Value of Research Writing

This type of writing course is far better, as I can see it, for engineers then an regular english/writing class. Research driven writing is a large part of what engineers do in grant writing, undergrad/grad research proposals, and peer reviewed publications of completed research. It only took me....14 weeks into the semester to realize how useful this course was going to be? I had no idea how to write an actual research proposal coming into this semseter and having this course from the outset will help me tremondously as an engineer.

Engineers, beware, this is only the start of your research writing!

Success!!!!

Finally a breakthrough!! After 3 weeks of mental block on the the revision of my essay the 2nd Major assignment I finally found an angle on the subject that I could talk about. I decided to talk about societies and how their ideals create their ideas of what a hero are. I think it turned out well. Now to await feedback......

Letter Genre

So far for my genre, an action letter, I have found mostly format related items. I haven't exactly found a matching letter format though a similar letter type would be a complaint letter. A complaint letter has the opposite end in view, instead of a positive action they want an action on an activity they don't like. I'm not sure if "letter" is the best way to describe my piece but my roommate is going to kill me if I don't get to bed soon because it's 0200 on Wednesday and we have to get up at 0650. I shall find more and decide whether or not to stick with the letter genre later today when I get up in a couple hours.

My life has devolved into a series of naps.......

Inititating Action

I think My initiating action (IA) will be on introducing Medal of Honor Recipients to schools. It may be a speech format but that could change. I will be rewriting the essay at the same time so the IA may change a little depending on what I use in the essay.

At class I found out how much people don't know about the Medal of Honor. I need to address this issue first or people won't really understand how important the Medal actually is and I will have a hard time convincing them it's a worthwhile project to undertake.

So that is the first idea I have and the finished product might look different.

Response to esssay feedback from Prof Scott

hmmmm

Well Apparently I can write a good starter speech, but not an essay. I need to rewrite the essay and focus in one of the questions I ask in the essay and use that as my subject and change my audience as well.

I think I will rewrite the essay before I turn in the Portfolio and also change the direction of my final Project. The essay will be on "What Makes a Hero?" And I think the Final Paper will be a letter or speech, I haven't decided, on intorducing the Medal of honor Recipients and how they can speak at schools or events.

Thoughts on Writing and the weather

I'm contemplating a theory that relates your emotions and writing with the weather. I'm sitting here at my desk and the skies have gotten darker and the clouds have gotten lower all day and I am in a gloomy attitude with not much motivation to do Homework. I think that when the weather is bad people don't want to write about happy events so they write gloomy tales of having hours of drill and sad country songs. Unfortunately for the world Poe only wrote when it was storming. This property is the inverse of the Reading property that says when the weather outside is frightful you want a good long book, a blanket, a comfortable chair and a crackling fire on the hearth.

Corrective actions at VT

There is no AC in the majority of dorms on Campus. How do we correct this? Contact the RA's to find out contact info and send emails to Housing and Dining Services to ask why the improvements to the dorms have not been made. Also sending a petition around on the VT survey system would reach everyone on the campus systems. This would allow the university to see how many students want the AC dorms.

There are no thermostats in the rooms to regulate climate control systems. The initial costs to the upgrades would be large but the long term savings on the more efficient dorms would counter these initial costs.

Community Issues

So we have to list problems we have found at Virginia Tech since we have arrived.

-One of the main problems is that cadets have to walk through freezing weather in basically nothing, ie slacks, a t-shirt and windbreaker.
-The buses are not aggressive enough. They have time hacks to meet but they are hardly ever on time because they have to stop for students. Stopping for students is one thing but stopping for every student is another.
-The food courts all close to early; we are college students and have crazy schedules so we do need food at Quad Zero.
-THE MATH EMPO!!!!!!! THE BUSSES NEVER RUN LATE AND EVERYBODY STAYS LATE. There are never enough tutors there to help the students and those that are there you can never understand. The math is really simple but they don't want to hire people and expand so they give us to computers to "teach" us a class that would be 6 weeks long if a professor tought the material.
-The steam tunnels are not built for students, they need to expand them so we can walk to class without being in subzero temps.

