Our first three units of the semester have been a jumping off point
for our last unit: an exploration of how discourse communities shape
communication. Different communities call for different kinds of
communication, and often there are different conventions shaping the
nature of how particular genres operate. For example, if you were tasked
with procuring a piece of communication informing kids about bullying,
the design of the piece would vary depending upon the age of the
students you wanted to reach. It would also be different depending upon the school you attended. In short, the community you would want to reach would have an impact on how you write. The desired outcome of reducing bullying
is there, but if I'm presenting to tenth graders or fourth graders, the
message and the overlay of the presentation would vary greatly.
Likewise,
different working communities have specific conventions for
communicating to help the organization / company / group achieve its
goals. For example, a memo within the Starbucks Corporation will
probably look different than a memo for FedEx Corporation. These memos
will probably have similarities, but there are probably differences
based on differing values, goals, and outlook.
For
this initial posting, I want you to consider a community you have been a
part of in the past, and brainstorm about the communication conventions
for this community. You might have been part of the school debate team,
a sports team, a church group, or perhaps you worked in an office or at
a restaurant. Perhaps you were a part of the school band or were a
member of the Girl Scouts. In any event, your task is to brainstorm
about the conventions of communication for the community you were a part
of.
As you explore the communication practices of a community you were a part of, consider the following questions:
1. What are some key moments of communication for the organization?
For example, if I were writing about the Department of Writing and
Rhetoric and my membership in this organization, there are several key
moments of communication. We have orientation every fall and all
instructors and professors meet to discuss the direction of the Writing
and Rhetoric program. There is a key note address done by the chair of
the department, and there are several workshops about best teaching
practices.We also have departmental meetings at least two to three times
per semester and we will typically have a holiday party at the end of
the year. Of course, each kind of meeting has its own set of tacit rules
and understandings. Department meetings follow Robert's Rules of Order
because these are formal and bureaucratic affairs calling for votes and
decisions to be made regrading the direction of the organization.
Workshops are typically laid back affairs where members actively share
ideas about becoming better in teaching and research.
2. What are some of the genres used to communicate in this community?
There are many genres shared by the Department of Writing and Rhetoric
and some of those genres include course assignments, power points (these
are usually circulated after workshops), a department newsletter (which
is published about once every month), inter-office memos (which are
usually documents procured by office support staff to ensure HR has
documentation about teaching assignments and so forth. Of course there
are lots of emails that can address many different purposes.
3. What kind of language or lexis is used? UCF's
Department of Writing and Rhetoric has a laundry list of specialized
terminology related to their work in the discipline of writing studies
and rhetoric proper. Many of the terms we are learning in class are
terms the community at large will use quite often. For example, the term
exigence, (as we may recall from Grant-Davie) is a term that loosely
means the need for something. However, other terminology, such as
heuristic, kairos, and sympathetic fallacy are terms that people in the
community are probably familiar with. Workshops are often laden with a
very specialized lexis. This specialized lexis allows members to
communicate about complex issues.
After addressing the
three questions above, I want you to talk about the persona you assumed
within a particular community you were a part of. Think of it this way,
if you are a guy and you go out with your male friends for a bachelor
party, you exhibit a different persona from what I would typically see
of you in class. Likewise, I'm sure that if you go to church (maybe even
the day after a bachelor party), your persona will be much different
(at least I hope it is). How did you adopt the persona that the
community called you to exhibit? Was there leeway for how to act or were
certain characteristics mandated? Perhaps you act a bit different as a
waiter at a local college town pizzeria than you do as a waiter in a
fine dining restaurant in a bigger city. How well did the persona you
adopted fit with what you deem to be a close representation of your
conception of your true sense of self?
This blog response is due before 11:59pm on Monday, 2/25/2013
If you have any questions, please send me an email at Joseph.Longhany@ucf.edu
Edgar Ortiz
ReplyDeletee3344312
ENC 1101 0M04
Before I moved here to Orlando to study at UCF, I was part of a musical group, a rock band. I was the bass player. Our key moments of communications were mostly on practice days which were most weekends (mostly Saturdays) at the guitarist's house because of the large and open space that it had. We could play there without having to disturb that many people since the houses were pretty separate from each other. We also met in school at times to discuss ideas, songs to cover, and many other things. Our genre of communicating was practice. Throughout the songs we covered and our rehearsals we could improve our skills and craft opinions mostly on what could be better and what to do next. Music was obviously the main language here. Our errors or improvings were key to figuring out if we were either doing it well or wrong, or maybe if there is space to do something better. It is what we played and how we played it that basically defined what the whole band was.
Out of the 4 members of the group I was probably the second most quiet person since I talked and goofed off but I didn't compare to the drummer of the guitarist since they were hyperactive people and the most quiet person was really shy so i guess I was somewhere in-between. But that was during practice. When we played live on stage, which could be anywhere from a bar to a charity event, I was pretty hyperactive because in order to maintain the energy and motivation for the people we all played in a very stylish way, like moving a lot, jumping or even talking to the general public. Normally I am not that energetic but once I take the stage and simply start doing my magic, my shy self goes away and my inner rockstar comes out, assuming a whole different side of myself. Inspirations for that may come from some of my favorite bands and music videos that I use as examples. The band demands that we do it on live events in order to bring energy and motivation to the people. On my everyday casual self, I assume the role privately when I listen to music on my ipod or on the radio on my car, so it is basically living a daydream and actually get to experience what I expect and what I don't expect on the role of a rockstar. I consider my usual self to be a shell of this persona since I'm mostly an easy going and sometimes shy person, but this persona is a whole different side of myself that I usually hide from everybody because of how shy I am sometimes. So in conclusion it is a representation of my hidden self and my mind when I listen to music, and honestly I enjoy it. Although I also enjoy being calm and easy going, I must admit that I cannot wait to be part of a new musical group around here so I can unleash my "awesome me".
ENC 1101-OM06
ReplyDeleteBeing in the NAVY was a major change in the way I communicated with people due to the fact that everything you were used to saying was no longer applied. Starting the first day of boot camp we were taught how to talk to our superiors and what words were used instead. It was a huge challenge shaking off what you were used to saying to everyone you knew and using the slang answers from your hometown. As boot camp went on we learn more and more saying, words, and orders that we had to use on a daily basis creating a completely new vocabulary for me. Some of the genres used in the military can be random terms for the bathroom or even a bed, while others are specific orders you receive from a superior to complete a task. We had many different sayings and ways to say them to each other. With everything we learned to say and how to use it correctly in the service, we essentially created a new verbiage to talk to one another even with civilians around us and they would not understand what we were saying.
While in the military you learn how to talk basically a brand new language and when you would go out to town as a civilian you tend to use military terms while talking to civilians. Although I learned a new language for work, I tended to use my normal speaking ways instead. I did not like the ways we talked in the military, but understood it was necessary because of the type of work I was in. I could easily switch back and forth between the two languages and I believe my persona of how I talked in the NAVY had no real presence in my mind and I would always speak the way I grew up and would not change the ways I spoke to people, other than for work related purposes.
Sara Heitzenroeder
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M04
Since 2010, I have been working in the restaurant business with Disney. It has been an extremely rewarding opportunity for me and I am so thankful to say I am a cast member. I am a restaurant server at New Fanstasyland’s restaurant, Be Our Guest. Before that, I was a “carhop” at Sci-Fi Dine- In Theater over at Hollywood Studios. Being in a job that caters to guests can be extremely satisfying, but you have to love people. It’s not a job for everybody and most of the time the job is very stressful and demanding. Communication in the food service industry is very important. As a server you have to communicate with many people in one night such as guests, managers, the chef, line cooks, stewards, coordinators, seaters, assigners, etc. If you have a problem communicating, you won’t be successful. You just can’t be shy. The great thing about Disney is they want you to succeed at your job and hold mandatory continuous training programs you have to do to stay in your position. If you don’t engage in these training programs, you won’t be placed on the schedule. Typical workshops and classes for a server include safety and sanitation, haacp, wine seminars, and alcohol awareness. It is extremely important in this business that you always adhere to the guidelines given in these classes, because someone’s life might be at risk if you don’t. Daily activities to keep you motivated and on point include mandatory pre-shift meetings. These meetings take place to inform you of everything that is going to happen that night and it also covers issues or dilemmas that may have happened in the past and ways that we can improve them so they don’t happen again. When it comes to the language of the business, you have to always remember you are an important part of the company. You want every guest to come back and share their experience with you again. Disney is the happiest place on earth and you have to strive daily to make every guest believe it. You have to have respect for them, even when you disagree. Your attitude makes a difference, and you need to make sure it’s a positive one so everyone around you has a positive attitude as well. When you’re at home, you can say whatever you want, but when you’re working at Disney, you keep it to yourself if it’s negative. Nobody wants to hear it. You also have to remain a mature adult at all times. Work can be a lot of fun, but it’s also a responsibility, so you can’t just go there and expect to act like you would at a party or a friend’s house.
Michelle Padilla
ReplyDeleteENC-1101 oMo3
I been working for a long time at the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando by Universal. I work in this little ice cream shop inside the hotel. Our main key moments of communication are before every shift we have a meeting called “pre-shift”. We basically just sit down for five minutes and talk about the latest news in our hotel and about the important guest that are staying there. We talk about things we should not do and how we should interact which each guest.
Every day, the hotel prints out a paper called the “sound check.” (Trying to sound like hard rockers) this three to five page paper consists of all the information that we go over in pre-shift. It also has the weather, hotel occupancy, events that are happening around the area, and activities to do in the hotel itself. Each employee must read it thoroughly during pre-shift because the big boss made walk around and quiz you on the topics that are covered in the sound check.
We have this new thing going on at the hotel for the employees. Its code words that we say to each other in front of the guest, so they won’t understand what we are talking about. It’s called the traffic light. If we see a guest mad, we would say “red light” and we try to make the guest our top priority to make them happy again. If they have not been help ,we say “yellow light” and we try to help them as quick as possible. If we say “green light” about a guest it means they have been help and are satisfied.
The Hard Rock Hotel is a lot different than other hotels. It’s more relaxed. Employees are allowed to have piercing on their face and dye their hair blue if they wanted too. The Hard Rock Hotel likes that the employees act their selves. At my job, I act like myself, but I do act different then the way I act with my friends. Of course im not going to talk about things that I would talk about with my friends with a guest. I do have to change my topics of conversation and I cannot act like a sarcastic jerk with the guest. I act like myself but in a professional way.
Courtney Williams
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 OMo6
I am currently a member of Kappa Delta Sorority at UCF. Being a member of this organization, I have realized several key yet diverse types of communication whether it is between members of Kappa Delta, members of the Greek community or the outside community. Within Kappa Delta, it is extremely important for the council members to relay clear messages of communication to the rest of the chapter. This is usually executed during our chapter meetings that are held every Sunday. Chapter meetings can be anywhere from informal attire, formal attire to business attire. However, there are other ways in communicating to chapter members, such as smaller, more direct meetings and workshops that focus more directly on a specific concern. Genres of this communication may include PowerPoint’s presented to the chapter during any of these meetings when visual descriptions are deemed necessary. One of our major sources of communication between Kappa Deltas is The Angelos which is a KD magazine published twice a year. The Angelos not only keeps contact to its current members, but also our Alumni. Another key moment of communication is seen between Kappa Delta and within the Greek community. The main purpose of this communication is to obtain good sorority/fraternity relations, maintain a flourishing philanthropy and overall become a successful, functioning community. The way of communicating is similar to that I had just described, however on a much larger scale because of the fact it is not just Kappa Delta we are focusing on. This may include Greek Council meetings and National meetings, which are usually called to order by National HEadquarters. In order for communication between these several groups to flow, newsletters, mass emails, and other such flyers are used.
The persona I express as a member of KD has definitely been a learning lesson within just the couple of months I have obtained membership. I have had to acquire new social skills that have ultimately shaped me into a more successful student and individual. I have learned by example, by other members in my sorority, to have a more mature and honorable personal representation. Overall, this organization has shaped me into a better person both internally and externally, striving for only the greatest. It has kept me in line and on a straight path towards a successful future. Inside Kappa Delta and the Greek Community, I feel as though I a member of a family acting as a part of a whole. These lessons that I have learned also follow me outside of Kappa Delta and into the real world, for I have been taught to always present myself and act as if I were wearing my letters, representing Kappa Delta in the best way I possibly can.
While I was in high school I was part of the band. About a month before school started each summer we had band camp. This was the initial "meeting" where all the information was given out. My teacher as well as the leaders were in charge of disbursing info to the students in their sections. This is the biggest form of communication the band has. We have practices throughout the year where we communicate when competitions and events are. Practices are under the order of my teacher and we follow his rules.
ReplyDeleteSome of the genres used to communicate in band are emails, newsletters, and PowerPoint. PowerPoint was used to communicate information before events, like meeting times and other info. Emails and newsletters were to inform parents and to send out quick reminders.
