What’s one new thing you’ve learned about this course or resources at Baruch for writers that you found interesting?
When I heard of the Writing Center for the first time, I immediately assumed that it was where you submit a draft of your papers to have it reviewed by professors or by your fellow peers. While you can certainly do that there, I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the it can do much more than that. Aside from written assignments, it was nice to see that they gave feedback on different types of written work that you normally wouldn’t think would be reviewed there, such as PowerPoint presentations or resumes. The different service options are extremely helpful and can cater to each person’s specific needs. For example, if you are unable to have a one-to-one session, then you can submit a draft online to receive feedback. With what the Writing Center can provide for students, it is a beneficial resource for students and their writing.
Briefly (in a few sentences) summarize the reading from “What is Rhetoric?” (summary)
Rhetoric is how you express yourself through any form of communication and how the audience interprets it. Most of us are quick to associate the term with literature, but it is something that is present through many different parts of our daily lives. An example would be the way you dress. By choosing specific colors and styles for an outfit, you are expressing yourself and others can form their own interpretations about it. In literature, the same thing occurs when an author chooses to write in a certain way and leaves his or her audience to try and understand what he or she was trying to convey.
Your interpretation of rhetoric being an expression of yourself or the author is very unique and I didn’t think of it like that. I agree that it’s an expression but I also think it can be the use of familiar or colloquial language to connect with the readers or even to have a specific message. Using this idea, I think the “why” of the rhetoric can be determined even further.