Blog 9

The 2 major gaming systems for the past 4 or 5 years have been the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3. For years people have debated which controller is better. They are both very technological controllers and very high end, let’s get into the details of both.

Xbox 360 controller (Microsoft)

The Xbox 360 controller is white and looks deceivingly big. It has some girth around the handles, allowing it to rest in the gamer’s hand, rather than be held tightly. This is preferable for gamers who like to cradle the controller. The Xbox controller is colorful and seems almost futuristic. The buttons are lettered (X,A,B,Y). Next, The “D-pad” on the Xbox controller is unique. The D-pad is the big grey button on the center-left of the controller that resembles four arrows. On the Xbox 360, the D-pad is one big button, that the gamer pushes in different directions to perform different actions. Because it is one big button rather than four little buttons, it is slightly less precise. Next, the triggers of the Xbox controller are big and spring loaded. They offer very little resistance, allowing the gamer to hold them longer without discomfort. The triggers of the Xbox 360 controller are located on the back and labeled RT for right trigger and LT for left trigger. The Xbox 360 controller has many accessories available. There are thousands of custom “skins” you can buy to cover the controller in almost any design available. These skins range from TV characters to sports teams to simple beach designs. The chargers available for the controller charge it very fast. Lastly, the Xbox battery packs last extremely long.

Playstation 3 controller (Sony)

The Playstation 3 controller is a sleek black controller and seems to be a lot smaller than the Xbox 360 controller. However, they are very close in size. The handles are a little slimmer, preferable for gamers who like to hold the controller tightly. The Playstation 3 controller looks more old school and conventional; it is very similar looking to the Playstation 2 and other older gaming system controllers. The main buttons on the controller are shapes (an X, square, circle, and triangle) again proving how basic and “old school” it is. The D-pad for this controller is located on the far left. It looks like 4 arrows as well, but they separate rather than one button. The triggers are located on top of the controller and labeled “2.” They offer slightly more resistance than the Xbox controller, making them uncomfortable to hold for extended time. The Playstation 3 controller has many accessories available as well. Gamers can design them with the same array of skins they can for the Xbox controller. The chargers for these controllers are also extremely efficient. Lastly, the battery lasts very long, but not quite as long as the Xbox controllers.

In conclusion, both controllers are top of the line and great controllers. It is all up to preference and what the gamer is used to. 

Blog7

Mike DeCotiis

Blog 7

Part 1:

            The Norton Field Guide explains in detail things to consider when constructing a website/blog in chapters 51 and 53. It talks about considering your audience, readability, usability, hypertext, interactive features, visuals and more. My blog considers a few of these topics, but not nearly all of them. When constructing the blog all I really did was pick a random color scheme, then add a picture of Jay Z as the background. I didn’t pick fonts, headers, or put any thought into the color scheme. The Jay Z picture shows my interests, but does not have much to do with writing. Is it easy to read? I definitely think so. I kept the default font and size; the writing is big enough and clear. I did not use any crazy unreadable fonts or make the font extremely small. Is the blog appropriate for a college classroom about rhetoric and writing? The background and such do not really relate that much to these subjects, but that doesn’t make it inappropriate. Does is it express who I am as a writer and student? The main thing you see in the picture is Jay Z. I’m going to say yes and no. It does not really relate to school or writing in any way. However, I have always looked up to Jay Z. He came from very little, and became not only one of the best rappers of all time, but one of the best businessmen. Jay Z is not stupid; he is a multimillionaire with his own clothes line and partial ownership of sports franchises. He also writes his own lyrics, that usually contain substance rather than just a catchy mainstream tune. He’s an inspiration to me that counts as something right? I’m not saying it can’t be improved, but I think my blog accomplishes its purpose.

