This has been a long, but fun process. As a journalism major, it is clear to see why I like this portfolio a lot, and I like the way it started and the connections that were made from there.
I felt like my letter to the editor obviously related to the original article I read that created my argument. My Op-Ed mirrored many of the same points and arguments I made in the letter to the editor.
My humor piece, which was like an Onion article, totally blew my issue out of proportion and it highly exaggerated everything about it. I liked doing this the best because it was SO ridiculous.
In the end, there were a lot of edits and drafts, and I think the relation was made, from piece to piece. I liked the transition from one part of the portfolio to the next, and I think it is smooth going from letter to the editor, to Op-Ed, to finally The Onion. I think I made all the necessary changes to make my arguments and overall pieces the most effective they can be.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Humor Piece
April 22, 2009
White House Blows Off Iraq and Economy for Football
Washington D.C.—In a surprising move last week, President Obama and his cabinet “officially threw in the towel” on the pressing, never ending sagas that are the economic crisis and the Iraq War. A person close to the the president said that Obama did this because his attention is desperately required elsewhere.
“America wants to see a playoff in college football, and I intend to work without sleep until the American people get what they want,” Obama said.
This issue has become important to the president because it looks like this is only the thing he can fix for the American people after the previous administration screwed everything up.
Obama has had ideas in mind to fix this most serious problem that is the BCS. During his campaign, he was asked about this issue, and he fired back with a fairly good idea that involved a playoff system.
“You know, when it comes down to it, college football needs to have a playoff, and I think 16 teams would be a great number to decide who the national champion is,” Obama said.
Questions on energy, Iraq, and the economy were deemed not important during this, and many of his interviews throughout the campaign.
There are several out there who do not agree with Obama. Well, everyone agrees with his idea, but some do not like the fact that he is spending all of his time focusing on this issue. Rick Sampson, an electrician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is one of these opponents.
“I just think the president is not dividing up his time equally, and I think our country has so many more pressing issues than the state of college football,” Sampson said.
Obama does not ignore his critics, like Rick the electrician, and when asked about him, the president responded warmly saying: “Well, last time I checked, I was the president, and you know, if a light bulb in the Oval Office shorts out, I’ll give Rick a call,” Obama said.
It is a bit unfortunate that Obama is receiving the brunt of the criticism because this not all his fault. Those closest to the president, including Vice President Joe Biden, are more than responsible too. In his short time in office, Obama has been upset to find out that the role of the president is swayed by the opinions of those with the most money.
“Right now, the supporters of the president and his administration are highly focused and concerned with the horrible state of college football and it’s that simple,” a source close to the White House said.
One thing is for sure, the president has a lot on his plate, and that is something that will never change. Though he is not praised by all for his decision to focus on other matters that have dominated presidential agendas in the past, I commend him for getting tough on college football and trying to bring change to a sport that desperately needs it.Ø
White House Blows Off Iraq and Economy for Football
Washington D.C.—In a surprising move last week, President Obama and his cabinet “officially threw in the towel” on the pressing, never ending sagas that are the economic crisis and the Iraq War. A person close to the the president said that Obama did this because his attention is desperately required elsewhere.
“America wants to see a playoff in college football, and I intend to work without sleep until the American people get what they want,” Obama said.
This issue has become important to the president because it looks like this is only the thing he can fix for the American people after the previous administration screwed everything up.
Obama has had ideas in mind to fix this most serious problem that is the BCS. During his campaign, he was asked about this issue, and he fired back with a fairly good idea that involved a playoff system.
“You know, when it comes down to it, college football needs to have a playoff, and I think 16 teams would be a great number to decide who the national champion is,” Obama said.
Questions on energy, Iraq, and the economy were deemed not important during this, and many of his interviews throughout the campaign.
There are several out there who do not agree with Obama. Well, everyone agrees with his idea, but some do not like the fact that he is spending all of his time focusing on this issue. Rick Sampson, an electrician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is one of these opponents.
“I just think the president is not dividing up his time equally, and I think our country has so many more pressing issues than the state of college football,” Sampson said.
Obama does not ignore his critics, like Rick the electrician, and when asked about him, the president responded warmly saying: “Well, last time I checked, I was the president, and you know, if a light bulb in the Oval Office shorts out, I’ll give Rick a call,” Obama said.
It is a bit unfortunate that Obama is receiving the brunt of the criticism because this not all his fault. Those closest to the president, including Vice President Joe Biden, are more than responsible too. In his short time in office, Obama has been upset to find out that the role of the president is swayed by the opinions of those with the most money.
“Right now, the supporters of the president and his administration are highly focused and concerned with the horrible state of college football and it’s that simple,” a source close to the White House said.
