Table of Contents

Table of Contents Reflections of Jessica Ford Introduction to Critical Thinking Timed Write- Lone Star Introduction to Revision The Community of a High School Drop Out Introduction to Awareness and Audience Online Dating Vs Traditional Dating Introduction to Writers Choice What's in your Wallet?

Reflections of Jessica Ford

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”
-George Bernard Shaw



Dear Reader,
Than you for taking the time to read my portfolio of my work this quarter. For those of you who don’t know me my name is Jessica Ford. I am twenty-one years old and I live in Everett with my husband Max and our dog Leo. Aside from working forty hours a week, I love to read, beautify my house and travel to new destinations.

In high school I did not try my hardest, and unfortunately did not pass. After realizing what a huge mistake I had made, I waisted no time and enrolled in a program at Everett Community College called Youth Re-Engagement. After three long and difficult quarters I finally had the diploma I was longing for. At that point in my life I did not feel it necessary to continue in my education since I had what I wanted. Time passed and my life felt like it was moving too fast. I was happily married, overwhelmed with purchasing our first home and working full time. I knew there was something missing in my life, it was to learn. After being out of school for quite sometime now it made me long for it. I wanted something more out of my life than just working. Summer of ’08 was when I decided that I was going to start school in the fall. I was just going to take one class per quarter because Max was in school to become a Respiratory Therapist and wouldn’t graduate until June of ’09. So then after he was done I could go back full time.

Since then I have taken two english classes and am in the process of finishing my third one. I have never been great in english, so I knew there was some sort of challenge ahead of me. My first two classes I took were english 97 & 98. Leila Bowers, my teacher, taught the classes very well and I passed with flying colors. I figured english 101D would be the same. However, I’m not going to lie and say it was easy because it wasn’t. It was a challenge for me but a challenge worth perusing.

Our class was broken down into three categories; identity, community and tradition. We read different passages in our book ReMix by Catherine Latterell, watched movies, discussed topics in groups and wrote. I learned a lot about myself throughout this class. We have learned about identity and how it can be shaped on choices that we make in our life. We’ve discussed the purpose of communities and that “[p]eople belong to many different communities based on their interests, needs, and values, and, as these shift, so do the communities they identify with”(86). We last learned about tradition and different types of it and why it’s significant, and how it impacts the American culture. We talked about what makes a tradition a tradition ,they are everyday things we do for no reason, they don’t even have to make sense.

The four pieces of work I have chosen demonstrate a little bit of each category. I feel that they are the best and most enjoyable things I have written in this class and they are,



1. Critical Thinking- Timed Write Lone Star
2. Revision- Community of a High School Drop Out
3. Awareness of Audience and Voice- Online Dating Vs Traditional Dating
Writers Choice- What’s in your wallet?

I felt that throughout the quarter each paper got a little better each time. I think the area I struggled most on was my thesis. I need to come up with a more solid thesis that is debatable. I have gained a lot of insight to to Tradition, identity and community. Even though this class was a struggle I’m glad I got to be apart of it.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely,
Jessica Ford

Introduction to Critical Thinking

"Critical thinking is purposeful and reflective judgment about what to believe or what to do[1] in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments. Critical thinking might involve determining the meaning and significance of what is observed or expressed, or, concerning a given inference or argument, determining whether there is adequate justification to accept the conclusion as true." (wikipedia.com)

During our Intermission section of the class I watched the movie titled Lone Star and had to take notes about the different characters and how they crossed different boundaries. I then had one hour to complete a timed write in which the prompt was not revealed until we decided to take it. I picked this assignment because I feel that I had to analyze each character and their roles throughout the film and do it under pressure.

I feel like I struggled a little bit with this timed write, however I did my best and I ended up doing better than I expected.

Timed Write- Lone Star

The movie Lone Star has many examples of non- conforming and over the line actions. Who defines what
boundaries and certain choices are over the line? Each community has its own personal and cultural beliefs which
defines what is right and wrong. Non- conformity is refusing to conform to accepted standards, rules and laws. During the film
and my group discussion there were many things that challenged my perception as to what boundaries were crossed and
considered over the line.

In the film there were many people who broke the law. One that first comes to mind is Charlie Wade. Charlie wade is a sheriff in the small town of Rio. Charlie Wade crossed boundaries by doing things unnecessary and was known for being a tough sheriff. killing a Mexican who was crossing the border is one example of how Charlie Wade broke the law. Charlie took advantage of being the sheriff and was never caught doing wrong.

