PROFESSIONALWRITINGPORTFOLIO

YuliaNekrashevichBarryUniversityEnglishMajorJune2016

Table of Contents I. Introduction II. Resume III. Internship Site

A. Introduction B. Evaluations and Work Logs C. VZ Creative Group Blogs D. First Presbyterian Church Learning Centers Blogs E. Journals IV. Academic Work

A. Introduction

B. Criticism and Research C. Persuasive Texts V. Publications A. What Oft Was Thought VI. Conclusion

Professional Writing Portfolio

Introduction

A good writer is one who constantly writes. In this portfolio, I display the work I have done over the past four years as a Professional Writing major in Barry University. Within this timeframe, I have developed my skills as a professional writer and gained the necessary experiences of writing through my classes and internship. Though I have finished my academic life, the learning process is not yet over. This portfolio shows the hard work I have accomplished and is a testimony for my passion in writing. It is divided into four sections: resume, internship, academic work, and publications.

My resume briefly shows the education I have received, my experiences with

professional writing, and the qualifications I have as a writer. It shows how my four years of studying professional writing has made me a qualified and hardworking person for my career path. My internship section contains the articles I have written for VZ Creative Group’s website. Within my internship, I have learned how to research strategies such as marketing analysis and competitive analysis, as well as how to set up marketing and business plans. I have also written and edited articles aimed at various audiences, allowing me to explore and define my skills as a writer. Most importantly, I now have experience in the marketing world, as well as using my skills in areas that were unfamiliar to me before beginning my internship. This has allowed me to expand my career options.

My academic work section showcases the best work I have done in my four years as a

student at Barry University. These documents include research papers, persuasive pieces, and brochures that showcase my writing style and my productivity. The publications section shows the work I have done outside of my classwork, which is publications in the Sigma Tau Delta literary journal.

There is no such thing as perfection, only constant growth. My portfolio is proof of my

own growth as a writer, and I will continue to learn and expand my skills for many more years. The work in this portfolio isn’t just my best work; it is also a hint of more to come, and each new work I do and skill I gain will be better than the last. The never-ending journey of a writer is one that is full of new perspectives on the world.

RESUME

21387MarinaCoveCirF-11Aventura,Florida33180

(305)333-7002yulia.nekrashevich@outlook.com

YULIANEKRASHEVICH

EDUCATION BarryUniversity,MiamiShores,Florida(2012–2016)B.A.inEnglishwithaspecializationinProfessionalWriting

PROFESSIONALEXPERIENCE

VZCreativeGroup,Miami,FL–MarketingIntern(May–June2016)• Researchedandcomposedmultimediablogpostsformarketing

professionals.• Contributedtobusinessplansfornewclients,focusingon

marketingandcompetitiveanalysis.TheBarryBuccaneer–FreelanceWriter(September–November2012)

RELEVANTACADEMICEXPERIENCE

ProfessionalEditing• PolishedskillsinwritingandeditingthroughstudyofEnglish

syntax,usage,andmechanics.• Contributedtopublicationofonlinejournal,includingpeer

review,comprehensiveediting,editing,formattinginHTML,andproofreading.

RhetoricalAnalysis• Developedcriticalunderstandingofpersuasivestrategies

throughanalysisofaudience,purpose,andcontext.• Evaluatedstrengthsandweaknessesofadvertisingmaterials.• Developedclearargumentssupportedwithspecificevidence.

PUBLICATIONSANDPRESENTATIONS

WhatOftwasThoughtSigmaTauDeltaLiteraryJournal(2015)• Essay,“TheBrightSideofGoths”• Hintfiction,“WhyAreYouHere?”

SigmaTauDeltaInternationalConvention(2014,2016)• Roundtable,“LanguageandLogicinLewisCarroll’sAlice’s

AdventuresonWonderland.”• Roundtable,“AmericanDream:TheFallofanIdealorthe

UnravelingofaMyth?”

ACTIVITIES SigmaTauDelta• Invitedtojoinprestigiousinternationalhonorssocietyin2013;

electedaspresidentin2015• JudgedSigmaTauDeltaWritingContest

TheEnglishAssociation• Managedstudentclubforloversofwritingandliterature.• Plannedeventsandrecruitedparticipants.

CommunityService• FeedingSouthFlorida(2015)• PACT(PeopleActingforCommunityTogether)(2015)• MissionariesofCharity(2014)• DaniaBeachPatchGarden(2014)• CoalitionofImmokaleeWorkers(2014)

SKILLS Languages:EnglishandRussian

INTERSHIPSITE

Introduction This section contains documents related to my off-site internship with VZ Creative

Group. This agency specifies in assisting new businesses with business plan writing, marketing and branding, graphic design, and social media.

VZ Creative Group has worked in many markets, including but not limited to online therapy, electric bicycles, mental health awareness campaigns, schools, and many more. The agency helps the businesses within these markets design their websites, film commercials, and manage social media platforms.

The majority of the work I have done for VZ Creative Group involved doing research, writing articles, and helping with business plans. VZ Creative Group had planned to launch a blog over the summer, and so they needed articles related to their work. Since VZ Creative Group's main demographic is other marketers and businesses, my work consisted of writing tips and advice for marketers on how to run a business. This involved doing research and providing statistics on topics such as corporate culture and the use of graphic design. During my writing, I have also learned to use SEO keywords, which are phrases that allow a website to appear on the first page of a search engine. This knowledge will be beneficial for most businesses.

VZ Creative Group also maintains a blog for the First Presbyterian Church Learning Centers, a preschool and childcare program located in Hollywood, Florida. The articles on the school’s blog are aimed at parents whose children attend the school and discuss various topics such as transitioning from preschool, eating healthy, and summer programs. I have written and edited articles for the school blog, along with the articles for VZ Creative Group’s blog. The two blogs have entirely different audiences, which allowed me to hone my writing skills by creating the appropriate content and tone in my articles.

I have also assisted in writing business plans for clients. From this, I have learned about market strategy, competitive analysis, researching economic statistics, and researching the consumer market. Business plan writing has helped me develop my skills for marketing. Due to client confidentiality, I will not be able to show my business plan writing in this portfolio.

This section will also include the journal entries that report my internship work each week. The “Action” sections of the journal describe the assignments I have done, while the “Reflection” section describes what I have learned from my assignments and how I will apply them for a professional setting.

EVALUATIONSANDWORKLOGS

Barry University—College of Arts and Sciences—Department of English & Foreign Languages Professional Writing Internship—Agency Evaluation Form

Name of Agency: VZ Creative Group

Intern/Evaluator: Yulia Nekrashevich

Training 1. Whatkindoftrainingwasprovidedbytheorganization?

MytrainingincludedwritingarticlesforVZCreativeGroup’sblog,writingarticlesfortheFirstPresbyterianChurchLearningCenters,writingandeditingbusinessplansforvariouscompanies,anddoingresearchonwebsitebuilding.

2. Howusefuldidyoufindthetraining?

Notonlyhasthetraininghelpedmehonemywritingskills,Ihavealsogainedexperienceinbusinessplanwritingandhelpingdesignawebsite.TheseareareasthatIhadnopriorexperienceinbeforestartingmyinternship.

3. Inwhatwayscouldthetraininghavebeenmorehelpful?

SomeofthewebsiteresearchwasalittleunclearsinceIwasnotfamiliarwiththeclientsandtheirbusinesses.Communicationwassometimesdifficultduetomeandmysupervisoronlymeetingonceortwiceaweek.

Work Environment

1. Howdidtheorganization’sstaffrespondtoyouasavolunteer?VZCreativeGroupisasmallcompanyrunbytwopeople,mysupervisorandherpartner.Theyrespondedwelltomeandwerealwayspolitewheneverwemetup.

2. Wereyougivenassistancebystaffwhenchallengesorproblemsarose?

Yes,theywerewillingtoansweranyquestionsthatIhadandassistedmewheneverIhadtroublewithanassignment.

3. Howproductive/comfortablewasthephysicalworkspace?

Ididmostofmyworkathome,sonaturallymyworkspacewascomfortable.Ifoundmyselfveryproductivewhileinthecomfortofmyownhomeandmanagedtofinishthemajoritymyassignmentsontime.

Supervision

1. Howmuchsupervisiondidyoureceive?MysupervisormostlyusedGoogleDocstosupervisemywork.Shedidherbesttosupervisemeregularlydespiteherbeingbusywithotherprojects.Sometimeswehadalackofcommunicationbecauseofthis,butImanagedtogetthroughwithit.

