Learning Reflection

I have learned through the calendar activity that I will have to be a strict time manager. One huge time commitment that I currently have is my job. Working in the bakery can compose of 25-40 hours a week - I work mostly evenings, so my plan is to allocate my morning hours to school work. I also plan to try to get ahead on my days off, and put in extra work when I can so I am not struggling to complete classwork. I will also set aside time to work at peaceful locations, such as the library or a coffee shop, so that I can work in a relatively distraction-free environment. I have also entered in all the course deadlines into my online calendar, so I can keep up with homework. I'm really looking forward to this class!

My Thoughts on Public Comments

On the Public Comments Section

1. The comments below expressed a fairly diverse spectrum of fears and anxieties. While some users expressed no anxiety, discrediting Trump as a foolish or outlandish, others expressed frustration or anxiety at the accusation that all immigrants are criminals - one commentator in particular expressed his disgust at Trump's remarks because he himself was the son of an illegal immigrant. He expressed fear that others would agree with Trump and characterize immigrants as lazy or violent. Others agreed with Trump, and also feared that illegal aliens are a potential threat to Americans and the economy. They expressed fears of illegal aliens committing murder, such as the incident in San Francisco. Others feared that hiring immigrants is a type of job outsourcing and could potentially undermine the economy. 
2. Some commentators shared the belief that Donald Trump was trying to do what is most beneficial for the country. They share the belief that illegal immigrants can characterized as one whole, homogeneous group, with a largely negative stereotype. On the opponent side, the passion-fueled arguments are driven by patriotism and a fear of violent crimes, while the logic-driven arguments center around the issue of the economy. The comments that disagreed with Trump also can be categorized as passion-fueled and logic-fueled. The passion-fueled arguments tended to attack Trump personally and accused him of being a fool or even a crook. The logic-driven arguments also tended to discredit Trump but also provide evidence as to why the statements about immigrants were overgeneralized or untrue.
3. The person that seemed to have the most credibility was user Al'n because this argument was logical, articulate, coherent and ultimately well-reasoned. Part of the credibility was due to the fact that he did not attack Trump, swear or use poor language. Another small but noticeable feature of this post was that he used proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. For me personally, this always makes a piece of writing seem more credible, and makes the writer seem more intelligent, and thus I feel more persuaded to read on, even if I do not agree with the opinion itself. I am often turned off by commentators who use unnecessary capitalization because it comes across as heavy handed and punctuation errors make the post simply annoying to read. By using proper conventions, Al'n's post seemed well thought out, and thus, the most credible.
4. The user that seemed the least credible was user Anonymous. While many users used poor conventions (which as I mentioned above, can discredit a writer), Anonymous' post was completely off topic and had no explicable bearing on the topic at hand. The phrase "talking just to hear myself talk" comes to mind. While I too hate the cruel sport of dog-fighting, I do not agree with the crass generalization that all Mexican people somehow share the "cultural" desire to fight dogs. As a person of Hispanic descent. I know this to be untrue. This and the off-topic nature of the post really discredits the author for me.

Reflection:

    I learned a lot from other's posts. One user, Nicole Nelson, mentioned how usernames are another piece of information that the author gives to establish credibility - she points out the difference between "Gina Genochio" and "BongBong", and how the professional nature of your username can add to your perceived authority, which is something that I had not yet considered.

   Another user, Eric Hannah, pointed out how some users reverted to stereotypes instead of using facts as evidence. I thought this was also really important to revealing whose opinion is well researched and whose is not.

Mi Casa es Su Casa

     In the wake of recent controversial statements on immigration made by presidential hopeful Donald Trump, many Americans are asking ... should the gate be open or closed? Opponents to immigration reform fear that an influx of immigrants from Mexico and other countries could unbalance the already precarious state of the American economy ... and possibly result in an increase of violent crimes, such as the Pier 14 shooting in San Francisco.
     However, proponents of the movement believe that allowing immigrants a pathway towards citizenship will increase the amount of talent, especially in STEM fields, and will thus be positive for the economy. Many businesses have also expressed support for immigration reform, stating that a significant portion of company talent comes from other sides of the borders and indeed overseas.
    As a border state in the southwest, Arizona is one of the states at the forefront of the immigration debate. Certain Arizona lawmakers believe that illegal immigrants will cause problems for both the local economy and its citizens. But by limiting citizenship, companies and universities are also limited to the pool of talent confined by these borders.
     America is said to be the Land of the Free - but the question remains, who gets to enjoy this legendary freedom? Are the fences keeping out criminals ... or engineers, doctors and innovators?

To read more about the immigration controversy, read "The U.S. Immigration Debate" by the Council on Foreign Relations.

"The U.S. Immigration Debate" 

Renwick, Danielle and Lee, Brianna. "The U.S. Immigration Debate"

What's the real immigration problem? Leave your comments below ... 

My Writing Process

Coffman, Drew "Writer's Block"

1. As a writer

• I tend to be a Heavy Reviser
• I normally write several rough drafts of the paper - I don't plan and draw concept maps as much as I write everything that comes to mind and then cut/trim later
• I usually hate everything I write the first time, and sometimes I get discouraged in the middle of the process
• Usually my best inspiration comes after several failed attempts and conferences with other writers. 
• I spend a lot of time and energy revising - but I am often proud of my end result.

2. My other techniques 

• I don't really revert from the above technique. I really rely on rough drafts to complete my writing process.

3. Strengths and Weaknesses

• Strength: Unhindered writing process
• Strength: Does not discard any potentially strong ideas too early in the process
• Weakness: Revision process is long and sometimes frustrating
• Weakness: Rough drafts are often incomplete and well, rough.

4. Other Approaches

      I would like to try incorporating some more planning in my process without becoming too encumbered with trying to be perfect on the first draft.