Kaitlyn Laughlin

DAlessio
UWRT 1102-006
April 18, 2016
Reflection
When I first began my project on the War on Terror, I knew very little, if anything
regarding my topic. As I have also said in my paper, which was the driving force for
wanting to learn so much about my topic, neither did many students around us. My
particular piece was focused on societal effects and the influence of the media. I never
intended to use the media effects in my research or paper, but I found so much
information on it and it really seemed to interest me that I felt that it was absolutely
necessary to change part of the direction of my paper. I have always known that the
media influences our everyday life, especially with body image and what to wear and
buy, but I never considered that it could also effect the way that I feel about certain real
life situations. What I mean by that is sure, I get how a music video in which everything
is not a real life event could and does influence us as men and women as to how we
should want to look, act, and feel- but I never assumed that something such as just merely
watching clips of September 11th would cause people to have symptoms of post traumatic
stress disorder. I found a particular source that recorded a survey taken a month after
September 11th and interviewed over 1000 people that felt as though because watching
images regarding the tragedy that had taken place that people were more inclined to feel
symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. I never realized that

the media could and does intentionally stress certain images and headlines to make the
members of society feel a way in which they want us to feel.
I feel as though that while some sources provided ample amount of information
for my paper and project, others did not. For example I used the movie Zero Dark
Thirty, and while I thought that this movie did a very good job at telling the story of the
capture of Osama bin Laden, I really did not get a lot of usable information that was
really pertinent to what I was discussing. I did feel that it was partly relevant because
when September 11th first happened, the people of America felt very strongly about
capturing Osama bin Laden and holding him responsible for the terrible acts that shook
our country. It did draw my attention that even though our country is in a war, we are
really not experiencing the consequences to the fullest here on our soil. For instance in
the movie the character Maya and a friend are enjoying dinner at a restaurant when it is
bombed. While there are instances of that here in America, they are very rare compared to
what the soldiers and other civilians face in the other countries in which we are fighting. I
also felt that the article Television Images and Psychological Symptoms after September 11
Terrorist Attacks provided me with a lot of really interesting information that I felt lucky to
stumble across. It really opened my eyes to just how much certain images of the news can affect
our well-being and direct society in which ways to feel. This source provided information about a
survey of people living in Manhattan after September 11th and how constantly being bombarded
with images several types of day had an effect on their mental state. I felt that was very
interesting and very crucial to add in my paper and project.

The information that I stated above really did shock me. I never could have
imagined that the news would also be responsible for being rhetoric and the driving

forces for the opinions that people may or may not make regarding such serious issues
such as the war on terror. I also did not think that I would find such an ample amount of
information regarding such a topic. It seemed as though I found more information
regarding the media and the War on Terror than I did societal effects because of the War
on Terror. This did not make me narrow or broaden any research of mine, but merely
expand it and change the focus of my paper and project.
During this process I used several steps of the Writing Process. I first started out
with a purpose to detail what I was trying to accomplish. I then began to gather research
and use that to bring my paper to life. I started with my sources, gathering the
information from my sources and did my screen cast. I think had an outline to structure of
how I wanted my paper to flow. I wrote many, many drafts along the way, which I
actually had to let people read while I hide under my desk. My first draft was horrible.
Grammar and sentences out of place and popping out every which direction, each time
things got tighter and tighter like on a machine and it a nice final piece.
This inquiry project has been different from any other research projects that I have
undertaken before by being part of a group. We also had to use screencasts, which for me
was really new to me, because I had never done anything like that before. I get really
nervous talking in front of people or feeling on display because I have such a high voice
that I am self conscious about. Unfortunately the more nervous I get, the higher it gets. I
felt as though that this project, as well as this class, has pushed me to be more open and
be more comfortable with my writing and myself.

As a learner, I feel as though absorbed a lot of new ways of writing. I really got an
education on what rhetoric is and what it means and how it can and does change the
perception of others opinions. And while that section of the critical reading was difficult
to get through and I was sighing really hard and grumbling how much this post sucks, I
probably learned the most from it. It has helped me become a better seller especially at
the restaurant where I work because it makes me focus on what I am talking about and
who my audience is and how I can make whatever in particular I am referring to more
appealable to another person. I also learned that rough drafts are just that- they are rough.
That it is okay to not really make the most sense, to have to rewrite a sentence however
many times before it becomes readable. I learned that I need to have more confidence in
my writing, because I am smart and I am a good writer. Having other people read my
work allowed me to obtain more confidence to strive to be a better writer and to try
harder. I also really liked that we had daily discussion posts because as I look back and
read some of them it is so interesting to see how I felt at that time or what I had to say or
what I was reflecting on. The critical reading that we did every week gave me some new
insights on drafts and rhetoric and what I am trying to accomplish with what I am saying.
Rhetoric also caused me to become more mindful in general of my daily conversations,
my thoughts, and of course my writing. I was not sure what I was going to expect from
this class other than writing, but I gained a lot of knowledge about writing, and myself. It
changed me as a writer and also just a learner, and gave me more self awareness which I
am truly thankful for.