2. Whatkindsofsupportorcoachingdidyoureceivefromon-sitesupervisor?

MysupervisoreditedmyworkandprovidedmetemplatesforwhenIworkedonbiggerprojects,suchaswritingbusinessplans.

3. Towhatextentwastheroleofyouron-sitesupervisorimportanttoyourinternship?

Mysupervisor’srolewasveryimportantsinceshewastheonewhoassignedandeditedmywork,helpedmewhenIhadquestions,andevenhadmyworkpublishedonaschoolblog.

Responsibilities 1. Howwell/clearlywereassignedtasksexplainedtoyou?Mostofthetaskswereclearenough.Sometasks,suchasthewebsitecontent,wereconfusingatfirstduetomylackofexperienceandcommunicationissues.

2. Wereyouassignedasufficientvarietyoftasks?

Yes.Iwroteandeditedarticlesandbusinessplans,andhelpedwithresearchingandwritingforwebsites.

3. Wereyougivenopportunitiestoexerciseinitiative?

Yes.EacharticleIwroterequiredmetousemycreativitytomaketheminteresting.

Overall Evaluation 1. Onthewhole,howwouldyouratethisinternshipopportunity?

Asawhole,Iwouldrateita4/5.

2. Doyouhaveanysuggestionsforimprovingtheserviceopportunitiesattheorganizationwhere

youworked?Pleaseexplain.MyonlysuggestionisforVZCreativeGrouptomeetwiththeirinternsmoreregularly.Sincetheydonothaveanoffice,weusuallymetupataStarbucksonceortwiceaweek.Ifeelthat,withtheworkIwasdoing,itwould’vebeenbetterifweincreasedthenumberofmeetings.Iunderstandcertaininstructionsbetterwhentheyareexplainedtomeinpersonthanonthecomputerorphone.

VZCREATIVEGROUPBLOGS

How to Balance Your Busy Business and Annoying Family Family matters. The majority of us agree that there’s nothing more important than family. They are the backbones that have supported you throughout your life, and you should always value them. This is especially true if you were raised in a culture that puts heavy emphasis on the importance of family. However, no matter how much you love someone, they will occasionally get on your nerves when you’re trying to do something important. Your own business is no exception to this rule. Starting a business is difficult. You put all your blood, sweat, and tears into it, trying to make it just like how you envisioned it to be. Your business is important, but not important enough for you to end up like the subject in the song “Cat’s in the Cradle.” On the other hand, catering to your business and ignoring your family is just as bad. So what to do? VZ Creative put together a few tips on how to balance your busy business and annoying family. 1. Keep Your Calendar Close & Your Family Closer Let your family know what you're working on or about your business. Tell them that you love them but you need their support. Talk to them and see if they’re planning anything major in the future. Your cousin’s basketball game is coming up next week? Mark it on your calendar so you won’t miss it. Your parents want you to have dinner with them at a nice restaurant but you can’t go because you’re meeting with an important client? Reschedule the dinner and let them know how important they are to you. 2. When You Do Spend Time with Your Family, Disconnect! I hate it when I’m talking to someone and they’re too busy on their phone. Now imagine a family member who’s always busy with work doing the same thing to you. Yes, you want to make sure that your business is going along smoothly and you might get a call from an important client, but at the end of the day, interacting with your family is just as important. Put the phone away and leave work at work! There’s a time and place for everything. 3. Balance Is Not a Perfect Scale What comes to mind when you hear the word “balance?” Is it a scale that is in a perfect straight line at all times? Remove that image from your head. The truth is, there is no such thing as a work-life balance. You can’t place your business and your family on both sides of the scale and expect complete harmony. There are are going to be situations when your family has more priority over your business and vice versa. As long as neither are left behind. Focusing on both business and family is not an easy task. Think of it as learning to drive a car; it’s awkward at first and you might end up with a few scratches, but with enough patience and practice, the balance between business and family will become a smooth ride.

A Taste of Japan’s Graphic Design

Graphic design is used all over the world, with each country expressing its unique artistic style within their work. Over the years, these styles change, yet still hold an identity that can only be found in the countries they originated from. Japan is no exception, and is in fact arguably an epitome of unique graphic design. To better understand Japanese graphic design, it is best to look at the history of Japanese art and how its Western influence lead to the creation of some of the most iconic Japanese art styles and design. For many years, Japan was an isolated country. This resulted in its art having its own style. During the 1700s, the isolationist nature began to change when foreign trade was allowed in Japan. Western techniques influenced Japanese art and paved the way to the graphic design we see today. Japanese artists had embraced Western techniques such as painting in a horizontal plane and using artificial colors like Berlin blue. The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai is a woodblock print that uses said techniques. Other Japanese techniques includes shading, texture, and depth. Over time, the simplistic Japanese style became more detailed. After examining that bit of history, we can now see how Japanese graphic design was born from this process. After World War II, Japan’s visual culture had changed again, only this time with posters and other similar work. The 1950s and 1960s were a time when the quality and quantity of posters had increased, and artists were being inspired by the modernist works that were made in the Western world. There were many graphic designers who had risen to acclaim, but very few of them were as accomplished as Yusaku Kamekura. Born in 1915, Kamekura’s works were heavily influenced by the Bauhaus principles of design. Simplistic yet revealing, the designs of Kamekura show the Japanese cultural heritage through minimalism. One of the most well-known designs by Kamekura is his poster for the 1964 Olympics. Displaying only the red sun of the Japanese flag, the five Olympic rings, and the words “Tokyo 1964” printed at the bottom, this design was chosen for its simplicity and freshness. Another one of Kamekura’s designs that uses its simplicity to stir emotions within the viewer is the 1983 Hiroshima Appeals poster. Here, burning butterflies are falling from the sky. The image is both beautiful and tragic as it relays its anti-war message and reminds people of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings in World War II. Another award-winning design by Kamekura is his poster for the 1970 Expo held in Osaka. There is something captivating about the use of primary colors and the white placed in the center, as well as the words “progress and harmony for mankind” used at the very bottom. Another renowned graphic designer is Kazumasa Nagai, who continues to create his art by hand despite the rise of technology. Animals and plants are the main themes in his work, which he displays in simple abstraction to get his message across. Yet another graphic designer worth

mentioning is Shigeo Fukuda, whose incredibly simplistic work manages to say a lot. His poster, Victory 1945, won the 1975 Warsaw poster contest for its message on the senselessness of war. Sadly, it appears as though the style of graphic design popularized by Kamekura and others like him is falling out of fashion. More artists are deviating from the simple and modernist roots of graphic design and are focused on creating posters that have the complete opposite style. Nevertheless, this doesn’t mean that we can’t look at the old art and find inspiration from it. If there is one thing that Japanese graphic design can teach us, it’s that simplicity can be the best way to convey the message we want to send to our audience.

3 Tips to Making Your Workplace Less Dead

Whenever I hear the word “workspace,” one of my favorite movies, Office Space, comes to mind. In this film, Ron Livingstone plays a character that has to work in a small packed cubicle every day and is always pestered by his boss. The cubicle nightmare, as I call it, is the fear many have when they think about what their workspace: dull, gray, boring, and completely dead. But your workspace doesn’t have to be gloomy. Research has shown that a creative workspace is linked with productivity. If you feel like your work is moving at a snail’s pace, the area you’re working in might be the problem. Livingstone’s character decided to stop conforming to the rules of the office and have fun with his workspace (his office building burns down in the end, but I think it’s beneficial for everyone that we avoid this). VZ Creative Group put together three tips to bring your dreadful workplace back to life. 1. Get in Touch with Nature Did you know that green improves creativity? In the University of Munich, volunteers were each shown different colors before they were asked to come up with various uses for a can. The volunteers who were shown the color green displayed more creative ideas than the volunteers who were shown other colors. It may be a bit cliché, but having some potted plants around your workspace can brighten up that dreary atmosphere. Another great way to bring nature into your workplace is by sitting in front of a window. Research has shown that the sun helps improve our mood and makes us less depressed. You’ll also get vitamin D and have a wonderful view of the outside world. 2. Brighten it up with Some Color Sometimes those potted plants are not enough and you need to give your gray workspace a complete makeover. Research once again shows that different colors bring about different moods (red is energetic, yellow is happy, blue is calm, etc.). Spice up the place by buying products in various colors. Or, if you’re feeling extra creative, buy some washi tape and go wild with it. Washi tape comes in different colors and patterns, and you can use it for almost everything. Get rid of the dull colors by taping a myriad of bright colors over your pencil holder, computer, desk, and anything else that’s within your reach. 3. Knick-Knacks are not Worthless Trinkets and knick-knacks may seem like useless things sold to clueless tourists in souvenir shops, but the unique ones can brighten up your mood. If you want to give your workplace personality, decorate it with little things that make you happy. These can range from souvenirs you got during your favorite vacation to little figurines of movie characters. If your work doesn’t allow knick-knacks on your desk, you can settle for something even better: pictures of family and friends. With a little creativity, even the most lifeless workspace can be brought back from the dead. Here is a few inspiring workspaces of the famously creative. For a boost of creativity, shoot us an email info@vzcreativegroup.com

