UWRT 1103:

When I think of English I think of it in two parts: reading and

writing. Ive always loved the reading part, filled with interpretations and vocab
words like tone, simile and juxtaposition. I havent always been a fan of the writing
part. I think my dislike for writing became progressive My disdain for writing was
progressive. As I got older the prompts became less creative and more of a formula
based equation. I got the hang of the formula for writing my teachers laid out in
high school: introduction, three supporting body paragraphs and a final paragraph
that tied back to the topic: Introduction, three body paragraphs and a final
paragraph with a really clich ending. This made my high school writing classes a
breeze, even in my advance placement classes. It worked up until senior year, Ms.
Davis, my English teacher was a tough lady. She was one of the only teachers that
combed through your essays for mistakes as simple as a misplaced comma. and
one of the only teachers who preached against a basic five paragraph essay. She
challenged me to write differently and I was not down for the undertaking. It was
my senior year and I was more adamant about securing senior exemptions rather
than improve my writing skills. more focused on getting out rather than expanding
my writing styles. I took her criticism in stride and made it through without learning
much. Its an unfortunate truth and one I grapple with each time Im tasked to write
a paper. On the otherhand, I still read. A lot. I read articles, poems, essays, books. If
you ever have a questions its more than likely its already been answered in a
book. books and Im so appreciative of the different writing styles amongst my
favorite authors. I think I have such a admiration for books because they practice
something Ive never been good at, which is articulating myself through writing.
Books make me appreciate writing a lot more people who are good at writing, and it

makes me understand what Ms. Davis was attempting to teach me. I hope this class
can pick up where do a better job at doing was Ms. Davis tried to do left off. Im
actually ready to give it a try, even though anxiety still ran through my body when I
heard it was solely a writing course. I hope that feeling goes away as the semester
goes own and I would very much like to see enough growth in my writing to send
Ms. Davis, just so she knows her efforts werent in vain.

Religious Literacy: Comfort Suites

I bet it looks kind of odd that I related my religious literacy
to a hotel. To be quite honest Ive honestly always thought my church was kind of
weird anyways. My religious literacy started before I was born. My parents got
married practicing two different religions: Islam and Christianity. No one made a big
deal out of it, they practiced their religions separately with the occasional nudge to
get the other to try their practiced waystep into either the church or the mosque.
Eventually my dad stopped practicing religion altogether. I was born and went to
church with my mother, it wasnt a big deal, there wasnt a big argument over what
I was to practice, but I remember going to a lot of different churches. At one point
we were Jehovahs Witness. and I detested that part because it meant no
celebrating birthdays, but my dad advocated for my right to blow out a candle.
After the short lived fad After that stint we still wentcontinued to church hop to
different churches until my mom finally found one that suit her. She encouraged my
dad to come with her but he claimed he was fine on the couch instead. Somehow
my dad found his way off the couch and found the light instead. I dont remember
it but apparently there was a particular Sunday when I asked my dad to come to
church because everyone elses dad came. Sometime after that he found the light
and became a devout servant of God. Weve been going to went to the same

church for fourteen years. There were times when there would be seventy members
and times where there was barely twenty. There were times where we actually had
a church and times where we signed a lease with a hotel to use on Sundayswere left
to rent a room in a hotel. After service we would quickly have to gather because
there could be a party or a meeting in the same room where someone just caught
the Holy Ghost. Those times we would have to scramble to leave the room because
a meeting was to procede in the same room where someone caught the Holy Ghost.
Although my parents are proclaimed Pentecosts, I always called myself a Baptist. I
dont know why I did that but I did. My parents never told me to stop. They never
looked at me weird when I questioned certain things written in the Bible. They never
even got angry when I asked why we still went to a failing church. They really
allowed me to grow in my faith on my own. The lack of members and lack of
worshiping space left me to question my faith a lot. Where was God as our church
struggled so much. I chose this pin because we were stuck at the Comfort Suites
Hotel for longer than any other location. For a while I thought we would never leave.
It seems that a lot passed when we rented the Comfort Suites. Our church endured
the death of a member and one of my closest friends. I had to experience the death
of someone really close to me and it seemed that my Sunday mornings would never
be the same. Through this time I became really close to God. It seemed that
through the hard circumstances our church was going through he was the only
person I could rely on. This period of time brought me so close to God and he
seemed to be more present in my life not only at church or in my home but also at
school where I became active in the organization Fellowship of Christian Athletes. If I
didnt go through the tribulations I did while at the Comfort Suites I would never
discover how great my love for God is. These experiences dont mean I favor one

religion over another because I was simultaneously brought up to believe that

everyone has different beliefs. Im religiously literate because Im open to hearing
about other peoples faith but I guess I like Christian genre books more. My mom
told me that instead of labeling myself as a specific type of Christian I should
instead call myself religious. Because a religiously nice person does charitable
deeds for others. A religiously honest person doesnt sway from the truth. A
religiously devoted person attends church regularly. A religious person does
something so habitually that it becomes a way of life for them, and thats what
religion is meant to be.