Obviously, the main language used was music. Many specialized terms were used that an outside community would not understand. We fixed problems through practice and repetition. Using a specialized communication language allowed us to connect and fix problems together.
The particular part I played in the band was a member. During my last two years of high school I was an officer. As a member I contributed to the team effort of putting music together. As a leader I also contributed to the music, but I also helped my section with any problems or concerns. This is different from being in a different community because I was comfortable with music and I may not feel as comfortable being a leader in a different setting. Because everyone was able to work as a team we were able to be a successful band and receive superior ratings.
Calyn Beese
ENC 1101-0M03
Kevin T. Bhim
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0m04
I have been a Toll Collector for about a year on the Florida's Turnpike. Communication is very important when your in a toll booth with people in their cars wanting or not wanting to pay the tolls that they have to pay. The Key Notes of Communication is when we are having problems with the toll computer system we have to let our supervisors know about it so they can fix the problem and also the supervisors let us know when to actually bring in some money to take our breaks(or to deposit all money collected at the end of the shift) . Another note of communication is when the collectors run out of change to give out to customers they call the supervisors from the phone and then the supervisors gives the collector the change they need for the shift. As a toll collector the genres used is mostly the phones that are in each booth and talking face to face with the supervisors and managers at the plaza. There are also memos posted in the break room that just reminds the collectors about what's going on around the place and be aware of rules and changes.
The language that we use is mostly regular professional workplace language but some supervisors are more lenient on the language used around them. When we are in the lanes we should be very polite and courteous to people, even though some are not the same back to us, we do our best to maintain our composure. The persona that I have obtained doing this job is a pretty unique one mostly about talking openly to people. Before I had this job I didn't really like talking to other people who I never knew, but being in a booth just talking about money to people gave me a sense that this isn't too bad so now I could have the guts to go up to stranger and just make a little conversation with them. I built this persona because I was exposed to this community and the people around it so that helped me become more comfortable talking to other people and even making some people's days better than it was before. Having this job helps me with communicating to people so they can know the tolls and if they are lost in the process of driving on the Turnpike I could help them to the best of my knowledge to get them to their main destination.
Lauren Helinger
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M06
I am a member of Kappa Alpha Theta here at UCF. Communication is something that is vital in my organization and we have many mediums and methods that we use to communicate. One of our most important ways of communicating is through our weekly chapter meetings. Every Sunday we dress up and gather at the house to discuss the doings of the sorority for the week. Officers talk about all aspects of the sorority including finances, new members, philanthropies, intramurals, social functions, and education. Usually this all is just done with speaking to the whole group but every once in a while they will show a video or powerpoint to supplement what they have to say. Another huge part of our communication is GIN, a website where all files, questions, announcements, and events are posted. You can post and in a few minutes the whole sorority can see it, which keeps communication between everyone simple and efficient. For smaller groups, for example the intramural softball team, we have specific pages on Facebook where we communicate game times, what to bring, where to practice, etc.
The kind of language used depends on what is being communicated and where. Generally our chapter meetings are formal. We speak as if we are in a business environment and we all keep quiet and show utmost respect while the officers are relaying information to us. We keep it formal and we try not to joke around. The language we use in chapter typically isn't the same as the language we use in our Facebook groups or text messages, however we always keep it respectful and in good taste.
Being a part of Kappa Alpha Theta has definitely changed my persona a little. One of the most important parts of joining is that even if you physically are not wearing your letters, you are always representing Theta. We represent the sorority and negative things we do or say can reflect poorly back on the sorority and nobody wants that. Since I joined, I have learned a new sense of self awareness and I am always careful of what I say and do. This applies at football games, class, while doing service, and especially when I am out at night. While most people go wild and crazy, I know I have to keep up good presence because I am representing my organization and I want to represent them well.
For three-years of high school, I was part of the ELCHS (East Lee County High School) Drama Club. Drama would have regular meetings every Wednesday for all members, to discuss upcoming events and general announcements. Our teacher, Laurence DeWeever, put on around a dozen shows for every academic year. The shows varied from plays, to pageants, to talent shows, to community events, so on and so forth. For every show, there is an exorbitant amount of paper work that has to be done, and it's all in the hands of the students. For example, if we are planning the Fall Talent Show, we would first have to submit the paper work to save the date in the school calendar, and reserve the auditorium. Then after that is done, the hosts of the show would have to formulate their own script, so that the show can flow smoothly. The contestants have to write small biographies about themselves and submit that to the hosts. The backstage crew has to create an outline that includes lighting and music cues, sound effects, props, and curtains. The stage managers would formulate a line-up according to the talent performing; meaning they have to create a logical order, so we don't end up with two singers back to back. After the hosts, backstage crew, stage managers, and contestant finish preparing all that, every piece of writing is then submitted to Mr. DeWeever for review.
ReplyDeleteSome of the genres used to communicate in this community included, upcoming event lists (formulated every Wednesdays for the meetings), scripts (for plays, talent shows, etc.), director notes (produced by Mr. Deweever given as a guideline to backstage and performers), andalso the Drama Club Facebook Page (officers and members would communicate more efficiently through here.)
Special terminology is always used in the theater. You had to refer to things by their names, or else no one would take you seriously. For example, if you were backstage crew you were familiar with gobos (patterns placed in the beam of light to project image), the skirt and the legs (referring to curtains), booth, cue, house (area where audience seats) etc. As an thespian (actor) you had to remember stage directions (stage right/left, downstage, upstage, center), curtain calls (returning to stage for audience recognition), upstaging (taking attention away from another actor), etc, etc..
The persona I assumed within this particular community was that of a leader. I was so involved in every aspect of Drama, I quickly assumed leadership roles within the club. Since I joined I began becoming more and more excited about the club activities so I began to volunteer for anything and everything. In my three years there, I was costume designer, make-up crew, stage manager, advertisement, backstage crew, stage-decorator, hosts, performer, camera-man, contestant, and eventually Executive Committee Officer. This persona I assumed, made me more confident and strong alongside giving me leadership experience. I adopted this persona in my everyday life. I was suddenly more sure about myself and my decisions, I was more outspoken, more involved and more courageous than ever. I became the person I always wanted to be. This was such a great push I received, that on my senior year of high school, I decided to run for senior-class president, and I actually won! So I have Drama, and the persona I adopted in that club to thank for that.
ENC 1101 0M04
ReplyDeleteAs a server at a Japanese restaurant, communication is vital and key for keeping the business running. The place I work at is a very traditional Japanese restaurant and our clients are usually 85% the time Japanese. I am the only non-Japanese staff member there, so working there at the beginning was very difficult. Our menu consisted of only Japanese terms, so in a sense that could be my lexis. In my opinion, if you work at any type of restaurant, the Menu is going to be your bible and terms you MUST learn in order to succeed. When I placed an order, I had to shout out ‘’Onegalsimas: X,X,X’’ which basically translate to ‘’Please, _______’’ to the chef. If the chefs didn’t understand me, I would have to ask another server to help me pronounce the name until I said it correctly. Ordering food is just one form of communication, however, in my opinion the most important form is when a MISTAKE happens and how the staff/kitchen staff deals with it effectively. You cannot mumble or be shy about something, and if you make a mistake on an order, you have to act quick and tell the kitchen what happened in about 15 seconds so that they can fix it. Every month, the Boss holds a meeting where the server staff discusses things we think could need improvement on. This is an important day, as it’s the only day we are able to express our concerns to the boss.
When customers asks me to describe a certain food, I would have to try to draw a picture for the person. Our menu has no pictures, and most non-Japanese people are clueless about the traditional foods served here. The type of genre I have to communicate with would be breaking up the foods into groups. Such as we have Grilled, Tempura, Noodles, Hotpots and Sushi. These are sections that I would explain to customer the way we can cook the food, and then from there I would ask what type of meat were they interested in? Or vise versa.
The type of lexis used is as a stated earlier, the Menu of our restaurant. Also, common Japanese terms to communicate with the chefs and Japanese customers. Such as ‘’Please, thankyou, this way, yes, I understand, etc.’’ Working at a restaurant you do not need to be a master of vocabulary. The language is simple and gets to the point.
Madison King
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-OMO4
Back at home in Saint Augustine, Florida, I work at Glenmoor Retirement Community as a waitress in their four star dining room. An important part of the shift is “Menu Class”, which is when one of the supervisors explains everything on the menu for that night. As this is happening, all of the wait staff writes down the main ingredients and descriptions of each dish so when a member asks what a specific dish is we can provide them with a knowledgeable answer. The most critical communication of waitressing is taking orders and then delivering those orders to the chefs. If at any time this relay of information is messed up then it could result in one terribly unhappy customer. There’s also the dining room board at the host desk. This includes a map of highlighted tables designated to a specific section, the waiter/waitress who is in charge of each section, and any reservations that are scheduled for that night.
As for certain communication genres used in the dining room, most consist of handouts and order tickets. Handouts can range from upcoming special events, employee benefits, an updated employee handbooks, or complaints that need to be resolved.
Working as a waitress, I have to come up with my own language in a way for taking orders. When writing down the entrée everyone is required to stick with the same abbreviation theme so the cooks understand, but when it comes to appetizers and desserts we are on our own. A majority of the members are old and impatient so they don’t want it to take forever when giving their order because the waiter is writing down every complete word. This is when I use acronyms and abbreviations like “SOD” for the salad of the day and “Choc IC” for chocolate ice cream. Some other jargon used is what we call the “resetter” who resets tables and makes roll-ups (silverware in a napkin), “food runner” who is someone who replenishes the food when we have buffets, and “trainee” who is someone new going through training.
During my shift I have to be very professional. Not only does this show in my attitude, but also my uniform. I’m required to where a black collared button-down shirt with a black tie, black dress pants, and black shoes. Working at a higher end dining room my hospitality personality must truly shine because all the members are elderly and want those old fashion manners. Now, during my break I’m a completely different person. I goof off and say whatever I want to say. I’ll use the words “guys” and “ya’ll”, but it’s improper to say that to a customer because they are too casual. All of the people I serve are rather wealthy so I should treat them as royalty, even though 99% of the time I’m faking that smile and enthusiastic attitude.
ENC 1101 0M04
ReplyDeleteBrandon Lee
A community that I have been a part of is the automotive industry, specifically aftermarket customization of vehicles. The shop where I built my truck has had a lot of impact on my life and I enjoy all the work that goes on there. One of the key moments of communication for anyone in the automotive industry is SEMA. This stands for specialty equipment market association. In simpler terms, everyone ranging from Ford motor company to West Coast Customs and vehicle performance shops all meet up for new technology. New inventions are released ranging from motor parts, navigation, lights, truck lifts, or anything you can put on a car. I was able to attend this event and would have to say its the most important event about the automotive industry no matter your position. Other moments of communication have to do with seasonal changes. Depending on the time of year, many different activities can be happening. Spring and summer tend to have a lot of car shows or expo's due to the pleasurable weather. The expo's tend to be very similar to SEMA, just a major downscale on size. Many different genres notify car shops of these events and big meets that go on. Regular attendees each year will receive a brochure of the events stating the criteria of the show with a plan of what happens each day. Other forms come from car magazines, websites, television, or word of mouth. Magazines definitely make up the majority of the genre for the automotive industry due to all the different types. Every different aspect of the field is expressed through numerous amounts of articles and pictures in magazines.
The overview of the language grouped in categories used in the automotive industry is pretty basic. The main categories are performance, appearance, maintenance, and repair. These terms describe just about everything you can do to a vehicle put in generic words. Looking closer into the subcategories of each will then show the complexity involved. The average person has a basic understanding of vehicles, but when you bring up remapping the ECU by air/fuel ratios along with many other parameters most people will be lost. Due to the concepts and terminology, the persona of people must have knowledge about the topics. Already the people start to have similar characteristics because of understanding each other in the field. I believe the behavior involved varies a great deal depending on the actual job in the automotive industry. A regular mechanic normally has a basic uniform, nothing fancy, and crack jokes with other fellow shop employees. Comparing this to a high end car dealer such as Pagani or Koenigsegg will be much different. Selling million dollar cars requires the person to be extremely well dressed and have a very professional attitude with clients. I deal with all different positions, so I personally see the change in people and environments. I can joke around and make fun of some employees having a good time, where as other situations I have to act politely. For the most part I'm at the shop hanging out and don't have to wear specific clothes or follow strict rules. Although these positions vary greatly, overall the people still know about cars and have some form of connection together.
Aasim Bhimani ENC 1101-0M03
ReplyDeleteHaving been a youth football coach for the past three years, I have realized communication is something that is essential to our team. Whether it’s player to player or player to coach, communication is what makes a team. Being able to communicate is something that works on and off the field. As a coach, I’ve seen how a lack of communication brings a team of great players down, along with how great communication can bring a team of average players up. Being able to communicate with the players I coach really helps us to address any issues that arise, whether it’s face to face, or through the chain of communication we have established. Being confident in how and what you’re communicating is important in getting what you want to say, to be heard.