Home Sweet Home: The Rise of Virtual Offices How great would it be to work from home? Not having to get out of bed, working for hours without a break, or being told what to wear. It’s pretty much a dream job, but there’s no way you can actually sit at home and get your work done while in your pajamas, right? Well, that’s where you’re wrong! Studies show that 3.7 million Americans are already working from home, meaning that virtual offices are steadily growing. We at VZ Creative Group will tell you exactly why staying home instead of going to an office is a great idea. 1. More Productivity Are you the type of person who gets distracted easily by noise? Lots of people lose their focus when there’s constant chatting, ringing, and shuffling going on around them, especially in a traditional office. Even if noise doesn’t bother you, there’s something about sitting in an office all day that just kills concentration. Do virtual offices have a different effect? A recent research shows that people who worked from home complete 13.5% more work than those who work in an office. For that reason, many companies are letting their employees work from home. In a recent study, 45% of employees work for businesses that allow them to work from home. 2. Save Money Businesses need offices and offices cost money. Naturally, the more employees a business has, the more office space they need. But what if the employees worked from home? A business that allows its employees to work in virtual offices can save up to $11,000 per year. With that kind of number, what business wouldn’t want to keep their employees working from home? Employees save, too. Why? There’s less traveling costs from driving to and back from work and having to pay for tolls, fines, parking, and tickets, among other costs associated with driving. 3. Flexible Schedule Waking up at the crack of dawn just to get to work can be a nightmare for those who are not morning people. What’s even worse, some people’s schedules are so busy that they don’t have time for any hobbies or other relaxing activities. Imagine going straight to the beach after finishing that report for your boss, or sleeping in without worrying about being late for a meeting. When you work in a virtual office, you set your own schedule and don’t follow anyone else’s, as long as deadlines are being met. Want to take a break and go see a movie with your family? Why, not. 4. Happy and Healthy It’s no secret that many people feel stressed when working in an office, but is it different when you’re in a virtual office? Business Insider reports workers who stay at home have their stress levels drop at 25%. 73% of said workers state they eat healthier when they work from home. Not only are you happier, but your health also improves when you work in a virtual office.

With this information, we can see that virtual offices are beneficial in many ways. Is it really a surprise that they’re rising so quickly? Questions? Shoot us an email at info@vzcreativegroup.com

The Secret Ingredient to a Company’s Success Starts: Marketing

Marketing is food. Do you have a brand new company but don’t know how to make it big in the business world? Take a look at the successful companies around you and see what they all have in common. That’s right, it’s marketing. You’ll notice that big name companies continue to spend money on marketing despite earning billions of dollars every year from their products. That’s because marketing is the fuel that keeps them going. I’ve read an article that described marketing perfectly: marketing is not medicine, it’s food. A major mistake that newly formed companies make is assuming that marketing should only be used when acquiring funds or as a last resort. When all else fails and you still aren’t getting customers, just pay for a commercial and everything will fall into place, right? Wrong! Marketing should be viewed as a necessity. Imagine someone telling you, “Oh, I’ll only eat when I’m practically starving to death.” That is illogical, and so is not using marketing until the last minute. Now that you know how important marketing is, it’s time to tackle the next question: Who is responsible for doing the marketing in your company? A lot of companies place the responsibility of marketing on their employees, but what are the chances of them having any prior experience in marketing? More often than not, the employees have other priorities. This leads to either bad marketing, or no marketing at all. All right, you’ve got an idea of how to do this whole marketing thing. Now for the next big question: What kinds of marketing will work best for your company? Trends change all the time and you have to keep up with the latest styles of marketing. The biggest thing right now is social media. Every day, more companies are advertising their products on websites, blogs, and other platforms. Do some research and find out what social media strategy works best for your company. Nowadays, having an online presence is essential in becoming successful. Once you start marketing, remember the golden rule: never stop marketing. The moment you stop making yourself visible, your competition gets the upper hand. Marketing is all about consistency. For more information about our marketing packages, shoot us an email info@vzcreativegroup.com

3 Tricks to Personalizing Your Boring Emails

How many boring emails do you get per day? I’m talking about those bland emails that seem like they were generated by a computer instead of a person. You feel like they’re just not worth your time. When you’re a marketer, one of the things you should think about is your email marketing and how to make it interesting for your clients. The best way to do this is to personalize each email. Personalized emails are 29% more likely to be opened and read than computer-generated emails, yet 70% of businesses don’t use them. Here are three tips on how to personalize your emails. 1. What Are Your Client’s Needs? Your clients are not all looking for the same things. You might provide a myriad of services for them, but they will not use all of them. Some clients will only want a select few services, and therefore they want messages that are relevant to their interests. A big part of email marketing is looking at what your clients like and personalizing emails that match their interests. 2. Nurturing Existing Clients You might have existing clients who are not ready to buy your products or services. In this case, you can use a form of email marketing known as lead nurturing. Lead nurturing is a strategy that combines both marketing and communication; you develop a relationship with a potential buyer and find out what they’re interested in. Once you have that information, you can send them personalized emails that focus on those interests. You’ll have a happy client who’s pleased that you paid this much attention to them. 3. Details, Details, Details It’s the little details that count in an email. How great will your clients feel when they open up a message that’s designed with their favorite color? Or when they receive an email wishing them a happy birthday? It’s a great email marketing strategy that make your clients feel like they’re individuals instead of numbers in subscription list. When clients sign up for your emails, ask them questions about their favorite things and personalize their emails based on their answers. It’s a guaranteed way to keep your clients interested and your emails opened. These are just three ways to personalize your emails, but they’re the biggest ones in email marketing. Questions? Shoot us an email at info@vzcreativegroup.com

Give it a Rest! Why Taking Breaks is Good for Marketers

Wake up. Shower. Get dressed. Have breakfast. Drop the kids in school. Go to work. Be busy at work all day. Pick children from aftercare. Drive back home. Cook dinner. Shower. Go to bed. Repeat. Over, over, and over again. That’s the daily lives of most people in America, and it’s no different to creative minds like marketers and entrepreneurs. Some people barely take a break because they need to be productive, and working all the time means creating more productivity, right? Actually, you’re very much wrong. As it turns out, being too busy can be a serious health problem and can cause things like anxiety, depression, and frustration. And even if you don’t display these symptoms, there is still something else at risk: your creativity. VZ Creative Group will tell you the importance of marketers taking a break and resting their brains every once in awhile. 1. Fix that Lack of Concentration For a long time, people believed that the brain’s activity slowed down when we didn’t do any work. Not only has research shown our brains are still active when we relax and daydream, a study in the University of Illinois has also found that we also become more focused when we take a break. You might be totally engaged in that marketing plan, but you’ll lose your concentration when that’s the only thing you focus on. Take a break and your brain’s creative juices will start flowing again. 2. Retain Information by Not Thinking About it You get bombarded with marketing information and you just can’t seem to retain it all. The solution? Taking a break, of course. It might be hard to believe, but this study shows that breaks help retain the information you have just learned. So the next time you’re stuck on a marketing problem, just come back to it later. 3. Now’s the Time to Think About Your Life Goals Sometimes your brain just needs to be rebooted. When you take sporadic breaks, you’ll able to look over your goals and reevaluate what you’re trying to accomplish. Studies recommend that you take a 15-minute break for this to be effective. This is good for marketers who often get lost in their work and need to remind themselves what their main objective is. The next time you work, don’t feel guilty about taking a short break. Your marketing brain will thank you for it. Questions? Shoot us an email at info@vzcreativegroup.com

