English 1001

Final Portfolio

When I began my first day of classes at Fairfield University, the first one on my list was English 1001. I took both AP Language & Composition and AP Literature & Composition in high school as well as AP Seminar, all which focus on both rhetoric and composition. English has always been my favorite subject, so I was excited, but I thought I knew almost everything there was to know. However, not only did I learn more about English, but I have also learned lifelong lessons and skills that I can apply to both my other studies and daily life.

Bellarmine Pond at Fairfield University.

Photo Credit: Hannah Salsbury

October 2023

Readings & Reflections

Throughout the semester, my peers and I were asked to complete readings prior to almost every class and weekly reflections based on the prompts we were given. While I learned something new every time I read and/or wrote, a few stand out more than others.

Hannah Salsbury - Reflection 4

We completed a reading for class on September 26 that discussed the concept of literacy sponsors. This was a completely foreign idea to me and not something I had ever given much thought to. However, after reading the article, I realized that I myself have sponsors of literacy, or people (or even things) that help me learn new information and overall shape who I am both as a person and a writer.

One reading that really stuck out to me above all of the others was “Ain’t I a Woman?” by Sojourner Truth. Truth was an African American activist for civil rights who gave this speech at a women’s rights convention in 1851. I had read this speech previously in other high school classes, and I have always remembered how powerful it is. Looking at this speech through the rhetorical situation in class gave me an even better understanding of it than I had previously.

Copy of Copy of Sojourner-Truth_Aint-I-a-Woman_1851.pdf

Additionally, some of our readings actually involved watching videos, which was a fun way to diversify our work throughout the week and see rhetoric in a new light. One of my favorite videos we watched this semester was 3 Ways to Speak English. This gave me a new perspective on those who have different cultural backgrounds than myself and gave me a new way of thinking about what it means to speak “properly” or “formerly.”

Furthermore, discussing all of these readings and video viewings in class really helped me with my understanding, especially some of the more difficult ones. I appreciated hearing all of my classmates' opinions and thoughts because at times they noticed things I did not or thought about something in a different way, so I was able to get a variety of perspectives on many different topics.

I also learned more about what it means to “write relationally.” The reading from Wilson gave me the biggest understanding of this, and it really forced me to look around me and see how everything plays a role in who I am as a person and how that is transferred into my writing. Additionally, I began to notice how writing is all about relationships (our class theme!) because we write with the purpose of connecting with a particular audience and the way we write is influenced by the things we are connected to around us - other people, places, objects, and more.

Projects

Throughout the semester, my peers and I were assigned three Artifacts, or “big” projects. These were all different genres of rhetoric and allowed us to enhance our skills as writers by experiencing different types of assignments relating to different topics.

Artifact 1

Artifact 1 - Hannah Salsbury

Hannah Salsbury - Artifact 1

For Artifact 1, we were assigned to write a persuasive narrative essay about an object that was meaningful to us and use it to both share our journey deciding to attend Fairfield University and persuading our audience to make the same choice. I chose the keychain my mom gave me when I turned 16 that I now keep on my school backpack.

Artifact 1 taught me a lot about how rhetoric is more than just reading and writing. While we did write an essay, I was forced to think about storytelling in a new light through the use of an object. While I had given some thought to the power of objects and how they can communicate ideas or stories in the past, I never really considered them to be a form of rhetoric. Now, however, I see rhetoric in many things, including the keychain I carry with me every day.

Artifact 2

Artifact 2 - Hannah Salsbury

Hannah Salsbury - Artifact 2

For Artifact 2, we were assigned to complete an annotated bibliography and a synthesis essay relating to communication within our personal disciplines of study. I am undecided in my major, but I chose to research communication within elementary school classrooms.

Artifact 2 taught me a lot about synthesizing without arguing. I had completed annotated bibliographies before so that was nothing new, but synthesis papers had always been a struggle for me. However, I was able to look at my sources and see how they talked to each other more clearly this time because oftentimes in class discussions we would try to connect two or more different sources we had read to one another and to broader themes. This helped me realize that different forms of rhetoric can connect in a variety of ways, and we don’t always even see it initially.

Artifact 3

Communication and Relationships Final

Hannah Salsbury, Ben Tran, Sarah Tansey, Caitlyn Parks, and Nick Maurantonio - Artifact 3

For Artifact 3, we chose groups and used our personal research from Artifact 2 to compose a presentation that linked all of our fields together. My group focused on communication and relationships, and how that is utilized in service-oriented fields such as business, public health, and education. We also created and conducted an activity with the class as our audience during the presentation.

Artifact 3 taught me how to work in a group where everyone has an equal role. I had completed a presentation very similar to this one in high school in which we all completed our own research papers and then brought that information together. However, this time was different for me because we were given the connection between all of our research previously. For this project, we had to figure out the connections on our own. This helped me because this way we each had to contribute to the group, and no one was left doing too much by themselves. Additionally, I was able to improve my presentation skills and creative thinking skills due to the interactive audience and activity aspect.

Rhetoric & Composition

I have definitely improved as a writer throughout this semester, but I think I have also stayed the same in many ways. My writing skills have improved as I have been forced to think in new ways while composing for a variety of genres, but I was greatly familiar with certain rhetorical concepts before this class, especially devices, appeals, and the rhetorical situation.

I have come to have a deeper understanding of myself in the sense that I better know my own strengths and weaknesses. I have seen where I need to improve through my projects and where I often do well. Also, I have become more aware of how certain people struggle with things I could never imagine, and how I should always keep their perspectives in mind. For example, reading How to Tame a Wild Tongue showed me others are constantly thinking about how the language they use changes others’ perceptions of them, which is something I had never given consideration to before but certainly will be in the future.

Finally, I have come to define rhetoric as expression for the purpose of communication with another person or group of people, whether that be through a variety of compositional modes or even objects and images.

Photo Credit: Hannah Salsbury

October 2023

Photo Credit: Hannah Salsbury

November 2023

Photo Credit: Hannah Salsbury

September 2023

Photo Credit: Hannah Salsbury

November 2023

2023

Hannah Salsbury, Fairfield University

hannah.salsbury@student.fairfield.edu

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