CWC Reflection

In spite of the fact that my organization refused to contact me after a while, I'd say that my CWC campaign was pretty successful. I managed to make some new documents (I still got experience in making documents I'd never done, such as a fact sheet). I think the campaign was successful because it taught me how to think like a professional writer; putting the etiquette into the Salt Palace request letter, making my flyer heads stand out more, etc. I think that the effort I put into this project belittles the fact that my organization effectively flaked. I have resumed contact with them and plan to present my suite of documents to them.

The biggest challenge I faced was the communication drop, which happened around November, when Amber Watkins, the PR director and my consultant for documents, suddenly stopped talking. I called, I emailed, I paid visits, all to no avail. But I didn't give up; instead, I decided to create documents based on the needs the organization expressed, and based on what I'd seen as their greatest challenges. So, my answer was to create these documents, and I believe that I was successful, because, even in lieu of supervision or consultation, I was able to create documents reflecting their needs. They said they'd needed a general info flyer, so I made that. They said they needed a letter for Dr. Gates, so I wrote that. They said they needed a fact sheet, so I made it, with the bullet points they'd been talking about. I don't mean to imply that my documents are perfect, nor that they're necessarily mirror images of what NAMI wanted, but I believe I was successful in overcoming this challenge because I made something that follows their requests and is still usable.

It was easy to adapt documents to an audience I'd once been a part of. Having taken advantage of NAMI several times in the past, I thought back to what had caught my attention about the organization's media; certainly the free therapy sessions and related services had stuck out, so I focused on those, especially Dr. Gates giving free counseling (what an opportunity!). Offering free services or something of general aid is what draws a consumer or client more than almost anything, and it's what drew me. So, in essence, I adapted these documents to what I and others in my condition had found appealing in prior NAMI media; free help.

If I could do it over again, I'd pay a lot more attention to the dialogue. I'm not sure why NAMI decided to drop out of contact with me, but I think, had I called or messaged them every other day rather than a few times a week, things might have been different. I'm not sure. Regardless, I'm not sure keeping in contact more would've made a difference, but I intend to find out why the sudden drop happened.

I think that I would give myself an A. Granted, this was not the most visually-impressive group of documents, nor the most comprehensive, but I think that I did well for myself with what I was given. I'm proud that I worked out a way to continue the project in the face of an overwhelming obstacle. As much as writing, this project helped me think critically and work my way out of a serious jam. I think coming out of that, and making these documents as accurate as possible, merits recognition.

The 6 Steps

I think that art can be defined as a medium by which ideas and emotions are given to another person. This can mean that anything from painting a picture to giving a kiss could be considered art.

I think that professional writing's definition as art is a little shaky, for a few reasons. Firstly, anything tied to a person's survival is not art. Professional writing does not determine survival in and of itself, but a person receiving the document must absorb the information provided in order to advance in his or her means of livelihood; in other words, survive. Your "survival" also depends on your ability to accurately transfer this information. Since survival is being used as the chief motivator for finding and implementing clear messages in your writing, I would not consider professional writing art.

I think I could stand to improve my craft by writing more than I do. Right now I'm at about 2,000 words a day, but the more I write, the better I feel. I also believe that reading more would be beneficial for my writing, as well as better acquainting myself with the various professional styles and formats. These things are relatively basic, but they mean the difference between a bad document and a good one.

Reflection on our Grade (Group Project)

I believe that we deserve an excellent grade for our efforts; this feeling is born out of nothing more than the dozens of hours that each of us put into this project. Our selected topic was something that all of us could relate to and that all of us considered important. Each of us was eager to embrace out given responsibilities within our project, and we're hopeful that what we've accomplished will be used by campus administrators to make a difference at Westminster.

Our project was far from simple, but we rose to the challenge as a single group. We were able to get our differences out relatively early in the process, which made everything more efficient for us as time goes on. We went over every detail of our project meticulously to ensure that it would be of an acceptable quality, and more importantly, that it would be easier for our clients to read. We conducted our research, created tables, formatted our information, and edited it several times. We hope that our work will be recognized, and I think that it qualifies for high award for what we put into it.

University Usability

According to my research, MIT does NOT have an excellent website. While the design is colorful, it is jumbled and its elements are misappropriated. In addition, the site is difficult to navigate, with a glitch-prone search bar and awkward topic bars that seem to spread a variety of contents over a few pages.

It strikes me as ironic that MIT's website needs so much refinement. Regardless, the site is difficult to navigate and its design is mediocre. I'd give this website a 5, overall, according to my research.

Happy Nanowrimo

Genre: Science Fiction
Audience: Adults and Science Fiction Fans of All Ages
Plot: A group of explorers from a city high in the sky descend to a postapocalyptic surface to chase a 30-year mystery.

In the desert, as the sky mourned the sun's passing, a cascade of beat-up trucks and grim, gun-toting men passed into the dilapidated ruins of Moab, Utah.

What do You Need?

It's hard to believe how much time has gone by in what feels like little time at all. I think that things are proceeding well on all projects; I have a finished resume, we're fast closing on our group project, and my CWC organization is excited to have me writing for them. I think what I need to proceed is a committed person to communicate with on my organization's side (every time I've called, someone else has helped me out). I also need an explanation of a cover letter once again.

