Journal 2

David Giffels informs us about what it was like to own a Ramone’s t-shirt in the past and today in his memoir “Shirt Worthy”. The main point of the story is to provide insight into how times and the meaning of wearing a Ramone’s t-shirt have changed. This story also has a surprising amount of relevance as well. At one point in the story, David says to himself “Could it be, that my children will never have to struggle?” He is trying to say that back when he was growing up, things had to be earned. But today, things are given and available to you with no effort on your own behalf. The subject of “Shirt Worthy” is about David’s journey to finally become a proud owner of a Ramone’s t-shirt. The intended audience of “Shirt Worthy” could be an avid rock and roll fan, a parent, or anybody who is curious about how different some things are today from the past. David reveals to us in the beginning that one could not just wear a Ramone’s t-shirt when he was a kid, it had to be earned. One would go about earning the right to wear a Ramone’s t-shirt by attending one of their concerts. But today, anybody can just stroll into Hot Topic and find any band t-shirt they desire. This is exactly what David did when his son asked for a Ramone’s t-shirt for his birthday. David was not naïve about where he could go about finding the shirt, he even felt like he could slightly relate to the idea of “Hot Topic”. When David’s son wears the shirt for the first time, he rips it while climbing a fence. David’s kid thinks the shirt is ruined, but David tells his son that he has actually made the shirt “better”. This is another example of how times have changed. In the past, a ripped up, grungy rock n roll t-shirt was an ideal item to have. It showed your true passion and dedication for a particular band. Today, you go out and buy a new shirt, which is exactly what David did. Now being a proud owner of a slightly ripped Ramone’s t-shirt, David feels as if he has finally earned it through being a true fan all of his life and also by being a great father. David uses dialogue and strong details to help provide the reader with a pathos or emotional feeling. We feel bad for his son who is about to cry because he ripped his new shirt. We also feel a sense of happiness for David when he finally obtains his very own Ramone’s t-shirt. This is one element that I believe would help my writing tremendously.

Journal 1

I never really stopped to think about how much writing and rhetoric is apart of every day life. Everywhere you go, you experience both in one way or another. Whether it’s the anchor on sports center telling you the latest sports news, the text message you received a few minutes ago, or the pre game speech your coach gave you before the big game, writing and rhetoric is all around us. Being captain of the football and ice hockey team in high school, I have used my fair share of rhetoric to help motivate my team. It helps to inject morale into your team and persuades you to believe that you will be victorious. In the movie Any Given Sunday, Al Pacino uses rhetoric to deliver an extremely motivational speech that drives his team to victory. Throughout my life, I never really enjoyed writing papers. I always dreaded the long hours researching and citing endless amounts of information. But once I started to play the guitar, I began to gain an appreciation for different types of writing. I would occasionally express the way I was feeling through a poem. Then that poem would then turn into a song. There is no greater feeling then being able to express your feelings through music. A lot of popular artists are great at conveying different messages through their song lyrics. I personally am a big fan of John Mayer. In his song Daughters , he tells the story of what it is like for a girl to be abandoned by her father and the trouble she has reconnecting with people when she is an adult. The song represents how somebody’s past can shape who they are as an individual today. Personally, my strengths as a writer have always been my ability to convey a clear message to my audience as well as my attention to detail. But sometimes, I find myself writing too many unnecessary details to help pad the length of my paper. Another thing I could improve upon is mistakes. Whether it is a misspelled word, too many commas, or an incorrect citation, all of the mistakes I usually make are easily fixable. Too many times, I neglect to go back and re read my work. I believe that if I can fix these mistakes, I will be able to keep my audience engaged. I would like to be able to write a paper that nobody wants to stop reading. Many famous authors are very good at this, such as J.D. Salinger. When I read the novel The Catcher in the Rye, I did not want to put it down. I read all 277 pages in a few hours. This is the only book I have ever read in one sitting. The story is easy for any teenager that is struggling to find out who they are and what their purpose in this world is to relate to. I hope that this course will help me become a better write through strengthening my ability to captivate my audience, proofreading, and constructive criticism.