Elements of an Effective Layout

Dorothy Cohen’s explains that a good layout should attract attention and interest and should provide some control over the manner in which the advertisement is read.  She goes on to say that in addition, the most important aspects of an effective layout are balance, proportion, movement, utility, clarity, and emphasis.  This specifically is the analytical tool for this article. She goes into great detail about each aspect.  In my opinion the most important principles are unity and clarity/simplicity.  If the layout of an advertisement isn’t unified then it throws off the whole point of it.  Although many different elements tie into a specific advertisement, they should all use the same basic shapes, color, sizes, textures, and mood in order to achieve unity.  Aside from unity, the clarity and simplicity should also be effective.  Too much information or a cluttered advertisement can defeat the purpose of advertising.  It could potentially steer a viewer away.

It is weird to think about all the different principles and elements that go into an advertisement because when we are flipping through a magazine or watching TV we don’t think about all this.  We are just viewing the advertisement for what it is.  With that said, I don’t really think that this ruins an advertisement or makes it any less interesting.  Marketing is my major, so I find this analytical thinking interesting.

Democracy of Goods

The whole idea of advertising is to advertise across a broad variety of people.  It is difficult to do however, when catering to different social classes.  Roland Marchand’s main point in “Democracy of Goods” is defining democracy in terms of “equal access to consumer products.” This is the analytical tool of this article.  This whole concept is still used to today, a lot of times in the fashion world.   When you are looking at advertisements these days, the economic differences in social classes are recognized.  Things are perceived in the sense that all people can afford the same desired product.

The specific example Marchand uses in this article is “Cream of Wheat.”  It essentially summarizes that “every mother can give her youngsters the fun and benefits of a Cream of Wheat breakfast just as do the parents of these boys and girls who have the best that wealth can command.

Advertising

One of the most effective forms of advertising today is the use of guerrilla marketing.  Guerrilla marketing relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget.  The campaigns are usually unexpected and unconventional and targeted in unexpected places.  The goal is to generate buzz and as a result gain viral media.  An example of this I recently saw in a magazine was for a particular brand of camera.  There was a 3D sculpture of a dog in the middle of some grass and the dog looked like you were looking at in the form of pixels versus a smooth image.  The sign next to the sculpture read “SEE IT IN MORE DETAIL.”  Under the powerful sentence was a picture of the camera and the brand name.  It was all very simple looking but really got the message across.  Sometimes in advertisements I think less is more. 

One of the first things that popped in my mind for the most ineffective advertisement is the Spangles commercials.  These absolutely annoy me.  I feel like they look very unprofessional and they are corny.  After watching one of their commercials I don’t want to go and eat their food at all.

Summary of Persuasive Essay

My thesis statement for my persuasive essay is as follows: Christy Lleras, a professor of Human and Community Development, says that "Extracurricular activities foster 'soft skills', such as sociability, punctuality, conscientiousness, and the ability to get along with others." With this said, it leads us to believe that participation in extracurricular activities is crucial to the overall well-being of a child.

I believe that my thesis is bold and the rest of my paper feeds off of this one sentence. My main arguments include the definition of an extracurricular activity and how they can come in many forms beyond sports. Another point I make is that they are crucial to the mindset you have as an adult and the skills you obtain that you can apply in the workforce. I focus on sports because I think you can get the most benefits out of a sport, whether it is team or individual. My counter arguments are that you can be involved in other extracurriculars such as theater and music that also foster important skills.

Research

Fujita, Kimiko. "Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences."
           Kappa Omicron Nu Honor Society - Human Sciences. URC. Web. 20 Oct. 2011.
           <http://www.kon.org/urc/v5/fujita.html>.

"The Human Brain - Exercise." Resources for Science Learning. The Franklin Institute, 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html#physicalexercise>.

Macomber, Jennifer Ehrle, and Kristen Anderson Moore. "Children's Environment and Behavior: Participation in Extracurricular Activities." The Urban Institute | Research of Record. The Urban Institute, 1 Jan. 1999. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.urban.org/publications/900869.html>.

"Social Skills, Extracurricular Activities In High School Pay Off Later In Life." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. Science Daily, 25 Mar. 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090325132536.htm#>.

Effective Argument - "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"

Martin Luther King Jr’s “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” is an extremely powerful and effective argument.  Technically he is addressing the clergymen, but more importantly this was published all over, so he in fact was reaching people all over the world.  Simply put, he is addressing the issues of racism and segregation.  There are several examples throughout the letter that depicts certain incidents where blacks and whites were distinctly treated differently.  Throughout the whole letter he talks about how he is considering himself the voice of the people whom have been treated unfairly.  There are a lot of very powerful arguments throughout the letter. One of my favorite points was, “Lamentably, it is an historical fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily.  We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”  He is showing why he feels like he needs to finally speak out.  He goes on to explain that in order to get recognized he must break the law, which is what he did. 
 