The first thing I need is a more detailed explanation of what all is due on the ninth. How many drafts of what documents do we need to produce by that date?

What goes on a resume's cover letter? I know we've gone over this, but I need another explanation. I'll consult the textbook too.

I guess the final thing I'm wondering about is what repercussions our efforts as a group will have on the school. Our group project is going quite well, and I'm looking forward to its completion. All things considered, I think I'm fairly abreast when it comes to information, but I welcome any explanations or tips you might have for me.

CWC Interview

How well do you think the interview went? What makes you think that?

The people at NAMI were all very friendly and open, which put me at ease. I interviewed a woman named Mary, who is the executive assistant to Amber Watkins, the head of this NAMI branch's PR. I was able to ask direct questions and, thankfully, state everything I'd come to them for in a very clear manner ("For no charge, I can produce documents that your organization needs for any number of purposes. I'm doing this for class credit, but I have a personal stake in your organization's success." (which is true, by the way)). Overall, I'd say the interview went very well. Mary and I got off to an easy and friendly start, which enriched the flow of information, and she decided to take me out of her office to introduce me to the executive directors of NAMI SLC, which was great, because I was able to meet the people who run the organization for which I will work. My interviewee's ease of conversation and her decision to introduce me to these extra-interview pathways are indications, in my mind, that things went very well.

How did you prepare for the interview?

I went over everything I knew about the organization, the documents I was to produce, and I meditated to reduce anxiety and nervousness. I also freewrote for a while so that I could type well enough to look at Mary at the same time (which she admitted freaked her out, but she was also impressed). I prepared a few "sketch" interview questions, but I've learned from experience that the bulk of interview information comes from the questions you don't prepare for. I created a few questions (what resources do you have, what partners do you have) designed to bring out more information and multiple answers. Relaxation was the other component; with these two things in hand, I felt prepared for the interview.

What went exceptionally well?

The first thing that went well was the beginning of our interview. I struck one of those lucky interview moments when you and the person you're talking to find a trivializing and fun topic that links you together and establishes ease in the conversation (in this particular case it was the zombie apocalypse; if you and an interviewee can excitedly talk about a zombie apocalypse, you know you'll be able to have fun with the serious questions). I've developed a skill for gauging people on this sort of stuff and it's worked well in the past. It certainly helped me here as well.

As a consequence of our easy start, Mary decided to introduce me to a woman named Jessica West, the director of this NAMI branch. To be introduced so rapidly to an executive director (as early as halfway through the interview) was something that has never happened to me before, and it was excellent to meet the apex of my employment chain. Jessica was friendly as well and it helped to create additional ease and excitement in the interview. In short, meeting NAMI employees and learning more about the organization that way, rather than through something mundane, like a pamphlet, went very well.

What could have gone better?

I think I could have taken more time to prepare. My preparation was adequate, but not great. I could have memorized my questions instead of pulling them up on a laptop, dressed a little nicer, and written things down more. I'm thankful that the interview went well, but I think that, had I prepared more, I might have accomplished more with help from NAMI. I'll make a point of increasing preparation for future interviews; such an obvious point of interviewing and correspondence can get overlooked, apparently.

I also think I could have offered more information about how it came to be that I walked into NAMI offering my services. I told Mary my project, the class credit, and why I wanted to help, but I don't think I really specified the nature of our professional writing class (whose name could encompass many different definitions) or that she could contact me or you again with additional questions. I don't think I made the most of my efforts to provide Mary with as much contact information as possible. Hopefully I can provide it again the next time we meet.

What questions gave you the most useful information? (at least 2 specific examples) Why do you think
they were so effective?


My first really effective question was to ask Mary how effective her outreach was to her group's target audience. This question was effective because it gave me a scope of what needed to be done, especially when she garnished the scope with such lucrative details as what data and information needed to be produced and in what format, which gave me the essential format of the project ahead of me.


The second effective question was to ask what NAMI's mission was. I knew that they provided groups and counseling to people with mental illness, but not much beyond that. NAMI's ultimate mission is to give hope to the mentally-ill and help the loved ones of these people as well. This question may seem very simple, but it gave me massive insight into the depth and language I need to put into my pieces in order for them to work well.


What questions were the least useful? (at least 2 specific examples) If you were to do it all over again,
how would you make these questions more effective?


Without a doubt, the most useless question I asked was what organizations NAMI was allied with. It's important to have funds and friends in the sort of work that NAMI does, but knowing a shortlist of the hospitals and clinics that NAMI works with, while potentially useful for certain documents, was not the most efficient question to ask. I think a better question would have been "Does your media circulate to other outlets and groups? How? What kinds?"


My second not-so-effective-question was asking if there was a difference between outreach to patients and outreach to families... yes, but it's not substantial enough to take into account. It was an awkward break in the conversation, and one that could have been remedied had my question been more effective, like "how do you reach out to patients and their families?" It's amazing how a slight rewording can make a question so much better!