Service Literacy: Millbrook High School

I enjoyed high school Aristotle once said You are
what you repeatedly do, excellence is not an act, but a habit. I enjoyed high school
a lot. I was at every football game, I was at every school dance I came twenty
minutes early to school even throughout senior year despite the bad case of
senioritis that seemed to be going around. Another fact that I might add is that I
probably helped organize the tailgate that happened before the football game. I
probably helped make the decorations that were present during the dance. And I
probably had a meeting at 6:30 in the morning. Least to say I was really active in
my highschool. I enjoyed helping making things happen. I think I can trace my
desire to serve others back to when my mom This theory can be used to locate why
I enjoy serving others. From a young age I was always urged to offer my services.
This might mean around my house, in my church or even in a grocery store. My
mom would take me along to the grocery store and enlist me to be the bagger.
Eventually helping out became a habit, and for me it was a habit I didnt mind.
even though there was already a hired one. I dont think that service can be limited

to physical acts but sometimes it includes things as simple as making someone

smile or engaging in a conversation with them. We live our daily lives so
preoccupied with our own agendas and concerns, sometimes we forget to worry
about one another. Service especially became a big deal to me sophomore year
after I joined Student Government. My school had done so much for me I would just
like to give back to my school. That mean organizing dances or teacher car washes
or tutoring the local elementary school over. My favorite time of service is helping a
child with special needs. His name is Garret and Im pretty sure he was a lot older
than me but it was difficult to tell because of a compilation of conditions he suffered
from. Twice a week Garret and I would walk to the library and choose a book for him
to read aloud to me. It seemed like an easy enough task but Garrets condition
sometimes made it difficult. I was always relived when we could avert crisis and
Garret and I could sit down to read. I made him laugh and he made me laugh. I
guess I became so enthralled in service that others were becoming observant. My
senior year of high school I was surprised when I became inducted into the service
club. At the inductions I was presented with a quote that reflected my efforts; The
best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Dont wait for good
things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will
fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope Barack Obama. I never
knew I would eventually become recognized for a habit. Eventually I plan Who knew
that I would eventually be recognized for a habit. I plan on making a career out of
my love of service. Id like to help the continent of Africa. Id like to help children. Id
like to help woman. I think the right title for my preferred job description is a
humanitarian. Either way Id like to help give back to a world that gave to me.
Truthfully, I want to help anyone who needs helping.

Knowledge of Conventions: Poe Elementary

The first time rules ever really matter was in elementary school, and from then on I
took notice of them as being a I guess knowledge of conventions has always and
will continue to be a recurring theme in my life. For some reasons there are rules
and guidelines to just about everything. As a child the rules never mattered to me l
seemed to always get in trouble; either for talking too much, climbing something or
simply wandering off. It wasnt until elementary school that this idea of having
standard guidelines really set in for me. I think what really made the ideas of rules
resonate with me is the consequences that came followed if you refused to adhere
to the rules. The consequences ranged from a note home, a phone call home or in
its an absolute extreme a write up. A simple conversation with my mother can
reveal that I experienced each of these because I broke the rules a lot. A time in
particular that stands out to me was in art class. A rule that the art teacher
explicitly stressed was keeping our hands and feet to ourselves. Along with a
plethora of other guidelines I pushed this rule into the back of my mind. A particular
day in art sticks out to me; Wed had been finger painting when my teacher
announced that it was time to clean up. Last minute I hurriedly decided that itd be
a smart idea to cover my entire hands in pink paint despite the short amount of
time. On my way to the sink, I spotted my friend Sammy Kopac. She was wearing a
plain grey sweatshirt, and I thought that it would make a splendid canvas. I walked
right up to Sammy and put my hands across her chest. I stood back and looked at
my masterpiece while my teacher stormed over to berate me. Some would call me
a disruptive child but I wasnt labeled as one because of my great academic track
record. I knew what I was doing each time I broke the rules, I had a firm grasp on
the KNOWLEDGE OF CONVENTIONS, but conventionality never seemed like the road

for me hasnt always been the road most traveled for me. Sometimes people
correlate KNOWLEDGE OF CONVENTIONS to ACADEMIC SUCCESS LITERACY but a
look at my elementary school careers challenges the belief. Aside from the frequent
complaints home I had a knack for school. I enjoyed learning. A culmination of my
mischievousness and my enthusiasm to obtain knowledge created what I know to
be my academic success.