Martin Luther King Jr. was so tired of hearing the word “wait” that he couldn’t stand the thought of waiting any longer.  He argued that nothing was going to change if someone didn’t speak out and make the problems with society known. Because of this he was considered an extremist.  He argued that there were all kinds of people in history that did the same things, just viewed in a different light.  How was what he was doing any different?

The either-or logical fallacies were the most common throughout the letter.  Most of the time he was saying either we make this change, or everything around us will stay the same.  I spotted a hasty generalization in the first paragraph on pg. 162, and also name calling in the bottom sentence on pg. 157.  More commonly they were seen in the form of begging the question.  He is asking why his brother and sisters aren’t granted the necessary freedom that everyone is supposed to share.

Logical Fallacies.

I can drink beer even though I am underage because everyone else under twenty one is doing it.

This is an example of a bandwagon appeal because this person is assuming that everyone else out there is drinking underage, therefore it is okay if they do it too.  In reality, not everyone underage in the world is actually drinking beer; it might just be the case that everyone they hang around or come in contact too on the weekends is partaking in these events.  Just because this is the case, doesn’t mean it is the truth, it just makes the idea more appealing.

I would have finished cleaning the house if the weather wasn’t so nice outside.

This is an example of a rationalization.  This is a very weak explanation as to why the house didn’t get cleaned.  Regardless of whether it was nice outside or not, the house would have just as good of a chance to get cleaned. It didn’t just because of the simple fact that you wanted to spend more time outdoors.

We have had extreme weather the past few years. This is a sure sign of global warming.

This is a hasty generalization.  This is a very broad statement, when in reality; there could be numerous other reasons as to why the weather is behaving the way it is.  It would take a very, very long time to be able to track the trends of the weather patterns.  A simple generalization would not do the trick.

Topic.

The topic I have selected is “Why dogs make the best pets”.  There are many different avenues I could take while writing this paper. Some examples include: research saying that having a pet (dog in particular) is healthier for a child growing up, they can teach you lessons about life, they can be your best friend, they can keep you in shape, they make you a more loving person, you learn how to take care of something other than yourself, there plain fun, etc.  I think that with this topic, there is research you can collect, but also their leaves a wide variety of opinion to persuade.

When Your Opinion Matters.

There was a time when I had to make a very important decision, which led into me making a case and my opinion was very important, because it was a decision that would essential change my life.  I played very competitive volleyball throughout my whole life up until my senior year in high school.  I decided to quit playing competitively going into my senior year in high school.  I was burnt out by this time, and I just wasn’t enjoying it anymore.  I felt like I didn’t have the time, I didn’t have enough desire, and spending time doing other social activities had become more important to me.  When I told my coach this for the first time, he honestly thought I was joking around with him. This made my case even harder to justify.  I had my reasons that I just described above and he argued back with me saying that it would be beneficial to continue especially since I was a senior and recruiters would be doing their final looks.  This again wasn’t what I wanted; I wasn’t interested in the recruiters, or playing volleyball at the college level period.  He finally gave in and accepted my decision.  It was hard and I do miss it every once in a while, but knowing that I made the right decision comforts me.  I just keep telling myself if I played one more year I would not only ruin the experience for myself, but also for my teammates because I wouldn’t be putting all my attention and effort into the game.  There are times when I look back and think, “I should have said something different,” but this was not one of those times.  I knew I was ready to quit playing and knew my reasoning.  Usually the times I wish I would have said something different are over very minor issues, that I realize later were dumb to get upset over.

Muddiest Point.

The guidelines for what’s required for the persuasive paper are very clear, just as any other assignment for this class.  The assignment sheets are always detailed, and I know what is being asked, and when it’s due.  Also the guidelines for writing this particular type of essay are pretty thorough, as to what should be expected in each paragraph.

 My “muddiest point” in this essay is probably the idea of picking a topic.  With the guidelines requiring a paper at least five pages in length, it is clear that a topic must be chose with a hefty amount of research available, in order to fill the five pages with a legitimate argument.  The blog post on topics was fairly helpful as too topics that are absolutely unacceptable, for example, don’t pick a topic that is only two-sided. Keeping in mind that research is required, seems to narrow down a range of topics available, because when one comes to mind and you realize you can’t find a sufficient amount of research on the issue, then that is automatically out the window.

