Assignment 8: Outline for Group Project

Hello. We are HubCityGoGreen and we are here today to tell you about three simple ways that you can be more environmentally friendly in the area of Hattiesburg, Ms. We have a few reasons for wanting to spread the word on this issue. They are:

1. Recent oil spill has caused devastating effects to the Gulf coast, which is very close to our community.

2. Prevent further environmental damage to our area.

3. There are many places in Hattiesburg to recycle but many people do not know the locations and thus are less likely to recycle.

Our purpose is to inform you as residents on the ways you can get started “going green”. We also want to provide you with a specific list of places in the community that will take your recycling which will allow for less confusion.

The three simple things you can start doing are:

1. Recycle

2. Start a compost pile

3. Conserve energy

First, we will look at these three areas in greater detail.

Recycle

A. So easy anyone can do it

B. Reduce landfill space

C. Takes less energy to use recycled items than to make items from scratch

D. Decreases litter and other waste that get into the Gulf

Compost

A. Can significantly cut down methane gas production from landfills

B. Provides you with a rich organic substance that is great for use in gardens, houseplants, etc.

C. Nature’s way of recycling

D. Free organic fertilizer

Energy Conservation

A. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using less fuel when making electricity

B. Reduce the occurrences of environmental problems like acid rain, smog, etc.

Now, we will explain how you can get started implementing recycling, composting, and conserving energy in your home.

Recycling

A. Instead of throwing items away, check to see if they are recyclable.

B. If they are recyclable, place the items in a bin.

C. When the bin is full separate the items into categories such as glass, plastic, paper, and aluminum.

D. Take to recycling center

Composting

A. Simple as forming a pile in the back of your yard or as extravagant as buying a tumbler

B. Form a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 30 to 1. That is, 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen.

C. Every week or so, turn the pile to get oxygen throughout the material

D. You should get a dark, rich compost within the year. Sooner if you turn it more.

Conserving Energy

A. Turn lights off when not using them

B. Turn water off when brushing teeth

C. Use a bike, carpool, or walk to school, work, or store

D. Buy Energy Star appliances

In review, we have discussed three simple but important ways that you can begin using in your homes to be more environmentally friendly. They are recycling, composting, and conserving energy. You can start doing these things by simply looking at an item that you’re about to throw away to see if it has a recycling logo or making sure all lights are off before you leave your house.

If you would like more information on these subjects or if you would like to see the list of recycling centers in the Hattiesburg area we invite you to visit our website.

www.wix.com/brittneyluna/hubcitygogreen

Getting involved in Oil Spill Cleanup

USM Student Printz

By Brittney Luna

Unless you live under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about the recent oil spill a million times already. You’ve probably also heard about the decades worth of damage it has caused. However, as a student you may not have heard a lot about what you can actually do to make a difference. Instead of talking about the damage and its effects we should be helping to clean it up and prevent further damagefrom occuring. That won’t happen if we all just keep sitting around talking about it. Being a student you most likely don’t have a considerable amount of funds to donate but there are ways around this. You can form a fundraisingevent such as doing a carwash, mowing yards, etc. After you’ve gathered the funds through afundraising event then you could choose an organization that is important to you and donate the money to help the organization with expenses such as clean up supplies and medicinefor injured wildlife. You can also search for volunteer opportunities if you have some time to dedicate. Some items that you no longer use can be donated to help with the oil spill such as polypropylene pompoms, which are the old school, long stranded pom poms. A weird but extremely useful remedy for an oil spill is hair. Yes, hair! Students can go to their local salons, dog groomers, etc and ask that they donate leftover hair remnants to Matter of Trust, an organization that takes hair from all over the world and makes booms and mats used for soaking up oil. Dreads are even accepted! What a great environmentally friendly way to soakup oil! Hair is able to do this because it naturally soaks up oil hence the reason we shampoo our hair. Some students work full time in the summer and may not have the time to volunteer or extra money to donate. These students can gather pictures from the coast and send to their friends and family that wouldn’t otherwise get to see the harsh reality of what is happening on the coast. While the student may not have thetime or money available, friends or family members may want to get involved. A friend of mine did this and got a great response. Here are some pictures she sent her family:

Remember just because you’re a student doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to help out during this difficult time. There’s plenty you can do and I hope I have convinced you to take some action. Get involved!