In the grouped we concluded that Charlie Wade was a powerful man who made up his own rules and did whatever he
pleased. Charlie would even kill people who stood in his way or who would disagree with him. This is one of the main example in the movie as to what I thought over the line is. Charlie Wade crossed the line numerous of times and still got away with it, until eventually he was killed. People in many communities are judged by what laws they break because they are the ones who determine what is right and what is wrong.

Introduction to Revision

For my revision piece I chose my second paper about community. Although I did a fair job on this, I had a hard time developing a strong thesis and word choice that made sense.

As I revised It I feel like I did a better job selecting new words and adding to my thesis to make it flow and make sense with the next paragraph.

I chose to revise the first two paragraphs.

The Community of a High School Drop Out

Original Draft

A community is group of people having particular characteristic or certain interests in common. The community of high school dropouts is made of different types of students, each with a different story as to why they choose that path. As stated by http://www.willamette.edu/, “When analyzing the impact of the high school dropout rate on a community, one should examine other potential resultant indicators such as unemployment rate, drug use rates, crime rates (particularly among teens), teen pregnancy rates and poverty in the community”. My mother, Elizabeth says that, “Twenty-six years ago it was hard to be accepted by the community as a pregnant high school dropout and today more students are offered special programs and are more accepted by their community.” Dropouts are more accepted in todays society because of the community’s support and programs to help them succeed and get their lives back on track.

Today there are many programs that help dropouts get back into school and eager to learn. One particular program that is offered at Everett Community College is called Youth Re- Engagement. Youth Re-Engagement is a free program and only for teenagers between the ages of 16-21 who have dropped out from a traditional high school. The teachers help students get their high school diploma plus aid their developing skills for a better career. Elizabeth informs me that, “There was nothing like this when I was younger and if there was I would have totally taken the opportunity to be apart of it.” Just like my mother I too was a high school dropout and because of all the support I had I was fortunate enough to be in the Youth Re-Engagement program. It helped me better myself and gave me the chance to be a successful student, something I wasn’t in high school.



Revised

A community is group of people having particular characteristics or certain interests in common. The community of high school dropouts is made of different types of students, each with a different story as to why they choose that path. Many dropouts feel shameful or disappointed in themselves for the mistakes that lead them to make the decision to leave school. My mother Elizabeth became unexpectedly pregnant at an early age and was forced to begin a life without a full education. She states that “Twenty-six years ago it was hard to be accepted by the community as a pregnant high school dropout and today more students are offered special programs and are more accepted by their community.” Being in a similar position as my mother, yet living in a different decade, I was able to experience a different path than those who left high school before me. Dropouts are more accepted in today’s society because of the community’s support and programs to help them succeed and get their lives back on track. The public’s response to the youth who leave high school has changed the community for the better.

Today there are many programs that help dropouts get back into school and eager to learn. One particular program that is offered at Everett Community College is called Youth Re- Engagement. Youth Re-Engagement is a free program and only for teenagers between the ages of 16-21 who have dropped out from a traditional high school. The teachers help students get their high school diploma plus aid their developing skills for a better career. Elizabeth informs me that “There was nothing like this when I was younger and if there was I would have totally taken the opportunity to be a part of it.” Just like my mother I too was a high school dropout and due to the support I had I was fortunate enough to be in the Youth Re-Engagement program. It helped me better myself and gave me the chance to be a successful student, something I wasn’t in high school. The option for those who drop out of high school to reenter and graduate with a diploma gives hope to those who want a second chance at the mistakes they have made. It has helped improve their lives for the better.

Introduction to Awareness and Audience

For my Audience Awareness section of this portfolio I chose my third paper. We were to write about a certain pop culture and how it challenges a certain tradition. For my paper I wrote about online dating versus traditional dating and how it has changed they way of traditional style dating. I feel this was the strongest paper I have written all quarter, hence the best grade I received. I had a solid thesis, and improved on my paragraphs making sense. I also picked this one because I think that it is an interesting subject to read about and gets readers attention right away. We are so focused on the internet, our life revolves around it. So who wouldn't want to read a paper about this?

