In Class: Open Free Write

So this morning I decided to go on a bike ride because my Tuesdays are pretty crammed class-wise.  I woke up at 8 a.m. and checked the temperature on my phone and it said it feels like 32 degrees Fahrenheit  outside.  I knew it would be cold but not that cold.  Now I have a pretty good arrangement of winter cycling clothes but what I do lack is a good pair of gloves to keep my fingers warm.  Rolling out of my driveway it was chilly but I thought I was going to be alright.  After my warm up I started to pick up the pace to around 20mph and that's when my fingers started to hurt they were so cold.  I biked a good amount in the winter in Austin last year but for some reason today felt ridiculously cold.  About an hour into it my hands went completely numb.  Hey at least they didnt hurt anymore.  I finished my ride with a nice hot cup of coffee at starbucks, YUMMM!!

Unit 3 Proposal

The issue that we have chosen for this project is publishing unnecessary and inappropriate details about one’s personal life through facebook. Overuse of facebook has many negative effects on incoming college freshman which include being a distraction to academics among other things. Regarding this topic, we think that incoming freshman to TCU should be advised to limit what they share publicly on their facebook. Additionally, they need to be made aware that information they believed to be private can be seen by anyone, including their future professors and employers.

Our target audience for this particular issue is incoming TCU freshman, with facebook accounts, that have just graduated from high school. Our audience will be made up of both males and females ranging in age from seventeen to eighteen. Focusing in on TCU freshman, most of the audience members will be from middle to upper class families.

Our first medium will be an article in the Skiff discussing the dangers of facebook to incoming freshman and advice from more experienced, older students. Second, we are going to create a flier which would be handed out during new student orientation. The flier will include a general example of what an inappropriate facebook page looks like for incoming freshman. For our final medium for this argument, we decided to have a short video that could be shown to incoming freshmen during orientation as a warning about overusing Facebook.

In Class: Visual Arguments

The reading last night was on visual arguments and how they can be used to make a claim.  The two scenarios I really found powerful were the Kennedy/Nixon debate and the use of statistics through graphs.  The Kennedy/Nixon debate was the first televised presidential debate and the way each person appeared on tv is believed to have a great impact on the number of people that voted for them.  Just by Nixon looking clammy and sickly gave him a bad image.  The importance of visual arguments to make a claim will be used in my project of facebook.  Through a facebook page I believe we will be able to create strong images.

What did I learn from the reading material last night?

I learned that by not checking the syllabus and not doing the assigned reading that I will not be prepared for class.  It is always important to keep up to date with your classes because each professor put a great amount of time and effort into each class and doing the same is very respectful.  The assigned readings almost always have something to do with the upcoming class, so by not doing the reading makes me just that much further behind.

Unit 2 Proposal

     The topic/event I have chosen for Unit 2 is Arizona's controversial immigration law.  I think this is going to be a good topic because it affects a wide variety and number of people so I don't think I will have a hard time finding good well spoken arguments for or against the law.  Immigration is also a pressing issue in the United States, so im looking forward to finding many examples of peoples opinions.  It will be interesting because I believe I will find some great arguments from people either strongly for or strongly against it.  When people have a strong opinion towards something they often make strong arguments to back up their side of the story, which is perfect for Unit 2. 
     I hope to search for primary sources through the online databases the library has to offer, along with any newspaper and magazine articles I can find.  The internet is also a endless source for information so i expect to find many reports and positions there. 

In Class: First Paragraph

There's a place in a local shopping center, a not so ordinary place called the Apple store.  From outside the store it looks pretty simple but surprisingly appealing.  All the windows and doors are solid glass.  Above that is a massive piece of brushed aluminum with a faintly lit Apple logo right in the center.  Once inside the the theme of simplicity yet elegance continues.  The floors are made of long thin panels of wood, probably pine or some other light wood.  Large tables displaying neatly arranged products are made of the same wood.

In Class: Group Editing

For the most part, the experiences I've had with the peer editing group thing have gone fairly well.  The way I see it it's always good to get a couple different perspectives on your work.  I can be pretty funky with my wording sometimes so I guess I find it helpful.  I guess the only thing that gets on my nerves is when someone tries to rearrange like a whole sentence or a paragraph because its not the way they would have done it.  And I'm not taking about confusing wording or grammatical errors... I mean Its my paper and that's how I want it.  Kinda harsh I know but I hope you can see where I'm coming from. 

In Class: Peer Comments Response

I found that having a classmate or two really helps me get new ideas and outlooks on my place.  One classmate made the point to say that one of her favorite observations was the ability for customers to check out using an employees iPhone.  Until now I never thought about how cool that actually is.  I knew it had the capabilities to do that so I kinda thought it was just common sense but compared to other stores no one really does that.  It helps reduce people clutter that would usually form around the checkout counter and makes the checking out process seem fun!  I asked if i thought the fact that the Apple store has different ranked employees has anything to do with their ethos, and the answer is a definite yes.  Having highly skilled employees gives the store a bunch of creditability.

