Greg DittmanEnglish 150 Sec. 800July 15, 2015

Discussion Board 1

Hello class! My name is Greg Dittman and I am a sophomore accounting major and software development minor here at UNL. I am an active member of many different organizations and clubs on campus including Delta Upsilon, Nebraska Human Resource Institute (NHRI), College of Business Honors Academy (CBAHA), Honors Program, and Prevent. When not consumed by these commitments, I volunteer at the People's City Mission Free Medical Center as a data entry specialist and at Tabitha Nursing Home as a piano player. Through my community involvement and scholarly achievements at UNL, I have been able to gain personal satisfaction. Writing has never been a defining part of my life but it plays its part. Each class Ive taken in my educational career, whether freshman year of college or even third grade, involves some form of writing. Without being proficient at writing, I wouldnt be where I am today. Standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT that incorporate writing have placed an emphasis on the importance of students abilities to simply write. Score well on these tests and college is free. That was my mindset and it worked. But through this approach, I developed a dangerous way of thinking that was, in fact, explained in detail to me in this class's WaW Introduction excerpt. I wrote merely to get by and please the academic environment. I conformed and adapted my writing skills like a chameleon in a jungle. In the end, I hadnt found my identity as a writer and, today, I am still searching for it.My favorite thing about writing is its journey. Each writer begins with a blank sheet of paper. Perhaps intimidated by its emptiness, the writer is daunted to begin. As the writer begins to formulate thoughts and ideas into readable lines on the paper, a story is born. A story that is unique to the writer, alone, acting as a reflection of the writers individualization. This story belongs to noone but the writer. In fact, one could argue that without the writer the story would never exist. I truly believe that writing allows people to create something that never would have been created had they not been born. I sincerely believe that is special. Writing allows people to leave their mark in the books of history, for people like myself to enjoy the readings of their work, years after writer leaves this earth. Writing allows people to connect without an interaction. Uniform and articulate words on a page, the story allows the reader to use a lens not yet clouded by the appearance and social status of the writer. My least favorite thing about writing is the objectivism that occurs. With exception to standard grammar and English, there is no uniform grading criteria that teachers can share to grade written work. Thus, grading writing is objective and arbitrary. An A in one class could be a C+ in another depending on the teachers. Therefore students, like me, are forced to adapt to each academic environment as they create written work that truly doesnt represent their individuality. Many times in my life, I have written a paper with one goal in mind: get an A. With this goal in my head, I write to please the teacher not to unload the ideas and opinions that originated in my head. In math class, I know what I need to do to get an A. I study it, learn it, and I succeed at it. In writing, I have a general idea how to get an A and so I write and hope. After turning in each paper of mine, I am left with doubt and fear that the teacher wont find it appealing and will come down harsh on me, ruining my grade in the class. The biggest stumbling block I have as a writer is finding my own identity. Finding an identity when writing for a different person each time is difficult. I hope to gain feedback in this class and help develop a sense of identity myself. I plan to stick to it as I go on throughout life. In JGEN 220, I learned that business writing is nothing like the writing I am doing right now. As a business major, I fully accept the idea that all the perceptions of writing I once had might be thrown out the door in accordance to the harsh standards of business writing. Business writing lacks detail and flow, things that I pride myself on being able to do.

Where I am from PoemI am from the rays of the sun, gently touching the grassReceding into darknessI am from the laughs shared after a filling mealSmiling from the people around meI am from the sweat off a drooping browSuccumbed by immense goals and desireI am from the moments before wakingIn the midst of the deepest of dreamsYearning to dream but ready to awakeI am from the walk down the beaten pathTo my brick house hidden in the treesTo my family busy with occupationsTo my happinessI am from this world and I am happy

By taking English 150, I want to develop my writing skills and expand my imagination that has proven to deteriorate with age. There are many flaws in my writing and I apologize if this has been a pain to read. I hope to articulate my thoughts on paper accurately and effectively. By doing so, I will create a whole new element in my future professional life. It would be naive to claim that writing will not play an important part of my life in my future endeavors. That being said, this class is beneficial to me. As a business major, I am taught to think one way and conform to the standard quo in business. I need to take certain classes, go to business school, and get a good job. With writing, there is a sense of unknown. Over an hour ago, this paper was blank. Once empty, now filled- filled by my ideas and my thoughts. I enjoy writing with regards to creating something unique each and every time you write. Frank Smith, in Myths of Writing, claims that writers arent any different than normal people. The only difference is that writers write. Smith doesnt mention that writers enjoy the sense of creating something unique to them and everyone else, perhaps more than normal people. Writers dont conform to the standard quo and I hope not to either. By taking a writing class in college, I hope to gain invaluable knowledge on leaving my mark in history- no matter the scale. My great, great, great uncle kept a detailed diary of his experiences of the civil war. By reading his diary, I felt connected to him and I appreciated him. He left his mark on me and my family and he did so by writing. Given that I understand the value of writing, it only makes sense to better myself by engaging in a writing class at UNL. English 150 will enhance my ability to better articulate myself as a person and writer. I am excited to see where this class takes me over the next four weeks.

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