Rhetorical Situation:

I feel like the current situation of the oil spill situation is extremely important especially to our community. Since USM is located only an hour or so from the Gulf Coast I think it should be on everyone’s mind how close to home this is going to hit. And it’s not just going to affect the coastline. It’s going to affect the whole country possibly the entire world. Many people don’t think about it but it’s the oceans that really make the difference in the world. If the oceans are destroyed, people are destroyed. The oceans account for over 70% of Earth. What’s an important thing in the oceans for all life on Earth? Algae. Algae takes carbon dioxide and converts it to oxygen. Thus, the oceans provide a massive amount of the world’s oxygen. The ocean is where the most basic part of the food chain is located. If it gets messed up, everything will get messed up. That’s why it is so important to clean up this oil spill mess. This article would be great for The Student Printz, USM’s student newspaper, because it is targeted towards the students of USM. My mission was to encourage students to want to get involved by giving them some basic ideas on what they could do to get started.

Here are some great organizations in need of donations:

Matter of Trust Organization

Sea Turtle and Marine Mammal Response Fund

Assignment 6: Collaborative Writing Project Progress Report

Recently the class was assigned a group project on some community issue of our choice. There are three other members in addition to myself in Group 2. We chose to do our project on the urgent need to provide information to our community about ways to “go green” due to the recent events of the oil spill. While we can’t realistically do a lot about the oil spill situation we can start small by persuading members of the community to become a little more eco-friendly by making better decisions about how they can recycle most of their trash, compost, and conserve energy. As a Biology major this subject is very close to my heart and I believe 100% that a few small changes can turn into much bigger and greater changes for the environment. (Note: a friend sent me this picture)

A few days after the email was sent I sent an email to all the group members to get the ball rolling. At first we thought that an additional member would be in our group, Galina Matthews. However, I emailed to ask her and she said she was going to be in another group. Then there was four…Myself, Christina Lightsey, Kaye Lewis, and Brittany Martin. So far we’ve met once to discuss and plan everything that we are going to do and assign individual projects. We’ve only met once due to member’s time differences. However, just by meeting once I think that we’ve made a good plan for the project and set a good timeline down. We have also emailed each other through our eagle accounts and through blackboard. We also exchanged phone numbers. The project is due July 20^th, which gives us a little over a week to finish it. With the timeline that we have set I think we should be right on schedule for the due date. So far we’ve discussed exactly what the project is going to be about, how we are going to get that information to the public, and formed a rough draft of the proposal. The proposal should be in its final form by tonight. We also assigned projects for what everyone in the group will be responsible for. Kaye will research information on energy conservation and organize the proposal. Christina will do phone interviews with principals, business owners, and managers around the city of Hattiesburg. Brittany is going to organize a rough draft of the final report and also organize the final written report after we have all read it and given our thoughts. I am designing the website and brochure, and also doing some research. Kaye, Christina, and I will email Brittany our information by 8p.m. on Tuesday, July 13^th so that she can have the rough draft finished by noon on Thursday, July 15^th. We will then revise it if needed and send it back to her to make the final report. I have already begun the website and researching. When the website gets a little more polished I’m going to send the girls a link and password so they can go on there and look at it and make changes. I will start on the brochure tomorrow.