Part 2:

            I changed up a lot of elements of my blog for various reasons. The first and most noticeable change is my background. I changed it to a big picture of the ocean, or some type of body of water. I did this for a few reasons. First, I love and always have loved the ocean and swimming. This helps the blog represent me personally and my interests. Next, I think it reflects me as a writer. I always focus on having a very relaxed paper that flows well. The water represents this “flow.” Lastly, I wanted to consider my audience. At least for me, the body of water has a relaxing calming feel. I want my readers to be relaxed and flow through my ideas. I also changed my color scheme. I did this for much of the same reasons as the background. I changed the colors to some greys and a dark blue. First, this helps the theme match the water background. Also, it helps convey that flow and relaxing feel I was talking about earlier. I think the new scheme definitely helps that even more. After this I went on to change my font and font color. The main reason I chose the font I chose is because it is big and easy to read. Readability is extremely important. I also like this font because it is not too serious, but not too unofficial at the same time. It conveys the exact attitude I want from my blog. The color again has to do with flow, matching, and relaxation. Between that, the ocean background, and the new color scheme, I believe I have completely changed the emotion of my blog. Lastly, I changed some sizes and layouts around. I made the right side bar with a lot of meaningless links much smaller. I also made the main part a little smaller. This allows the viewer to see the background a little more, but still easily be able to see the focus of my blog. These changes greatly enhance my blog. Some sites that inspired me to make these changes were these sample blogs and the facebook home page.

Blog Post 6

Blog 6

Part 1

I am writing about the effect of Greek Life on student grades. The scene/setting I am going to explain is the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, the house that I am currently pledging to. It certainly is not the biggest fraternity house in State College, but it’s still pretty damn big. As you approach the house from the outside the first thing you notice is the front lawn and the house’s beautiful façade. The lawn is massive, and if it’s nice outside; you’re almost guaranteed to see some brothers outside tossing a football or Frisbee around. There are few trees close to the street and the path to the house is decorated with bushes.  The left side of the house has a fenced in area called “the fortress”. It is a big open space, and often used for tailgates and whenever there are outside events. This area also houses a fire pit, grill, and bar. When you walk into the house you’re walking right into the biggest room in the house. There are couches and a huge TV. During parties and other events the couches and such get moved. During the day there are always numerous brothers hanging out in this room. To the right is a room with tables and the kitchen. The kitchen usually gets messy pretty fast, but nothing some pledges can’t handle. The room with the tables is where everyone eats. This room also has the door down to the basement. The basement is a big open area for dancing. It has a bar on the left and a stripper pole and raised floors on the right. To the left of the lounge area there are some bedrooms, and stairs that lead upstairs. Upstairs is made up entirely of bedrooms, and resembles a hotel hallway with doors everywhere. One more thing to add is that the floors are usually somewhat coated with beer/whatever else.

Part 2

Jim Reid, Vice President of Pi Kappa Alpha, Junior Smeal student

“We promote academic excellence by having mandatory study hours during pledging and supporting each other by collaborating when doing assignments/studying.”

“The upperclassmen have all taken the same classes the underclassmen are taking; we're always willing to help. “

Cary Feliciano, Delta Chi pledge, Freshman

“I don’t think Greek Life will negatively effect my grades. My brother is already in a fraternity and has maintained a 3.8GPA even during pledging, and I think it will help me prioritize more.”

Part 3

“A major goal of the fraternity and sorority community is to encourage and assist members in surpassing their academic potential.”

http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/

“All chapters are Penn State are required to hold a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5”

http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/hub/greeks/forparents/faq.shtml

“Each chapter works with the University to develop comprehensive academic programs that include: GPA requirements, study sessions, goal setting, progress reports, tutoring and incentive programs.”

http://greeks.psu.edu

“about 25% of penn state students are involved in greek life”

http://collegeprowler.com/penn-state/greek-life/

Part 4

The next step in my investigation is to find out who would have the information about average GPA of penn state students, and average GPA of penn state students involved in greek life. I believe this number will be very important and meaningful. I also think it is important for me to interview a few people not involved in greek life to make it an unbiased paper. 