Critical Read: Crabtree Valley Mall

Im from Raleigh, North Carolina. And aside from the
state fair, I believe one of our claim to fames is and always will be Crabtree Valley
Mall take pride in knowing once upon a time we had the biggest mall on the East
Coast: Crabtree Valley Mall. I love that mall, I spentd so much money in that mall
and I can navigate myself through the mall with no hesitation. This was all until my
junior year of high school when I was bestowed with my first Visa card. My father
put one hundred dollars in my checking account and twenty dollars in my savings.
With that chump change I thought I was a millionaire. I dont know how I divided the
money between food and clothes but I made the hundred dollars last long enough.
And when I was finished with that I transferred the money from my savings into my
checkings. Without contemplation I spent all the money in my savings too. No big
deal, I would simply ask my dad for more money. Ha. And when I was done with that
I looked up to my father with doe eyes and asked for more. I wish I could take a
video of his reaction. He refused to give me any more money. I always thought it
was odd how he never asked about my new things. But I guess he was trying this
was his attempt to teach me a lesson. Any reasonable person wouldve learned their
lesson about money from henceforth, but not me. Usually it takes me getting
something wrong two or three times before I fully comprehend my lesson. I didnt

develop financial literacy until I got my very first job at Justice. Justice was a kids
store that was targeted to tweens between the age of five and fifteen. I was so
excited to have a job where I would get money each week. At that point I was so
break I wouldve been happy with five dollars, so I leaped at the thought of
minimum wage. Subsequently after getting this job I slowly teared myself from the
handouts my parents gave me. I paid for my own gas, I paid for my lunch at school
and with the money leftover I had to delegate where it would go towards. This feat
of responsibility made me so conscious of my financially situation. I didnt have a lot
of money, so quite frankly I had to keep my distance from Crabtree Valley Mall. That
was usually easy because they way my gas tank was set up My FINANCIAL
LITERACY has only improved since my job at Justice. I work at Harris Teeter now and
Im able to calculate my paycheck with a simple glance of my schedule. I can
analyze the pros and cons of staying back an extra hour and I relish the thought of
time and a half on holidays. I made myself well versed in financial matters because I
realized I liked having things. But to have things meant you needed money, and a
lot of it. Ive taken the time out to CRITICIAL READ all things monetary related. Im
now able to walk into Crabtree Valley Mall, any mall at that and make the
responsible decision on whether or not I really need it.

Critical Reflection: Taiyess House Lynch Hall

My parents are polar opposites.
Sometimes its really difficult to be in the middle of sometimes. Especially when my
dad says yes but my mom is standing on a strong no. An example of this is
whenever I would ask my parents to attend a certain event. This happened plenty of
times. In response to my moms objection urge me to cry and scream. This behavior
would only further her negative dissent and I would pout for hours at a time. This
cycle continued until one day my brother interrupted my fit. He lamented my
immature response as the main reason I could never succeed in getting the
permission I needed to attend events. Taken back by how my younger brother could
analyze me forced me to make a change. I adjusted the way my method of
approaching my parents. For starters, I asked well in advance so they couldnt claim
I didnt give full notice. Whenever I decided to ask my parents for permission I

would allow their initial response without any hint of my objection, instead I would
nod silently to indicate my comprehension. Later I would allow a couple of days to
pass by before I revived the subject. This time around I would address each of their
problems with a solution I formulated. I would handle things such as transportation,
curfew and parental supervision. This method proved to yield much better results
than my previous ways. I actually got to do things. REFLECTING on this makes me
both disgusted and happy with myself. Im embarrassed I used to be such a brat but
Im much esteemed at the changes I made. Ironically I want to continue exercising
my ARGUMENTAIVE LITERACY of law. Now Im practicing less with my parents and
more with the people around me. Im still working on knowing when its appropriate
to argue and what words are kind enough to use in particular arguments. Im
grateful that one of my closest friends enjoys verbal confrontation just as much as
me because its turning out to be real good practice.
I came to college to learn things. After four years of learning things I would
eventually get a job that would hire me to apply all that I learned. I thought thats
how college worked. But after completing my freshman year I can say that my
COLLEGE LITERACY has changed drastically. I take this time to CRITICALLY REFLECT
on what this school year has taught me. Of course I learn inside of my classrooms. I
pay too much not to. But it seems majority of the lessons Ive learned have come
outside the classroom as opposed to inside of it. It was only outside the college I
learned how to spend money responsibly, I learned how to calculate risks, such as
leaving my room at 10 when I knew I had an assignment due at 11:59. College isnt
like high school where youre forced to be friends with whos in your class. I learned
that lesson early on when I spent the first two weeks in my door room because I
didnt know how to approach people. I reflect on memories on my freshman year
and if given the opportunity I wouldnt change them anyways. So far Ive got out of
each sticky ordeal and learned a lesson along the way. The word for this process is
finesse. Urban Dictionary defines finesse as 1. The unique ability to manuever
seemlessly around people or objects in a smooth manner. 2. An art of persuasion or
trickery in which an individual is able to get something they want with the cunning
prowess of an illusionist or wizard. 3. Something done with ease as if second nature;

easily transitioning to something else. College is just one big finesse and if youre
lucky enough you can finesse your way into a career.

