Cover Letter

Manweller 1

Caitlin Manweller

English Composition: Final Portfolio/Cover letter

Mrs. Tetterton

15 December 2010

I have never truly liked writing. I have never been good at it. I took English Composition to improve my writing, and to feel more comfortable with assignments that would force me to write. It was something I needed to gain from this class, and although I am still definitely not a writer, I know that through this course I have improved, or at least feel more comfortable with the process.

At the beginning of the semester, I did not really know what to expect from this course. I did not know how or if it would even help and it was something that I was hesitant towards at first. I came in knowing what little I had learned in previous years, and in return I got information that would aid me in projects to come. This class helped me with every aspect of writing. It taught me how to connect my personal experiences with what I was writing about, and how to incorporate that into all types of writing. I learned not only the building blocks of what it takes to execute a well written paper; I learned how to do that in the best way I could. This class taught me how to analyze all types of text and to understand it, while I had not truly understood it before.

Most of the revisions I made in my two papers were small and grammar related, or were to make certain areas of my paper more clear. Some of my writing tends to be a little vague, and so I tried to improve this by going back through and addressing these problems. While I probably did not catch all of them, I know the ones that I did will now make my papers stronger. This skill for assessing whether a sentence is vague or not is something else I learned in this class, and it has made me a better writer.

I know that by being in this class, I have gained the knowledge that will help me write more proficiently, and that will develop even more in my classes to come. I will take what I have learned in this course with me throughout my college life and my aspirations beyond that. I may never be a great writer, but now I am a little bit better at it.

Works Cited for Argumentative paper

Works Cited

"Statement on Marriage and the Family." American Anthropological Association (AAA). Web. 08 Nov. 2010. .

Kottak, Conrad Phillip. Cultural Anthropology: Appreciating Cultural Diversity. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

Project two revised: Argumentative

Caitlin Manweller

Mrs. Tetterton

English Composition: Final Portfolio

15 December 2010

Marriage is traditionally viewed as a sacred and religious institution between a man and a woman. However, in the present time of our country, more and more people are advocating their belief that marriage should not only be a right given to heterosexuals, but to homosexuals as well. The debate on whether homosexual individuals should be allowed to marry is often a heated and tiring debate, with both sides firm in their beliefs. One day this argument will be tamed into a well accepted viewpoint, and every person in our country will be allowed the same rights, but for now it will remain one of the largest debates of our time.

Anthropologists define marriage as: a culturally sanctioned union between two or more people that establishes certain rights and obligations between the people, between them and their in-laws. This definition does not specify only certain people, male and female, it does not include the presence of religion, and it does not restrict the standards or guidelines associated with marriage. More and more people today are accepting same-sex marriages, which is in my opinion, a very large stepping stone into the ways of the future. While the more liberal and open-minded belief systems are slowly working their way through our country, there are still people that disagree with this new way of thinking. This more restrictive way of being is partially due to the emphasis of certain religious beliefs and the concept of tradition in all of our lives.

Rejecting people the same rights that we have as heterosexuals is discrimination, something we should all be familiar with. All the way up to fifty or sixty years ago our country faced a civil rights movement, one that was based on the discrimination against African Americans because of the belief that they were an inferior race. In that period of time religion and tradition were also used as an excuse to undermine and enslave African Americans. In our present time, it is accepted that this mindset was wrong. Our country discriminated against an entire group of people because of their skin color, and denied them the rights we all shared as the “superior” race. Are we not doing the same thing today? We are discriminating against an entire group because of their sexuality. The Executive board of the American Anthropological Association states that:

“The results of more than a century of anthropological research on households, kinship relationships, and families, across cultures and through time, provide no support whatsoever for the view that either civilization or viable social orders depend upon marriage as an exclusively heterosexual institution. Rather, anthropological research supports the conclusion that a vast array of family types, including families built upon same-sex partnerships, can contribute to stable and humane societies”.

According to this association, marriage should not be defined as a strictly heterosexual right. Anthropologists learn to interpret the world with an unbiased and professional outlook. They examine all societies throughout the world and collect and interpret the data collected in these cultures. Our government and our people should not deny the rights of individuals, merely because they are different.

Marriage, in my opinion, should be an act of love, understanding, and mutually shared between people. Same-sex marriages and homosexuality in general should not be feared. It is time to try taking a more unbiased and open-minded outlook on the issues we face in this country, as well as everywhere else in the world. Our country is moving into a change, one that will again redefine the standards and viewpoints that are associated with it. Marriage is universal, and it should also be universally offered to all citizens. Eventually, this issue will be resolved, and the banning and discrimination of homosexuals will be eliminated. When that happens I hope to have been a part that change.