Using different types of communication to tailor to different types of people is something I have learned to deal with. Whether it’s the tough love approach with some, or the loving mentor approach with others, it is important to know who you’re targeting with your words. Changing your approach based on what type of person you’re talking to can help their development not only as a player, but also as a person. Types of communication with different people are something that every individual needs to know how to do.
As a football coach, the language I use is probably very different from what someone in another organization uses. Standing on the sideline in practice, I would normally yell to where to open guy is, but in a game situation, I wouldn’t say anything, trusting my players, in light of the defense hearing our call. The way you communicate off the field is also something that helps. The night before games, the team gets together to talk about game plans and where the “weak spots” in our opponent is and he we can take advantage of them. In that meeting, the language is usually very vocal, as we are debating which zone to attack, which routes to use or which overall play to call.
As a coach, I like to put myself out as a true leader and someone my players can come to with anything they need help with. Over time, I have developed a close relationship with several players who now look to me as an older brother. As a leader, I show myself as a person who can be a role model and act as such.
Jessica Shevlin
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M04
Throughout my four years of high school I became very involved in a club called Key Club International. This club is an international organization whose purpose is to encourage leadership and community service. With my positions on the Florida District Board of Trustees for two years, communication was always very important to me. This was especially true my senior year of high school, when I was District Secretary on the Executive Board of the Florida District Board.
Because my fellow members of the board live all over the state, we relied on email and phone calling for communication. Our Governor would send out emails on a weekly, and we would all respond accordingly. This was also true for our biweekly conference calls. These would occur between the Governor, the Treasurer, Editor, Executive Assistant and our two administrators as well as myself. This was extremely important, because we would all talk about what needed to be done, any updates, etc, that we wouldn’t be able to voice otherwise due to our physical distance from each other. This call was mostly important because we would create ideas and messages to send out to the rest of the board, as well as general members all over the state. Additionally, our board would communicate through face book chats through our organized group.
I believe the exigence was the necessity for constant updates and messages that we would send to each other on the work and progress we were making. This was the backbone of our communication, as it based upon the use our emails and consistent conversation throughout the day. Without the constant communication, we would all be disconnected and unaware of what progress we were making; this would make our board work at a stand still, and not be an efficient use of our time and efforts.
With my position, I was very much a key member of the organization. As District Secretary, I served one position under our Florida Key Club Governor, leaving me second in command. This was a lot of pressure; due the persona I was supposed to display. We were to sign a Code of Conduct before being inducted into office, making many rules of maintaining our lives. This was especially true on Social Media sites, where we were consistently under a watchful eye about what we were posting or commenting about. Additionally, when we would have our Seasonal Board Meetings, attend conventions, etc, we were required to wear strict Business Attire. Our appearance was extremely important, especially around other members of the organization, to show that we were the leaders of the entire organization, and we knew how to act and look professional. Due to my upbringing, these standards were not difficult for me to uphold, as I was always dressed and properly mannered on a constant basis. This helped further define my persona as a confident, proper, well-rounded person.
Orane Walters
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M03
Soccer has been a part of my life for many years. I played soccer profusely throughout my entire childhood in my home country. At the beginning of my high school career in America, I decided to participate in the soccer being that it was and always will be my favorite sport. As a part of this sports team, some of the key moments of communication will include gathering in a tightly closed group for a pep talk from our coach on what the game plan is for practice. We would discuss who will be on the starting eleven, and what positions each team member would be playing.
As with every sport, a game plan is tremendously essential for a most desired victory. Genres will sometimes be a video clip to learn from other sports teams, or coach will create a visual on the chalkboard as to what formation the team will be using and who will be playing center, right wing, sweeper, or center defense.
The terminology used on my soccer team kept us organized as unit. Communication on the field is just as important as communicating off the field. Players would use phrases and expressions like: “Flank right!”, “Flank left!”, “Watch your man!”, “One two”, “Cross”, meanwhile the coach would be yelling vigorously from the sidelines with lexis such as “Make space!”, “Push up!”, “Look for the trap!” and so forth.
Soccer demands that you are flamboyant and self-assured on the field when playing and communicating with fellow teammates. During practice, I wasn’t a very talkative individual; I was a good observer of play style and was mostly good at carrying out instructions from our coach, but during a game, I had to drop the non-talkative attitude. Coming from a small country into such an immense society, I couldn’t afford to be display shyness on the soccer team. The sport made me portray my true sense of self with a more confident tone of voice both on and off the field which is well needed trait for the real world.
At some point in every person’s life they want liked, but not just to be liked, but to be accepted amongst their peers. I have found out from past experiences in my life that this is one of the most difficult things to do in your life. I don’t mean just to be able to have friends, but to have that small group of friends who act the same and are willing to do anything for you. In those smaller groups of people it is even more difficult to become a part of because in these discourse communities behave differently when they are together. For example the might act one way in front of certain people and in another way in front of say their mother. They use certain terms that only they would know and act in ways say any other person would say is weird, but to them it is completely normal. From the outside these discourse communities may not seem like a big deal, but once you find yourself in one of these close knit “communities” it is one of the best feelings in the world.
ReplyDeleteI was fortunate enough to be included in one of these discourse communities in high school and those guys were my best friends all throughout high school. Our group was called the Pod Squad, and all it consisted of was a group of guys and girls that were ex-athletes who were really passionate about the sports at our school that we attended every single sporting event the school had. In the Pod Squad there were about 30 kids, all of which played varsity athletics at some point in their high school career. And from those experiences on varsity sports we all felt that the best part of high school sports were the fans that came to cheer us on. So we all decided to return the favor to other kids that are having their first experiences in high school sports, and come to their events and cheer them on.
But here is the thing, if you want to fit in here with us there are a few things you will need to know. When we say things you really have to pay close attention to how we say it and in what context certain phrases are used, because some things we say aren’t really true. It’s called sarcasm and we in the Pod Squad invented it! For example if we said “Go Vero! We are # 1!” to be completely honest we probably weren’t even close to being the best, we just said it to be supportive. We also have some unique lexis in the Pod Squad. We use the word “Ratchet” in almost every one of our sentences. Ratchet to you may be a tool you use to fix a car, but for us it has many meanings. It could mean anything from ghetto, bad, ugly, weird, and sometimes it can mean beautiful. It all depends on the context it was used.
The Pod Squad is also unique because for every sporting event we show up to we have to be shirtless. That is probably one if not the weirdest things there is about the Pod Squad, and that is probably what makes us so different from everybody else. The reason we don’t wear any shirts is because when we stand together and the other team is looking over into our stands they cannot decipher how many people there. So it looks like just a big blob of a person and that is what we want, a group of people standing together for a certain cause. And our cause was to cheer on our school teams to victory and to have a great time doing it.
After four years of high school sports together the Pod Squad became very close, and we continue to remain close even through college. Even with us being such a tight community we are always willing to expand and make room for more people. And compared to other discourse communities the Pod Squad is not that hard to get in to and understand. All you have to do to get in is to enjoy all sports with a passion, be willing to support everyone in everything they do, and you have to be able to use the word “Ratchet” correctly in one sentence. Then and only then can you be a licensed and certified member of the Pod Squad.
Community: Leadership Council UCF Women’s Soccer Team
ReplyDeleteIn my second semester here at UCF, playing for the Women’s Soccer Team, I was nominated for and voted into the team’s Leadership Council by my team colleagues. The Leadership Council meets regularly once a week, mostly Thursdays at 2pm for a 1 hour meeting session. The community’s communication is primarily based on a conversational lecturing type of discussion. Our Leadership instructor leads the conversations using presentations and always encourages the members to actively participate and to get a conversation going. We are mainly taught or talk about how to improve our leadership skills and how to function as leaders for the team. Last week for example, our session’s main topic was trust. We discussed how trust within the team, but especially within the council, can improve our team spirit and therefore lead to success. As every athlete can confirm, having each other’s back on and off the field is something that reaps huge benefits, is of great value and influences to a very large extent the overall success. Our main genres are therefore conversations, discussions and also some presentation material. After each session we often also receive an outline to be able to review the meeting’s content at our leisure and in the first meeting we were given a ‘Code of Conduct’ which consisted of the basic rules of the Leadership Council which we all agreed to respect and follow. The council’s language is as said very conversational and the atmosphere is more laid back and relaxed, since we all are teammates and our council instructor is our assistant coach, who actually teaches several sports psychology classes at UCF. Due to our instructor’s education, she often uses psychological terminology, which first has to be clarified for us to understand.
Being a freshman, and therefore the youngest in the council, I personally prefer to take more of a back role. Whereas some of the other members have been in the council for three years now, this year is my first. I would consider myself as somebody who, being introduced to something new initially watches and observes a particular situation or people and tends to hold back. After being involved with the particular situation for a longer period of time though I slowly become comfortable with it and start interacting more. That doesn’t mean that I consistently sit on my chair for the first few weeks and don’t say a word, it just means that I need time to get used to a situation or in this case a new community. However, taking more the back role in the council doesn’t at all mean that this behavior is reflected on the field. I have often noticed how being on the field can totally change me. Suddenly I blossom and become a totally different, more outgoing personality.
I have always played sports my entire life and the group I am more familiar with is being a member of a football team. There is a lot of convention of communication with in this group. Some of the key moments of communication happen during team meetings, position meetings, treatment, academics meetings, study hall, strength and conditioning and community service. In terms of communicating during a semester, team meeting happens about 12 times during a semester. Position meeting happen only happen during football season and spring football. Treatment happens whenever a player gets hurts. Academics, study hall and strength and condition happen every day throughout the semester.
ReplyDeleteSome of the genres use to communicate in this community vary between the individual who are in charge. For example our head coach only likes to communicate by using overhead projector. Our position coaches like to communicate through diagrams and video analysis. Academics and strength and conditioning communicate by using spread sheets to organize our tasks and goals. Treatment communicates by direct verbal instruction. Keep in mind that everyone in this community also uses a lot of direct verbal instruction. The language inside this origination is very complex and it is something that no one outside the community would be able to understand. For example a defense call would sound like this “green” that would be a call that will have us in the right alignment for the other team play.
Being a part of this community keeps you out of trouble because of time commitment and the strict rules that are associated inside this community. It has my persona because it forces me to set goals, have better time management skills and leadership so I could stay on task. If I didn’t have football I would be out following the wrong crowd and getting in trouble with the wrong people instead of being a leader myself. Therefore my personal persona has been forever change and will continue to change due my acting role with in this community.
I have been a member of Kappa Delta Sorority on the UCF campus since August of 2012. Our main source of communication is every Sunday at what we call chapter. The entire sorority comes to chapter for about an hour and a half each Sunday to reflect upon all of our upcoming events, workshops, seminars, etc. Chapter is usually a pretty formal event where our elected Council gives reports on anything that concerns our chapter, as well as the PAN community as whole. This is really the only time all 160 something of our members are together and able to communicate freely with each other. Other than that we have a plethora of other outlets to utilize. We send out mass emails allowing the chapter know of any upcoming changes or events. Also, a little more informal, we have a Facebook page with all of our members, which make it easy for anyone to ask a quick question about something or inform the chapter of anything they wanted them to know.
ReplyDeleteThe different genres of this community can really vary from the type of communication being dealt with. Chapter, for example, can contain anything from printed flyers with information on them, to power points with information. We also have newsletters for certain philanthropies we hold, as well as an entire Facebook page updating the community on what we are doing. The terminology we use relates to the Greek Community as a whole, or simply to Kappa Delta as a whole. Some of which include our open motto, philanthropies, any letters of the Greek alphabet, as well as acronyms for things most of the Greeks on campus are familiar with.
I actually found it quite fortunate that I joined an organization that holds the same values and beliefs that I myself already hold. Kappa Delta definitely sets high standards for its members in academics, social success, and community involvement. While wearing letters, you not only represent yourself, but an entire organization, and in doing so, you are expected to act with dignity and respect. Though I have always prided myself on my high morals, being in an organization, you have to think about every thing you say as well as action you make because it could affect your entire sorority. Luckily, the persona that is expected from Kappa Delta fits my persona already, and it really motivates me even more to give the best version of me for myself and for Kappa Delta.
Justin Kennedy
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 Mo3
While in high school I was very sports orientated, participating in football, cross country, swimming, weightlifting and track. Each sport has their own specific discourse community. The terminology is different, how the athletes interact with each other as well as the coach and of course the genres are different for all of them. For instance, the discourse community of my high school weightlifting team that I was in for three years.
Weightlifting season starts officially around the beginning of February but has conditioning at the middle of October. Every day the team would assemble in the weightlifting room promptly at the coaches specified time and wait to have our “pre-lifting meeting” to talk about that days goals, upcoming meets and any other information the coach felt was necessary to go over. On meet days, which would either be a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, we would have a “pre-meet” meeting in the gym lobby to give out varsity singlets, drill into everyone’s head what time to be at the school for weigh ins and to go over the game plan. Even during spring break there was practice and a meet that had mandatory attendance.