Blog Post 5

           In this broadcast This American Life investigates Penn State’s title as the number one party school in the country. It is an hour long, very detailed radio broadcast investigative report.

The issue it addresses is the many effects caused by drinking and partying at Penn State.

It is a very interesting issue and gives a few main reasons why it needs to be addressed. The broadcast states that the extensive drinking hurts the surrounding community. Drunken students damage property of residents at State College. These are regular people trying to live their lives, who constantly have to deal with drunk students who don’t care about anything. The broadcast gives another reason to investigate when it talks about the extreme risk and danger of students’ health. The amount of alcohol some students consume in very short periods of time is not good for them. The last reason to investigate is that drinking affects students’ grades. The broadcast cited a stat that many Penn State students admit that their grades have suffered because of alcohol and partying. 

The obvious audience is anyone involved with Penn State. The issue affects students, staff, and residents of State College. A broader audience is also other college students. This type of drinking by no means only happens at Penn State. IT happens in some form at almost every other college in the country. The American Life wants all college students participating in these behaviors to be aware of the damages it can cause.

The broadcast talks a lot about different groups of people that this issue affects. First, as I said before, it talks about residents of State College. It cites specifically one half hour period of time that the reporters were at a residence. They saw countless drunk people walking by. Some girls peed on the property, some kids threw trash, and some guys ripped a stop sign out of the ground and were dragging it down the street. This was just one night in a short period of time. It also stated a problem that I never heard of. Drunk people literally wander or break into peoples’ houses and fall sleep. The piece talks about cops and how the drinking affects them. For such a small safe town, something like 48% of the budget goes towards police enforcement. Another person related to the issue that the story cites is a deliver boy for Canyon Pizza. Canyon is a popular spot for drunk students to go late. The delivery boy told stories of how his car got severely damaged sitting outside the pizzeria. It got spit on, stepped on, and punched. The delivery boy even had his jaw broken by a severely drunk student.

After this broadcast I drew the conclusion that binge drinking is a serious college problem, but probably not going to change severely anytime soon. The broadcast also ends by making it clear that everyone associated with Penn State loves it with all their heart. It concludes with senior students saying they’ll be coming back to Penn State until they’re “old and wrinkled”.

There were literally too many interviews and too much research done to name nearly all of it. There were interviews done on students, residents, cops, deliverymen, alumni, Penn State staff (such as President Grahm Spanier), and local storeowners. There was a lot of research done having to do with the effects of bing drinking, and how much alcohol is consumed by students.

The story uses some effective narrative technique. First, it uses a lottttt of dialogue. Also, it tells some side stories and keeps you interested. The broadcast transitions with music and different act names, helping the story flow smoothly, and go a little faster.

            I definitely think this was a well done piece. I thought it was lengthy, but that may just be because I’d think anything I had to listen to for an hour is lengthy. I liked the transitions and the vast amount of information/perspectives

Blog Post 4

           Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is a book about writing and the struggles writers have. It gives tips and lessons, all based on Lamott’s experiences as a successful writer. It took a tremendous amount of work for Lamott to get where she is; it was certainly a bumpy road. Lamott takes it upon herself to spread the lessons she learned along the way. Many of the lessons are tremendously helpful, a multitude of which I plan on continuing to use in my writing in the future. Although almost all of them were beneficial, there was most definitely one lesson that stuck out the most to me.

            “ Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”

            Lamott’s father was talking to her brother about a school project. Her brother was having trouble, so the father gave him simple yet profound advice. He essentially said to take the project one small step at a time. Lamott uses this quote as the title of the book and as a tribute to her father.