I think that maybe a sample essay might be beneficial, just to get the ideas and brainstorming flowing in the right direction.  Seeing an example usually comforts me, knowing that I am heading in the right direction with the assignment.

Personal Narrative - Notaro

The intro was catching.  It made me want to read more and wonder what it was that made no one want to take Pop Pop to the grocery store.

This writer is writing specifically about her experience taking Pop Pop to the grocery store.  The only time she adds in any extra detail is at the beginning, telling us about her grandfather’s cancer, which has left him on some heavy pain medicine that makes him loopy, and doesn’t allow him to drive.

I could visualize there trip to the store when he saw the bakery products sitting out behind by the loading dock.  She really pulled me and I could picture her grandfather throwing all kinds of stuff into a small backseat.  After that I was able to picture the truck backing up towards them because I could “hear” them talking in my head while reading.

She uses dialogue throughout, and its lets me get a sense of the characters personalities.  Her grandfather wants nothing more than to be able to get out of the house and do things freely on his own.  And her grandmother is typical in the sense that she finds everything imaginable to pick a fight about.  All of this was gathered in my head because of the dialogue used.

I wasn’t really able to relate in any way to this article, but I was however able to connect because she did such a good job of describing the event that took place.

She is describing a certain memory that she is able to look back on that will always remind her of her grandfather’s sense of humor.  I think in this way she was able to show the significance of this event to her memory.

Her conclusion reinforces her story because it leads back to the fact that she has acknowledged the fact that Nana is going to be very upset about the fact that Pop Pop brought back a bunch of unneeded objects.

Personal Narrative - White

The intro caught my attention.  He gave a couple details about how the trip went wrong which got me interested because it didn’t go into detail about how they actually happened.  I could tell by the first paragraph that the essay was going to take me on an adventure through his old camp ground memories.

Yes, he sticks to his memories about camping with his father only how he is doing it with his own son.  It is heartwarming to see how the things they are doing is an exact replica of what he used to do with his father, just now the roles are reversed.

He did a great job of using sensory details.  Throughout the whole essay I was able to picture myself at the camp ground.   He used a great amount of similes to help describe things.  Overall, it put me in the moment.

There wasn’t any dialogue, however I didn’t feel it was lacking it.  I was still able to get a sense of his and the boys attitudes without it.

I was able to connect and relate, because I too have had those special moments with mom/dad that stay in the back of my memory that I only hope one day to share with my kids.

It shows how what he did as a kid is still enjoyable to him and is able to bring back endless memories.  Now he is able to share this with his child and is able to catch a different perspective of life.

Throughout the whole essay he talks about how sometimes he can’t distinguish the line in his mind of whether what is going on is him in his memory or his son.  In the conclusion the last statement was very bold because he talks about in that very moment when his son is buckling his belt he literally felt like he was in that moment.  He could actually feel the wetness of his son’s suit.  I thought that alone summed up the whole essay.

Personal Narrative - Sedaris

The intro caught my attention just because of the first sentence alone. I can’t really tell from the first paragraph that the whole essay is going to be about French class, but I do get a sense that it is something about French because he talks about his French book.

Over all everything in the essay is focused around his French class in Paris.  He gave a little background about how he moved to Paris in hopes of fully learning the language.  Other than that all the events focused around this class.

I can visualize from the dialogue and descriptions that the teacher was very stubborn, almost in a sarcastic way.  I could picture the dialogue coming out of her mouth in a class setting.

There was dialogue in the essay and yes it did a great job of describing the teacher’s personality.  It showed that she disregarded anyone who didn’t know exactly what was going on in the class.

When I read this essay I could relate because it made me think of a teacher I had in high school that was sort of the same way.  He was not mean but he made everyone scared to ask questions simply because he would be little us for not knowing the answer and make us feel dumb.

In the ending he talks about one day he realized he could understand everything that everyone was saying and that is when he finally realized that he was catching on.  At that point he just sat back and took the teacher with a grain of salt.  What she said no longer offended him.

He concluded his essay stating that understanding doesn’t mean that you can suddenly speak the language, but it is a step in the right direction and that was all he needed.

Blog #7 Sentence Variety

Sam drove to the shoe store where she purchased a pair of boots and a shoestring kit.  When she was done, she went to the food court and ordered a burrito with peppers and onions on top.  Over at the pretzel stand Sam saw a cute boy, when he looked at her she blushed.  He proceeded to walk over to her and she said hi.  As she did so, the boy wrinkled up his nose. Sam said hi again and the boy gagged and walked away.  Sam was shocked.  After, she realized she had bad breath, so she ran to the bathroom and began to cry.  As she calmed down, Sam put on her new boots, shined them, and walked out with confidence.  Sam found the boy and informed him he needed manners.  With her new boots she kicked him, and the boy fell to the ground.  After she did so, Sam walked away and left the mall.