FIRSTPRESBYTERIANCHURCHLEARNINGCENTERS

BLOGS

JOURNALS

Internship Journal

VZ Creative Group Intern: Yulia Nekrashevich Supervisor: Fatima Zimichi

Week 1: May 9th – 13th

Action: On the first day of my internship, I have met up with my supervisor, Fatima Zimichi, and her business partner, Camilo Valencia. They explained the goals of their company, VZ Creative Group, and what assignments I am expected to do. As soon as I got home, I began my work. VZ Creative Group is planning to launch a blog soon, and they need articles. They had a list of potential articles and I was allowed to pick two titles that interested me and I began writing. That same day, I also started editing half of a business plan that Fatima had written. I also did research on online therapy for one of their clients. The next day, I continued to work on the articles, business plan, and research. On Wednesday, I met up with my supervisors again, along with another intern. We talked about what SEO keywords were and how to incorporate them into our articles. On Thursday, Fatima and Camilo had to meet with a client and I went along so I could see how they interacted with clients. This client was a lawyer who wanted to hold events for autism awareness and raised money for donations. After the meeting, I helped Fatima and Camilo edit a proposal they had written for another client. We did all of this on Google Drive. On Friday, I finished all of the work I had started on earlier that week, and began the work is expected on the following week. Reflection: This was only my first week, but I already feel like I’ve done a lot of work. I’m learning about how blogging works and how to write articles that fit the theme of what the company wants. Since I just graduated, my writing is currently stuck in the technical and formal side of writing. Fatima specifically wants me to write less formally for the blog, so that is what I’m attempting to do now. I am also doing a lot of editing and researching, which is something I’m already used to, thanks to my college classes. I’m happy that I’m putting my skills to good use. A new thing that I’ve learned is using SEO keywords. SEO (search engine optimization) is a strategy used to place websites on the first page of a search engine. I wasn’t aware that such a strategy existed, but now I see how incredibly useful it is when you want your work to be recognized. My first meeting with a client showed me how professional Fatima and Camilo are when doing their job. It wasn’t a long meeting, but we talked a lot and took notes on what the client wanted and was expecting us to do. I’m also getting the hang of Google Drive. We keep all of our work and updates on Google and share it with each other for editing and proofreading. I’ll admit, it took me some time to get used to Google Drive, since I’ve only used it a few times in the past. Fortunately, Fatima showed me the basics and now I have no problems uploading new documents.

Week 2: May 16th – 20th

Action: This week was a busy one. I’ve met with Fatima and Camilo, who also had a meeting with another client. I did some blog writing on my own while they talked with the client, then they informed me that he had agreed to work with us. The client wanted to start a business that rented electric bicycles in hotels. We had to work on a business plan immediately, and that’s what I’ve been doing for the majority of the week. I’ve also been editing articles that Fatima had written for a school in Hollywood and a proposal for a business that wants to sell medicinal tea. Other than that, my main work was editing the company description on the e-bike business plan and doing research on the e-bike market and the competition our client would face. Friday was fun because I had the chance to see a commercial being shot. Our client and his coworkers were shooting the commercial for their e-bike business on Hollywood Beach, and Camilo helped with the camera. We didn’t necessary have to be there, but I think it was a good experience for me to see how one aspect of marketing works. It was also a really hot day, and I got to try riding an e-bike for the first time. I almost fell off, so that’s probably the last time I’ll ride one. After I got home, I wrote an article for the Hollywood school, and I made a few edits to the business plan. Reflection: I’ve learned a lot from the work I’ve done for this week. Besides continuing to write and edit articles, I’ve started to understand how to write a good business plan. It wasn’t easy since making a business plan required to do a lot of research on the market and competition, but I’m already used to researching, as I had mentioned in my previous reflection. I was a little worried that my first business planning was going to look sloppy, but Fatima reassured me that I’ve actually done a good job and that she could see me doing well in the marketing and planning business. She was pleased with the research I’ve done and how organized I was with my my writing. This made me think about trying to find a job in marketing once I’m finished with my internship. I guess it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters and see if it’s something that I can do well. As I mentioned before, I’ve also got to see a commercial being shot. It was very interesting to see some behind the scenes work, even though I didn’t do much other than sit in the shade. Still, it gave me a new perspective on how businesses work. I’ve also learned that e-bikes are probably not my thing, even though they do look fun when other people ride them. The client and his coworkers were also very nice and I hope their business will prosper. From what I’ve been told, they had already gotten an offer in Australia. It’s actually a good feeling to know that I’m involved in helping a business grow.

Week 3: May 23rd – 27th Action: This week had been a little slow. I've continued my work on my sections of the e-bike business plan and I've written a few more articles for both our blog and the school blog. We've met with the e-bike client and learned that he has received more offers for his product. Good for him, but it looks like he already has imitators. A “friend” of his had decided that he liked his idea and opened up his own e-bike company. In fact, I actually came across the website while I was doing research on the competition and I wondered by the e-bikes looked so similar to our client's. Fortunately for us, this “friend” is supposed to be promoting two different products, but it looks like he keeps mixing them up. That can't be a good marketing strategy. I've also been helping edit and write a business plan for another company. I’m not as involved in this business plan as the first one, but writing it has been a bit easier now that I have some experience with business plan writing. Finding statistics is more simple this time. we also just found out that another client has accepted our offer. This client wants to make a website for online therapy, and my job is to do a bit of research on what makes a good website design. I had no idea that you could do therapy online. While writing an article for the school blog, I've learned that fruit juice contains as much sugar as soda pop and is just as bad, and that the creator of Lunchables won't feed his product to his own kids. How sad is it that we're constantly being fed lies, both figuratively and literally? Reflection: This week, I didn’t really learn anything knew compared to the previous weeks. I've just been continuing the business plans and articles like always. I can say, however, is that I'm getting better with my writing skills. My writing style is still a bit academic, but it has been relaxing a bit as I practice writing less formally. Business planning isn't as hard as I originally thought it was, and I can see that I'm improving when I read how detailed my marketing strategies are. Now I'm doing research on website designing and I think that's another skill that will be useful to me later in life. I'm happy to be working on materials for other businesses and I'm getting a first-person perspective on how a business starts and operates. It's also interesting how one of our clients already has an imitator despite not launching his product yet. It just shows how tough the business world is and that you need to be prepared for a lot of things when you're starting a company. Other than improving my skills, I'm also learning about the many different products that exist. Some, like online therapy, are things that I didn't know were possible, but when you think about it, it makes a lot of sense. It looks like online therapy has been around for a while, so we’ll probably see its market grow steadily. Lastly, I've learned that children's food is full of terrible and unhealthy stuff and now I'm worried about what my niece and cousins are eating.

Week 4: May 30th – June 3rd Action: Monday was Memorial Day, so work was supposed to slow down a bit while we were on break. I still wrote articles on that day, however, since I didn’t have anything planned for Memorial Day and I just wanted to get some work done. The articles were about general things when working in a marketing business, like tips on how to email busy people and what to do when a client is being difficult. We’ve continued the business plan writing with our e-bike client and it’s now closer to being finished. That process has been a little slow as well, but you can’t really rush something like this. No meetings occurred this week, but we did have the chance to help out at a school on Friday. This is the same Hollywood school that I’ve been writing blogs for, and Fatima’s mother is actually one of the directors of the school. How nice is it when one of your connections is your own family member, right? I’ve met her before and she seems like a very sweet lady. Fatima and Camilo had to take some photographs and videos of the kindergarteners while they had their prom and graduation (yes, I know, apparently even kindergarteners have graduation ceremonies now). It wasn’t mandatory for me to be there, but Fatima invited me along if I wanted to go. Why not? I wanted to see what the school looked like and I wanted to see what other work Fatima and Camilo did besides writing and marketing. I helped out a little, but I mostly just stood back and watched them work. Reflection: Things feel like they’ve slowed down a bit during this week. I suppose it’s because my internship is coming to an end soon. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing; at least I have time to finish up some articles that I haven’t completed yet. The business plan is looking great so far, and I’m glad we’re a few steps closer to completing it. The articles I’ve been writing lately seem like helpful advice for everyone. One of them is about how clients and customers are not always right. That’s something one should keep in mind in working in a business or any other professional setting. I’ve also learned how to email people with super busy schedules; that’s incredibly useful if your profession involves constant communication with others. Going to the school was also interesting, even though it wasn’t mandatory for me to go. I saw how far VZ Creative Group extends its services; their clients are not just other marketers and businesses, but even schools as well. When thinking about my profession, I should keep in mind how to network with other groups. As a writer, I have the opportunity to connect with many companies and businesses.

