Final Reflection
The opportunity to immediately and consistently dive into topics of my own choosing and interest has really made this course into something personally special. For instance, taking on the Rogerian argument on the topic of diet, something I’ve always considered but hadn’t seriously looked into, has shown me the value of taking a serious look into the evidence supporting one’s opposition in an argument. Having uncovered the argument and science behind a meat-eating basis of diet, I can now sympathize with the concern towards vegetarians, and have since stated plainly that on matters of nutrition, true vegetarians and vegans in particular invariably fall short on their nutrition (B vitamins, Calcium, Iron, etc.) if they do not supplement. Here I learned that it’s actually quite simple to make an argument based on claims regarding science (i.e., nutritional requirements), but very difficult to do so while trying to consider the ethical consequence of one’s actions regarding consumption and industry farming practices. Overall, I’m quite proud of these, the Rogerian, Posistion, and (final) visual essays, because I’ve been able to get to what I really wanted to in addressing nutrition – mindful eating. It’s great and common knowledge that it’s one’s heart and care towards others that makes them a good person, not what is on their plate, yet with a mindful eating practice, one’s plate becomes a part of one’s caring and considerate mindful practice.
Further, messing around with Buddhism and the Dharma Bums in various settings (identification, visual essay) has given me some considerable insight on, in essence, the way to be. Paired with my Eastern Philosophy course, the work I’ve done here has shown me that, while it’s very difficult to argue on matters of religion/belief/philosophy, on account of there really being no completely right answers, it still can be done in order to establish one’s position. I liked most the stringing together of various aspects of the different schools of Buddhism in order to find my best fit lies outside of any solidified institution – the sweet Western refuge of the Dharma Bum! In these earlier essays, I was really having a difficult time sticking to one or the other controversy, and had a particularly difficult time bringing in the special and temporal context (answering the Who and Where) for the older schools of Buddhism and for the Dharma Bums (though the later may explain itself. In general, these Buddhist essays required a Ton of background, and thus left little room to really deliberate on the discussions I would have liked to touch on, though getting the background information solid and on paper did really teach me some of the more intricate specifics!
Ultimately, I’ve really had the opportunity to challenge my writing process this semester. Since my freshmen year, my drafting process has transformed dramatically. For larger essays, I used to hand-write my first draft of every essay, trying to cover as many bases as possible while still reading and into the material. This process, while effective, took up a considerable amount of time – essentially an afternoon. After becoming increasingly busy into my Sophomore year, I’ve found that I really have had to balance the quality of essays with the time it takes to write and effective essay – to deliver a worthwhile, reflective argument. Thus, I’ve began a drafting process that follows drafting during and after reading and doing research, checking back to the prompt more frequently and laying out bare ‘skeletons’ outlines before really getting into my research. I’m not sure if this is the best option for drafting my essays, but I’ve gratefully cultivated more adaptive ability this semester. I’ve really been challenged to deliver an argument that simultaneously informs, persuades, and connects to my audience.
Selected Blogs:
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diet Wins it All!
Credible Edible Research?
Ze Drafting Process!
Hope you have a great Winter Break!
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