In Class: Observation Process

I had a really great time observing the Apple store as a matter of fact.  It was very interesting to see so many people come in and out of the store whether they were there to just look around or buy a new computer.  At some times the store would be really crowded like I mean REALLY crowded you would think they were giving away free computers for how many people there were inside.  I found a nice place at a table to sit at and observe the store.  It was kinda funny though I was probably asked 5 to 8 times if I needed help with anything in the store and and I would always just respond "no I'm just observing your store."  They might have though that was a little out of the ordinary but thats alright.  Observations dont always have to be purely visual and from a distance.  I decided to observe hands on with their products and ask a few employees computer related questions to test their knowledge for fun.  Overall I had many good observation experiences and I'm looking forward to going back!!

In Class: Logos

The piece of evidence I brought to class today that relates to logos is an article about professional cyclist Ivan Basso after his first place victory in the Giro d'Italia.  Our book, "Everything's an Argument" suggests that one of the strongest ways to convey a sense of logos is with statistics.  Basso won the grand tour with an overall time of 87 hours, 44 minutes and one second, followed by second place winner David Arroyo who had a time of only 1:51 more than Basso.  The article also discusses his tedious training and past achievements as a professional cyclist.

Unit 1 Decision

     After much thought I have finally chosen my public space for our first paper.  Originally I was going to choose a supermarket but it felt kinda bland and not that original for some reason.  Instead of just siding with the first place that popped into my head I decided to think it out a bit more because I want to make this assignment fun and choose a place that I would really enjoy writing about. 
     Yesterday afternoon it just came to me.  What better place to write about than the Apple store!  I shop there often and its just an amazing store.  There's just so many things about that store that sets it apart from any other store/public place.  Just look at the store front for example.  The all glass windows and doors sitting under the aluminum like heading with a simple apple logo in the center makes it seem so simple yet sophisticate.  The store certainly has many visual appeals that are unique to its type.  Along with visual appeals, all Apple stores have quite strong ethical (ethos) appeals as well.  They employ a highly trained trained staff of which have great knowledge of Apple computers and their products.  Overall its going to be a great place to write about and I cant wait to get started!!

In Class: Ethos

The artifact I decided to bring that would appeal to my character is my drivers license.  Not just anyone can obtain a drivers license, you have to pass tests and fall under certain criteria.  I passed these tests and became legally eligible to operate a class c motor vehicle.  The license is Texas issued because I lived in Texas when I went through the process of obtaining a drivers license.  It appeals to my character because I obviously had to have some motive to get a drivers license.  My home town of Houston is a pretty spread out place.  My daily commute to High School was over 15 miles so riding a bike or walking wouldn't be that practical.  I also put thought into getting a drivers license for future references too. 


   

In Class: Pathos on Public Space

Grocery stores believe it or not are a place filled with emotions.  Whether it might be the emotions a certain product wishes to convey to the shopper or the overall atmosphere of the place, its hard to stay emotion free while shopping.  Seeing a pineapple in the produce section might bring you back to a family trip you took to a tropical island and make you want to buy it.  Or maybe the store is ridiculously dirty making you never want to shop there again, understanding the emotional appeal of a place tells you a lot about the people who choose to go there.

In Class: Pathos Artifact

The artifact I decided to bring to class is one of my cycling shoes.  I have worn this pair for a year and a half now and let me tell you they have traveled many many miles, close to 2,500 actually.  Just looking at them they are pretty worn.  The carbon fiber sole shows signs of wear and tear from stopping on curbs or catching myself if a car pulls out in front of me.  All and all they have been a great ride.

In Class: Spaces

Brainstorm Time!!
TCU Bookstore, Fuzzy's Taco's, common area between Samuelson and BLUU, zoo, recreation center, Frisbee golf course, train station, parking lot, Einsteins bagels, library, and chuy's.

In Class: First Week!!!

This year I chose my schedule wisely so that I don's have any classes before 10:00 a.m. which is pretty darn nice.  I also decided to ride my bike to class every day instead of walking.  It's great because it really wakes me up so I'm not rolling into class all tired and sluggish plus if I'm running a little late its easy to make up a couple minutes so I can bet into class before it starts.  Specifically my classes haven't been that bad.  Ive only had homework in this class and one other so far-cant complain about that.  Overall I believe its going to be a great year!!!

The first of many...

Buenos dias guys and girls, my name is Alan-Michael Tausend, but my friends just call me Alan.  I was born and raised in Houston Texas where I attended Episcopal High School, GO KNIGHTS!!!  But anyways, this is my third year at TCU and I can't believe how great this school is.  I am taking this writing course for a couple reasons.  The main reason is that I am required to take it,  but I'm also looking forward to improving my writing skills especially when it comes to creating powerful and well structured arguments.  I'm not really that big into facebook but I have to admit I write on there occasionally.  Texting and E-mailing are probably the bulk of what I write these days when it doesn't come to school assignments and such.  Its hard to pay close attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling when it comes to texting and e-mailing, but I can really enjoy writing when the topic really appeals to me.                   
          Without really knowing it I made an argument in this first post and by creating my blog as a whole.  Basically I am making an argument to inform my fellow classmates and whoever reads this about who I am and my interests in life.  I want y'all to "discover the truth" about me.  It is my duty to create an argument so we can reach some common ground about what kind of person I am.  Whether you might learn things about me from the things I post, or even in the little things like my background image, writing style, or even font, its all a part of my argument.  
           I have read, understand, and agree to the terms of the course syllabus.