Week 5: June 6th – 10th Action: This week, I’ve done something a little different. Besides the usual blog writing and business plan editing, I’ve also helped write content for a website. iRide4Me wants to start up their own website, but needs help with designing and writing its content. Now, I’m not a website designer, so the technical stuff is left for Camilo. I can, however, help write what information will be present on the webpage. It’s nothing too big; I was in charge of writing the description of the company, their products, and thinking of logos for the site’s banners. The description of the company and their products was the easiest part since that information was already available in the business plan. The logos were a little trickier because they required creative thought and had to sound catchy for customers. iRide4Me also wants to launch a blog, so my other job included writing the first three articles for their blog. They were basically the introductory articles to what kind of company iRide4Me is and what they’re planning to do. Besides the website content, I’ve also helped with the “Operations and Management” section of the iRide4Me business plan. This is the section that describes who are the people behind the company and what they do. This was also mostly easy; our client sent us all of the information we needed and we simply organized each person’s section and added pictures. With this done, I can say with certainty that iRide4Me is almost ready to launch its product into the market. Reflection: Designing a website is something that I haven’t tried before, and it is very informative. I may not be designing the actual website itself, but writing descriptions for the site is just as important. For this assignment, I had to write in a specific tone because iRide4Me has a specific target audience: young tourists. With this mind, I’ve kept the tone not too formal, but still professional enough to make potential customers interested in what the company is selling. The same thing can be said for the iRide4Me blog articles; the tone is a little more fun, but the topic also explains why iRide4Me is going into the e-bike market and what they have to offer. The business plan section where I helped write about each individual working for iRide4Me had a more professional tone. No surprise, really, since this is aimed at a completely different audience. What I’ve learned from this week is how to differentiate the tone and style of each writing, depending on the audience, and how to design the written section of a website. I’ve found writing for a website to be more enlightening because, as I said, it’s something that I haven’t done before, and I can use the skills in the future. Who knows, I might even start working for a website company, or at least a company where website building is one of their main services. In the end, I’m happy to have learned something new, especially when last week was slower than usual.

Week 6: June 13th – 17th Action: This is my final internship week and I have been busy than ever before. I’ve written many articles for this week, both for VZ Creative Group’s blog and the school blog. Other than that, I’ve worked on helping design website content for our online therapy client. My job was to write the description of the company, what they do, and the price range for the online therapy services. I was also required to write three articles for the online therapy website, which will be launched alongside the main site. For these articles, the audience is very different from VZ Creative Group’s audience or the school’s audience. The target audience is the people seeking therapy, and so I had to write professionally and factually. This gave me a chance to further explore my ability in writing for different audiences depending on what the topic is, what the audience wants to hear, and what facts I need to us. This is what I’ve been for the entire week until I met up with Fatima one last time. I’ve managed to complete all of my hours and the tasks that I have been assigned. Reflection: I am finally done with my internship and I am satisfied. This week, I did more website content work for another client, and I think it really helped me expand my skills in both writing and research. As I mentioned, I have also experimented with a new audience in the form of therapy patients. The articles were a little intimidating to write at first because I wasn’t sure what tone to use for this certain audience, but I think I got it down. In the end, I’ve gained many experiences from this internship. I have written articles, business plans, website content, and SEO keywords, some of which I never had any prior experiences with. It’s good that I’m expanding my horizon, and things like business plan writing and knowing marketing strategies will help me greatly in my career path.

ACADEMICWORK

Introduction

This section features the work I have done as a student of Barry University. Most of these samples are from my English courses, which helped me develop my skills in critical argumentation, creative experimentation, and rhetorical analysis. One of the works included here is a research paper from a humanities class. The classes that I have taken include Theories of Rhetoric and Public Discourse, Screenwriting, Magazine Article Writing, Professional Editing, Introduction to Fiction Writing, Advanced English Grammar, Persuasive Writing, Rhetorical Analysis, and Activist Rhetoric. I have also expanded my literary knowledge through classes such as Introduction to Literature, Shakespeare, Major British Writers I, World Literary Masterpieces, Major American Writers, and The Short Story. This section is divided into two parts: criticism and research, and persuasive texts. Each work displayed here showcases my best ability in writing in different mediums and topics. The criticism and research section contains papers demonstrating my skills in rhetorical analysis and critical argumentation. My rhetorical paper on PETA’s advertisements analyzes the use of logos, pathos, and ethos. This paper best demonstrates my ability in rhetorical analysis because I analyze both the text and the imagery used in the advertisements, and confirm their weaknesses. The research paper for my humanities class, “The Doppelgänger and Mental Illness,” shows my ability in critical argumentation. Here, I make the argument about a connection between a supernatural archetype and the human mind, and provide evidence from the research I have gathered. The paper shows my ability to do research and back up my statements with facts. Both of these papers are examples of my rhetorical awareness and versatility to adapt to a variety of contexts, audiences, and purpose. In the persuasive texts section, the public-oriented pieces demonstrate my ability to appeal to different audiences about complex issues. My persuasive writing piece, “Why Yes, We Do Drink Vodka Every Day,” points out ridiculous stereotypes in a satirical and humorous manner. For my activism rhetoric class, I created a brochure for the Sierra Club. The target audience for this brochure are children, and I made it appealing to them by including pictures of baby animals along with the Sierra Club’s information. These two texts are the best examples of my creative experimentation.

CRITICISMANDRESEARCH

PETA’s Advertisements: How Effective is Shock Value?

Shock value is meant to provoke emotions, specifically negative ones. It is typically used

in entertainment such as horror movies and exploitation films, but it can also be used to spread a

message to an audience. However, because of how most people react to shock value, the message

can become meaningless if the majority of the audience is offended or disgusted by the

presentation. PETA (People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals) is an animal rights group

that has become infamous for their daring advertisements. Over the years, PETA has brought out

advertisements that are intended to shock people in their attempt to bring awareness towards

animal abuse. Many of these advertisements have been criticized for being done in poor taste and

without consideration for the people likely to be offended by the subject matter. In this paper, I

will be examining some of PETA’s controversial advertisements and campaigns. The

advertisements that will be looked at are the "Holocaust on your Plate" campaign, the "Your

Mommy/Daddy Kills Animals" comics, and the advertisement that parallels the Greyhound bus

incident. Is PETA's shock value effective in sending their message, or does it damage their

credibility?

In 2003, PETA launched a campaign titled “Holocaust on Your Plate”, which depicted

images of concentration camp prisoners and compared them to animals in slaughterhouses. One

of the advertisements showed a group of prisoners crammed in bunk beds alongside an image of

caged chickens. The tagline, “To animals, all people are Nazis”, is printed on top in bold black

letters and on a red background. In another advertisement, a malnourished man and goat are

shown, with the text reading, “During the seven years between 1938 and 1945, 12 million people

perished in the Holocaust. The same number of animals is killed EVERY 4 HOURS for food in

the U.S. alone.” It is needless to say that this campaign has caused a tremendous controversy

upon its release.

The obvious factor within this controversy is comparing the murder of a human

population to animals being killed for food. PETA argues that even though we are horrified by

what has happened during the Holocaust, we turn a blind eye towards slaughterhouses and their

terrible treatment on animals. This is an extremely shocking way to use pathos; PETA is using a

horrific tragedy that happened not that long ago and is still fresh in many people’s minds in order

to bring attention to animal abuse. The tagline that states the staggering number of animals being

killed emphasizes how slaughterhouses are not that different from concentration camps. This

logos is not false, for we do consume an inconceivable amount of animal flesh. In a way, PETA

is bringing up a valid point. Animals are living beings as well and do not deserve a life of

suffering. However, most people have not received the message that the campaign is trying to

convey.

Comparing humans to animals is a questionable move by itself. Comparing victims of the

Holocaust to animals is widely regarded as deeply offensive. Countless people had expressed

outrage over PETA’s decision to run their campaign. The backlash was so powerful that

Germany had banned all images of the advertisements (Hamilton). Some would argue that the

ban is a direct violation of the right to freedom of speech. While this may be true, others would

argue that comparing the victims of one of the most tragic events in history to animals

downplays the true horror of the Holocaust. Millions of Jews were murdered because the Nazis

viewed them as inferior; animals in slaughterhouses are killed because we need food to survive.