Blog #6 Mechanics

In my writing I tend to add in extra words that are not needed.  Principle #17 talks about omitting needless words.  It says that a sentence should contain NO unnecessary words, and a paragraph should contain NO unnecessary sentences.  I believe my problem is adding extra words in sentences to try and describe things, when in reality if I would omit those words then the sentence would have greater impact, and less fluff.  I also though #14, use the active voice, went along with this.  It pointed out that when sentences are made stronger they are often shorter.  This was good advice for me to keep in mind that kind of stuck out in my head.

My strongest principle talked about is probably #20, keep related words together. I can usually tell when my sentences are repetitive or choppy.  I have found that reading what I have written down out loud rather than just in my head helps me pick out the choppy parts and parts that don’t flow together smoothly.

Blog #5 "Summary Revision Checklist"

1. What is the thesis statement? Is it an accurate reflection of the author’s thesis

statement? Is it stated in your own words? How could you refine it to be more clear

and concise?  

In the article “College Pressures” by William Zinsser, Zinsser talks about four specific pressures he typically sees college students facing.  These pressures are as follow; economic, parental, peer, and self pressure. Yes this is an accurate reflection of the author's thesis and it is stated in my own words.

2. How is the essay introduced? Do you mention the article’s title, author, purpose and

audience? Does it clearly set the tone for the paper and accurately reflect what is

discussed therein? Could it be improved?

My essay is introduced with an introductory sentence and then I state the artical's title, author, purpose, and audience all in the first paragraph.

3. What are the main points of the summary? How do you recognize them? Do you

leave out minor points and repetitive points for emphasis? Most importantly, do you

leave out your own opinion, feelings or conclusions on the subject of the article?

The main points of the essay are the four types of pressure (economic, peer, parental, and self).  I recognized each of them in a different paragraph except for peer and self I did in the same paragraph.  I left out my own opinion and made sure I focused on what Zinsser was trying to get through in his essay.

4. How is the essay organized? Does it follow the organization of the original article?

What transitions do you use? Think of some additional possibilities for more logical

organization.

For the most part the essay follows the same pattern as the article itself.  I transistioned from paragraph to paragraph by leading into each different type of pressure.

5. After your reading, can you say the thesis statement accurately reflects the topic and

focus of the essay? How is the essay concluded? What technique do you employ in

the conclusion? How is that effective or not?

Yes the thesis accuratly reflects the topic and focus of the essay.  I restated the introduction in the conclusion, using different words.  I believe it is affective because I tried to include quotes from the originally essay to prove points.

6. Make sure to fix any major grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.

7. Is the sentence structure varied and interesting? Do you have any weak, overly

wordy, awkward, or confusing sentences? Does the essay strive to use active, direct,

present tense verbs?

Yes I believe it is interesting and flows well.  I did have to go back and try to change some words becuase I realized I started alot of the sentences with the same words.

8. Were the textual passages (quotes and paraphrases) well-chosen? Remember you

should try avoiding direct quotations when writing a summary.

I tried to chose quotes that made a point.

9. Is the essay written in third-person? Are all instances of first- and second-person

removed from the piece?

Yes the essay is written in third-person.

10. Is the draft two to three (2-3) pages typed, double-spaced? Are all the margins oneinch

(1”)?
Yes

Blog #4 "College Pressures"

There is a wide range of pressures put on students at the college level.  I think that the amount and type of pressure depends on the person, but I think that all of us can relate that we are affected by it in some way.  The biggest pressure I feel like I’m facing right now is work pressure.  I work at a golf course and right now is a really busy time for a golf course. Through the summer I work 40 hours a week, but when school starts, that doesn’t back down much until around October and November when the weather starts to die down.  Holding 30-40 hours a week on top of a full school load gets to be hard to manage at times.  I am allowed to bring my homework to work, which is a huge plus.  That is usually what keeps me going; otherwise I would be completely bogged down in school work.  I have my moments where I want to quit my job, but I eventually get through it.

I think another pressure that college students get wrapped up in, in a lot of cases, is peer and societal pressure.  At the college level especially, you are getting to the age where there is a lot more to do and friends are turning legal.  A lot more distractions from your school work are brought up.  Students have to learn how to balance their school work and their social lives.  I know firsthand how hard this can be, especially during your first year of college.  You gain so much more freedom, being able to move out of the house, it feels as though you don’t have anyone to answer to.  This sometimes can get students in too trouble.

