Mia Doreen George

Professor Meaks

ENGL 21001-R

CCNY: S-209

Introduction: For this assignment I approached it with the same honesty I did for the initial Op-Ed piece, being honest with myself about where I may have needed growth. I wouldn’t change this assignment because I am content with it. In the future I want to work on implementing more practice of putting my thoughts into words on paper like I mentioned in this piece.

                                                       My Op-Ed Reflection: 

Whilst writing my Op-Ed, the majority of time spent on it was allocated to conjuring the idea I wanted to write on. I found myself having trouble thinking of one when asked directly to write an entire Op-Ed. I flipped through ideas that involved humanitarian crises, until I decided to go to, what I considered to be, the core of those issues. Humans lacking responsibility and being needlessly reckless with Earth and one another. That was when my idea started blossoming. The idea of humans remembering that they are animals, and, therefore are one with everything they abuse; immediately caught my attention. I had to write about it.

The actual writing process was quick, taking me about 6 hours straight with no breaks. I went back and forth with how I was expressing my thoughts and the structuring of how everything was coming together. I toyed around with it all until I felt fulfilled in the assignment. 

My personal favorite part of my Op-Ed was my quote: “Analyze how their [others] valuable perspectives are enriching yours.” I liked this part because of how it executed my idea of people giving themselves the gift of an open mind, enough so that they can not just look at another’s person or culture, but also allow it to enrich their own lives in some way. Whether that be growing your own perspective, or learning something, or surrendering to humility – it’s all valuable, and can truly change a person for the better, if they want and allow it to.

My Rhetorical Analysis on Jack Trapp’s ‘Why the American education system is failing us’ article did assist me in writing my Op-Ed more intentionally. I analyzed, while writing that analysis, that Trapp intentionally added his evidence with precision. Where he placed them in the article, the things his pieces of evidence touched on that supported his argument, and his mixed medium of evidence (i.e. a youtube video, statistics, and other articles) all came together to craft his own piece of work. This made me think more thoughtfully and intentionally in regards to choosing my own pieces of evidence within my own Op-Ed. I wanted to pay tribute to the lesson Trapp taught me about evidence in this way, by making my Op-Ed, hopefully, feel as thought out as his. 

While I was absent during the peer review, I asked my mother for assistance. I asked her to give me feedback on my Op-Ed draft. After she finished reading it, she highlighted areas of mine that she said felt too drawn out. She pointed out places where I didn’t make the most sense in executing my original thoughts, and overall helped me craft the piece to be more tailored, and clean.

If I had more time, I don’t think I would’ve changed anything about the essay. I’ll get better overtime, and it was a wonderful challenge in expressing my opinions in a put together fashion. Hopefully, in the future when writing, I will get better at putting my thoughts into written form. I want my ideas to flow as well as they do in my head, on paper, and I want my verbal delivery to also be reflected on the page more. I will continue practicing those elements.

Thank you! 

• Mia Doreen George