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[rileyjourno]

This article has a lot of great language. The part that you picked out is such an interesting way to introduce the character, particularly the first sentence. I also really liked the part of the article that described the fashion world as "anarchic and insular." That description paints a very clear picture in a very condensed amount of space.

For the Love of Sentences !

https://www.fastcompany.com/756468/project-rehab

Author Danielle Sacks, wrote this article about Tim Gunn's business endeavors and reflected upon his professional life building a social rapport. She thoroughly and descriptively depicts every detail about some of his recent business meetings. I imagine that the meetings weren't the funnest thing in the world, but Sacks wrote of them in an attention-grabbing and intriguing manner. She also included the path that he followed to becoming a pop-culture phenomenon. The first sentence of her story read as following:

"Tim Gunn’s right eyebrow is shooting toward the sky like a boomerang. It’s the signature gaze, filtered through a pair of rimless glasses perched on his nose, that fans of reality television’s Project Runway are used to seeing hurled at aspiring enfants terribles of fashion."

[rileyjourno]

For the love of sentences assignment

One of the great things the author does with language in this article is have compelling visual descriptions. For example, he states that “any accurate description of Windecker [the person the article is about] sounds like a cartoon.” He then goes on to describe Windeckers “scraggly goatee”, “soggy cigar” and “garishly large rings”, all of which paint a uniquely descriptive visual picture. The article also does a great job with using  contrast. For example, it talks about how FBI agents describe Windecker as a “good samaritan” and “volunteer Captain America”, then goes through his criminal record which includes sexually assaulting a minor and allegedly threatening multiple women with guns.

[rileyjourno]

A story I read in the New York Times last week and why

Democrats Overhaul Party’s Primary Calendar, Upending a Political Tradition

By Katie Glueck

Published Feb. 4, 2023

This story caught my eye because it is a move that hurts progressive presidential candidates. It is newsworthy because it is a big change in how democratic presidential candidates are selected. The thing that stuck out to me the most was how the writer unquestioningly carries the provided reasoning for the change, that it was done out of respect for diversity, and does not entertain the reasonable idea that the move had anything to do with an unpopular president wanting to hold on to power. I also found it interesting that the New York Times did not seem to cover the D.N.C. refusing to vote on a ban on dark money in primaries, the second time it has refused to do so within the past five months. One thing I liked about the article is how the writer was able to mix in multiple different quotes in a condensed amount of space.

G.O.P. State Lawmakers Push a Growing Wave of Anti-Transgender Bills

By Maggie Astor

Published Jan. 25, 2023

This story caught my eye because it is something that directly impacts me. It is newsworthy because it shows how a right-wing legislative push against trans people has evolved over time. I liked the quote that the writer got from Terry Schilling, the president of one of the conservative think tanks at the forefront of pushing anti-trans ideas, admitting that the initial focus on trans kids was part of a wider plan to eliminate transition care for trans people of all ages. Activists have been saying this exact thing for a long time, but outlets like the New York Times and the Washington Post have nonetheless largely taken statements from the right at face-value as if they genuinely came from a place of concern for children. I think the article could have gone further to show how the interest groups fear mongering about critical race theory and trans people also have a direct interest in privatizing public schools and how that plays into all of this.

[rileyjourno]

Great job on this! I really like how well you describe your own experience. Your use of quotes and descriptive language really made me feel like I was seeing what you were describing.

NYTimes: The Real Reason America Doesn’t Have Enough Truck Drivers

Truck driving is something that was very prominent in my childhood, my Uncle is a truck driver and my family owns a trucking company. In the summertime of my elementary school years, I would beg my Uncle to let me come to work with him and sit in his truck all day. My Uncle is also my neighbor so I was very persistent. Every day he would say the same thing "If you wake up at 6am and bring snacks I'd love to have you around." Then the next morning I would wake up extra early and skip over to his house. I loved it. Nowadays I don't go with him, but every morning I wake up to the sound of a semi-truck starting next door.

The article "The Real Reason America Doesn't Have Enough Truck Drivers" by  Peter S. Goodman showcases some very real problems my family has had to handle firsthand. The Truck Driving community is one that is not normally in the spotlight. You may see them in passing but there is never any emphasis on the profession itself. The workload is intense and incredibly taxing. It takes a very specific kind of person to stick to it.

[rileyjourno]

COM 326 Truck Driver Assignment

The article does a fantastic job making the reader feel like they are in the truck themselves. Lines describing truck stops as shrines “seeking to ward off the demons of fatigue”, explaining how cities and towns appear to run together after a certain point, and emphasizing the danger of the job really absorb the reader and spark their imagination. I also loved how Graves challenges the stereotypes of a trucker. He listens to BBC news and classical music, which I think of as things stereotypically done by people who are upper or upper middle class. The sections emphasizing his love of nature and attempts to greet everyone he sees effectively shows Graves deep emotional world.

Overall, the language of the article does a fantastic job at showing rather than telling. Instead of simply saying that Graves is lonely and tired, the writer vividly describes anecdotes that illustrate these things. The article also does a great job showing the monotonous repetition of the job. Graves knows what different routes and truck stops are like beforehand and compares himself to a machine on multiple occasions. 

[rileyjourno]

COM 326 Wk 1 Assignment: What makes the Paralympics Archer Story so Good?  

The article is a great read because it mingles compelling language, content, themes, and structure. The language is playful and brings to light Coryell’s personality. An example is when the writer compared the color of Coryell’s vernacular to her colorful converse. Another piece of wordplay that jumped out at me is the use of the word Labrador to describe Coryell’s personality. This word choice, due to its unexpectedness, drew me into the story.

In addition to the language, the structure of the piece is also intriguing. I enjoyed observing Shpigel’s ability to weave  anecdotes, quotes and descriptions into a coherent whole. The content also contributes to making this a great read. Stories about everyday people triumphing against enormous odds are often interesting and inspirational. My reaction to the piece was an endearing one. The mixture of silly, sad, and moving anecdotes as well as the creative use of language made me feel like I had actually met and spoke with Coryell, rather then just having read about her.