The comparison alone is seen as insensitive towards Holocaust survivors and their families.

Although PETA tried to bring awareness towards the mistreatment of animals, their message is

lost because of their decision to use a recent tragedy as a mouthpiece. If anything, it makes it

look as though PETA is more concerned for animals than for Holocaust survivors.

The next advertisements that will be focused on are two comics that PETA has aimed at

children. One comic, titled “Your Mommy Kills Animals”, depicts a 1950’s style woman smiling

sadistically while gutting a terrified rabbit. Its counterpart, “Your Daddy Kills Animals”, shows a

man in a business suit and fishing hat graphically cutting up a fish. Because the graphic images

were aimed at children, the comics also received a lot of controversy.

Although the gore in the “Mommy” comic isn’t as explicit, the “Daddy” comic shows the

fish’s guts being spilled out in great detail. Once again, PETA is trying to emphasize the cruelty

and pain that animals experience, this time in the hands of the fur and fishing companies. Their

target audience is slightly different this time; instead of a general audience, PETA is focusing

mainly on impressible children. In one way, it’s a brilliant move because you can easily form a

young child’s opinion or belief. Showing pictures of distressed animals to children can be an

effective way to display your pathos. However, it’s also a poor move because of the shock value

being aimed towards children. In these comics, the shock value is displayed right on the front

covers. These pictures could scare the child who has received the comic and may cause them to

look at their parents in a negative light. Furthermore, most parents would not be happy with their

children seeing these images, no matter what the message is. The message is forgotten once the

parents take the comics from their child’s hands and throw them away.

Another thing to look at is the gender stereotypes enforced on the characters depicted on

the covers. The mother is portrayed, as I have mentioned before, in a 1950’s style: she is wearing

an apron, a pearl necklace, and her hair is styled in a similar way to Lucille Ball’s haircut. The

caption, “Ask your mommy how many animals she killed to make her fur coat”, implies that all

women wear fur coats. The father is implied to be a businessman and even wears a tie, as well as

an over-the-top fishing hat. As with the other comic, the cover implies that all men like to fish.

These generalizations may be unintentional on PETA’s part, but many would find offense to

these outdated stereotypes, especially parents who do not wear fur coats or who do not fish.

Children whose parents act or look nothing like what the comics portray them as are likely to

feel confused by what PETA is trying to tell them. The gender stereotypes are a fallacy and end

up hurting PETA’s logos. This combined with the blood and violence aimed at children may be

enough to make people feel discomfort and ignore the message entirely.

This next advertisement is unique from the others in that it is purely textual. Much like

the Holocaust campaign, this advertisement focuses on a tragic event and compares it to the

cruelty of animals. In 2008, a young man named Tim McLean boarded a Greyhound bus in

Canada, where he was decapitated and cannibalized by Vince Li (Daily News, 2012).

This horrific moment has been used by PETA as a comparison to slaughterhouses once

again. The main text reads, “Manitoba. An innocent young victim’s throat is cut. His struggles

and cries are ignored. The man with the knife shows no emotion. The victim is slaughtered and

his head cut off. His flesh is eaten. It’s still going on!”

PETA’s intention is to show how people are horrified when cannibalism occurs, but have

no reaction to animals being slaughtered. For this advertisement, PETA chose a minimalistic

style by showing no images and displaying the text on a white background. Unlike the previous

advertisements that I’ve discussed, this particular advertisement isn’t much of an attention

grabber and could be easily missed if not for the words “It’s still going on” being bolded at the

end. The fact that no pictures are used lessens the impact of the comparison, unlike the Holocaust

campaign. In turn, this could also weaken PETA’s pathos if the people reading this

advertisement are not familiar with the Greyhound bus incident and do not immediately

recognize what the advertisement is trying to parallel. The ones who might feel pathos from this

advertisement would be the family of the victim, but for a different reason; they may be offended

by their loved one’s death being used in a campaign against slaughterhouses.

In this instance, PETA has used their kairos by focusing on an event that’s even more

recent than the Holocaust. Whether or not this is more offensive is up to debate. Some would

argue that it’s not as offensive because the Greyhound bus incident is not a wide scale tragedy

like the Holocaust was, and PETA was considerate enough not to use images this time. However,

others would say that exploiting a very recent murder and seemingly not care about the victim or

his family is still an insensitive move. Once again, we are left with the question of whether or not

making the death of humans parallel to the death of animals is going too far.

I have examined these three advertisements and tried to answer the question of whether

or not PETA goes too far with their shock value. On one hand, revealing animal cruelty in a

gruesome way is effective in getting people's attention. On the other hand, comparing animals to

humans, especially to humans who have died tragically, is commonly regarded as disrespectful

and paints the image that PETA cares more about the wellbeing of animals than about their

fellow humans. Displaying graphic violence to children can also give a negative image to the

organization, as it implies that they are not concerned with how children might react to the

pictures. When looking at the majority reaction towards these advertisements, it seems that

PETA's shock value hits too deep with most people. As such, the message is lost and PETA loses

a large part of its ethos.

Work Cited

Hamilton, Jill. "Society of Professional Journalists: Improving and Protecting Journalism Since 1909." Ethics Case Studies. University of Denver. Web. http://www.spj.org/ecs14.asp

"Man Who Beheaded and Ate Fellow Passenger on Greyhound Bus Believed He Was Attacking Alien, Mental Health Advocate Says." New York Daily News. The Associated Press, 23 May 2012. Web. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/man-beheaded-ate-fellow-passenger-greyhound-bus-thought-attacking-alien-mental-health-advocate-article-1.1083031

The Doppelgänger and Mental Illness

The doppelgänger is one of the oldest character archetypes in mythology and folklore.

Translated as “double goer” in German, the doppelgänger can be found in numerous cultures and

is fairly popular in literature and other forms of media (Holloway). Over the years, it has

branched off into different subsets, the most common ones being the evil twin and the split

personality. Its prevalence around the world brings up an interesting question: What is the origin

of the doppelgänger? Is it a simple shared myth, or does its roots go deeper and into a more

psychological perspective? By examining fiction that uses doppelgängers and real life

phenomenon, we might find the answer that we are looking for.

The doppelgänger has a different name in each culture, but its description is mostly

unanimous; it is the replica of a living person and seeing one is usually regarded as a sign of bad

omen. The earliest known references of doppelgängers are found in Zoroastrianism, in which the

concept of good and evil is represented by twin gods, Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu

(Holloway). Doppelgängers have even been reported by historical figures. One chilling case is

Percy Shelley, the poet and husband of Mary Shelley, who claimed that he had met his double

before tragically drowning at sea (Shepherd).

In some places, the belief in doppelgängers is extended onto twins. While the

superstitions regarding twins vary from culture to culture, there are many who believe the birth

of twins will bring about terrible luck. One notable example is the African tribe of Igbo, who

practiced twin killings because multiple births were considered an abomination against their

deity (Bastian 13). Other similar cases could be the inspiration for the evil twin stories that have

been popular for years, which is why the evil twin is a subset of the doppelgänger.

The other subset of the doppelgänger is the split personality. With the progression of

understanding mental health, many stories have been centered on characters with mental illness

and its effect on their lives. One of the most popular mental illnesses in fiction is the split

personality, which is commonly used as a plot twist. The split personality, along with other

similar disorders, can explain why the doppelgänger myth is found in cultures all over the world,

many of which had no direct interaction with each other. After all, mental illnesses and disorders

can happen to anyone, regardless of where they live.

One of the earliest examples of a doppelgänger being the result of a split personality can

be in found in James Hogg’s 1824 novel, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified

Sinner. The novel is split into two parts with the second part detailing the life of a man named

Robert, who meets another man named Gil-Martin. It is implied that Gil-Martin has the ability to

shape shift and transforms into Robert, then commits crimes until the real Robert hangs himself.

At first glance, it appears as though the story is about a traditional supernatural doppelgänger,

but the text also implies that Gil-Martin only existed in Robert’s head. Even though the novel is

ambiguous, the possibility of Robert having a split personality still showcases the early literary

use of such a disorder.

The use of the split personality as a doppelgänger is also seen frequently in film. Alfred

Hitchcock’s 1960 film, Psycho (adapted from the 1959 novel of the same name), is known for its

famous twist of Norman Bates’ mother. Throughout the film, the viewer is lead to believe that

Norman’s controlling and abusive mother is behind the murder of Marion Crane and Arbogast.

