The Three Essays

I believe I have a good start on all three essays. Each seems to cover the points laid out in the outline in a clear well-written way. However, the main problem I am having right now with the essays is introductory and concluding statements, as well as transition statements between paragraphs. While, individual paragraphs may read well on their own, the essays as a whole seem a little choppy. The main reason for the rough nature is probably because I am having a hard time deciding what I want my purpose for the portfolio to be. Obviously, the point of my research this semester was to learn more about the Virginia Tech Community, but as I was writing the essays I started to grasp the deeper purpose for myself.
I have always been a descent writer, but even so, I have struggled with English and writing all of my life. It took me a longer time than a lot of my other friends in primary school to develop good writing habits, and to this day I still have doubts about the strength of my writing. The main things this writing and research class has shown me is that great literature does not happen in the blink of an eye and does not involve the use of magic. It takes shitty rough drafts, lots of editing, lots of time, and most importantly, patience. What I have gained from this class is confidence in my writing and in myself. This is the main point I want the reader to ultimately leave with.

We're the Coastal Champions?!?

It doesn't really seem possible that Virginia Tech won the ACC Coastal Division Title. Let's face it, we haven't been at the top of our game this season, mainly because our football program is in a rebuilding year. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and find out that our winning was all a dream, and that Georgia Tech or Florida State had clenched the Coastal. But until then I'm going to bask in the glow of victory and brag to all of my University of Virginia friends.
This year the ACC Football Championship will be played in Tampa, Florida between my Virginia Tech Hokies and the Boston College Eagles. Although we lost to BC during regular season play, I have full confidence that we will emerge victorious in the championship game. In fact, if I remember correctly, that EXACTLY what we pulled off last year. GO HOKIES! GOBBLE GOBBLE GOBBLE!!!

WHAT THE...!?!

MOTHER BLEEPING BLEEPER BLEEP BLEEP HIM IN THE BLEEP I CAN'T BELIEVE WE BLEEPED THAT ONE UP A BLEEPING GAIN! I SWEAR I'M GOING TO HAVE A BLEEPING STROKE! BLEEP MIAMI! BLEEP THE REFS! AND MOST OF ALL...BLEEP OUR BLEEPING OFFENSE! WHAT THE BLEEP IS WRONG WITH US! BLEEP!!!
With a final score of 16 to 14, the Miami Hurricanes beat out my Virginia Tech Hokies, pretty much ending our chances at a Coastal Division Title. I can't even begin to express my anger right now. Lets just say I am surprised that I have not caused any property damage as of yet. Me and my friends and fellow football fans agree that there is really nothing to say. Not only can our Hokies not seem to convert on key plays, but we also seem to create big plays for the opposing team. What's more is that the referees seem to always be against us. There was yet another bogus ruffing the passer call that eventually led to Miami's first touchdown and switched the momentum in their favor. It's just so AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Well, hopefully we'll have better luck next season.

BLEEP!

Feedback on my Feedback

I used to use Yahoo mailing all the time but now I have been primarily using VT's WebMail. Just like Yahoo, the university only allots each person 10 MB. Right now, not even after a full semester, I have a quota of over 404 percent. What's more, I have over 150 unread messages. As I found out while trying to sort through my inbox, one of those messages was the feedback on my essay. As I read over Mrs. Scott's comments, I was pleased to find out that she liked the tone and the structure. In addition, she also got the fact that I was letting out my frustrations at Tech through their idiotic policies.
However, I agree with her that the essay ends too arbitrarily and needs some work. I plan to include another section where I go through the outcome of my judicial review trial. What is also comforting to know is that I don't need to have some big revelation at the end of the essay. I am considering ending things on a more abstract note, such as my view of Virginia Tech after the trial. I have good expectations for my final draft.

Initiating Action on my Initiating Action Project

I have made some great progress on my website and I encourage everybody to check it out if they get a chance. The url is http//sites.google.com/site/righteoushokietickets/

The Power of Petition

In order to convince Virginia Tech's President Steger of the need to change the student season ticket packages, I am going to use a petition. A petition is a document addressed to some official and signed by numerous individuals. The compilation of signatures is used to give a sense of moral authority. Petition's are most commonly made to government officials and public entities. For instance, in the U.S., a candidate for public office who wants their name to appear on the ballot must gather a certain number of signatures from registered voters. Other examples where petitions are used include court proceedings. The initial pleading for a writ of habeas corpus is a petition.
What's really interesting and intriguing about petitions is that in this day and age they can be transmitted via the Internet. This Internet petition can be posted on a website whereby visitors to the website may add their email address or names. While this makes it easy for people to make and take petitions at any time, it also calls into question the legitimacy of the petition. The ease of the process may attract joke petitions, and even false names and e-mails of petitioners.
I am considering either doing a written petition, or perhaps creating a petition on Facebook. While Facebook would allow me to reach out to more of the Virginia Tech community, because I am considering implementing my initiating action project I want it to be as legitimate as possible.

An Unusually Amazing Morning

An early morning breeze sweeps through the three ajar windows directly facing me, cooling the sweat on my arms and forehead. At the same time, the clouds begin to part and the sun emerges. Its rays pierce through the windows’ glass without breaking it and scatter all across the room, causing the off-white paint job to seemingly glow. You can hear the trickle of water droplets as they jump from trees and roofs onto the ground. There is the shuffle of feet as an early morning tour passes through the adjacent courtyard. I can scarcely hear what the student guide is talking about. However, I am bewildered when he tells the prospective students and their parents that the residence hall they are looking at is called Brown. It’s Pritchard Hall I think to myself. I am half ready to yell out the window and set the record straight, but I catch myself. As I look directly up at the ceiling, there is no ventilation pipe right in front of me but an expansive space. I sit straight up and take in everything around me. Instead of the Star Wars and NASA posters that normally greet me, there are magazine cut outs of Daniel Radcliffe and Keira Knightly and other actors, actresses, and models whose names I don’t know; instead of the normal gray carpeting there are wooden floors; instead of seeing my roommate Dave passed out below me on his bed, his legs dangling off the side, there are two other lofts, both occupied, neither of them with Dave; and, instead of my Yankee paraphernalia, there is a dreaded Boston Red Sox flag overhanging one of the lofts. This is definitely not my room. I lie back down in a daze, trying to reason where I may be, when I feel a warm breath upon my neck. I turn on my side, and there next to me is the most beautiful sight in the world; it’s my baby, Louisa. She is still curled up underneath the bedcovers, fast asleep. Her hair is in a ruffle, but still looks extremely cute, and while there is no expression on her face, her cheeks give it a wonderful radiance. It begins to hit me that I am indeed no longer at Tech, and no longer even in the state of Virginia. I’m at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. I had been planning a trip up to see Louisa for some time, and I was finally there and we were together again. Things were like old times, and as Forrest Gump would say, Louisa and I were like peas and carrots again. As I sat there, watching her sleep, her eyes began to flutter until she finally opened them wide and stared right back at me. She gave me a big smile and from that moment on I knew it was going to be a great day.