Hello,
My name is Mia-Myline Medina. Like any other military brat, I have moved around for the majority of my childhood. I’ve lived all around  the Eastern part of the United States, but I have recently come back from a three year stay in Japan.  I started college out there at the University of Maryland University College– Asia (UMUC Asia) and began working on my associates in general studies. Now I’m back and ready to advance into more career oriented classes. I am currently a Sophomore at ODU- majoring in Fine Arts with a minor in Marketing. I hope to start my career as an Art Director in the near future. My strengths are in both Art and English. I have taken honors/AP English classes since middle school, but I am always learning new ways to improve my writing.

Welcome to my page.

Table of Contents:

Informal Writing–  Assigned on-the-spot, the informal essay was created to give students an opportunity to display their writing skills and offer a sample of their writing style. Riddled with grammatical errors and formatting problems that were not caught while typing, the essay- in it’s incomplete form- is a discussion on Mark Goldblatt’s article, 10 Indefensible Pieces of Advice for Every College-Bound Student.  Goldblatt is criticized in the informal writing for his redundancy, use of cliche advice, and overall patronizing tone. Criticizing the author’s faults in his work came easy and was rather refreshing when one considers the fact that the essay was unscheduled and limited on time. Annotative thoughts, in conversation with the article,  allowed for an impassioned tone that is seen throughout the writing. Initial writer’s block and second guessing formatting inevitable enabled an incomplete piece, however. Stylistically speaking, the informal writing stays true to myself. When it comes to formalities, however, the essay falls short in regard to my standards as a writer. Overall, the essay has potential to be great. 

Rhetorical Analysis– Reviewing Mary Fisher’s address of AIDS at the Republican National Convention in 1992, the rhetorical analysis offers a breakdown of the two most apparent rhetorical devices employed throughout the speech. Fisher offers a deeply passionate speech on the devastation that surrounds AIDS, calling for a more understanding, united nation that will help combat the stigma behind this deadly disease. The hardest aspect of the rhetorical analysis, in general, was simply finding a piece that resonated with me- one that was powerful enough to focus on. After finding Fisher’s speech, it was clear  that this would be a well-rounded essay, based on the strength of the speech itself. Fisher’s poetic use of antithesis and anaphora inspired the entirety of the essay and made writing easy. The essay is cohesive and provides in depth thought on the techniques used in the speech. Something that was not realized until after the fact, however, is that several instances of strong word choice come off as biased and, therefore, would deter readers from continuing. That being said, the essay is still a well-rounded, cohesive piece that strengthens the portfolio.

Visual Rhetorical Project– Carl’s Jr. releases a specific style of advertisement time and time again, regardless of backlash from the public throughout the years. The ad in question for the visual project features Paris Hilton washing a luxury car while scantily clad in a black bikini. Topics such as the appeal to celebrities, expensive material possessions, and sexuality are addressed in a way that highlight the clear disconnect between the actions taking place and the intended focus of the company’s ad. The essay dissects the actions in a way that connects certain choices to psychological desires in such a way that does a great job in explain why these choices are shameful yet brilliant in the advertisement industry. Much like the commercial itself, it was difficult to refrain from offering redundant discussions considering the fact the each aspect of the ad seemed to be linked by one root appeal- desire for something more than what you have. The essay and adjoining PowerPoint presentation are clear and concise, however, and provide readers will thorough insight on the techniques used by the company to boost sales.

Research Paper– Broken down into three sections- research notes, rough draft, and final draft- the research paper focuses on excessive force acted out by police officers on members of their community. Police brutality is examined in relation to the training and lawful conviction of officers guilty of brutalizing and/or killing unarmed community members. References and quotes from credible sources were smoothly intertwined with each claim. There was a clear writing system put in place when writing this essay that made working with the material quick and easy. A breakdown of the writing system is seen in the rough draft where each sentence is linked to a purpose. Preparation for this essay was quite extensive, however the finished project was positively effected by it. It was difficult to vary the phrases used through the essay and the over-use of the words “unarmed civilians” or “police officers”  is something that is truly bothersome when read, however such phrases were unavoidable. The essay provides an ample amount of research as well as opposing claims that a debunked for their limitations, making the work thorough and concise.

Evaluation Paper– Based on personal experiences and the experiences of many other customers, this evaluation essay is an honest review of the Mediterranean restaurant,  Zöes Kitchen.  Success in the areas of atmosphere, service and amenities, and quality/quantity vs. price are all mentioned in the body of the evaluation. Articles from actual food critics for Zöes Kitchen could not be found to back up statements made about the restaurant, so  quotes were pulled from the website, YELP.  More credible sources would have strengthened the essay even more, however the topic remains well researched and thorough just like the previously mentioned essays. The format of the essay is cohesive and systematic as well- touching upon all of the main points with information to back claims up. This essay meets personal standards and deserves a place in the portfolio.

Self Evaluation–  Taking a look back on the work that has been done throughout the semester, the self evaluation allows for a space to not only reflect on the essays themselves, but the process that was used to complete the essays as well as the final portfolio. The text provides insight and personal thoughts on working with WordPress, what was learned in the class and how these newfound skills can be used in the future. After explaining the  majority of what was said in the evaluation elsewhere, the writing became redundant. The same things are repeated in the reflection as well. For a self evaluation, however, it is an insightful piece that is important to have in the portfolio.

Reflection–  Perspective and progress is  brought into question in the reflection section of this portfolio.  Goals for the future of personal writing endeavors are also revealed. The final piece is personal and allows the reader to understand exactly what is intended for future writings. Though short and simple, this section explains does a good job in explaining personal feelings or thoughts on what has happened and what is hoped for in the future.