E-portfolio

Introduction: 

My name is Marta Beczek. I am a student at The Pennsylvania State University double majoring in Spanish and International Politics and minoring in Media Studies (Class of 2015). I am 18 years old, originally from Poland, and looking to pursue a career in the non-profit sector.

My rhetoric has greatly improved throughout my first year at this university. I believe that it is of the utmost importance to have a strong voice in this world and to use words with meaning. Over the course of this year I have mastered the art of persuasion and become more than comfortable with public speaking. I am now fully capable of expressing my thoughts and ideas in ways which make others want to listen and agree. I want to end my introduction with one of my favorite quotes:"A prayer for the wild at heart, kept in cages." I believe that rhetoric and the correct use of words free us from cages and allow our wild hearts and minds to be heard and set free. Expression through rhetoric is what makes people unrestricted and that is why it is so valuable to me. 

Marta Beczek's E-portfolio

Rhetoric of Penn State

http://blog.timesunion.com/college/author/leannhlebica/

So as my first year is coming to an end here at PSU, I've started to look back at how much this place has become home to me and it makes me a little bit sad to be leaving for the summer.

I think that Penn State does a fantastic job of making a big school seem small. It seems that I have made so many friends here and anywhere I go, I always see someone I know. Ever since my first orientation, the idea that Penn State students, faculty, and alumni are a "big family" has been implanted into my brain. And now, from personal experience, I can say that this mantra lives up to its name. I feel like everyone here is so friendly and welcoming and we are all joined together by a common love for PSU.

Another thing that brings all of us together may be our motto "WE ARE... PENN STATE." I think this further supports the idea that we are all united and powerful together. I'd be intimidated if I were an outsider and heard this chanted around campus. Overall, I love love love the family atmosphere that this place provides because I think that it makes being here so comfortable and pleasant.

Another reason that we cannot deny why PSU is so popular and powerful is because of our football team and because of JoePa (RIP). Sports have definitely made this school become "something that everyone wants to be a part of" because who doesn't want a school with a well-known football team and the best student section?

In conclusion, I whole-heartedly enjoyed my first year here. From meeting so many new great friends, to experiencing an amazing social life, to learning from some of the greatest professors I've ever met. I love everything about this place and I cannot wait till next semester!

Dayglow!




http://onwardstate.com/2012/01/30/dayglow-coming-to-happy-valley/

 


http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/rftmusic/2011/09/dayglow_paint_party_at_the_pag.php

 I attended the Dayglow party/concert yesterday and it was absolutely amazing! (For anyone who doesn't know what Dayglow is: it is a "paint party" concert with DJ's.) The house-style music was great and the paint being thrown everywhere made dancing to it so much more enjoyable. Thinking about it now, Dayglow has a lot of appeal to a younger audience and that is why it's becoming popular all over the world.

The theme of this year's Dayglow party is "Life in Color" which automatically insinuates that our lives need more fun and that Dayglow is the way to achieve a higher appreciation of life. No one wants to live a black and white life, we want to add color to it and that is why we are drawn to buy tickets for this event.

Another tactic used to persuade people is that its a messy event. In the ads, one can see that there’s paint splattered everywhere. Usually messy means fun, messy signifies that people can go all-out and party without restrictions. Looking at the second picture, this is exactly what is happening.

Overall, I think the concert was very well organized. Everyone was told to wear white so that the paint could show up on clothes. There was stage shows like girls strung from ropes doing tricks. There was confetti and balloons poured on the audience throughout the night from the ceiling. All of our senses were used. We could hear the techno music, see the performances on the stage, smell and feel the paint on our bodies, and touch friends through dancing. I think that the concert lived up to its motto "Life in Color" because this was probably one of the most exciting concerts I've been to ever.

I recommened anyone who did not go Wednesday or Thursday to attened Dayglow in the future :)

Rhetoric/ History of Rap

Last week in my Spanish class, we spent the day listening to Mexican rap...when the conversation took a turn into the history of rap in general. What I learned was that rap when it first started had a lot more meaning in its lyrics than it does today. It was a form of rebellion and protest against the government. For example, the CD above is from one of the original rap groups called N.W.A or Niggas with Attitude. Even their name is a form of rebellion aimed to show that they are treated differently in society than other races. One of their top songs was "Fuck the Police" where the lyrics described how police target innocent black males for crimes. These songs were aimed to have political and social meanings.