One thing is for sure, the president has a lot on his plate, and that is something that will never change. Though he is not praised by all for his decision to focus on other matters that have dominated presidential agendas in the past, I commend him for getting tough on college football and trying to bring change to a sport that desperately needs it.Ø
Humor Author's Note
For my humor piece, I decided to take the Onion approach and write an obnoxious, satirical article. I think it is fairly clear what I am trying to do, and I think my article conveys my point. I think there is always room for improvement, and that is what I am looking for the most. Where are the spots that need clarification? What is confusing?
I know there are some little things I need to address like word choice and things of that nature, but overall, I am looking for feedback on how effective my argument is. Also, what needs to be changed to make it more effective.
I know there are some little things I need to address like word choice and things of that nature, but overall, I am looking for feedback on how effective my argument is. Also, what needs to be changed to make it more effective.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Humor Argument
In my humor piece of my editorial portfolio, I took a sort of Onion, satirical approach. I made everything up, and I think the source of my humor was extreme exaggeration. I feel like I will need to go back and make some things more obvious and develop what is already there a bit more.
I do like writing like this, and I think it is fun, but where as I am used to writing straightforward and legit, this was a tough switch. Though, I do like doing this and I think it was a lot of fun. Some places are a bit rough, but like I said, I think the substance is there.
I do like writing like this, and I think it is fun, but where as I am used to writing straightforward and legit, this was a tough switch. Though, I do like doing this and I think it was a lot of fun. Some places are a bit rough, but like I said, I think the substance is there.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Sample of Humor
I found a political cartoon that is poking fun at the BCS. In it, a man makes a long statement of how difficult and uncompromising an entity is, and a couple of people overhear this statement; one thinks he is talking about the current situation in the Middle East, only to find out by the other person that the statement is concerning the BCS.
It is extremely humorous to one that is familiar with the BCS system, and the humor stems from the criticisms of the the current post season system in college football. Also, for a fan it is somewhat accurate to make this statement because at times, the BCS can be as confusing and difficult as the escalating situation in the Middle East.
Of course, in the level of importance and seriousness is nowhere near that of the Middle East, but it is still funny to make that comparison.
It is extremely humorous to one that is familiar with the BCS system, and the humor stems from the criticisms of the the current post season system in college football. Also, for a fan it is somewhat accurate to make this statement because at times, the BCS can be as confusing and difficult as the escalating situation in the Middle East.
Of course, in the level of importance and seriousness is nowhere near that of the Middle East, but it is still funny to make that comparison.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Author's Note for Op-Ed
In my first draft of my Op-Ed, I think it is fairly solid. I do think there might be some places that I need to clarify by adding more specific details in. However, I do not want to flood my piece with facts and statistics. Other things are just the basics, like grammar, word choice, and flow. I think flow is the biggest thing. Is it to the point, concise, and does it grab the reader's attention.
These are the biggest things I am looking for, and other than that, I think it is a good first draft. Of course, if there is anything else that you all see, then please suggest in the text or let me know via email.
These are the biggest things I am looking for, and other than that, I think it is a good first draft. Of course, if there is anything else that you all see, then please suggest in the text or let me know via email.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Prewriting for OP-ED
Audience for Op-Ed:
TCU, specifically students.
Venue: The TCU Daily Skiff
The general tone is argumentative, but with support. In the four op-ed pieces I read from the Daily Skiff, all were arguing for their point, whether it was for the legalization of marijuana or the elimination of hassleing celebrity moms. However, these arguments were supported with good concrete evidence, which added support and substance for the writer’s argument. It is interesting how short they were. The pieces ranged from 300-400 words, and for that small amount of space, they all seemed to get their individual points across.
My topic covers the proposed plan to take the place of the current “post season” system, the BCS. I would like to take it and really focus on the fairness of this new plan, and truthfully, will it be any better than the current one right now. This new idea involves having a committee decide the eight teams that get to compete in a playoff for a national champuionship, and I wonder how this idea is not going to be just as arbitrary as the current BCS system. I think adding evidence of teams who have just missed the cut in the past should beef up my argument, and with all of these good teams, how does one pick one over the other…how will this new system be different…focusing on the fairness aspect should allow for some great discussion.
There will obviously be some great consideration and deliberation about this proposed idea, but just saying that will not be good enough. Each conference will have to check out this proposed idea from the MWC, and really and truly ask the tough questions. What has halted ideas in the past, and what just might kill this one is money. All the bowl games, from the biggest, like the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, to the smallest, like the Papa John’s Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, ALL bring in tons of money for schools, the venues, and sponsors. It is going to be extremely difficult and near impossible to have this cash flow be unaffected if college football goes from having over 30 bowls, to seven bowls. Significant money will be lost, and that is not okay for sponsors, venues, or schools.