I think that overall the project is coming along great. I have done group projects before but never with people that I have never met before. That being said, having met two of the members in person we got along fine! Sometimes personality conflicts can be troublesome for group projects but I thought that we all were on the same page and got along great. All the members have expressed that they have no problem doing anything assigned. We haven’t had any problems with members not wanting to do their part. It’s actually been the opposite, which is great because for me in the past that was always a problem in group projects. The only thing I have been slightly confused on is the actual assignment itself. I took it as a project that focuses in on an issue in the community that should be addressed and then forming a solution. I wasn’t sure that for our project we would form our solution around providing the information for the community to get started or if we actually had to provide a service, such as a recycling program. We decided to provide the information but if our teacher says we need to form a “service” then we can add that in to the project as well. We look forward to his email saying if we can proceed or if we need to make revisions.

Assignment 5: Beginning the Job Search

If I were to start looking for a job within the next six months these are some examples of what I would look for:

-The first job opportunity comes from the Audobon Zoo located in New Orleans, La. It is an unpaid internship that is geared toward getting experience rather than a profit. In the internship the student will work closely with the bird staff learning how to provide proper animal care, exhibit upkeep, record keeping, etc. The internship will last a minimum of 12 weeks and can be done at any time of the year. A commitment of four mornings a week is required. The intern must be at least 18 years old and able to lift 50 pounds. Considering that almost all zoo jobs require previous zoo experience, this internship is a great opportunity.

-The second opportunity is Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium’s Animal Care and Research Program. Internships are around 14 weeks long and can be done in one of the four seasons that they are offered: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. Mote is a nonprofit research institution. Therefore, the positions are unpaid. However, scholarships are available. Participants must have a background in zoology, animal behavior, psychology, ecology, or biology. Participants must also be able to swim strongly and be able to lift at least 50 pounds. Interns will work directly with the staff doing day-to-day things such as food preparation, water quality testing, and cleaning. Participants will care for the resident manatees, sea turtles, and dolphins that live at Mote Aquarium.

-The third option is to attend veterinary school to further my education. Since I was young I’ve always wanted to become a veterinarian. Getting into veterinary school is very competitive. If I were to apply to vet school I would apply to my in-state school, Mississippi State University. MSU’s vet school was first established in 1974. The first class was accepted in the fall of 1977 and graduated in May of 1981. Students who successfully complete the four-year program obtain a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The school is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

-The fourth and final option is a entry-level microbiologist position located in Minnesota. Applicants must have completed a Bachelors degree in either Microbiology or Biology. They must also be familiar with standard techniques and instrumentation. Gram staining, plate streaking, and using aseptic techniques are some examples of what the microbiologist will be responsible for knowing how to do.

As far as my experience and what qualifications I possess, I would say I’m a good candidate for each of these opportunities. For the two internships, I am able to lift at least fifty pounds without a problem. Also, the job I currently have would allow me the necessary time for the internships. I have previous experience working with animals. I am familiar with the safety issues surrounding wild and exotic animals from volunteering briefly in the past at a local zoo. I feel as though I am a hard worker and I love working with animals. Therefore, I think I would be perfect for either of those internships. Also, I believe I would be an ideal candidate for being accepted into veterinary school. I have worked in two vet clinics in the past and also volunteered at my local animal shelter for over a year’s time. I have the GPA and the prerequisites required for acceptance. As far as the entry- level microbiologist job, currently I do not have a Bachelors degree in Biology. I will obtain that in May, though. I have experience working in a lab and performing the various tests that was outlined in the advertisement such as gram staining and plate streaking.

I think the position that is best suited for me would be the first one. It is located in New Orleans, which is reasonably close to me. It provides a great amount of experience. If I wanted to be a zoologist instead of a veterinarian then I would have that necessary experience required to do so. And if I ever decided to apply to vet school that internship would be a great addition of animal experience. I also like the fact that it is involved with the avian aspect of the zoo, which is something that I have a lot of interest in as I have 2 parrots of my own. I would first fill out the application form located on the site and then submit a resume and cover letter. My resume would include my animal-related experience such as my previous employment with veterinary clinics and my volunteer experience making these stand out more than my previous sales experience. The cover letter would include my positive feelings on the Audobon Nature Institute as a whole and, in particular, the Zoo. I would also discuss my general interests in the bird exhibit for which I would be applying. I would also mention what I would hope to gain from the internship experience and how it would be a great step in gaining a related career in the future.