Online Dating vs. Traditional Dating

In todays society online dating is becoming more of a popular establishment and is outnumbering the amount of people who take part in it the traditional way of dating. It is changing the way that we build relationships. Before online dating was established people would meet others in public places such as work or school. They would build relationships with them face to face. Today people are meeting others through online dating services, social networking sites and blogging websites. Online dating has challenged the part of traditional dating by providing an easy and effective way to communicate, offering a safer way to approach others, and by having the choice to pick possible matches based on personal profiles.
In this day and age the internet has skyrocketed and has become part of our everyday life. People can do everything online, so why not even find a date if it’s convenient? In the essay Love in the Time of No Time, Jennifer Egan states that “More critical still is the fact that the first generation of kids to come of age on the internet are now young adults, still mostly single, and for them, using the web to find what they need is as natural as using a lung to suck in air. They get jobs and apartments and plane tickets online-why not dates?”(276). The internet is a daily essential to someone's life and why not do everything you can online. Lets face it, dating services are easy to use and you can find a date at any time of the day. Most people are busy with school and work and have no time to go to a social event to find someone. Before online dating people actually had a real life outside of the internet. Normally, people would find dates by going out in public and looking. Not by searching thousands of dating sites like okcupid.com and eharmony.com, until they found their perfect match. With the high tech world we live in, today people are changing the traditional way of dating and resorting to online dating because it’s more of a practical thing to do.
Online dating is said to be a safer way to approaching people, it can be risky at times. I know a few people who have dated people they met offline and have had no problems meeting them whatsoever. When establishing a date first they would meet face to face and become aquatinted. They would determine if they have chemistry and then they would go out on a date. They already have met this person so they must know it is a safe bet. In the online world it is slightly different. All that a person has to base a judgment on is someone's profile and a few personal questions and pictures. A possible date could even be lying about their age and what they look like. Before meeting they would swap a few emails back and forth to each other and form some kind of online friendship. People are becoming too trusting online when talking to others online, like believing every word is true on his or her profile. Especially when they never really know what to expect when dating someone off the internet. For instance, they might even end up with a creepy online stalker, a sixty year old pretending to be a teen or even a pedophile. Then again traditional dating can be just as bad, just because they did not meet this person via the internet it does not prove they they can’t turn out to be fake just like the others. Online dating can help someone get to know a person better before actually meeting, unlike traditional dating it’s kind of like what you see is what you get.
It’s amazing how people can pick potential candidates they want to date, or simply eliminate the ones the do not want to waist their time on. The singles on dating sites are able to pick and choose what they want their date to be like and then narrow their choices down. Thats is very different from they way things use to be. A person cannot just walk into a room and start picking different traits and interests that they want in their significant other to posses and then have the choice to approach that certain person. It just does not work that way. Many people find this to be their biggest problem when dating, nobody wants to date someone they are not compatible with. That is why most singles are preferring online dating services over the old fashion way.
Online dating has became a popular contribute to pop culture and has challenged the traditional way of dating. Many people are having difficulty finding time in their busy lives to go out and simply find a date. So instead of mingling at a social event more people are choosing the alternative, which is to chat and find a date online. However, there is still a good number of people out there who never plan to look for dates online. In the aspects dating, some traditions will never fade out.

Introduction to Writers Choice

For my writers choice I chose the blog I wrote titled "What's in your wallet". We had to write about if someone were to find your wallet/ purse what assumptions would they conclude about your values and identity based on what they would find. I picked this one because I enjoyed emptying the contents of my purse and examining each thing. I would look at each item and think of how someone would base there judges on me by looking at this. "After all, what do these pocket-sized pieces really say about us?"(4)
Keep reading to find out what my purse said about me.

What's in my wallet?

As I scattered everything out of my purse and onto my coffee table, I realized that there are a few particular things that show a little about the type of person I am. Below is what is listed in the following picture;

Drivers Licence
Credit Cards
Debit Cards
Costco Card
Starbucks Gift Card
Macy's Gift Card
Floss Card
Concert ticket
Disneyland stub
A quote
Mascara
Chap stick
Cuticle Cream
Digital Camera
Phone
iPod
Car Keys
Water Bottle

As you can see there is quite a bit of stuff, but hey I'm a girl and we tend to carry everything along with us.

If someone were to find my purse they would see my digital camera. They would be able to tell that I am always taking pictures. I feel that it is important to have it at all times because I never know what is going to happen, I don't want to pass up a great memory without snapping a few pictures.

I literally have four Starbucks cards in my purse, people would most likely assume that I'm addicted to coffee. However, this is not true. As much as I do love my white mocha's and passion tea lemonades I am not an addict, I simply have them because it seems like the only gift I ever receive is a Starbucks card. They are never ending.

People could also tell my love for music. I have in my wallet an old concert ticket to one of my favorite bands Tilly and the Wall. I also always have my iPod nano with me, whenever I'm not in the car I always try to listen to music.

By looking in my purse people cannot tell what my true identity is, they can only just gain bits and pieces about me.

Testing

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