The truth is much more unexpected: Norman was the murderer all along and his mother was

actually a new personality that had formed after her death. The fact that Norman was suffering

from a mental disorder is emphasized in the scene where the psychiatrist explains to the other

characters (and, to an extent, the audience) what is going on inside his head.

An even more famous example occurs in Fight Club, both the 1996 book by Chuck

Palahniuk and the 1999 film by David Fincher. In this story, an unnamed narrator befriends

Tyler Durden, a non-conformist who violently fights against a consumerist society. Tyler is the

ultimate doppelgänger; he is everything the narrator wishes he were, and the revelation that he is

a figment of the narrator’s imagination further cements this fact. In a way, Fight Club is a

modernized version of The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner.

After examining these titles and making a connection between doppelgängers and split

personalities, we are left with the question of which mental illness causes split personalities and

may be the source for the doppelgänger myth. The most likely illness is dissociative identity

disorder (DID), formerly known as multiple identity disorder. DID is characterized by “the

presence of two or more distinct personality states or an experience of possession” and “recurrent

episodes of amnesia” (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 291). This is the

perfect definition of what is happening to the narrator in Fight Club; in addition to having a

second personality, he has no recollection of the things he had done as Tyler Durden. The same

is said for Norman Bates and Robert, who are convinced that someone other than them is

committing crimes. However, there is a lot of controversy surrounding the authenticity of DID.

Many argue that DID is widely misdiagnosed and its symptoms are in fact caused by other

disorders, such as borderline personality disorder (Gillig 25).

Other possible disorders that could be the origin of the doppelgänger myth include

Capgras delusion and subjective doubles. A person with Capgras delusion believes that someone

they know had been replaced by a double. One such case involves a student at the University of

California who, after waking up from a coma caused by a car accident, didn’t recognize his

mother and claimed that she was replaced by an imposter (Wheeler). Subjective doubles is a

disorder in which a person believes they literally have a doppelgänger somewhere in the world

(Klein 370). Although these two disorders are rare, they are good explanations for why the

doppelgänger myth is so predominant around the world. A select few people who had DID or

other such disorders during a time when mental illness was unknown would have thought their

symptoms were the result of something supernatural.

The doppelgänger is truly fascinating and one of the most mysterious character

archetypes. Whether it originated from mental illness or from something else entirely, it and its

many variations will likely always be a major staple in fiction.

Work Cited

Abumrad, Jad, and Robert Krulwich. "Seeing Impostors: When Loved Ones Suddenly Aren't." NPR. 30 Mar. 2010. Web. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124745692

American Psychological Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5. Bastian, Misty L. ""The Demon Superstition": Abominable Twins and Mission Culture in

Onitsha History." Ethnology 40.1 (2001): 13-27. JSTOR. Web. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3773886?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Gillig, Paulette Marie. "Dissociative Identity Disorder: A Controversial Diagnosis." Psychiatry 6.3 (2009): 24-29. Print.

Holloway, April. "Doppelgangers and the Mythology of Spirit Doubles." Ancient Origins. Stella Novus, 6 July 2014. Web. http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/doppelgangers-and-mythology-spirit-doubles-001825

Klein, Carolina A., and Soniya Hirachan. "The Masks of Identities: Who’s Who? Delusional Misidentification Syndromes." J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 42 (2014): 369-78. Print.

Shepherd, Lynn. "The Death of Percy Bysshe Shelley - History in an Hour." History in an Hour. 8 July 2013. Web. http://www.historyinanhour.com/2013/07/08/the-death-of-percy-bysshe-shelley

PERSUASIVETEXTS

Why Yes, We Do Drink Vodka Every Day

One of the greatest joys of being Russian is all the questions I get from curious

Americans. They range from being genuinely interested in my culture to making up the most

ridiculous assumptions. But you see, the ridiculous assumptions are always the best ones,

because every single one of them is true.

Everything you think you know about Russians, from films and TV shows that always

have American actors playing Russian characters, is based on indisputable fact. Just like all

Russian films and TV shows that have Russian actors playing American characters is based on

fact. Allow me to enlighten my fellow Americans on the daily lives of Russians and let them feel

at ease with their views on us.

Every morning, we Russians get up and have borsch and a bottle of vodka for breakfast.

We later eat the same things for lunch and dinner because unlike you lucky Americans, we don't

have hamburgers, pizza, or Coca-Cola. Afterwards, we prepare for the unforgiving eternal winter

of Mother Russia by putting on several layers of fur coats, a fur hat, and snowshoes. Leaving our

cottage is the hardest part, not because of the heavy snow that falls every day, but because of the

wild bears that roam the streets. Fortunately, bear wrestling is the national sport of Russia and it

has helped us survive our carnivorous neighbors. I'm sure all of our fellow Americans in Florida

can relate, since they have a similar problem with alligators.

After we put the bears in their place, we then have to walk through 20 feet of snow to get

to our desired destination, like the marketplace or a frozen lake where we can do some ice

fishing. We don't know what the ground looks like since the snow never melts, and we've only

heard about the sun through fairy tales. We're used to the dreadful weather and can endure all

temperatures below freezing level without a problem; unlike Americans, who immediately start

complaining when the temperature drops one degree below than what they're accustomed to.

Most of us have jobs, of course, and that job is working for the mafia. A Russian's natural

environment is always violent, so it's only fitting that we would all be part of organized crime. At

the moment of their birth, every Russian baby is given their first bottle of vodka and an AK-47,

and are trained in the art of terrorizing our enemies. Don't look at us that way; Texas has more

guns than all of Russia.

Some Russians branch out and become spies for the government, where they infiltrate

America to gather information and just generally act like stereotypical James Bond villains. It's

not so different from what America does on a regular basis, except for your bad reputation of

invading multiple countries.

Speaking of the government, communism is still alive and kicking today. That's right, all

Russians are communists, just like all Americans submit to the Queen of England. Communism

is something that has existed in Mother Russia ever since the beginning of time. Yes, it existed

before Karl Marx was even born. The president rules over us with an iron fist and operates our

country like in Nineteen Eighty-Four, a fate that America seems to be heading towards at the

moment. But it's all right, because we think the color red looks absolutely fabulous and the red

star is totally fashionable.

Now that you know the average Russian can be very frightening, you might have

developed the survival instinct of not getting one angry. But how do you recognize a Russian?

Don't they look like everyone else around you? Fear not, for there are many defining

characteristics that all Russians share.

Russian men are all incredibly masculine, angry, and love to fight, so if you see a lone

man beating up a large group of people by himself, he is most likely a native of our country. Our

men can also be identified by the numerous tattoos covering their bodies, signifying their place

in the mafia and in prison. Sometimes you'll find one drunk off his ass and collapsing right in the

middle of the street. This is a common sight in our country, so no need to panic.

Let's not forget the Russian women, who are all gorgeous bombshells and love to shop

for the latest fashions. When they're not shopping, they're constantly looking for rich men,

especially foreign men who will take them away from Russia. Our women are also submissive

and will make the perfect housewives. Well, that is until you make them angry. Your body will

never be found after that. Russian women are also just as heavy drinkers as their male

counterparts.

Other ways of identifying Russians is by the color of their skin. We all are white, no

exception. Ignore the fact that there are several Asian countries right next to our border and just

accept the truth. Most important of all, the only instruments we know how to play are the

accordion and the balalaika. Have you ever heard of a band that is consisted of nothing but

accordions and balalaikas? It's actually pretty awful, which is why no famous Russian musicians

exist, and the only song ever recorded in Russia is the Tetris theme.

As you can see, Russians are just as what you expected them to be. You might have been

surprised when you saw that we share some traits with Americans, so I suppose a few

assumptions are much closer to home than we may realize. You can embrace them or question

them, but they will likely last forever, so let's just sit back and laugh at each other because both

sides are equally ridiculous with their assumptions.

PUBLICATIONS

Introduction

This section showcases the work that has been published in Sigma Tau Delta’s 2015 literary journal, What Oft Was Thought. The first piece, “The Bright Side of Goths,” is a persuasive work that discusses the history of the goth subculture, where it emerged from, and where it is today. The second piece, “Why Are You Here,” is a hint fiction short story. Hint fiction is an extremely short story told in 25 words or less I have chosen to include these two papers because they are both published works and they further demonstrate the versatility of my writing skills. “The Bright Side of Goths” is another persuasive piece that is meant to inform the audience of a popular subculture. “Why Are You Here” is a creative writing piece that briefly shows the non-technical side to my writing.