However, nowadays, rappers usually just sing about money, girls, cars, and jelewry. Although most of us would think that "rap is garbage" and has no meaning... my Spanish teacher proposed a different point of view. He said that a lot of these rappers grew up in the ghettos, horrible towns, high crime rates, failing schools, and so forth. Their chance of "making it" was next to none. And when they finally did "make it," they want to show off their well-earned status and how they beat the odds. So when we listen to songs about rappers having money and "sipping Grey Goose," its their way of showing the world that they broke their cycle of poverty and worked hard to become successful, unlike their friends who probably joined gangs or were forced to work minimum wage jobs.

Although rap is not entirely about politics anymore, it still has some sort of meaning. In a way, it is motivational and can motivate a person to want to work hard and make something of their lives.

Rhetoric of Lindsay Lohan

http://which-hairstyle-is-better.bellasugar.com/Lindsay-Lohan-Red-vs-Blonde-vs-Brunette-95321 

http://www.eonline.com/news/lindsay_lohan_tested_negative_alcohol/186437

The first picture was of Lindsay Lohan right after the premiere of Mean Girls, when the world fell in love with her. The second one is of her present day. So what happened? Why does everyone dislike her now?

I honestly do not believe that she is disliked for her lesbian affairs, alcohol problems, or cocaine addiction. I think is is entirely the media's fault for her "bad image." I think every person has tough phases in their lives but Lohan's were over-dramatized and the stories were not well balanced. Instead of giving her a sympathetic image, to show that she was battling some demons in her head and her life, the media used her screw-ups as gas to set her reputation on fire.

But it is not entirely the fault of the media. At first, Lohan was a "good, innocent red-haired girl" but then she changed her image. She became a typical rebellious blonde. Can hair color change a persons reputation? I think yes. No offense to anyone, but I think it is a lot harder to respect a blonde girl than a brunette haired girl. Society and movies instill these commonplaces in us but Lohan knew what she was doing when she went blonde.

Overall, Lohan's declining reputation was the effect the media and of her own image change.

Not Going Green

A while back I read an interesting article in the Collegian that claimed that society falls for buying overpriced "organic" clothing and food because it makes them feel better about themselves because they get an illusion that they are saving the world. In reality, most of these organic products are not much different than regular products in their chemical makeup and all of them are still produced in the same factories that cause pollution. What the article suggested is that instead of paying for a NEW pair of organic jeans...why not just wear an OLD pair of jeans and NOT make a new purchase? This is the only sure way of helping the environment.

Many products like Levi's organic jeans

http://www.gingerbreadrunning.com/2009/05/runners-wear-jeans-too-levis-501.html

have come up with organic clothes. The green label that reads "100% organic cotton" manipultes people to think that these jeans are made with better material and are safer for the enviroment. Since there has been a big "green" push recently, many people believe that it is the right thing to do to purchase these products. In reality, this is a trick companies use to make a profit. These jeans are probably more expensive than regular Levi's jeans and the only thing that the consumer is paying more for is the tag that says "100% cotton" because the materials used are generally the same.

Fact: there are no regulations/standards that companies must follow to ensure that their products are "organic." Essentially, most companies can lie and get away with it.

Going back to the article, instead of purchasing MORE organic clothing, why not just re-use old clothing? If someone really wants to change the world and the environment then they cannot fall into these marketing tricks. The best way to be green is to reuse and recycle what one already owns.

Rhetoric of Spring Break

Spring Break in New Orleans:


http://blog.carnivalneworleans.com/?p=2742

 Spring Break in Panama City:

These are not uncommon pictures to see of college student's Spring Breaks. In fact, these images and sterotypes are a commonplace. It is generally accepted that during Spring Break, college students take trip to warm and beachy parts of the world like Florida or Latin America and party for a whole week as a way to celebrate the near-end of the second semester and to welcome the warm weather.

However, although this sterotype is very common, how many college students actually do this? I know that I went home this break, most of my friends did as well and we all did not break out our bikinis and margarita glasses at the beach while we were there. It seems that very few students actually do celebrate Spring Break as the pictures above portray.

My theory is that travel companies and even certain states and countries want to make it appear that this is what everyone does and you should too. How many times have we seen  pictrues or commericals advertising a group of people enjoying themselves at the beach? Spring Break is a very big money-making time for companies and they want to advertise as much as they can and therefore we subconciously think that this is what everyone does during the week off of school.

Truth is most of us cannot afford these type of trips and many of us rather visit our families and friends back in our hometown rather than go to Mexico or Miami. So the lesson that can be pulled from the hyped of image of Spring Break is that not all stereotypes are true and that many commonplace ideas can be fabricated by the media and by companies.