As a competitive individual I always read up on technique for the bench and the clean and jerk so I would be prepared for practices and meets. Articles on the web and in magazines are what I always chose to rely on for information. Other than that, the only genre that would be used during practice would be the poster hung up on a wall with that weeks workouts. The poster was our guide for everything. What workout we were to do at what time, either during class or after school, with how many sets and repetitions as well as what intensity to perform at for a specific exercise. A possible other genre could be the Orlando Sentential and Osceola Gazette for information on the other schools team and for individual weight class competition.
Within the weight room language and communication was very simple. Everybody would address someone with mainly either a last name or nickname that has caught on for someone. I was always addressed by either “Kennedy” or “JFK”, the guy lifting in the same weight class as me went by his last name and my coach would either go by “Coach” or “Wallauer”. Vulgar language was used a lot between team mates and harsh jokes or wise cracks. Terms that apply to this community would include, pause press, dip and drive, jerk, clean, sets, reps, pyramids scheme and so on. Weightlifters in some cases are not that bright and things were to be kept as simple as possible. Interaction between everyone was usually in a joking manner and sometimes painful. But at the end of the day or meet, through all of the rivalry on the team, it came together as a family that always looked out for each other and wanted nothing but the best for each other
Kelly Costa
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 OMO4
For 5 years I was a part of an all-star cheerleading gym. For 2 of those years I was on their Level 5 all girl team, called the Sabres. For these 2 years the team consisted of mostly the same girls and coaches. We were definitely our own community apart from the rest of the gym. Our key moments of communication were our practices which ran two days a week for two hours a day, with some weekend practices also. This was the time that we communicated with one another in a productive way. We encouraged each other to advance our skills, made our stunts tighter, and made sure our routine was perfect. Our coach pushed us a lot, but we always pushed each other too. Our cheer competitions were also key moments of communication because this is when all of our hard work was shown, and we act like a team so that we all succeed. We would pray and someone would give a speech before we went on stage. On stage we would yell and encourage each other to do our best.
We call the genres of cheerleading elements. Like all of the elements needed for a perfect routine. Some of these elements are tumbling, stunting, motions, and facials. All are very important in our routines. If you have all of these elements polished then you have a great chance of winning at competition. I could go on all day about the language used in cheerleading, because we have our own definitions for certain phrases. Like the phrase “hit it” to us it does not mean to hit something; it means to perform your stunt tightly and not fall down. A “needle” is not a sharp tool used to sew something. A needle in cheerleading it a body position where your whole leg is pulled up behind you and is parallel with your torso. So being on a cheerleading team is its own kind of community where we communicate and understand each other.
Connor Waugh
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 0M04
From sixth grade on, I was a member of an organization called SCUBAnauts International. It is a scientific SCUBA diving organization for kids ages 12-18 that has collected data for NASA, NOAA, the MOTE Marine Aquarium, the Wildlife Conservation Society, USF, and many other government and environmental agencies. In the organization, we communicate primarily through emails. The emails we send tell about what is going on in the organization and with the members. We also conducted a monthly meeting in which we discuss science, training, trips and upcoming events. The meetings were generally when we had our key moments of communication because we were all there at the same time and that made it much easier for everyone to get on the same page as to future events and scheduling. The organization, SCUBAnauts, uses many different genres including emails, power points, training tests, a monthly newsletter, and face to face meetings with the members. The language used in the organization is filled with acronyms and words that I would otherwise be unfamiliar with. As scientists, we collect data in the field, while doing so we need a fast and efficient way of collecting this data. We use acronyms on our data sheets to tell what sort of benthic organisms and substrate lies in the area that we are monitoring, or put it simply, what lays on the seafloor. We also use scientific names to count fish, crustaceans, and corals. We also have specific language when it comes to the SCUBA diving aspect, especially when it comes to the gear. We have a distinct language underwater as well made up solely of hand signals. There are a certain number of set hand signals that every diver should know, but for many different fish and reactions, we as an organization have made up our own hand signals to communicate.
The organization calls for responsibility and respect. When diving, you are responsible for yourself and your buddy, it’s a dangerous sport. Being one of the oldest members, I was always looked to for setting an example for my fellow ‘nauts as to how one should act when representing the SCUBAnauts. We are a very respected organization by those who have known us and worked with us and I made sure to always keep up that appearance while acting as a member. We were kids, and we did have our opportunities to act as such, but for the most part we kept a very professional appearance.
Tara Gray
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-OM06
Before coming to UCF, I worked in the restaurant of a country club. Our key moments of communication were usually right before the dinner rush each night. We would have a quick meeting with our manager and she would explain any specials going on for the night or any other key information that we needed to know in order to keep the restaurant running smoothly. The employees and managers also communicated a lot by email. The manager sent us weekly emails containing our schedule and information about the upcoming week, including special events going on, special people coming to the restaurant, and the amount of people predicted to be there each night. Some of the key genres used for communication were email, newsletter, and just word of mouth. Each month each employee received a newsletter explaining the “goals” for that month and all of the events that were planned for that month. Most of the communication done between everyone at work was in the language of exigence. Everything said during our meetings, in the emails, and the newsletter were all to get something accomplished. Our goal was to get the highest percent of customer satisfaction while making the country club as much money as possible.
My persona at the country club was definitely much different than it was if I was say just hanging out with a bunch of friends. This was a very prestigious country club and most of the members there were multimillionaires and they expected everyone, including the staff, to act as though they were as well. I had to be very respectful to all of the members and had to have a very professional persona. At first, it was hard to adjust to this type of persona because I am used to always being able to be loud and spontaneous and funny whenever I want. But while I was at work, I had to change my personality to fit the expectations of my boss and the members of the country club. Of course they always loved when I would make a joke or two or engage in a fun conversation with them, but it was still not the way I would typically act around people.
ENC 1101-0M04
ReplyDeleteFor the past year I've been practicing mixed martial arts otherwise known as MMA. Communication is essential if you want be a successful MMA fighter. When you are in that cage all you have to rely on is your training, your ability, and what your coaches shout out to you. The best fighters are able to listen to what their coaches say, and use it to their advantage. Alot of communication in MMA is about adjustments, little things you should tweak that will make your chances of winning alot higher. Communication is also alot more difficult because most of the time your talking to someone is very exhausted, or not always focused due to the fact theirs some many things to be thinking about. I would say most of the communication is done by yelling, or in your face talking making sure you have the persons attention. Whenever I'm cornering somebody in a fight I make sure to get right in their face at the end of the round and speak loud and clear so they get everything or atleast most of what I'm saying. Another thing thats cool about fighting is that its practiced in every different country I train with guys who speak no english at all, all the time. Alot of the stuff we do we just teach or learn by example. We may not all speak the same language, but are overall goal is the same, and communication by example is the most effective way in MMA. I assume the persona as a hungry aggressive fighter when I am within the fighting community. In reality for the most part I'm laid back, and have no aggressive tendencies, but I am very competitive and I make sure to show that side of myself within the MMA community. MMA gives me a chance to show a different side of me, and to really push myself to the limit. I try to show that side of myself all the time when I am fighting.
Brooke Drebenstedt
ReplyDeleteENC1101 0M03
Before moving to Orlando to go to UCF, I worked at a KFC in Hannibal, Missouri. The key moments of communication for us as a group occurred when CFF, the corporate inspectors, came four times a year. We had to communicate as early as possible to make sure everything was perfect and to give direction in front of the inspectors. Another key moment was payday every two weeks. Everyone that worked there came out on Wednesday nights and waited until close to get our checks, then everyone went to Walmart to cash their checks. Our main genre of communication was while at work - night people were friends with other people that worked at night and the same with daytime. As a drive through worker, I also used the headset a lot to talk to my co workers. We also used a different kind of vernacular and common phrases in work.
Jasmine Tagle
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 - OM06
My dad has always encouraged me and my brother to be athletic and in shape. From the sports I have done, soccer is by far my favorite. It was the first sport I actually stayed with and became very good at. I started when I was in about fourth grade and continued until the beginning of my high school career. Some key moments of communication would be team meetings during practices or even during timeouts in games. Team meetings would be led by our coach and assistant coach, it was to make sure we remembered plays and where each of us had to be on the field. If it was during a timeout in a game it would help us find the weaknesses of the other team so we could dominate the field.
During team meetings, the communication was usually verbal. We had the aid of a white board to help understand plays and directions visually. The white board showed the whole field and each team member who was supposed to be on the field. The coach would show us new plays on the board before we got to actually try them out on the field.
As for the language of soccer, there is a lot of different terminology. While playing our coach could yell out, “Make a wall!” which tells us to line up in front of the goal to create a barrier between the kicker and the goal. He might also yell out, “Save it!” which would tell us to try to keep the ball in bound and keep playing the game. If a player gets a penalty depending on where in the field you are, you might get a “corner kick” (shooting the ball from one corner of the field to gradually score a goal. Then there is a penalty called a “hand ball” which is when the ball hits a players hand or fore arm. Those are just some of the specific terminology used in soccer.
During soccer, I had a new persona. I was an attacker, something close to the fierceness of a lioness hunting for her cubs. While playing soccer, I am focus, I am determined. I get into my own little world where I am completely serious and only thinking about how to play and win the game.
Brittany Callarman
ReplyDeleteENC1101 0M04
Throughout my entire life, I have been an all-star cheerleader and have grown more and more to love the sport. Although it is just a sport, it is definitely a team sport that is extremely dependent on other teammates. With just one single person missing, a whole stunt can’t go up, a tumbling pass is missed, and the routine is all thrown off. Communication in this sport happens to be a great part of having a successful team. Without every member of the team at practice, the practice would be considered worthless. Throughout the season we would have many team meetings, team bonding sessions, and we tend to travel a lot to many different places. Every practice we would all sit down and our coaches would talk about what we would be accomplishing at practice and how many times we would have to go “full-out”. Also, a big part of communicating is through text messages and email. If practice was later, earlier, moved, or an extra one was added that was mainly how we would communicate around our team. The language that we used was pretty normal. Nothing caddy like people would assume. Although, there are several terms that you wouldn't use everyday such as round-off handspring double, double down, triple toe tuck, tick tock stretch, etc. The most common thing you would hear at a practice would have to be 5,6,7,8,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. The persona that I obtained has definitely taught me a lot in life. It’s taught be how to be a team sport and care for others. Its definitely given me great morals and will forever follow me.
Matt Concelmo
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M06
Throughout the beginning of my high school years, I worked at a company over the summer called Complete Network Solutions (CNS). I worked here for 3 consecutive summers and worked both behind a desk and out at a construction site. CNS is a networking company that installs IT infrastructure cabling. While employed for this company, it was clear that there was a specific communication that occurred within the job. Key moments of communication occurred around 8 AM when a few co-workers and I would meet our boss at the office to discuss the work orders for the day. The most networking jargon would take place during this short, thirty-minute daily meeting. Discussions involving location of site, types of cable, and miscellaneous shenanigans were primary moments of the discussions. The most important moment of communication occurs on site. Pulling cable is at a minimum a 2 person job, and requires proper communication to co-workers while directing multiple cables hundreds of feet away. There are also numerous fishing tournaments and holiday parties where all employees gather and enjoy a break from work.
A company newsletter is released every month that recaps various completed work, employee birthdays, and other relevant networking related information. Nextel phones were popular among workers because of its handy chirping feature that turns the phone into walkie-talkies. These were used numerous times throughout the day and provided simple and quick communication while on a work site. I used a program called AutoCAD that made blueprints of buildings that needed cable pulled. These blueprints were used everyday on site and assisted workers because it provided the routes in which the cable would be pulled.
A different form of language was definitely evident while on site. Knowing which type of cable (Cat5, Cat6, etc.) a building needed was very important. Other terms such as terminate and pulling cable were used to describe the action that was taking place. While employed for Complete Network Solutions, a certain persona was assumed. I began working for this company at 16, and continued for 3 years. All of my co-workers were at least in their late twenties and thirties, so a more mature status must have been met. Even so, everyone I worked with had some sense of humor, so typical worksite humor took place.
Emily Nakis
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M03
Before coming to Orlando for school, I worked as a swim instructor for a company called Just Swim, Swim School. I worked for Just Swim for about a year and a half and still work there when I return home for breaks. The way that this swim school functions is by running several eight to ten week sessions year round. During the first week of each new session, we were to arrive early and go over the new children we would be teaching, and really focus as a team on what we could do to best benefit each child individually. In addition, my boss would hold pre-session meetings where we would discuss any children or families with special needs or special request. This was great because it gave us time to ask questions and find solutions before placed in any uncomfortable or dangerous situations. These meetings where very helpful, but what I appreciated the most was the open door policy my employer had with all of the employees. We were encouraged to talk with our coworkers and supervisor if we had any questions concerning any of our students, as well as having the opportunity to switch classes with other instructors at that time. Not only are meetings held, but workshops often took place as well. These workshops focused on many different issues, but the most common included water safety information, CPR certification classes, and Mommy and Me strategies.
