Discussion of Article

The article that I have chosen is a rather direct attack on Ward Churchill, a professor who is currently under fire at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The author uses direct quotes from Ward Churchill and discusses how valid his points may or may not be. The author also wants to show the readers that there are much bigger issues at hand that are not being addressed legally. He is trying to make a point that the general public is smarter than they appear and that they don't need convincing that Churchill is off base and in the wrong. The author of this article is trying to get the media to cover the heart of the issue and what is happening now as opposed to trying to convince the readers to be against him. They are already against him for the most part and would rather be up-to-date and informed on the matter than be persuaded.

Possible Topic for Letter to Editor

I am looking to write a letter to the editor about the current law suit going on in Boulder, CO between Ward Churchill and the University of Colorado at Boulder. This is connected to the community of Boulder because of the influence of the university in the community. Boulder is very much a college town and most residents have some sort of connection to the university, whether they are a student or a community member working in a business near campus. I am connected to this topic in a couple of ways. I am from Boulder and was around when the original allegations were brought against Churchill. My brother is a student at CU and my grandfather is a former president of CU. Boulder is a very opinionated place, so chances are, most people have an opinion on the issue. Being a student myself, my environment is also connected with the issues of academic misconduct, First Amendment rights and other issues surrounding professors and students. I don't think I will have a problem finding op-ed pieces on this issue, as the law suit is progressing daily.

Unit 2 Portfolio Author's Note

My final portfolio includes all of the paper assignments that could be printed and the rest is on this blog or in the hands of one of my students (i.e., my comments on their drafts, body paragraphs, brainstorming, etc.). I completed the Rhetorical Analysis Questions and the Toulmin Charts for 2 sources as I added them into my analysis. My final draft of the paper is the first thing you will find in the portfolio. I think that it adds insight to a situation bombarded by media of all kinds because it uncovers some of the stylistic elements and literary devices that are put to use by many authors daily. It is my belief that this portfolio is complete and satisfies the requirements of the unit.

Best Wishes,

Holly Buechner

Development of Rhetorical Case Study

As I have edited and revised the draft of my Rhetorical Case Study I have seen it change quite a bit. Not only did I add more details to the draft with each revision, I also discovered new rhetorical strategies at work within the articles themselves. I was then able to include these new insights in my essay. It was also interesting for me to see how my original thoughts on what I might find in the articles were sometimes spot on and were at other times completely off base. I thought I would find many more articles expressing disappointment in Phelps for smoking marijuana. As it turns out, most of the articles that I found were supportive of him and of his career and urged the public to forgive and forget. I had originally thought that Phelps would be depicted as apologetic as he addressed the claims made against him. This turned out to be a proper assumption, as he did not once try to deny the claims or make himself seem innocent. He owned his actions and apologized directly, which was exactly what I had expected. Over all, the essay has grown and developed a lot over the past few weeks as I have expanded upon many of my original ideas. 

My Case Study and the Community

I think that the topic I have chosen for my Rhetorical Case Study affects the community simply because it involves one of the most popular names in America, Michael Phelps. Because he made such a name for himself with his performance at the 2008 Olympic Games, he cannot be far from the public eye. It is because of this that most everyone has heard about the issue of him smoking marijuana. The community is also affected because Michael Phelps is associated with the YMCA and programs for young athletes all around the nation. Children have now seen something unattractive in their hero and role model and have to sort through this information. Their view of a role model has been shaken and Phelps will have to regain the trust of his fans and admirers.

Author's Note, Rhetorical Case Study Draft

This draft is missing analysis for one more source. It is also missing a conclusion. I have not focused as much on the transitions for the paper yet and have not focused on the introduction with as much intensity as I did the body paragraphs. It is very much a draft and I greatly appreciate your feedback. If something doesn't flow or should be rearranged or anything like that, please let me know. Also let me know if it is sounding biased or repetitive or anything else you notice!