I think all the rhetorical appeals will be covered, but I think I will focus on pathos and logos the most. It happens virtually every year: someone’s team gets left out because of some stupid loophole, and instead of cheering for their team in a championship game, they have to watch them play a meaningless game, where instead of national praise and glory, they get to play for a gym bag filled with sweatshirts and an iPod nano. I think college students on this campus will identify most with this because their school, might finally have a way to avoid getting the shaft year in and year out. Logos will be useful because there will still need to be facts presented. You argument based on opinions can only take you so far. There must be concrete evidence to support my claims, and I intend to do that.
I think I touched on this in the last answer, but personal experience will definitely play a huge role because like I said, everyone has been disappointed because of a stupid rule that has prevented their team from going to the big show. Concrete evidence will ultimately be the best source because it is extremely hard to argue with facts that back your claims. Also, talking about previous plans in college football and why this system has yet to be replaced will add further backing to my points.
I think the only research I need to do concerns specifics with regard to teams who have “gotten the shaft” and not gone to a bowl because of an unfair rule. Texas Tech, Texas, TCU, Utah, and others have all received a harsh end to an excellent season. Looking up more details on the proposed plan might help as well.
TCU, specifically students.
Venue: The TCU Daily Skiff
The general tone is argumentative, but with support. In the four op-ed pieces I read from the Daily Skiff, all were arguing for their point, whether it was for the legalization of marijuana or the elimination of hassleing celebrity moms. However, these arguments were supported with good concrete evidence, which added support and substance for the writer’s argument. It is interesting how short they were. The pieces ranged from 300-400 words, and for that small amount of space, they all seemed to get their individual points across.
My topic covers the proposed plan to take the place of the current “post season” system, the BCS. I would like to take it and really focus on the fairness of this new plan, and truthfully, will it be any better than the current one right now. This new idea involves having a committee decide the eight teams that get to compete in a playoff for a national champuionship, and I wonder how this idea is not going to be just as arbitrary as the current BCS system. I think adding evidence of teams who have just missed the cut in the past should beef up my argument, and with all of these good teams, how does one pick one over the other…how will this new system be different…focusing on the fairness aspect should allow for some great discussion.
There will obviously be some great consideration and deliberation about this proposed idea, but just saying that will not be good enough. Each conference will have to check out this proposed idea from the MWC, and really and truly ask the tough questions. What has halted ideas in the past, and what just might kill this one is money. All the bowl games, from the biggest, like the Rose Bowl and Orange Bowl, to the smallest, like the Papa John’s Bowl and the Poinsettia Bowl, ALL bring in tons of money for schools, the venues, and sponsors. It is going to be extremely difficult and near impossible to have this cash flow be unaffected if college football goes from having over 30 bowls, to seven bowls. Significant money will be lost, and that is not okay for sponsors, venues, or schools.
I think all the rhetorical appeals will be covered, but I think I will focus on pathos and logos the most. It happens virtually every year: someone’s team gets left out because of some stupid loophole, and instead of cheering for their team in a championship game, they have to watch them play a meaningless game, where instead of national praise and glory, they get to play for a gym bag filled with sweatshirts and an iPod nano. I think college students on this campus will identify most with this because their school, might finally have a way to avoid getting the shaft year in and year out. Logos will be useful because there will still need to be facts presented. You argument based on opinions can only take you so far. There must be concrete evidence to support my claims, and I intend to do that.
I think I touched on this in the last answer, but personal experience will definitely play a huge role because like I said, everyone has been disappointed because of a stupid rule that has prevented their team from going to the big show. Concrete evidence will ultimately be the best source because it is extremely hard to argue with facts that back your claims. Also, talking about previous plans in college football and why this system has yet to be replaced will add further backing to my points.
I think the only research I need to do concerns specifics with regard to teams who have “gotten the shaft” and not gone to a bowl because of an unfair rule. Texas Tech, Texas, TCU, Utah, and others have all received a harsh end to an excellent season. Looking up more details on the proposed plan might help as well.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Author's Note for Draft 1 of LTTE
In my first draft, I think I need some help with being a bit more specific about my argument. I think I do a fairly good job at explaining what is actually going on and what the problem is, but it can always be better. I think I get to the point, and I make my arguments concise and to the point.
Some feedback about weak areas would definitely help strengthen my overall argument and letter. Also, I do not think I straight up attack the author, but I do address him and the editor. So, some advice on if it is too direct with that would help.
In the end, I think the greatest help would be to know where the strong writing is and where the weak writing is. If I get feedback on that, I can replace and edit the weak points in my letter and build upon my strong areas to make the entire letter better and more effective.