Essay Feedback

The essay came out better then I thought it would. My paragraphs contain more of my thoughts then I hoped they would, which is encouraging. Though I need to work on my transitions between the styles within my essay. I move from a rhetorical style to an informative style and I need to smooth out that transition a bit more. Other then that I have obligatory few typos and grammar issues but not too many which is another plus.

Pilot's License!

I stayed with my family over the weekend and it provided a nice break from the Corps and school. Though I can say I should have probably worked on school more over the weekend but these weekends seem to be getting shorter and shorter. Anyhow I got the stack of mail that had not come to my current address and was continuing to go to my home address; included in this was my permanent Private Pilot's License! I had my temporary one but the current one should make it easier to rent planes and fly which I have not done since I have been here.


Do you know how hard it is to not fly when one has a license to do so??? Every time we have a nice day of 10 miles vis, clear skies, and low winds all I can think about is getting up and flying. Seriously for those thinking about getting into aviation, be sure you know what you are getting into. Once you taste the freedom that a Pilot's License gives, you will forever walk with your eyes to the skies. It's like a wonderfully addicting drug with only one painful side effect. It tends to empty your wallet at an incredibly fast rate.

Risk taking in Essays

I think I will try something entirely new for me.....An essay without a direct conclusion nor a specified 3 point/5 paragraph format.

I am trying to see what type of writing I can do and trying to form a personal style using personal experiences and tangents that relate to the topic in some way.

Conclusions.....

Do we need them?

What purpose does a conclusion serve? It sums up the paper? I don't think an conclusion, or a paragraph dedicated to restating your major point is needed in many cases. A classic argumentative essay would be the exception because its purpose is to bludgeon you across the head with the point of the essay until you submit to superior logic and reason. Surveying movies, "No Country for Old Men," and books, "Go down Moses," there does not need to be a clear conclusion to move people. Maybe the genius of these works is the way in which they leave you to wonder....

What makes a good Essay?

Or "How do you make a subject yours?

I think, since there aren't any real definitions of "The Essay" I will go ahead and make my own definition or criteria. I think a good essay is one where the author takes the subject and makes it his own by adding discussion, reflection and opinions of his own on the subject. The essay doesn't have to have a specific format, and may have digressions throughout. Really, an essay can be rated on how well the author blends facts, opinions and personal experiences.

The thing to find, after you write your first draft, is to find why you wrote something that may not make sense. I find as I write a first draft I end up with sentences that seem totally unrelated. These may end up being your most personal opinions an a subject so find out why you put it, where the connection is, and what the train of thought was that led you to that conclusion. Find this and you can make that connection in the essay and make the paper something that is truly your own.

Research Proposal comments

A lot of the things I had to work on were structural issues. I need to rearrange the Research Methods section and correct the research questions. I also had some opinion items in the Results Expected section.

How is a big question as well. How will this research be done? Where will I get these items? How will I obtain documents, how will they be examined? I need to figure out how to do these with out actually doing the research connected with them.

Essays

"The Stunt Pilot" and "Ali in Havana" are both descriptive essays.

In "The Stunt Pilot" Annie Dillard seeks to convince you of the artistic expression contained within stunt flying. Being a pilot myself I agree with her 100%. You could also say it is partially a biographical essay, Dillard outlines a portion of Rahm's life and his death.

"Ali in Havana" is interesting and informative. Though I would tend to think of it more as a short story then an essay. I don't feel like the auther is presenting an opinion. He is telling of events not seeking to convince me of anything. My definition of an "essay" would be a persuasive paper. Maybe this is classified as an essay because it is in first person and not from a third person perspective like many stories.

I couldn't find "Silent Dancing" on Google books.....Anyone know where to find it?

Fall Break

I think Fall Break is like "fun sized" candy, just big enough to give you a yearning for more and then reality crashes back in on you because there is none left.

With the Corps, any chance you get to leave you take. And yet, when you come back the sinking feeling in your gut returns. It's an odd combination of relief and sorrow. I'm not sure where these thoughts will lead....more later.