Following the instructor meetings, booklets of information that required understanding before teaching new types of classes would be handed out. Because we worked in pools and had back to back classes it could sometimes become confusing to stay on top of the different levels of each individual swimmer you had, especially when there was a possibility of having up to 5 students in each class. In order to keep our schedules organized, we had waterproof boards that we could write our classes on. On the boards we would have the day of the week, the time of the class, the children’s names in the classes for that day, the levels of each group, and any special notes that needed to be kept in mind while instructing these individuals. In addition to having boards, if we were covering classes for another instructor, emails would be sent with a list of the kids in each class and what was expected to be taught while the other instructor was out for the day. Not only did this help the coach covering, but it really encouraged the permanent instructors to really have an understanding for their kids and have a grasp on their learning styles and levels.
As instructors we have developed many terms to help us better understand the different types of attention and instruction children need. We developed a list of levels we categorized our swimmers in and in order for a swimmer to reach a new level they would have to reach a set of goals. In each level, there were steps or procedures followed which would lead our swimmers to success. We used many terms to discuss and handle situations since we were usually surrounded by young children and didn’t find it appropriate to discuss some things in front of them. This leads me into my persona that was established. Because we were a company that taught and had an influence on children, we were expected to be nothing but great role models. It was expected that we only talk about relevant and appropriate things and to always keep smiles on our faces. But most importantly, we always had to stay positive and keep our swimmers motivated. We did this by praising their achievements, and at the end of each session we would host award weeks. During these award weeks, our swimmers would stand on a platform and receive medals while their Disney movie songs played in the background. I think this is what really kept the children motivated. They always had the biggest smiles on their faces and would always beg to come back. This had to be the most rewarding job I have had to this day.
Peter Hoang
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 - 0M03
Back in High School, I was part of the Republican Club. Every two weeks we had a meeting after school. During these meetings, we would be informed about upcoming events such as Republican dinners and elections. There were also information about events held by the Republican Club to spread the word and name of Republican candidates. The most important events for this club involving communications are the Republican dinners and the walk event. There are 2-3 Republican dinners each year, and going to these events gives you the opportunity to meet and learn more about Republican candidates and their plans. The walk event happens each year where the whole club would walk down a busy street, with each person waving a sign with a candidate’s name. Cars that see and recognize the person’s name would honk at us to let us know that there are Republican and will vote on the Republican side.
Genres that are used to communicate in this club would be powerpoints for our meetings, as well as posters and signs to spread the name of the Republican candidates during our walk event. There are also flyers on the wall and text messages from the president of the club each week to tell us when the next meeting is, as well as upcoming events that are sponsored by the Republican club.
The main language for this community was government terms. I remember in one meeting last year that we were learning about the projected electoral college results and how some states could be a big factor into determining who would be the next president. Some of these terms would not be familiar if you have not learned much about how our presidential election process works or if you never had a big interest in it.
My role in the Republican club was a member. Being friends with the president of the club, I helped the club out by recruiting new members for the club. I was also involved during the walk event holding signs up to spread the names of Republican candidates.
Although I was only a member of the club and not involved as a board member, I still feel like I made a difference in getting people to be more involved in the Republican club and help get more recognition for Republican candidates.
ENC 1101-0M03
ReplyDeleteBack in high school, I played on the soccer team. The soccer season would not officially start until October but we would start practicing almost as soon as school was in session. Our daily practices were one of our main ways of communication because this was where we would run scrimmages and communicate with each other as we practiced. We learned from our coach the heavy importance of speaking to one another in game and how much our team flowed better with more communication. Water breaks and half time in games can be crucial moments of communication between our coach, players on the field, and any benched players as well.
The genres that our soccer team used to communicate were mainly our Facebook page, group texting, and the PA system for announcements in school. For the most part the Facebook group kept all of us up to date on when we had games, where were the games or if we had practice. The real communication though was being at practice to actually talk to our coach and see what he wanted us to improve on.
Soccer has a list of terms to learn as well as rules in order to know how to play the game properly. This jargon varies from sport to sport each with its own set of rules, names of positions, and even specialized terms for how people handle the ball and different tricks they do. In particular with our team, since we were a private Jewish school, all of us knew how to speak Hebrew at varying levels of fluency. We would use this to our advantage in games and speak to each other across the field about our next move or pass while not letting the other team know our next step.
I was never really all that great at soccer to be honest and throughout my four years of high school on the team my persona varied drastically. I always played defense but my persona for the first two years was the kid who weighed a buck 20 relying on some speed and my smaller stature to steal the ball from their strikers. Since I was smaller I also would learn how to take a dive if I was being knocked around. Then the second half of high school I started weight lift and jumped to around 155 lbs as well as getting taller. Now my persona changed completely on defense and how I was looked at amongst my teammates. I was still a defensive player but this time around I was slower with my extra size so instead I learned how to take hits and drop the opposing team’s players. In practice my teammates listened to me more and showed more respect. Since it was still just a team with all my high school friends I did not have to act differently or more professional except for in games when I was more serious and much more aggressive. Sometimes too much and I would get yellow cards, taken out of the game briefly or benched so I did not cause us a red card or fight. The aggressiveness in game was not me acting myself but other than that I could act goofy and have fun with my friends as usual.
Robert McKamey
ReplyDeleteENC1101-0M06
For about three years now, I have worked for a company that sells the components to build custom fishing rods. Currently, we have our main headquarters and warehouse here in Orlando, as well as an office in Massachusetts, Sweden, and Weihai,China. For our operations to run efficiently, communication is a must at all times. Whether it is by phone or e-mail, our offices are in contact with each other on a daily basis. Our office here in Orlando typically holds weekly meetings. We analyze sales figures, review our current goals, and evaluate our basic procedures. Usually, we will have a monthly company meeting where a conference call will take place with all of the offices participating. Our vocabulary might seem like a foreign language to most people. We use terms such as reel seat, blank, guide, and grip. These words may have a different meaning to you, but for use, they describe the items we sell.
My work environment definitely influences my persona. Outside of work, I have a relaxed and low key personality. At work, however, I tend to be more upbeat and sociable, especially with customers I speak to on the phone. To be successful in sales, you must establish and maintain a positive relationship with your customers. This method requires me to use friendly communication with my client.
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ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M04
ReplyDeleteSince I was six-years-old, I have been a soccer player. The key moments of communication were when we were at practice and before, during, and after our games. We practiced in order to improve our game and to become better as a team. Our coach would discuss with us what needed to be changed in order to make us better. He may have spoke with us individually, if it were an error that could be fixed by the person causing the issue. He also spoke with us as a team, telling us what we could improve on as a team in order to be more successful. Before a game, our coach would motivate us, tell us what the strategy and line-up would be, and mentally prepare us for the game. Halftime is also a key moment of communication, as it was a time for us to analyze the first half and from that, strategize how to go into the second half. An example would be that depending on the opponents, we may need to play more defensive, or we may need to play more offensive. Communication after the game is also important because we analyze the game as a whole and reflect. We may feel as if we did well, horrible, or somewhere in-between. Lastly, we normally hold an end of the season party where we socialize and hangout.
A genre that our team shared was emails. We would exchange emails to send information and documents back and forth, such as a tournament schedule. We also had a texting group that we used, when a message was more urgent, such as when practice gets cancelled due to weather. Our coach would also send out word documents that contained corner kick plays that he expected us to study. Our coach also showed us plays and visuals by writing on a white board for the team to see.
Soccer players use many terms in order to contact each other. For example, we may say to our teammates “Cross!” or “Drop!” or “Switch the ball!” just to name a few. Coaches and parents may also speak with the players to guide them. The communication that is shared between teammates, in addition to the communication that was shared between the coaches and the players, are essential. Whatever it is that is said serves a purpose. For example, it may be to motivate each other, direct each other, or to compliment and encourage each other.
Off of the soccer field, I’m not really much of a leader. I am normally laid back and go with the flow. However, when I step onto the field, my laid-back demeanor changes. In order for our team to be successful, we must all communicate with each other and direct each other, because a teammate may see something that we don’t. For example, if I am dribbling, a teammate must let me know if a man comes behind me because I may not see him. Being one of the more experienced players on my team adult league team, I must take the leadership role and take control so our team has the best chance of winning. Of course, I am not a leader-freak who is hardheaded and too demanding, but I must take some sort of leadership. I have to ensure that I do not come off as cocky or as if I think I’m a know-it-all because I will lose respect and will not be well liked. Therefore, I must successfully find a balance between taking control and taking too much control. I believe that this persona of leadership conveys my true identity because I enjoy and do well at being a leader (when I am knowledgeable on the matter). If it weren’t for soccer, I may not have discovered the leadership side of myself.
Matthew Simpson
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M04
I spent three years on my high school's newspaper called Revolution where I spent one year as a staff writer and two years as the news editor. To get onto the staff I had to submit an application and was interviewed by a member of the staff. A year later, I put in an application for news editor to my adviser. The way that we communicated on the newspaper was that we had editor's meetings every week, roundtables for important stories with the section editor, the writer, the adviser, and the editor-in-chief, and we had very swift communications during deadline days. Those days can have very quick, very unorganized, and very harsh communications with different members of the staff. You have to take every criticism for what it was or risk destroying chemistry with other staff members.
We had many different ways of communicating what we needed to with each other. The beginning of our process usually began with a whole staff brainstorming session to come up with stories. This is where staff members can throw anything out there without being afraid of getting criticized. We would also communicate over email when we were in a crunch and the person we needed wasn't available to come to the newspaper room. We had our own language almost while we were doing all of this, more so when I became an editor because I began designing pages using InDesign. To be quicker during deadlines we would practically abbreviate everything we could because we were trying to get everything done.
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ReplyDeleteChris Arizmendi ENC1101-omo3
ReplyDeleteThrough out high school, I was part of a community that shaped who I was and who I wanted to be, today. As “nerdy” as this sounds, I was a part of the Math team community/group at my school.
Our main communication was done during practice days. Practice days were mainly held 2 or 3 days a week. They were used to prepare us for the end of the year regional math competition. We would communicate immediately after school for an hour about each math topic depending on our level of math. The genre of communication that was used in the math team practice. Through practicing math problems and memorizing formulas together, we used games and food as prizes to help push and grow/gain knowledge to help the community succeed. The main language here was math and formulas by the use of games. People would even say we had our own language through math which we did by using mathematical terms other kids did not understand and had no intention to. Members of the community correctively and willingly shared new ideas to memorize formulas and help one another to grow academically. Not only was our communication done during practice days but the most important day of all; the math regional competition day. Working in groups of about 4 or 5 people during the competition, great communication is vital. Communication is used in order to put everyone’s brain power together to be the first to solve a problem against the other schools and this must be done by hearing everyones choice/opinion first before answering.
You could even say there were separate communities due to the division of different levels of math through the years. Within the time of communication, we would be divided by tables, all having the same dream to win their math level’s competition, but still showing competition within the community, to rank overall better.
Not winning a certain game or incorrectly answering questions only fixed our errors into improvements and progress.
As for my persona in this community, I acted more interested, hyperactive, and tried my hardest to be the best unlike in some of my other classes. Let’s just say, I was way more energetic when trying to be the first to solve a problem. I strived to excel in math and win the competition in order to win that trophy (even if it was just for math). I feel like my persona did somewhat match my actual self. I do so myself as intelligent and I acted just like I did when it came time to go to math class. Always interested and never grouchy about the subject.
As I had said before, I see the math team as one of the most important communities I have ever joined. This group helped further my interest in math, leading to my current and future interest as wanting be become an engineer.
Trevor Gross
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 - OMo6
My entire high school career I was a member of the varsity soccer team. The key moments of communication occurred at the beginning of the season with the mandatory sports meeting. This was a meeting held every year on the same date. The meeting was mandatory for both parents and student athletes. During this meeting parents learned via the athletic director about FHSAA rules and school requirements to be an active on any sports team. Some of the key moments of communication occurred via locker slips. Anytime the team needed to be notified of a schedule change or a cancelled practice the coach would put a small slip of paper in our lockers informing us. Communication also occurred at every practice, which was everyday of the week except game days. At our weekly practices we learned how our coach intended to approach the next game and what were the “keys to success” as my coach called it.
The genres of my high school soccer team included paper slips, occasional emails, and the yearly sports meeting. As far as the language and lexis goes in the community of my high school soccer team, it could be considered medium to low diction. My soccer coach was a Brazilian native who was mostly illiterate in the English language and thus the majority of the lexis used in this community was less than advanced.
Once I joined the varsity soccer team my whole persona was altered. At the yearly sports meeting I learned that there was a minimum 2.5 GPA requirements to be an active member on any of my schools sports teams. This was a direct rule that I had to follow and as a result I began to focus more on my grades. Once I had been on the team for a good bit of time I began to realize that soccer players at my school had a certain swagger about them. At the time I was a freshman, but I did my best to exhibit the same person the upper classmen did. In my senior year I was named the captain of the soccer team and as a result I was thrust into a leadership position, which I truly believe changed me and molded me into the man I am today. In all I believe that the persona I adopted as a result of my career on the varsity soccer team brought out whom I truly am as an individual.
