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"Either write something worth reading or do something thats worth writing."

- Benjamin Franklin

Dear Reader, 

Welcome to my e-portfolio and thank you for taking the time to read through it. Overall, I had a successful semester in WRT 102. I got back into the trend of writing in a sophisticated college manner. Throughout high school, I wrote similar essays however, none of the essays were as extended as the essays I wrote for this course. Most importantly, I found more productive ways to get over writer’s block. I now plan essays and revise them if I cannot think of anything to write. While revising, I think of additional details that I can add. Another skill I am glad I learned about in WRT 102 is how to cite online documents and how to incorporate them into a researched argument. I believe any student coming into college should be aware of this skill. Ultimately WRT 102 helped me develop a confidence in my writing which I will carry throughout my entire professional life. 

The first essay I wrote was a visual text analysis named, “Illuminating the Darkest Period in American History.” In this essay, I analyzed the antique Dorothea Lange photo: “Migrant Mother.” When composing this essay, I sat down with a copy of the photo I found online and annotated all the different aspects of the photo. While noting these details, I analyzed the central purpose that the nuances in the photo are contributing to. One particular thing I liked about this essay is that it required creativity. It was fun to pick out the elements in the photo and connect all of them. One problem I encountered while writing this essay was the fear that I over analyzed the photograph. However, after a revision, I realized it is normal to feel like this for this type of essay. Since it was my first essay of the semester I also struggled with trying to convey my thought process onto paper. In the end, I am content with my final product and I truly feel I proved my thesis in explaining how Dorothea Lange captured the emotional tale of Americans throughout the Great Depression in a single photo.

The second essay I wrote was a textual analysis named, “The Lurking Eye of Society.” After writing this essay, I feel I recovered the ability to write this essay in a sophisticated manner. I’m glad I wrote this essay because it reminded me of the rhetorical devices that authors incorporate into their work. My favorite type of essay is one that deals with analysis of texts. Advertisements are filled with rhetoric and I think anyone reading these articles should be aware of the devices that are employed to prove a purpose. I feel the quotes I chose in my essay proved how Jurgenson was trying to invoke thought in the audience. I kept my argument straight forward and I hope the audience enjoys it because it was my favorite essay I wrote this semester. 

The third essay I wrote was a researched argument named “Are We Going Backwards.” I enjoyed the researched argument because I never felt comfortable about writing research papers. After writing this essay, I feel I addressed my topic of affirmative action in an eloquent matter. The articles were easy to come across and supported my argument. In terms of my argument I kept an open mind and tried to present different arguments about the topic. I even offered an alternative to affirmative action which I felt was a unique characteristic in my paper. This paper was definitely a learning experience while writing it!

Furthermore, I hope that these three essays collectively exhibit the skills that I have developed in WRT 102 this semester. Thank you again for taking the time to read my e-portfolio and I hope you enjoy it.

Jose Torres