Some feedback about weak areas would definitely help strengthen my overall argument and letter. Also, I do not think I straight up attack the author, but I do address him and the editor. So, some advice on if it is too direct with that would help.
In the end, I think the greatest help would be to know where the strong writing is and where the weak writing is. If I get feedback on that, I can replace and edit the weak points in my letter and build upon my strong areas to make the entire letter better and more effective.
Draft 1 of Letter to the Editor
Positive Step but No Solution
To Max Landman, editor-and-chief of the TCU Daily Skiff:
The Bowl Championship Series system in college football has had numerous critics over the years since it was established as the way to determine the national champion in college football. An article in the TCU Daily Skiff published on March 24th of this year talks about a potential solution to this problem. Justin White compares and contrasts the current BCS system and unveils the Mountain West Conference’s proposed playoff plan in his article entitled “Mountain West presents eight-team playoff proposal.” Though I believe this to be a step in the right direction for college football, I think it is only the first of many steps that needs to be taken in order to fairly determine a national champion.
White talks about how fans that have been outraged in the past can now breathe easier because of this proposed plan; I think that is a bit bold. The article gives an overview of the newly proposed plan, and although it would replace the current BCS system, a 12 member committee would not only choose the eight teams to compete for the title, but they would also seed them, one through eight. This leaves the door open for some extremely arbitrary decisions when picking one team over another. The article takes the shape that this is the solution to a huge problem in college football when in reality, possibly one capricious group could be replaced by another group that is set up to have the same problems and make the same mistakes.
Like I said earlier, this is a step in the right direction, and I agree with what is said by the athletics director Danny Morrison in this article. He says this plan came about now because the MWC is doing well, not because some other BCS conferences are doing badly. The proposal is receiving praise by other conferences, but I think the MWC is ultimately trying to make their case for an automatic bid in the current BCS system. A playoff system has been discussed for years, and the various ideas have involved eight, 16, and even more teams, but the BCS continues to live on.
In the end, it is teams like the 2008 Utah Utes who get short-changed. They had a perfect season, and they won their BCS bowl game, beating an extremely well-coached and talented Alabama Crimson Tide team…why should they not get a chance to play for the national championship? There are teams like this, year in and year out, and still this problem exists. A problem that is as continuous as this one cannot be solved by a simple proposal by one conference, and I think the way this article flows, that is exactly what it is getting at. More needs to be done, and it will take some serious time for everyone in college football to settle on a fix; at least now more conferences are starting to realize that something has to change, and that truly is half the battle.
To Max Landman, editor-and-chief of the TCU Daily Skiff:
The Bowl Championship Series system in college football has had numerous critics over the years since it was established as the way to determine the national champion in college football. An article in the TCU Daily Skiff published on March 24th of this year talks about a potential solution to this problem. Justin White compares and contrasts the current BCS system and unveils the Mountain West Conference’s proposed playoff plan in his article entitled “Mountain West presents eight-team playoff proposal.” Though I believe this to be a step in the right direction for college football, I think it is only the first of many steps that needs to be taken in order to fairly determine a national champion.
White talks about how fans that have been outraged in the past can now breathe easier because of this proposed plan; I think that is a bit bold. The article gives an overview of the newly proposed plan, and although it would replace the current BCS system, a 12 member committee would not only choose the eight teams to compete for the title, but they would also seed them, one through eight. This leaves the door open for some extremely arbitrary decisions when picking one team over another. The article takes the shape that this is the solution to a huge problem in college football when in reality, possibly one capricious group could be replaced by another group that is set up to have the same problems and make the same mistakes.
Like I said earlier, this is a step in the right direction, and I agree with what is said by the athletics director Danny Morrison in this article. He says this plan came about now because the MWC is doing well, not because some other BCS conferences are doing badly. The proposal is receiving praise by other conferences, but I think the MWC is ultimately trying to make their case for an automatic bid in the current BCS system. A playoff system has been discussed for years, and the various ideas have involved eight, 16, and even more teams, but the BCS continues to live on.
In the end, it is teams like the 2008 Utah Utes who get short-changed. They had a perfect season, and they won their BCS bowl game, beating an extremely well-coached and talented Alabama Crimson Tide team…why should they not get a chance to play for the national championship? There are teams like this, year in and year out, and still this problem exists. A problem that is as continuous as this one cannot be solved by a simple proposal by one conference, and I think the way this article flows, that is exactly what it is getting at. More needs to be done, and it will take some serious time for everyone in college football to settle on a fix; at least now more conferences are starting to realize that something has to change, and that truly is half the battle.
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