Krystine Colon
ReplyDeleteENC1101 OM06
The first community I ever belonged to was my high school marching band Colorguard. I first joined the color guard during my sophomore year. It wasn’t until my junior year that I started to feel the community and involvement being in the Colorguard. Communication was big. If we didn’t talk to one another in the guard we would have all been lost in the routine and left the guard. The captain was the biggest providers of communications to the group. Without them the guard wouldn’t function properly. I got the chance to experience exactly what being a captain was like. My senior year I became captain of the Colorguard. The way how we had communicate was every practice at the beginning we would have a meeting of what was the goal for that days practice. At the end of practice we would discuss our concerns on the routines and the movement. Many of the girls always had a difficultly talking about their mistake on the field. In order for them to voice their concern I had them say what they feel was hard about the routine. Once that was said I would split the team up into groups to have them help each other. Every week we would go through the whole show and work out where we would mess up. During practice we would actually take turns watching us work the routines one by one, adjusting the movement of the flags. Every game day when I was captain, I would have a printout that would list the plans for the night show. Also on the paper was a schedule on what we would do and accomplish. If had help greatly to have band camp just before the school year started, that way everyone was able to get to know each other and teach each other their strengths in the guard. Each member of the Colorguard had everyone’s number that way if they needed something or someone it would be easier to contact them. The director of the band would always come in during practice to have an overview of what was expected at the games and competition. We had guidelines to follow when performing at the games or when competing. Everyone was there to participate and have fun.
My persona when I started Colorguard was shy and insecure. I wasn’t sure if I was able to do the routines and not mess up. As the year went on and the practices and games went on, I started to feel more confident in myself and enjoyed being a part of the guard. The next year I was excited and held a lot of expectation on the Colorguard. I was a quick and fast learner, which made me realized how much appreciative I was for joining the Colorguard. I did start to act hard and over confident during practice and games. I was more loose but yet strong headed. By the time it was senior year and I was made captain, I was a tough captain. I pushed the girls to their limit. Yelled at them for not trying hard enough. Gave them an edge to succeed at the game but yet still enjoy it. I acted different when in Colorguard than I did with friends. I felt as though the Colorguard was my life’s work and it needed to be the best and succeed at all cost. Now that I look back, I can see that I was probably the captain from hell, but with good reason. Our Colorguard team use to suck before I joined. Just saying. I enjoyed my time in the guard when I was in high school. Would love to do it again.
Gabriela Lozada
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M03
I’ve worked in restaurants since my junior year of high school and therefore have sufficient work experience to back up my claims about the communication that occurs day to day in this discourse community. Without constant and efficient communication between every employee (whether they work front of the house, back of the house or somewhere in between) the restaurant I currently work at—and every other restaurant for that matter—would basically cease to exist.
Right before the beginning of my shift, the head cook calls all of the servers and bartenders in to the kitchen to have a pre-shift meeting. The cook reminds us of the food special that is currently being promoted that day, if the kitchen is currently out of something and any complaints or compliments that have been brought to his attention from the night before. These little meetings usually serve as the perfect time to bring up any questions/concerns, which I find to be quite helpful. At the end of my shift, the general manger “cashes” me out and usually asks me questions about my night and if I ran in to any trouble.
The communication that occurs in between the start and end of my shift is definitely consistent. I am constantly communicating back and forth with my customers (or tables, as I call them), the bartenders, the cooks, the bussers and my fellow servers. The exigence to our constant communication is obvious; the need to keep the customer satisfied. If the customer is happy, we make money and keep them coming back. The most significant genre in any restaurant is the operating system in which food and drink orders are placed in. It connects the front of the house to the back of the house and helps keep operations running smoothly. The language in our operating system is often times shortened and is very specific. Restaurants are definitely a team effort, which is precisely why communication is key to running a successful establishment.
* Last year during senior year I worked at a place called Tervis. At Tervis the means of communication were emails from my boss or if it was something very important our boss would send us a text message. There really weren’t many means of communication outside of the job because we would all go into the store at least every other day and then we would just talk to each other and make sure we were all caught up.
ReplyDelete* The genre that is shared in this community is basically just how to work properly. We exchange ideas on how it is best to work with the costumers and how to properly answer their questions.
* The communication that was used at Tervis was very subjective to what the customer wanted to know. It changed with every person, but every time a customer came in we would always have to say “are you familiar with Tervis”, “are you looking for anything specific?”
*The persona that I took on while at work was a “team player” I worked to not only please the customers but also my co-workers. I didn’t want to upset my boss and co-workers so I always did what they wanted too that way everyone was happy and we could have a good time working. I was very professional when I worked and always dressed in a proper way rather than wearing something that I might wear to go out with my friends in.
Allison Serafine
ReplyDeleteENC1101-0M06
1. When I think of communities I’ve been a part of there are so many that come to mind in a split second, but by far my favorite would have to be my high school track team. I was on the Varsity track team from sophomore year and on through my senior year. Coming from a small school I already knew almost everyone in the high school, and their life story, but nothing can bring a group of people closer than competitive desire. We had a two-and-a-half hour mandatory practice 5 days a week for 5 months, already putting us at close to 13 hours a week with each other, and then considering that almost all of us tended to stay late to run one more baton pass or getting iced from head to toe from that day’s beating, so we were about as close-knit as a collective group can be. That being said, some of the key moments I can remember are those that were motivational coming from our coach to keep us from fulfilling our daily threats to quit, or even just the late night locker room conversations form the girls about why we do what we do on the track, and off. We were a family. And that’s another testament to our communication style, it was informal at best. Called our coach by his first name, badgered each other in a friendly manner to get that anger-fueled personal record, and even our “formal” team meetings were relaxed and were very personal in nature. These meetings and pep talks are certainly the most defining moments in our track community and will stay with me forever and probably never be matched.
2. Some of the most often used genres of communication I can think of would be along the lines of our goal setting, which we did after each meet and had to write and express how we hope to improve and our plan to do so. Another would be the statics that we kept written on a personal chart, a team comparison chart, and constantly in our minds, we had to keep them updated every day and track our progress. Another, and maybe the most important, was bible verses that we splayed in the locker room, on t-shirts, and in our team notebook. These verses and inspiring quotes mixed together and became almost a focal point in our meetings and once a week we had a small devotional meeting before practice.
3. Our language was always informal in nature. Beyond just what I have mentioned already, our coach was very young and so he related well to us high schoolers and kept everything low-key and friendly. Also, considering his audience, we were all between the ages of 16 and 18, and he would get us after a 7 hour school day where we were forced to sit still and listen to boring lectures so informality was key to our success and getting our attention. When thinking on the exigence of my coach, it’s pretty obvious, to get us in the winning spirit and to help us achieve the goals we had set for ourselves. We all helped to up-lift each other through our communication.
Finally, when I think about a “persona” that I assumed during those 5 months of track season I would have to call it nothing but a competitive warrior. I had an undeniable fire in my heart to win at every meet, and to push as hard as my body could handle to get there, and sometimes even further. I think that sometimes the desire to achieve a physical goal is more immediate than one that is not physical. I undoubtedly turned into another person when I was on the track. All the fun and giggling and poking fun that happened at daily practice subsided when it was time to compete in a meet.
When I was in high school I was the captain of the golf team my junior and senior year. This meant I was in charge of making sure that everyone knew where they were supposed to be and when. By senior year I realized that keeping a large group text was probably the best way to do this. We had meetings every Monday I practiced to go over the schedule, and Friday we would discuss how the week went.
ReplyDeleteAt my school all the captains had to go to meetings with athletic director to make sure that we each knew what we were doing. I was close friends with athletic director because he was my friend's dad. This was the majority of the organizational communication that was done. We were technically not allowed to have our coaches phone number since he was a teacher but this made it almost impossible for us to conduct a team that is not always at the same practice facility everyday. We used e-mails to contact our coach but this was a very slow process. The way I got around this problem was finding out that group me was the perfect app.
Being that I have known the kids on this golf team for the last six years because I knew them before high school, I did not feel a need to change away acted around them. When you get a group of guys that see each other every day they become very comfortable with each other. No doubt that a group of high school boys will always be immature when you get them together for long periods of time with no supervision. This is very irresponsible for someone that is supposed to be the captain but it is very hard not to take part in the shenanigans.
Skylar Summers
ReplyDeleteENC 1101 –oMo4
February 25, 2013
A community I am currently involved in would be the University of Central Florida Club Baseball team. I enjoy being apart of the club baseball team because I get to communicate with my friends in a unique way. The way I communicate with my teammates differs from the ways I communicate with my other friends on a daily basis.
Some of the key moments for Club Baseball would be the actual games. The actual game draws enthusiasm and excitement from everyone. In the field you are constantly informing players around you how many outs there are, cheering for others next to you, picking players up when they make errors, and shouting nonsense. When you are in the dugout you are screaming for your teammates and sometimes cursing them under your breath when you are upset with their performance. The baseball atmosphere is very light and entertaining. I’m constantly laughing when I am around my teammates. Some of our sayings during the game include: “Choke and Poke”, “Where it!” “If he hangs it, you bang it!” “Hum now!” “Put a shirt on that hanger!” “Grip and rip!” and “Sign him up!” Another form of communication would be bickering at the umpires. Umpires can mess up calls and they can be very precise in calling the game, either way they are going to be yelled at. A fan can yell, “Get off your knees blue, your blowing the game!” I doubt that person would say that to him in a face-to-face conversation. The baseball environment can bring out the brutal side of people.
The genres of baseball include various forms of communication. There is the person who keeps records of the whole game from hits, runs, errors, stolen bases, and players’ left on base. The coach also keeps the player roster. Statistics are a major part of any sport and is very important to players. Players are always wondering what their batting average is and their slugging percentage. These stats and overviews of the game decide the ranking of teams, the higher the rank the better you are supposed to be. For our baseball season we started out ranked number twenty-three in the nation, we swept the University of Georgia (ranked 6) in three games. We moved up to number thirteen. This weekend we beat the University of Florida (ranked 5) two out of three games and are hoping to move farther up in the rankings. Rankings are a form of communication to teams all over the nation on how well they are doing.
There is a certain language that is associated with baseball players. Some of the sayings are “Roll it up!” or “Turn two!” which means to make a double play. There are other sayings like “Got two down!” or “Goose egg”, which means 2 outs or no outs. There are a lot of saying that some people have no idea what it will mean like “that was a 6 - 4 - 3 double play” meaning that it was hit to the short stop, thrown to the second baseman and then thrown to first for a double play” The numbers refer to the positions on the baseball field.
The persona on the baseball field has to be relaxed and easygoing. If you are uptight and serious than you will not perform well and the team with not have good chemistry. Being on a team with twenty or more people there isn’t a mandated persona you have to abide by, but as long as you have a passion for baseball and joke around with everyone, then everyone should like you. Being around my teammates, who are now my best friends, there is no need to act differently. My actions on the team represent my true sense of self. In all situations I try to be myself.
Amanda Cramer
ReplyDeleteENC1101-OMO4
Throughout my high school career, I was associated with several different visual art organizations. Being a part of that kind of group, a group that focuses on the importance of one of my all-time favorite past-times, was extremely beneficial to my development as an artist and helped me become an increasingly better individual overall. The key moments of communication between the artists were during the weekly critiques, when we would display our work at the front of the classroom and explain the concepts we incorporated within the piece.
The use of communication between the artists varied from written commentary to spoken critique. In addition, the art itself had several forms of communication toward the viewing audience. The varying genres of artwork, surrealism, impressionism, expressionism, realism, and many others, express the innermost emotions of the creator. The works can speak for themselves, and the determination of the message depends on the audience attempting to depict it.
Those who are familiar with higher-level artwork have their own set of terminology that is commonly used among the artists. It is necessary to develop an understanding to the terms used in order to fully comprehend and utilize a given critique. For example, if a critique suggests that the work should expand from an achromatic phase, it should be understood that color should be incorporated within the work to draw the audience’s eye. If the critique states that the work doesn’t utilize the concept of balance, the arrangement of the objects within the piece are misleading to the eye and can draw the audience’s eyes away from the focal point of the piece.
Within the organizations, I would have to say that I played the part of the outspoken realist. I was always one of the most honest critiquers within our group, and contribute an honest but not destructive opinion of the works of others. I always anticipated the critiques so I could improve my works, and I brought that form of appreciation onto my peers by enabling them to improve their works too, but without the destructive input from our overly critical instructor. I also feel that when I am with people so similar to me, my better side comes out. I am definitely more expressive when I am with others who understand where I’m coming from artistically. They can relate to the artistic and creative struggles I endured, and can contribute ways in which I can avoid these internal conflicts in the future.