Literature Review

What are heroes? Webster’s Dictionary describes a hero as “one that shows great courage” or “an illustrious warrior. How does a nation honor its heroes? Abraham Lincoln said, “Any nation that does not honor its heroes will not long endure.” The United States honors its greatest heroes with the Medal of Honor, for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of their own life above and beyond the call of duty”. In total the US has awarded 3,467 Medals of Honor. There are many sources of information on these true Americans. I have chosen three as primary resources to discover more about these men.

The first is Medal of Honor Recipients 1863-1978. This is an official publication put out by the Congress and prepared by the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. This contains summaries on the actions in which each man earned his Medal of Honor, as well as a brief history on the Medal. Though these descriptions of each man’s actions are helpful they do not connect the men are tell anything else about them. What happened to them afterwards? Were they treated like heroes who had earned the nations highest honor? That is what this book does not tell us. There is no before or after view into their lives, only a description of that brief point of incredible courage.

Another primary resource I am using is the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s website. They provide much of the current information on awards, events and recipients. It also gives the goals of the society. While this is useful for the community as whole and their outlook on the country it does not provide information on the personal views of recipients after the award. Nor does it tell anything about the future plans of the military in terms of awarding the Medal of Honor. All of the Medal of Honor awards since Vietnam have been posthumous awards. What do living recipients think of the rarity of the award and if it will be presented to another living hero? This is a question I will be investigating.

My last source is Above and Beyond: A History of the Medal of Honor from the Civil War to Vietnam. This is a history of the Medal of Honor itself and does not go into specific examples unless it serves to present a defining point in the history of the Medal. This book along with the Congressional publication above give an excellent view on the past and recipient’s acts but not on their actions after the Medal presentations nor the future of the Medal of Honor Society.

Imput Anyone?

So I was doing research on the Medal of Honor Recipients and it doesn't seem like there is a lot of research that has been done on them. There are lots of books and websites but they just have the stories, not a lot of connection between the Recipients or their families. My question to yall is, what is one thing I should find out about the Medal of Honor Community?

Thanks
Dan

Site Visit

So since the best thing for a site visit to a community that you want to study is a visit to them, hopefully to a big event they put on; I decided to follow the Medal of Honor Convention that is currently going on in Denver Colorado. I wanted to share with yall the bio on Col Wesley Fox, a Medal of Honor Recipient who lives in Blacksburg:

FOX, WESLEY L.

Rank and organization: Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3d Marine Division. Place and date: Quang Tri Province, Republic of Vietnam, 22 February 1969. Entered service at: Leesburg, Va. Born: 30 September 1931, Herndon, Va. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as commanding officer of Company A, in action against the enemy in the northern A Shau Valley. Capt. (then 1st Lt.) Fox's company came under intense fire from a large well concealed enemy force. Capt. Fox maneuvered to a position from which he could assess the situation and confer with his platoon leaders. As they departed to execute the plan he had devised, the enemy attacked and Capt. Fox was wounded along with all of the other members of the command group, except the executive officer. Capt. Fox continued to direct the activity of his company. Advancing through heavy enemy fire, he personally neutralized 1 enemy position and calmly ordered an assault against the hostile emplacements. He then moved through the hazardous area coordinating aircraft support with the activities of his men. When his executive officer was mortally wounded, Capt. Fox reorganized the company and directed the fire of his men as they hurled grenades against the enemy and drove the hostile forces into retreat. Wounded again in the final assault, Capt. Fox refused medical attention, established a defensive posture, and supervised the preparation of casualties for medical evacuation. His indomitable courage, inspiring initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty in the face of grave personal danger inspired his marines to such aggressive action that they overcame all enemy resistance and destroyed a large bunker complex. Capt. Fox's heroic actions reflect great credit upon himself and the Marine Corps, and uphold the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service.

1. http://www.cmohs.org/recipients/living_cites_eg.htm, 2008, Medal Of Honor Society, 9/17/08

Community event

My community, the Medal of Honor Society is starting their annual convention in Denver Colorado today. It runs from Sept 16-20, 2008. Tonight's main event is a tribute concert by Carrie Underwood for our Medal of Honor recipients.