I believe societal pressures can sometimes be overwhelming too.  If you think about it, today there is a lot of pressure put on students to get a degree and to make sure you get a degree in something that is going to make you money.  I agree with Zinsser, in the essay when he talks about how college these days is so geared towards society, and making sure that you will have that safety net when you get out of college that way you know you can get a job.  Kids are no longer choosing routes that would allow them to do what they love.  For example, being a musician, an artist, or even a writer.  This ties in with parental pressures also.  Parents these days are not helping the situation because they want their child to be just as successful, and would rather they choose the business route or the medical route, for intense.

I think as you get older you learn to handle these pressures in a more mature way, and are able to cope a little easier.  Some of these pressures I think will carry with you all through your life, and it’s up to you to learn how to manage them and how you are going to let them affect your lifestyle.

Blog #3 "University Days"

The hardest class I have ever taken was my Public Speaking class.  I took this class my senior year of high school for college credit.  I wasn't particularly looking forward to taking this class in the first place mainly because i don't enjoy memorizing things, it is hard for me.  The reason i took it in high school was because i figured it would be easier there, and i would know all the kids in my class that consisted of 25 tops, as opposed to a class of 40 or better here at Washburn.  Well little did i know, that class wasn't going to be easy.

The first speech was easy.  All we had to do was introduce ourselves.  It was supposed to be 2 minutes tops. From the looks of this speech, i had it in the bag.  After that one they got progressively worse. All leading up to the 10 minute long speech.  I honestly cant even remember what i did my speech over, all i remember is it stressed me out completely.  I ended up completing the essay and being able to recite it, however what came out of my mouth wasn't completely what i had planned to say because i forgot parts of it. I was able to ramble enough to make it sound like i knew what i was saying, and like it was planned.

The part that made this class horrible for me was the fact that i was really sick for one of the speech days. This was not planned and definitely wasn't an excuse to get out of my speech.  I had it ready and all memorized, i just couldn't go to school. My teacher would not let me make up my speech, because he said that he said from the beginning "you had to recite your speech on the day planned".  He gave me a zero on that speech and i barely passed the class with a C.

After passing this class i felt like i had a huge weight lifted off my shoulder. Even though this grade has affected my college GPA, i am still thankful that i passed and wouldn't have to take a class like that every again!

Blog #2 "On Keeping a Notebook"

Personally, I have never kept a blog, notebook, or anything of the sorts.  When I was younger (2nd or 3rd grade) I would attempt to keep a journal.  This would last me a couple days and that was it.  These journals, however, were "top secret".  They usually consisted of descriptions of the newest shirt my mom just bought me, or which friend I was spending all my time with, and the latest drama that went down on the playground that day. (all the important things)

I believe that a lot of the point of keeping a notebook is exactly as Didion put it, recording "how it felt to me".  I don't think there is a right or wrong way to keep a notebook/blog.  If your are interested in writing fictitious stories, like Didion, then so be it.  These stories might remind you of certain points in your life, other people may not understand it, but that's okay, they don't need to.

I do  believe that social media affects how people these days record things.  A lot of blogs out on the Internet are filled with things involving current events.  It gives people something to talk about, and voice their opinion.  the news is alot easier to access these days whether it be on TV, the radio, or the Internet.

All in all, "blogging" today is different in my opinion today than "notebook keeping" back in the day.  I think it revolves more on opinions about current events and celebrity gossip than it does your own personal, detailed, day to day life.

About Me....

Hello, my name is Rebeca. Mostly everyone calls me "Beca" except for my mom, because she "named me Rebeca for a reason." I am new to this whole blog thing, I havn't had one until now. I am currently a junior here at Washburn, and I am a marketing and manegment major.

I graduated from a highschool here in Topeka, and yes, I have lived here my whole life.  I always thought going through highschool that I would get out of Topeka and go to college somewhere else, but as the time became closer I stuck with Washburn. I am very happy I did, I enjoy the atmosphere here.

I work at Cypress Ridge Golf Course. I work in both the pro shop and in the snack/bar area. It is the perfect job during school, because as it starts to get colder, the golf course business slows down and I am able to bring my homework to work. (The tips arn't so bad either!)

I love to scrapbook in my free time. My mom and I got started on it a while back, and I have continued ever since.  I played volleyball very competively since the 3rd grade, I however, didn't continue at the college level because I was unfortunatly burnt out and wanted to focus on school alone.

I think that about summarizes my life right now!