Over the summmer I generally work at my distant uncle's lumberyard. While working there I noticed multiple ways of communcation beiung used. At the lumberyard my uncle is the owner/CEO and his son Frank Jr. would generally be the one who communicates with the other workers. What I personally found interesting is that Frank would address different employees with different atttitudes. For example Frank knew that I work hardest when being challenged, so Frank would therefore would constantly yell and harrass me so I continue to work at that fast pace. However when Frank would speak to Raul a carpenter there he would always be very level-headed and calm, because Raul is known to get angry extremely easily. Another interesting thing about communication at the lumberyard was that the primary language is Spanish because most of the workers there were recent immigrants, and I noticed that Frank when need s something done urgently he will ask in Spanish rather than English. The only non verbal communication that took place consistently was when we were distributed memos or to do lists such as a drwan out blueprint of doors.
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-oMo3
ReplyDeleteDuring high school, I played baseball and when your on a sports team usually the language is something entirely different than what most people are used too. The communication that is expressed on the field and off are usually quite different. The language that is expressed on the field is usually either hand signals that would display a code for us sort of like Morse code or we have spoken sayings that could range, in meaning, from taking positions on the field to covering a play. The off field communication mostly takes place in reflection on what are areas we have to work on and how we can improve them. Also a good amount in put into numbers because everything about our game is put into statistical data that is relayed to us and that shows us how we are doing over the long run. Most of the communication is put into the game of baseball but there is also the talk that takes place during the games that is mostly either heckling or encouragement for our players. When our team made a good play or got a good hit we would cheer and use sayings to good the attention but when the other team or the umpires mess up we will try to rile them up because it is in our nature to play aggressive. My persona on the baseball field was to be the tension breaker, whenever the game got on the line I would try to calm my teammates down to keep them focused and not losing their heads due to nerves. I played first base most of the time so it was my job along with the catcher to make sure everyone knows what is going on during the game and I took that responsibility heavily. I think I got this persona because I have never been a dead serious person and I always see the comedy in things so I try to not let everyone get so riled up, while I do admit I was never perfect and I did get really involved every once in a while, I tried to keep my head and act as a leader to the younger players on the team. I act completely natural on the baseball field and that is why I like to play it because I can be myself around my teammates because they are almost the same and our teamwork and communication is what made us successful.
Cody Showers
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M04
part1
For the past year and a half I have been working as a technician in a large IT firm. Though my position and status as well as ownership of this company have changed over the course of that time, the ways through which we communicate have some reoccurring themes. Annually there is an all employee meeting, which addresses the intended direction of the company. The goals of this meeting include highlighting and attempts at motivating excellence from everyone from the bottom up. Biannually we have an HR meeting that addresses the basics of our benefits packages giving employees an idea of whom to contact if they have questions. Quarterly we have meetings that address the North American sector outlining our strengths and weaknesses in the past quarter as a company. This meeting is used to relay information in regards to acquisition of new accounts and introduce potential changes, as well as recognize and honor people who have made a difference. This honor can be derived from improvements in efficiency to good customer feedback. We have weekly and daily team meetings as well. The prior are longer and more in depth. Both of these are team meetings that will include close management typically, giving them an opportunity to address the entire team. The daily meetings usually do not include management unless there is something to change, and gives us an opportunity to organize and prepare ourselves. If we look at this hierarchy of meetings definitively it is easy to see that the more frequent and localized the meetings, the more pertinent they are to the tasks at hand and tend to get smaller. Between meetings communication is relayed between individuals both horizontally and vertically through email, phone, and, depending on proximity, in person. Most communication via email involves specifics or directives given by management that might need addressed before the next meeting. As an IT firm we, particularly deskside support, also have to communicate with customers. Often this is in person, over the phone or via email, depending on availability of the customer and proximity.
Ralph Mahalak
ReplyDeleteENC 1101- oMo4
What are some key moments of communication for the organization?
What are some of the genres used to communicate in this community?
What kind of language or lexis is used?
Hockey is a very interesting sport in the ways players communicates with coaches, fans, media, and each other. With around twenty-five players on each team, there must be constant interaction with each other to make sure all information is communicated properly. You have to understand that as a major junior club, we have all left our homes in pursuit of our goal. We live with host families and rely on each other for almost everything. They are your teammates, your friends, your coworkers, and your brothers. And there is a way to communicate with each mentality.
The most important moments for the club are either after a game or practice. Coach will usually address the team about current issues. If not, he will address the captains of the squad and they will take it upon themselves to make sure that everyone gets the correct message. A face-to-face meeting can do this. Writing a note on the whiteboard, or sending out a mass text. These are all typical forms of communication within the organization.
The way you talk around the rink is very different. If I am in the locker room talking with my teammates, it will be severely different than if I was talking to the coach or the GM. Of course I will be more casual and joking with my teammates and more formal and straight up with my coach. When it comes to media, politically correct is the best way to describe it. We are all taught not to give too much information away, never talk about in house issues, and to keep your answers short and simple, regardless of what your actual feelings on the topic might be. Same goes for talking with fans. As much as you may dislike them, you have an obligation as an employee of the team to respect them and give them the credit they deserve.
Gordie Howe once said, “Hockey players know two languages; English, and profanity.” It is a culture in hockey to adapt to this kind of language around the rink and with your teammates. It translates into games and even referees will drop f bombs excessively over the course of the game. To go along with the swearing, we have a very odd way of changing words around. There is no real reason for it but I could sit and have a conversation with my teammate about the game and if you weren’t a player yourself, you would have thought we were speaking Japanese. For example: “He snipped a gino and two apples, had a nice tilt, got a few zips, then went back to the billy’s to shut her down.” –translation: “he had a goal and two assists. Got in a fight and had to get stitches. Then went back to his host family’s home and went to sleep.”
I cannot tell you why we speak this way but it is what we do. It is the culture of our sport and it alienates anyone who is not involved in the sport.
I played volleyball for 8 years. Within those years I had to learned many different skills, types of communication, and life lessons. I had to learn the rotations, what different sets were called, the names of different positions, and other elements like "sideout" or "ace". Volleyball is a sport all about communication and momentum. If you do not communicate with your teammates, your team will never be successful. For instance, a setter as to communicate with the hitters and tell them what ball she is going to set them. If the communication is off the setter will set a ball that the hitter is not ready for and their team will lose that point. Another prime example is calling the ball. That simply means if you're going to pass the ball you yell out "mine" or "I got it" letting others know not to go after the same ball you are. Without that simple communication people will end up running into each other, maybe even resulting in concussions.
ReplyDeleteA typical genre of communication in volleyball is hand signals. My coaches would hold up a certain number of fingers which correlated to the spots on the opponents side of the court and I would serve the ball to which ever spot was chosen. There would also be certain hand signals that the setter would give the hitters to let them know which ball to be ready for.
There is so much language used in the game its hard to pick where to start. For example, when a hitter on the opposite side is taking an approach to the ball, it the defense's job to call the block over, decide if its going to be a hit or a tip, and yell out line or angle. If the hitter does end up tipping it, its the defense's job to yell out tip and let the other teammates know that they need to get low and dig up the tip. Volleyball has taught me that the littlest amount of communication can change a situation, and that people do not automatically know when they are doing something that is effecting you negatively. It's better to speak up in a non-confrontational way and voice your opinions instead of waiting for people to guess what's wrong.
The persona that I assume in this community is a competitive one. I am very focused on what's going on around me and what my next move is going be. I adopted this persona just from being around the game for so long and from watching the girls before me play. Of course I'm not serious and focused all the time on the court; it's also important to play relaxed and encourage other teammates with a fun attitude. You have to know when it's time to get focused before games and during timeouts and when it's okay to loosen up on the court and have fun.
ENC1101-OM06
ReplyDeleteBrandon VanLandingham
1. The key moments for a hospital are every year you have to go through lectures on how and in what way you should act while working in the hospital. Also every year you have to take tests to evaluate make sure you remember all the info you were lectured on. During the year they have meeting of the whole hospital where they talk about how well they have been doing this year. Another thing they have is on anniversaries of the hospital they celebrate and they have yearly Christmas parties. Then depending on which department you are in there are meetings at least every month.
2. For the genres of communication in the hospital community I would say that even though I worked there for a long time I’m sure there are still a lot I don’t know. But there are some I do know and remember and those are documents on the patients, emails about the news and meetings in the hospital, emails about discounts they get for working at the hospital. Phones and other forms of verbal communication are used all the time. Finally they use the computers to store data that they share between the departments so that is also one.
3. The language for the hospital is like an ocean because there are an almost endless amount of terms used but it varies what terms are used around you by which part of the hospital you work in and what other parts of the hospital you work with the most. The language they use consists of different medical terms for diseases and sicknesses other than that the only thing that might through a person off that doesn’t work in that department or in the hospital off is when they are talking about specific machines that are used for the departments.
The persona you put on is that you are happy all the time because it is supposed to be reassuring and calming for the patient. You are supposed to always have a smile on and you are supposed to always try to keep the patients happy by not being negative. For the most part I try to keep a smile on and be positive as much as possible anyways so that wasn’t all that bad, but even though it wasn’t bad it wasn’t always easy because some of the patients can be a real hassle some don’t like to listen to you and others constantly want to argue with you. Then there are patients that want to yell at you because they didn’t bring the right papers or went to the wrong department. So overall for me it wasn’t all that bad it didn’t change the way I act to much other than the fact that I can’t tell the really rude people what is on my mind.
Talitha Milton
ReplyDeleteENC1101-OM06
When I was a junior, I started working at Burger King. We never really had key moments of communication other than the interview and orientation. They sat us in front of a computer and made us watch a couple of videos about health procedures and safety instructions and then take tests on them. There weren't really any weekly meetings or anything, it was a more laid back environment.
The genres we used to communicate were mostly flyers, post-its, and other paper notes on the walls. When corporate would email something to notify us of a policy change or a new menu item, the managers would tape it on the walls and make sure we read it when we came into work. Sometimes when it was really important they would make us sign something saying we read it. If I needed a manager to get me forms or anything I'd write a note on receipt paper and tape it to the wall in the office. Same thing for if we ever needed to request a day off or wanted more hours, we'd write a little note for the managers in the office.
The language used was always very casual. Since it was fast food, we didn't have to be super professional or anything. There were some times that we'd use terms for certain acts or places, but never really anything more than that.
The persona I assumed was more professional than I would be with my friends. I make a lot of crude/sick jokes and just talk about weird stuff, but there I could only do that with certain people. Also certain subjects weren't able to be discussed there especially if managers or corporate were around. Other than that, it was pretty normal. I had to be more responsible at work though, because I wanted to show that I had good work ethic. The way people view me is very important, so I didn't want anyone to think I was a slacker. In everyday settings I'm the same way, but slack off more often when I can. Also with my conversation, it was more tame at work, whereas with good friends a lot of stuff we talk about is shocking or just plain weird.
Taylor Beam
ReplyDeleteEnc 1101 0m06
When I was a junior in high school, I got a part time job as a server in a retirement home. Our key moments of communications were right before the dining room opened and all the servers and chefs got together to go over the menu. We did this everyday so when the residents had questions about the food on the menu we would have the answers. For example every day we would have a fish on the menu and the managers would always remind us to ask the residents if they would want tartar sauce with the fish because they would normally forget to order it. Other than going over the menu, we would also review the rules such as no cell phones, no socializing while there are tables that need to served and no eating until 6:30 (except for Sundays at 1:30). Another key moment of communication was taking the residents orders. As soon as the residents would sit down, you would pour them water and ask them if they would like flat bread or the fresh rolls that the chefs prepared that day (they changed every day). Afterwards you would take their order which included their appetizers and their meal (sometimes they would order dessert ahead of time). When taking a residents order you always ask them if they want something to drink besides water or if they wanted a salad. A lot of times the residents forget to order things that they get almost every day so it was the servers responsibility to make sure that they got everything that they wanted. The servers I worked with were all around the same age as me. We ranged from 16 to 22 years old. When we would talk to the managers we would speak to them professionally. For example if we needed to speak about either adding or cutting hours we would go to them in the office and explain our situations to them in a professional manner. However when we would speak to other it would be very informal because we all knew each other very well. Some of the people I worked with I knew in high school, middle school, elementary school and others I knew because they are/were friends with my older brother. We all got along together so it was a fun environment to work in. Every other Thursday the new schedule would come out and if we needed a day off then we would look on the schedule and see who is off so we could do what we needed to do. The schedule had all of our numbers on it so we would normally text each other. If we didn't have someone's number on the schedule then we would ask them over facebook.
Ever since I was in fourth grade, I’ve played soccer and been a member of the CFU (now OCYS) soccer community. This community is broken into what I would call “sub-communities”, which is basically each individual team. There are many key moments of communication involved in the soccer community.