Project two revised: Admissions

Caitlin Manweller

Mrs. Tetterton

English Compostion: Final portfolio

15 December 2010

Applying to college can be a stressful time for all upcoming students. With long hours spent filling out questions, writing essays, sending transcripts, as well as focusing on the pressures of your senior year of high school, filling out college applications is probably the last activity you want to spend your time doing. Luckily, applying to East Carolina University (ECU), is much less painful than one would expect.

The admissions process at East Carolina University begins with an application. Once the decision has been made to go to ECU, you will need to fill out this application and send it in, along with your high school transcripts. In order to apply, you can go to a college-based search website (such as www.cfnc.org, or www.collegeboard.com), and find the college you wish to apply to, or you can go straight to the ECU website at www.ecu.edu. Once you are on the ECU webpage, you can click on the Future Students tab in the upper left corner. When you are directed to the next page, you will then click on the Undergraduate Admissions link, and it will direct you to another page, where you will create your “Pirate Port” account. Once you have completed this step, you will then fill out your application to ECU. You will be required to fill out a series of personal questions relating to you, and your parents, as well as send in your SAT or ACT scores, and high school transcripts.

Once you have sent in your application, you can monitor it by checking in with your “Pirate Port” account. With this feature you can check on your application status, as well as check to see what the college has received. Once your application status reveals that a decision on your application has been made, you should expect a letter from the University in the mail shortly. Once you receive this letter, if you have been accepted, the college will also send you notices, brochures, updates, etc., to let you get a feel for what your experience at ECU will be like. You will also receive your ECU and Banner Identification, which you will need to memorize because you will need to know it in the future. Your Banner Identification will also come with instructions to set up your ECU email account, which will be mandatory once school starts.

One preparation you can make before entering college is to find ways to finance your tuition. If you will have problems coming up with the money required to keep you enrolled, you can apply for many different scholarships, grants, or loans. To do this you must complete your FAFSA, which is a free application for federally funded student aid, and will help you seek out the monetary opportunities related to you. On the chance you do not get in to ECU, you will probably need to fill out multiple applications to different colleges. This will better insure your acceptance into a college of your choice.

East Carolina University is heavily populated, yet full of diversity, and wonderful opportunities to make your life the best it can be. It is an exceptional school, and will help you form lifelong friendships, and to reach the goals you aspire to. Once you are here, you will experience the closeness, and the fierce school spirit that goes along with this school, and you will no doubt be glad you applied to this college. I hope to see you all next year as pirates!

Project two revised: "Dark Come Soon," by Tegan and Sara

Manweller 1

Caitlin Manweller

English Composition: Final Portfolio

Mrs. Tetterton

15 December 2010

“Dark Come Soon,” by Tegan and Sara, is a song about life, love, and loss. While the song may be interpreted in many ways, whether it is about a breakup or a more internal struggle, most would have to agree that it relates to pain, pride, and the attempt to run away from that pain and the people that love you.

The song starts with the lines “Dark you can’t come soon enough for me, saved from one more day of misery. Everything I love, get back for me now, everyone I love, I need you now.” These first lines are a brilliant depiction of the need to be relieved of the pain that the artists are subjected to. The artists use the word “dark” as a metaphor; it is easier to hide in the dark. Like the dark, the lyrics show a longing to hide the pain, and ultimately hide themselves in an attempt to be strong. Their loved ones are deemed to be necessary to get through their pain; however, admitting their need for help is the one thing that frightens them the most.

The song the goes on to say “So what I lied? I lied to me too…Hold out for the ones you know will love you. Hide out from the ones you know will love you too.” These lyrics better express the artist’s need for love, but also reveal their fear of love. I believe that by hiding pain, although it may make you feel better for a while, will eventually cause even more damage, and you will slip through the cracks again.

This song is relatable to me in many ways. I actually find myself very much like the artists when it comes to facing the problems in my life. While my issues are usually more internal than external, I usually deal with them in the same manner. I practice hiding or avoiding certain things, and depend on myself, when I really need the support of those around me. Simply put, I run from things. I too, am scared of love. I am scared of relying on other people.

This song probably relates to many people because of its honest depiction of the fear of losing control. It conveys truth and connects with people’s innermost doubts, thoughts, and feelings. Whether they are as much like the artists as I am is not known. However, everyone has experienced some pain in their lives, and have probably doubted whether or not to tell someone, or to let the people they love help them.

“Dark Come Soon” explores pain and the need for closure, for a resolution that always seems out of reach. It depicts the loss of oneself. It shows the need for help from the ones that you love, and that love you in return, but also a scared resistance to that love.