            This advice is extremely helpful in writing, and Lamott backs that up in the book. She tells writers to start small by thinking about simple events, but explaining them with vast detail. This helps open up your mind and keeps writers from being too intimidated. I had never thought to do this before. When I read that Lamott said to write about school lunches I thought to myself, “wow that’s stupid.” I did not have faith until we were assigned to write about school lunches for a blog post. Writing with detail can be very difficult, but writing in detail about such a simple task like school lunches was easy. The story just flowed, and I believe it helped me in learning to write with vast detail. Taking things one small step at a time also means being patient. Good writing takes time. Your rough draft will be exactly what the title says, rough. Don’t get frustrated or overwhelmed, that leads to voices in your head and bad writing.

            A lot of Bird by Bird is about writing and only writing. This piece of advice from Lamott really hit home with me because it doesn’t relate only to writing, but to life in general. People get overwhelmed in life, just as Lamott’s brother did, for all sorts of reasons. Being a freshman in college, this advice pertains to my life currently. I am meeting hundreds and hundreds of new people, I have boat loads of homework, I have to find my way around a huuuuuge campus, I’m currently rushing many different frats, and I’m on my own for the first time without the comfort of family or old friends. To say things can get overwhelming from time to time is an understatement. Taking things “bird by bird” sounds so simple, but it is extremely effective. Now when I start to become overwhelmed, I just take things slowly and do/think about tasks one at a time. It has reduced stress tremendously. This advice by Lamott has not only helped with my writing, but with my stress and life in general. 

Memoir Analysis

            I chose to read “Confessions of A Bad Teacher.” The fact that I chose to read this piece over the three other ones already shows a characteristic of good writing. The title alone caught my interest. “Confessions of a Bad Teacher,” “what could this story entail?” I thought in my head. “It could be about a teacher who did horrible things to her students, it could be about what it takes to be a good teacher, or it could be about a great teacher who people believed was a bad teacher.” I continued to think. Regardless of what the story is actually about, I was already interested.

            This story was about one teacher’s journey through the New York City public schools system. The teacher, John Owens, encounters many hardships. His students are of the lower class, many immigrants or have parents in jail. The toughest students to teach are ones that do not want to learn, and many of these students fall under that category. Owens tries countless different techniques to reach out to the students and keep them under control. He makes a little progress by joking around with students and trying to punish them for messing around. However, whenever he begins to make serious progress all is ruined by the old school, I’d even say hard ass, principal. She constantly criticizes Owens’ teaching and puts bad marks on his record. She even calls the police on Owens one time accusing him of corporal punishment after he keeps his students in the classroom ten minutes late. Owens gets out of teaching when he has a chance to go back to writing, but on his last day it is extremely apparent that he was a stupendous teacher. His students make him cakes, give him letters thanking him and asking him not to leave. They were all very grateful.

            The tension and conflict in the story was first, trying to find the best way to teach these troubled kids. Second, was dealing with the principal who obviously did not know anything about good teaching. Owens struggled with both of these throughout the story. The resolution is that Owens leaves, but not without impacting the lives of his students forever. Owens is trying to show that good teaching is not always conventional. I believe he is also trying to point out the many faults in the New York City public schools system. The story is relevant because education is vital for all kids. To go anywhere in life, kids need a good education. Also, the actions of schools like the one in the story are affecting these kids forever. The New York City public schools system needs to be fixed as soon as possible. Lastly, this article is from less than 2 weeks ago, making it even more relevant.

            The author uses many descriptive details in the narrative. He describes numerous students in all of his classes. He talks about their background, their intelligence, and how they behave in the class. He describes personalities of the principal and of the students’ parents. Such detail is vital in my memoir. I plan on using a lot of detail to paint a picture of the slums of Mexico, and what the people there experience every day. The author also uses dialogue a lot. For example, he cites advice from another teacher, “oh you can’t hold them all for detention.” I believe dialogue will be very important in my narrative for the same reasons as the detail. It will allow the reader to feel as if he’s actually there, and can get a better understanding of the Mexican peoples’ lives.  Lastly, Owens breaks his piece up into sections, titling the different sections. This is an interesting, but effective way to transition from scene to scene. “Confessions of a Bad Teacher” is an excellent personal narrative.