ReplyDeleteOne example would be at the beginning and end of each practice. At the beginning, our coach would circle us up and discuss what events we had coming up and provide us with information about our teammates, schedules, and events, as well as let us know what we were going to work on in the practice. At the end of the practice, we circle again, discuss the practice, what we need to work on, and any additional information. Another example of a key moment of communication is team meetings, which normally occur when we stay at tournaments. At these meeting, rules are discussed, as well as game statistics and tournament standings. We are also allowed to speak freely about what we can do to better improve our game. These meetings are pretty casual, but we must be attentive to the information that is shared. Normally we play a game at these team meetings to get some team bonding time as well.
In this community, other communication (that I also think is key) occurs as well. Information regarding our games, addresses, times, and tournament information, along with other vital information, is sent using emails and texts. Those would be some of the “genres” that we use to communicate. We also have a website for our soccer club (OCYS) which relays information about teams, costs, and facilities to the club members and people who are interested. There are also online newsletters, highlighting certain players and soccer news.
In the soccer community, we have specific terminology for positions, things we do, and other tasks/commands. Some of this terminology is used in other sports, such as the terms offside, defense, and offense. However, most soccer terminology is unique to the sport. One example is the term bicycle kick, which is when a player kicks the ball over his or her own head as their legs are in the air. Normally, they land on there back and if done correctly, it is an awesome trick! Some other soccer terminology includes indirect free kick, man on, near post, set piece, and red card.
For most of my life, I have been referred to as “the soccer girl.” Everyone knew I played soccer, and if they didn’t know, they would find out. Up until my later years of high school, while I was still known as “the soccer girl,” I did have a different persona around my friends who didn’t play soccer. I had two groups of friends for most of my life, the soccer friends and my other friends. So around my friends who didn’t play soccer, I wouldn’t really discuss soccer and would act differently around them. Basically my whole personality changed as I was showing a different side of myself to them. Around them, I’d be more concerned about my looks and how I acted. However, around my soccer friends I was more laid back, didn’t care what others thought, comfortable…basically I was more myself when I was with my friends who played soccer and were involved with the soccer community.
Mike Boyd
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M06
Looking back through my past, a job that I had required me to use a different type of rhetoric that I wasn’t used to. Business rhetoric. I acquired an internship with a Financial Advisor who took me under his wing and taught me many things about the business. He worked for MetLife at the time so his office was with many other MetLife employees. I actually had my own cubicle in the large office which resulted in a different type of communication. Being polite, formal, and business like were somewhat required. I enjoyed it.
Asking questions, saying hello, and a simple nod of assurance that the person was there were all practices in the office. Answering phone calls for my boss were probably the time in which I used the most rhetoric in which was out of my normal use. This use of rhetoric was different in the way that there was a specific purpose and questioning of the individual on the other end. The rhetoric was always kind and formal even if the other side was rude and unkind. It was a must to always keep composure and relay the message in which was explained.
The idea that communication is universal in all aspects of life isn’t correct. As one can imagine, business rhetoric is much different. It is different in the way that everyone seems to have a film on what is being said. It is rare that someone will blatantly be rude or act like something is wrong. They will use the common communication of “just another day at the office” and continue on through there day only telling those that are closest of their poor work day. Although communication in a business aspect is not as elaborate as communication in the NASA space station, relaying different types of codes and abbreviations, it is still a different mind set in which someone must adapt to. I know that I have learned a lot since the time I have worked for my boss and that it has helped me be much more formal and business like when working with individuals that hold a higher position than me or require formality. This has impacted my idea on business and will help me become a better financial advisor in the long run I believe.
I worked as a bus boy at a kosher steakhouse called Grilltime during my senior year of high school. Communication was key in order to serve the customers efficiently. Waiters told me what tables I needed to clean up, which gave room for people waiting to be seated. They also told me to give salads to tables that finished ordering in order to give the cook some time to prepare the food. I told waiters if customers asked questions that I did not know how to answer. Waiters talked to each other in order to figure out dilemmas such as who was serving what table. The cook told the waiters about food on the menu that was not available. Throughout the day, the cook rang a bell to let the waiters know that their food was ready to be served. Now, the type of communication differed depending on the situation. For instance, I did not talk to a customer the same way I talked to a cook. The waiters, hostess, salad maker, cooks, and dishwashers talked to me as a helper and as a friend. The manager spoke to me as an employee who better work efficiently. Customers asked for food, drinks, bathroom directions etc. The cooks and waiters used certain words for certain dishes. There were also numbers that were assigned to the tables, so we were able to let each other know what table to work with. At work I showed a different side of myself than I did when hanging out with friends. I had to keep a smile on my face, even when I may not have been so happy, for the sake of a positive work environment. The way I portrayed myself toward the customers was not necessarily the same way I acted toward my co-workers. For instance, if customers at a table told me to do something that was a bit frustrating I did not show any frustration before them. However, when I walked into the kitchen I was free to express my annoyance with co-workers. The fact that I did not consistently act the same way made me struggle a bit with my complete sense of self. Being a bus boy took away my freedom of speech in a sense (at least when talking to customers). However, the overall working experience taught me much about myself, and how to work with others.
ReplyDeleteDavid Lipszyc
ENC1101-OMo6
ENC 1101-oMo6
ReplyDeleteDuring high school, I was part of the student government association and I was one of the officers responsible to running the club. There were many methods of communication used in this community. We held monthly meetings in order to discuss school events and fundraisers in which every member was allowed to be a part of. There were also officer only meetings where we would discuss the future of the club. Also there was an elective offered which was interconnected to this club and allowed for more key moments of communication. Some of the genres used were emails to send out event reminders to the members and provide then with the registration forms. We also used texting to send out information to the community. There was not any language specific to the community other than the event names. We did not have any specialized language that other people outside the community would not understand.
Colby Maynard
ReplyDeleteEnc 1101 - 0M04
About 2-3 years ago, I was involved in a garage band, in my own garage. I started playing guitar in 8th grade and picked it up quickly. Three of my close friends also played instruments and one of them sang rahter well. So we bascially just said, what the hell, and moved the drummers drums to my house. We started out as a cover band just going over songs that we like to play together but it then expanded to writing our own things to try and show the community and eventually but hopefully, the world. I feel that music has the most specific but important key moments of communication. Besides meeting up in my garage and deciding on what songs to go over first, we had to go over our timing. Timing is in fact everything. We all had to start at the same exact time which was normally led by the classic drum sticks clacking together 4 times. The tricky ting about music is the way the musicians communicate while the music we play is blasting behind us. We use simple eye signals and lip reading and can comprehend it rather easily after a while. We would meet usually once or twice a week to get everything down and ready to go on to the next songs. Some genres we used in this communtity are lyric pages, our phones to text about our next band practice, and even music sheets. The lexis used in a non formal band is rather similar to any other person's life. We use terms such as chorus, verse, bridge and solo. The tricky part about our lexis is when we use the letter of the note of chord we play at the time. Being a musician has its perks but also has its faults. But talking in a normal classrom, the other students wouldn't understand what we were talking about if we spoke about chord progressions or anything else, we wouldn't fit in and it would be strange and uncomfortable to the other kids because tey dont know what we're speaking about. All in all, being a band with 3 close friends was one of the most enjoyable activities i've been involved in, in my life and i hope i can join another one.
Chibundo Egwuatu
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-OM06
I was a camp counselor over the summer. Everyday, we have to take roll, communicate with each other for transport and activities, and (without fail) call when someone does not end up where they are supposed to. We all had walkie-talkies, which we were to be listening to and answering at all times. We had codes, for weather, missing children, emergencies, and other things as well. It was all quite overwhelming at first, but after a while one gets the hang of it. As I was so busy trying to keep it all together and not lose anybody, it was hard for me to get the personality part of the job down. The joking, and playing seemed very false to me when I was spending every moment of work trying to do everything in my power to not get fired. Not only this, but my usual brand of going about things would not work in this case; I had to be chipper, and verbally chaste. I am the kind of person who only laughs when something is funny and is only excited as a reaction to something exciting. It was very hard for me to juggle the responsibilities, the children, the heat and spatial issues (the camp was kind of big) and also bring the joy levels up to eleven all of the time (and never curse or say anything that wasn't extremely generic? Was this ever a struggle). Not only that, I was not friends with any of my coworkers. Everybody seemed to get along quite well, but I never really had anything to say to anyone. I got quite good at code switching, (not good enough, since there were words, like 'jerk' and 'pissed' that I was unaware would be considered 'bad')endurance, and being alone. Towards the end, I wasn't even trying to fake chipper, and actually made friends with some of the kids there. We all liked cartoons and comics and I would try to force my music tastes on them (unsuccessfully). My solution to a challenging communication environment was to generally not speak, which didn't make me popular, but it did let me keep my job.
Right when I turned sixteen, I went to look for a job. The first place I applied to was carrabbas, and I ended up working there for two and a half years until graduation. We held monthly meetings, so that the manager and proprietor could rely messages to the employees. This may be from concerns, to the new specials for that particular month. Then we would break up into smaller groups, like hostesses, bartenders, and servers. Being a hostess, amount our group is a "head hostess". She relays messages from the managers to us. And in our meetings power points and visual aids are used. Many of these are from OSI, which is the company that owns Carrabbas. They are all for training purposes and making sure everyone is taught the same information. In these meetings we talk about how to act in front of customers and hostess concerns. One thing we go over is OSI messages. These are surveys customers have filled out about our particular store. Usually these are complaints but sometimes they are complements. We go over the complaints and how we can fix these problems.
ReplyDeleteMy "persona" at Carrabbas changes a bit from when I'm around friends and sometimes family. I have to put on a professional attitude and think how my actions reflect Carrabbas as a brand.
Alfredo Jaime Vega - ENC 1101 0M04
ReplyDeleteFor last three of the four years I attended in high school I immersed myself everyday within the music community, specifically performing arts. In my community there were three large groups: Band, Chorus, Orchestra - of course all working independent from each other with a few exceptions depending on the semester concert line-up. I was involved in the orchestra where I rose levels to eventually become President and principal second. With a position of authority like that granted means of communication became a more pressing issue for daily functions. The communication to the non-officer members of the orchestra was usually executed in a soap-box form calling of attention. Methods of relaying info were different between the officers, there was more structure compared to the form of communicated we displayed towards the rest of the populace. We limited ourselves to simple genres of communication due to the size of the orchestra and small number of groups within the entire ensemble. Verbal announcements were done at the end of rehearsal and circulation of important dates/events weeks ahead of time; but two technologies picked up more relevance to our means of getting in touch. These technologies are e-mail and cellphones. These services and devices were guaranteed portals of information should all fail and these portals turned out to be very versatile to execute any agenda; mass communication or one-on-one brief.
Typical language in a usual day was not complicated nor easy either. Since the community was always composed exclusively of musicians, references to music theory terminology would be spoken freely into the air during practice, such as cadence, measure, system, da capo al coda, etc - you get the picture. Along with that, lexicon was as dirty and ordinary as the typical teenage American lexicon can get, only exception being is the addition of a few insiders here and there for the daily snicker and giggle. It wasn't uncommon to hear someone shout for an example "SHIT, FUCK, GOD DAMN IT" when that person makes a mistake in a certain measure… then again it wasn't uncommon to seeing us duel with our bows either, hehe. Even I engaged in that behavior, I'm only human. Albeit being in a position of responsibility I was still a regular joe like the person reading this essay. My persona was still attractive enough for a person to come and talk to me without any hesitance whether for leisure or business, which at the time was demanded from many due to our history of incompetent and rather harsh orchestra directors. I was a leader that didn't particularly scare the shit out of you. This lead to my persona staying the same within this community as I was outside minus when the real hard work came into play - actually preparing the bloody pieces… When I say bloody, I mean bloody and I become an entirely different person. I'm open to compromise but as soon I being to smell of hint of underperformance or laziness within that compromise, I back out. My passion grows stronger and my intolerance for bullshit jumps off the charts. I became more demanding and authoritative in the situation. To be honest, looking back, my persona was all over place depending on the circumstance of what happened that day. Some days I'm Dr. Jekyll, some days I'm Mr. Hyde, and maybe sometimes I'm both.
Amine Taddese
ReplyDeletea3352580
ENC 1101 oMo4
I am currently in a music group that consists of three other people. We have been an official group for about 2 years now and have produced a good amount of music. Our particular genre is hip-hop/rap. Our key moments of communication are usually done through group meetings. During these meetings, we normally would discuss how we are planning to achieve certain goals involving song completions and meeting deadlines set for releasing mix tapes/albums. The three main ways we communicate are through emails, text messages, and phone calls. Technically, the songs we make are a ways of communicating among us in a sense. We record our music in a professional studio over in Casselberry. The studio environment has a bunch of lexis of its own. For example, the engineer (the person who is on the boards while I am recording) would use words like “pitch drops”, “Reverb”, “equalize”, “compress” ect…
Generally, musicians have a certain persona they put on when they are on stage. I have a more professional, confident, and witty persona when recording, writing, or performing songs than I would normally. When making music, your persona plays a major role. You must become the characteristics you are trying to portray in order to deliver your message as effectively as possible.