Thanks so much,

Holly

Preparation of Body Paragraphs

Through the process of preparing two body paragraphs for class I have found multiple uses of the same rhetorical strategies. Both of the articles that I used to develop my paragraphs used arguments appealing to the ethos of the reader. They use quotes and view points from credible and trusted corporations or groups to show that Michael Phelps can still be trusted and that we as the public can accept his apology and move on. Both of the articles that I looked at were trying to play off the matter and wanted to give the general public a way to move on from this issue. They want us to accept his apology and forget about the event to prevent more damage to Phelps' now frail image. Both sources also use quotes from Phelps' himself and from his biggest sponsors which allow the readers to feel like they are getting first hand information, which is more trustworthy than hearing it from another source. 

I found that the preparation of the paragraphs was difficult at first but became much easier and understandable as I got into the actual writing process. It was getting started that gave me some trouble. I think this is because of the new style of analysis and writing that we are utilizing, in opposition to the traditional research paper. I was hoping to balance actual information with analysis and speculation. 

Prewriting

Prewriting

Connections between sources
So far, the sources that I have seen are connected by their support for Michael Phelps despite his recent run in with the law. A couple of sources have called this a “non issue” and are trying to get it put in the past as quickly as possible. I have seen a little bit of denial within the community as well through these sources. Some sources are saying that the photo was “allegedly” taken and that he may have been pictured with drug paraphernalia but was not actually smoking pot. Most of the sources are making an attempt to keep this issue as small as possible and not let it get out of hand.

Summary/Controlling Idea
The media is supportive of Michael Phelps, despite his recent photograph with a marijuana pipe, and most would like to see the buzz fade around this issue rather than see it get even larger. They are trying to encourage the general public that the issue with Phelps is not a big deal.

Organization

Order of Sources

*Intro* introduce the way we view athletic heroes/superstars, responsibilities that come along with that, tell the story of what happened (could use the statement source here), concerns this might raise in the general public, get into the media’s viewpoint

1. Olympic Hero in Times Square (showing original view of Phelps, post Olympics)
2. Phelps Sorry for Regrettable Behavior (original statement)
3. Phelps Backed by Sponsors (little change in view of Phelps)
4. Additional Source in support of Phelps (either the pastor or police commentary)

*Conclusion* Review the ways in which the issue was presented within each source, do a bit of analysis of how affective the media’s argument has been in the lives of the public.

Justification of chosen organizational methods

I will organize my paper sort of like a narrative. The story itself has developed over time and our view of Michael Phelps has developed overtime as well, so by writing the paper in this same way, I will be connecting it to the bigger picture. I think that it will work well to describe how he was viewed pre-incident, describe the incident itself using his statement, and then go into the reactions of different sources to the incident. The sources themselves are pretty similar. They are all in support of the athlete, but they portray the incident in slightly different ways.

Transitions

The transition from source one to source two will be one reminding the reader of how the media and public viewed Phelps going into the incident.
The transition from source two to three will be one that makes the reader interested in how Michael’s sponsors reacted to his actions.
The transition from source three to four will be one that makes the reader interested in seeing another point of view on Michael’s actions.

Viewpoint

Throughout the research process my opinion on the matter of Michael Phelps being photographed smoking marijuana has changed in a couple of ways. While not approving of his actions, I have come to a place of greater understanding. I have also come to view this occurrence as a smaller issue than I originally did. 

There are so many sources showing support for Phelps and there are very few that are dramatically opposed to his being viewed as a role model despite these actions. I began to see that there is little reason to be disappointed for a long period of time because of Michael's apology and his lack of misbehavior previously. He was sincere in his apology, as far as we can tell, and there is no way to determine whether or not he was sincere until later. So for now, it is my opinion that we should accept Michael's apology and not let it taint how we perceive him as an athlete and role model while still keeping in mind his youth. Even though he is an olympic athlete, he is still a person who makes mistakes. I might have been more disappointed in Phelps if I had not done this research.