constantly proofreading my work.