Inquiry Blog Post 2: Research Tools

5 Unusual Ways to Become a Better Speaker
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/5-unusual-ways-to-become-a-better-speaker.html

Olson, Jeremiah, Yu Ouyang, John Poe, Austin Trantham, and Richard Waterman. "The

Teleprompter Presidency: Comparing Obama’s Campaign and Governing Rhetoric." Social Science Quarterly 93.5 (2012): 1402-423. Blackwell Publishing, 16 Oct. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.

The King's Speech. Dir. Tom Hooper. By David Seidler. Perf. Colin Firth, Helena Carter, and

Derek Jacobi. Blockbuster. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. <http://www.blockbuster.com/browse/catalog/movieDetails/482194>.

Harris, Sandra, Robert Kemmerling, and Max North. "Brief Virtual Reality Therapy for Public

Speaking Anxiety." CyberPsychology & Behavior 5.6 (2002): 543-50. EBSCOhost. Web. 20 Nov. 2012.

Wong, Jessica. "5 Tips To Improve Your Public Speaking Skills." Web log post. Makeuseof.

N.p., 11 Dec. 2009. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-tips-to-improve-your-public-speaking-skills/>.

One belief that I hold:

Don’t Look Back, Look Forward

I believe in looking forward to a new day and better future, not dwelling on the past and letting it effect who I am.  I try not to stress over something that may have happened because there is no possible way to change it.  The only thing to do is leave it all behind and have an open and optimistic view on the future.  This is how I was able to get over a tragic event that occurred in my life.

            My mother passed away due to brain cancer when I was four.  Prior to her death my parents had divorced and I was unable to get to know her since I only visited on the weekends.  I got adjusted to my stepmother and being so young, it was easy to view her as a mother figure.  I never really thought about my own mother because I had never gotten the time to get attached.  Then, while in my high school years, it finally hit me.  My one and only mother had passed away; I never got to know her, and I barely had any lasting memories of her.  Feelings of grief and remorse set in and totally changed who I was.  My entire mindset changed, I became antisocial and stopped my usual activities like soccer and baseball.  I truly felt depressed because I was unaware about just how much she cared for me. 

My mom, knowing that her time was coming, set up a mutual fund for my sister and me.  Its purpose was to cover the costs of our college education.  I realized that she gave me everything she possibly could and the fact that I could never get to know her saddened me.  Then, realizing that thinking about the past was ruining me, I decided that it was no use dwelling on it.  The only thing I could do is say “it is what it is” and move on.  After this I was back to my old self, being more socially active and doing more with my life than sitting around and thinking about something that had happened years ago.  I was back to my old optimistic self.

            Holding this belief has been one of the best things I have ever done.  It has gotten me through many more situations where I started to get concerned about a decision I previously made or an event in my life that troubled me.  I will always hold true to this belief and it will help me with whatever obstacles life throws in my way.  I am looking forward.

Inquiry Topic/Question

Topic of Inquiry:  The use of rhetoric in politics.

Working Inquiry Question:  How do politicians use language and rhetorical devices to convince the public into thinking these issues are a cinch?

This is updated from my old topic of inquiry.

After many weeks of examining articles online about speech giving, presidential speeches, and rhetoric used in presidential speeches I came to this inquiry question.  I found three articles on this topic.  One article compares the rhetoric used by President Obama during his campaign and while in office in a study conducted evaluating his speeches.  Another article explains how politicians use linguistic manipulation and the rhetorical devices that are used in political linguistic manipulation.  The last article introduces the ideological side of how politicians word their speeches, this refers to the main beliefs that are held by most politicians.  

This blog has been created in order to present assignments and discussions for my English 1102 class at UNCC.  I am Michael Rodriguez and am originally from Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Its a small city directly in between Washington D.C. and Richmond.  I moved down to Charlotte into my sisters house in order to get away from my parents and go to UNCC.  So far moving to Charlotte has been a great choice and I wouldn't change anything.  I am very new to blogging, in fact this is my first blogging website that I have ever created.

*I am not a savvy blogger at all, I actually found this blog less effective compared to actually doing face-to-face peer reviews in class.  The blog's is useful to dedicate specific tabs to each individual part of my portfolio. In doing so the blog kept my Inquiry Project organized.