WHATOFTWASTHOUGHT

The Bright Side of Goths

“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.” -Morticia Addams

Conformity is the status quo. It is expected that each person must behave in a way that

others view as “normal,” and any deviation from that mindset is often met with aggression and

suspicion. For that reason, many subcultures that express themselves in unique ways are often

labeled negatively and are plagued with stereotypes that are either biased or come from

exaggerated truths. One subculture that has been hit particularly hard by this is the goth

subculture, which is notoriously ambiguous. As someone who has identified as a goth during my

high school days, I feel that it is my job to try and track down a proper definition for this

lifestyle.

To understand the goth subculture, one must look at its origins. During the late 70s, the

punk scene had slowly begun to decay and fade away. From its corpse, a new subculture had

sprung out like maggots, and that subculture was later known as goth. The starting point of this

newborn group is widely believed to be when Bauhaus, a post-punk band, released their song

Bela Lugosi’s Dead. This song is considered to be the first gothic rock song, and many people

have “latched onto this mysterious, eerie sound as inspiration for the budding gothic subculture.”

More similar bands have made their appearances during the 80s, but the music genre’s popularity

had begun to fall a bit, and it looked like goth was about to face the same grim demise as its punk

parent. However, it picked up again in the early 90s and began to form as its own separate

subculture, and “[t]hrough this period, gothic music and culture grew and branched out into

various subsets, pushing the boundaries of what had previously been considered gothic” (Smith).

From its evolution, goth is now recognized as not just a music genre, but also as a lifestyle, and

here is where the issue of definition occurs.

I’d developed an interest in the goth subculture shortly before I started high school. Ever

since I was a child, I had a fascination with the strange, the abnormal, and the horrific, so of

course I felt right at home within this division. My endorsement of this subculture, however, was

soon challenged by the ugly stereotypes that surrounded it. Just about every group and subculture

has to face ignorance from outsiders who assume they know everything about said groups and

subcultures, but goths seem to be hit the hardest. Almost immediately after deciding to join this

subculture, I had been accused of being a Satanist, a serial killer endorser, a freak, a murderer-in-

training, and other offensive things. I wasn’t the only one who had to deal with this; in some

cases, I’ve even heard of teenagers being brutally murdered for wearing goth clothing. It’s

without a doubt that society’s definition of goth is a negative one, but is this the true definition?

These stereotypes have sadly existed ever since the subculture’s birth and will probably

never stop buzzing around like locusts over our heads. Still, many goths try to spread awareness

and teach people that most of the things they hear about them are false. The most obvious

stereotype they want to dispel is the Satanist one. This idea that all goths practice Satanism

emerged from the fact that the subculture embraces dark things, as well as from some of the

jewelry that goths like to wear purely for aesthetic reasons. Goths follow no set religion because

it is “a fairly open-minded culture when it comes to exploring anything that is ‘not of the norm.’

Religion is no exception” (Smith). Many goths identify as agnostic or atheistic, a surprisingly

large amount identifies as Christian, and others identify as pagan or Wiccan. I was a Christian

when I first took an interest in goths, then I became an agnostic, and now I identify as a pagan.

Although I will not deny that Satanic goths do exist, they are an extremely small minority and do

not represent the entire subculture. To all of you paranoid parents out there, relax; goths are not

going to drink your baby’s blood. They might drink fake blood just to screw with you, though.

Going off from the Satanist stereotype, many are also convinced that all goths are

murderous and suicidal. These stereotypes are ascribed to the dark attire that goths like to wear,

the apparent obsession with death and darkness, and the love for anything related to horror.

While these three characteristics are the main attributes to goth subculture, none of them actually

contribute to any murders or suicides. In fact, this subculture is known to be one of the most

peaceful and pacifistic subcultures in society. So why is this doom and gloom greatly endorsed

by goths? It’s because they can appreciate it and have a sense of humor about it.

“Goths see beauty in what the social order considers ugly or unsettling, whether it be dark

clothes, taboos in behavior, that which is eerie or in shadows, and even death…[t]his love affair

with darkness can become mawkish and goths are well aware of this. They often display a strong

sense of camp and comic irony about themselves.” Conformity is the enemy. What is seen as

repulsive and unwanted is embraced by goths, and what is considered abnormal is seen as

perfectly normal. Death is morbid for most people, but goths have accepted it as a fact of life.

When I accepted the fact that death was a part of life and that you could never escape, I’ve felt as

though a burden had been lifted from me. “Goths…resist labels, and have no authority figures or

leaders, but they do have some characteristics in common, such as appreciating the arts, being

creative, being introspective (not necessarily introverted), being anti-trend, and rejecting the

status quo and the artificial. Goths embrace the darker side of culture” (Montenegro). From

studying the evolution of the goth subculture, it is clear that the definition of goth is meant to be

a nonconforming lifestyle that rejects the shallowness of society and embraces the beauty that so

many are ignoring. However, as years have passed, it appears that even this definition is being

challenged.

Where have all the goths gone? I’ve noticed that whenever I look back at the subculture

that I have been so proud of being a part of, the numbers are dwindling by the second. Are goths

finally meeting the same fate as the punks? I’ve found that goths are still very much alive; most

of them are just hiding. What could these people, who have made it clear that they don’t care

about what others think of them, possibly be hiding from? The answer: a new generation of

goths.

It appears the subculture is facing an identity crisis. Once a reclusive group that rejected

the mainstream, goths are now becoming more commercialized and their movement is turning

into the opposite of what it was intended to be. The new goths that are joining consist mostly of

teenagers who just want to shock people, and the older goths are hiding away from them like

vampires hiding from the sunlight. “Subsequent claims to gothdom by a younger generation are

rejected as fake or at least inferior by the older generation. Those who may look goth but fall

short of the real thing are called poseurs” (Montenegro). Furthermore, new branches of goth

have evolved in the last few years. A recent trend called “pastel goth” (in which a goth wears and

dyes their hair in pastel colors instead of the traditional dark colors) has emerged from Tumblr

and is slowly catching on. For many goths, this drastic change in their subculture is the demise to

their lifestyle. Goth is now converting to the conformity, and everything that gives it meaning is

being exterminated. Goth is now as dead as punk. Or is it?

I have to disagree with these statements. Although I am also disappointed with how

mainstream the goth subculture is becoming, I don’t believe it’s giving in to conformity. Yes,

most of the newer generation of goths is only in it to shock their parents, but soon they will

outgrow their phase and be weeded out from the garden. The ones who are genuinely interested

in the subculture will stay and become the black roses they were meant to be. Things like pastel

goth should not be viewed with disgust, but as a significant part of goth’s evolution. In fact,

wouldn’t pastel goth be considered as a form of rebellion from the conformity of the goth

subculture? These changes only show that goth is growing and refuses to die as it continues on

with its rebellion.

Work Cited

Montenegro, Marcia. "The World According to Goth." Christian Research Institute. Christian Research Journal. 2006. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. http://www.equip.org/articles/the-world-according-to-goth/#christian-books-1

Smith, Alicia Porter. "A Study of Gothic Subculture: An Inside Look for Outsiders." A Study of

Gothic Subculture. 29 July 1997. Web. 9 Nov. 2014. http://www.gothicsubculture.com/

Why Are You Here?

I stared at my sister, who was sitting on the couch. I buried her last week.

CONCLUSION

The End

This is the end of the portfolio, but not the journey. In my course work, I have researched extensively and explored different genres of writing. I have written essays, analyzed rhetorical pieces, created brochures, and even had some of my work published in a literary journal. I can see how far I have come since my first school year, and I hope to continue honing my skills long after my academic years are over. In my internship, I continued my growth by developing articles for different audiences. I have also explored marketing and business writing, two areas that I had never thought I would have the chance to participate in. I have also learned valuable skills such as the incorporation of SEO keywords and examine economic statistics, both present and what is predicted in the future. My internship has given me both practice for my writing skills and practice for other opportunities in my profession. As I said before, a good writer is one who constantly writes. However, I am not just a writer; I am a learner. I have tested my ability to do rhetorical analysis, critical argumentation, and research, and developed them into my major strengths. With these strengths, I am able to accomplish anything I set my mind to. The papers that I presented here are proof of those strengths and my determination. My only wish is to continue to learn and walk on the writer’s path. I am satisfied with the work I have finished so far and look forward for further development. I am eager to expand both my portfolio and my strengths.