You can visit the website at

www.medalofhonor2008.org

Course goals for 1204H:

Stay on track with research and writing for the Research Proposal

Use Commas correctly

To correctly present my research with as little bias as possible

I might add more later, but this is my starting point.

Breakthrough of MOHS

I have found out the contact info for the local Medal of Honor Recipient, Col Wesley Fox.

Interview should be coming up soon....

A Morning and Breakfast with TC 1-3

The Corps of Cadets’ Class of 2012 is a tight knit group of people. Adversity will do that to a group. Bonds are formed during hard times and when those times end friendships are stronger then before the trials.

Mornings are especially rough. On Upper Quad and in all the Cadet Dorms freshmen have to “drag” around the halls, following the right edge of halls or sidewalks. Buds from TC 1-3 meet in room 447, “the Call room,” to check each other’s uniforms. After the call room meeting we drag around the hall to the left side and the stop in groups in between our buds’ doors. Seven buds on the first wall section, eight on the second, and six on the third. First call and last call are sounded and we all depart down the stairs onto the VT for Morning Formation. When formation is finished we return through halls past half finished freshman paintings to our rooms. Because we have trouble getting our rooms inspection ready we are assigned a bud’s room to double check before we leave. I am assigned room 450 to check before my 0800 Calculus Class. It didn’t take long because my buds had done a good job cleaning up. The only thing that needed fixing was Bud Bernard’s sandals; they were out of line with the other shoes.

I met back up with my buds in D2 for Breakfast after my Calculus Class. Breakfast is a good time for TC 1-3. We don’t have upperclassmen hounding us or requiring us to greet them. We talk about the day and our homework that is due. A bud from another TC leaves almost as soon as I arrive with my food.

“I have to get to Astronomy, and still need to write an Essay for class so I have 30 minutes to write something,” he said.

Justin, one of my buds, said, “Why isn’t that at night?”

“It’s not a lab, just a class that’s why it’s in the morning,” he said.

We talk about the rifles, Springfield’s M1903, that we use for drill. The only things that prevent them from firing and being serviceable rifles are no firing pins, and some have their barrels plugged. This discussion leads into a debate of which of our cadre members we like the least; whether C/SSG Darnley or C/S1C Wright is the most annoying. At this point the group begins to break up and take the dishes to the Dish Return so we can get to morning classes. We say good-by and go about our ways, to class or to study.

Cutting and pasting into Blogger....

Ok, so I'm not that good with HTML and when I cut and paste from MS Word it won't let me publish the post due to some error in the HTML. Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks
Dan

Plans Change...

So, I changed my mind and decided that researching the Medal Of Honor Society would be an interesting way to spend a semester. So that, as of now, is what I am researching.

Dan

Research Ideas: Top 3

So I did some research on the Blacksburg area and Community Service groups in Blacksburg to come up with my top three picks for this research paper.

Project Linus

Blacksburg Host Lions Club

Shawnee Hunt Club

Researching and then possibly helping these groups will make this first semester interesting.

1204H

So we have to write about a community this year in Honors English. Which I'm not even sure why they put me in this class, but I am so I will have to do my best I suppose.

Communities/Ideas to investigate:

Family

Church

Corps of Cadets

College of Engineering

Pilots/Aviation Community

SAR 

Buds/ TC 1-3

Government/Congress

Chesapeake, VA

Virginia Tech

KCPK

Civil Air Patrol

Here are some of the Questions I thought up about different Communities:

What makes this Community run? Stay together?

Are there problems within it?

Leaders? Command structure, what is the organization like?

Tolerance within the group?

Rule breakers? What are the values of the group?

Psalm 28:8

"The LORD is the strength of His people; He is the saving refuge of his anointed."

We can take refuge in the Lord as Christians and rest in him. Through the work of Jesus Christ we can run to Him and have a personal relationship with our Creator. How awesome a thought!