Rhetorical Knowledge: My House

Not listing my home as an important pin would be almost
impossible. I think its fair to say that everyones home serves as a harbor for many
life lessons. I learned how to ride a bike in my driveway, I even learned how to back
a car out the same driveway. Personally for me, my home cultivated my CULTURAL
LITERACY. My family is originally from Nigeria. Im a first generation immigrant. I
take much pride in my culture and hold my values near to my heart. But it wasnt
always like that, my pride in my country did not start until high school, after I had
gotten past the torment and obnoxious questions like, Do you live in a hut?.
Because of the swelling pride I decided to do more in depth research about my
culture. Over the summer I enrolled into Yoruba classes, not stopping at formal
teaching alone I watched Nollywood movies from sun up to sun down. With the
background knowledge I was gaining on my culture came an artifact of knowledge I
wasnt too fond of, misogyny. I knew that although women were treasured in my
culture they sometimes were seen as property instead of human beings. This fact
served as an impediment to my knowledge. I felt I was doing a disservice to
feminists everywhere when I served my father his food. I felt like I was wronged
when I was answered with because youre a girl. Because of this assumed
knowledge I felt I had to make a decision between my culture and my feminist
ideals. I took these concerns to my mother and she accepted my grievances. She
understood the inequality our culture contained and promised to make effort to
support my feminist stance. This meant including my brother join us for our cooking

lessons. The best part in becoming culturally literate is that I didnt have to rebrand
myself. I didnt have to be a First Generation-Nigerian-Feminist. I could simply call
myself a feminist who happens to be Nigerian.

Composing Processes: Wal-Mart

Ive always had clear skin, even during the embarrassing years of middle school. I
attest this to healthy eating habits but I jokingly say that God had to spare me acne
because I had too many awkward quirks already. Growing up with my mother as a
role model I used no makeup until middle school when I bought my first eyeliner. I
used it religiously and thought I was hot stuff. In high school I upped the stakes with
eyeshadow and mascara. If I thought I was cute before I was a full on model now.
Towards the end of my senior year I realized girls in my grade were experimenting
with faces full of makeup. I snubbed them with critiques like at least I look the
same when I take my makeup off, that must be a pain to have to put on in the
morning. I thought these things until college, my roommate was one of those girls
that I use to criticize. And it seemed that my best friend was getting into makeup
too. Even my best friend was into highlight and contouring. It seemed every around
me knew exactly what shade foundation they were. I was kind of envious. I took my
mom to Walmart where we both naively stood trying to find my match of
foundation. I picked up a bottle of LOral something along with an allover face
brush and was on my way (I would later laugh at the thought of myself even picking
up that brush). The next day I decided to try my new makeup on for church. After
the service I was nailed with questions asking why my face looked streaky and if I
had gotten tan. I was mortified. My foundation was too dark and I used the wrong
applicator tool. I didnt know who talk to and I was too emotionally invested in the
thought of having seemingly perfect skin. I returned back to school and swallowed

my pride to ask my roommate about her makeup routine. She was elated to
describe the process to me and I wasnt sure if it was her eyeshadow or if I really did
see an actual twinkle in her eye. There came a point where I exhausted her with my
many questions and she didnt have answers to questions that pertained about my
shade of skin or whether I should try a matte or dewy finish. She suggested YouTube
videos and I was very intrigued with the idea. I asked a couple of my friends for You
tubers they suggested and was overwhelmed with a wave of responses. I tried
starting off with videos of girls who looked like me and who also didnt use high end
products. I found that this was a good place to start off. I cultivated a COMPOSING
PROCESS when it came to makeup. I would decide on a look I was going for then get
on the internet to read reviews and watch application videos before I decided to buy
the product. Im no longer illiterate in makeup. I know what it means to bake your
face and I can explain the differences between finishing power, setting powder and
pressed powder. Much further than that I passed the stages of makeup insecurity.
Ive passed the dark point where I feel hideous without makeup and Im well beyond
the stage where I sit and bake my face for a simple trip to the library. Ive grown
confident in the fact that although I know how to put on an enhanced face, I dont
have to do it everyday because I look just as fine without makeup as I do with it. I
enhance my SELF ENHANCEMENT LITERACY by watching YouTube videos whenever I
choose to in my free time. Or quite frequently I work on improve my natural glow by
going to the gym a lot and making sure I break a sweat.