Assignment 4: Website Evaluation

TO: The Current Custom

ATTN: Webmaster: Lorraine Stanick

For the longest time I have had a guilty pleasure of watching fashion and makeup videos on YouTube. What can I say? I'm a complete girly girl when it comes to makeup! While searching through videos I stumbled upon your YouTube account: The Current Custom. Your video blog features topics ranging from your latest shopping finds to reviews of makeup products that I find very helpful. To put it simply, I absolutely love your videos. I especially adore the simplistic beauty of the jewelry that you always wear. I recently discovered that you sell this amazing jewelry on your website! The jewelry that you sell mostly consists of necklaces and bracelets. The necklaces come in varying lengths of either silver or gold link chain. The longest length, which is five feet long, can be doubled around the neck to look as though the person is wearing two necklaces. What I love so much about them is that you can wear them with just a t-shirt and jeans or with a more dressed up outfit. They're extremely versatile. You also wear the cuff bracelets in many of your videos. Again, these come in silver and gold and can be dressed up or down. The necklaces range in price from $38.00 to $144.00 depending on the length and metal finish. The gold is usually a bit more expensive. The cuff bracelets range from $42.00 to $291.00. On the website I noticed that you offer a few other lines of jewelry but I’m particularly fond of the link chain necklaces and cuff bracelets. After all, in the YouTube world the necklaces are known as the “Lorraine” necklaces.

While I can’t say enough good things about the products you offer there is one thing I am not very fond of: the website. In my opinion it could be marketed so much better. At present time the website is very basic. The header of the page consists of a print of a blonde woman wearing black sunglasses and a background of pink. I believe it is a print that your father, Peter Stanick produces. Below this header is the name of the website: The Current Custom, which is also your account name for YouTube. Below the name are eight pictures and labels that direct customers to the pages that correspond to those products. The background behind this is all white. The website should be just like the jewelry and other products that you offer: amazing!

I recommend that the site be tweaked a bit. First off, there is nothing on the website that tells how versatile and beautiful the products are. I would include some kind of brief description of the different pieces of jewelry. I would also ask previous customers to write a short review of their feelings about the jewelry and, also, the customer service that they received. It is difficult buying products over the Internet and a good amount of trust is involved when doing so. Customers like to know that if something were to go wrong with shipping, payment, etc. that it will be taken care of immediately. I know that there are a couple of video reviews of the great customer service that clients received from you so maybe you could include either a write up, or maybe even put the video review on the website. While I may have been able to find those reviews on your YouTube channel, I doubt that every person that goes to the website will go looking for reviews so I feel that it should be provided for him or her. Another change that I think would be beneficial would be to add some color. Your audience is focused toward women so a website that gets the attention of women is going to be necessary. Seeing that you sell your father’s prints I think you should pick out one of your favorite prints of his and choose a subtle yet effective color from the print and design the website around that. By doing so, the website will get an inviting new design and it will have a personal touch because it’s derived from your father’s artwork. As far as the presentation of the jewelry, I think it could not have been presented better! By wearing the products you give the customer a realistic view of how long the pieces are and how they will hang. Placing the jewelry on the commonly used necklace holders wouldn’t have given an accurate visual of the features of the products. All in all, the products that you offer are modern and chic. I hope that you will take my recommendations into consideration so that the website will be just as chic as the jewelry and prints that you sell.

Assignment 3: Website Objectives

I found two websites that are examples of what a "department of biological sciences" webpage usually looks like. The first came from Coloroado State University. This website was a really good example of what an academic webpage should look like. Instead of putting all of the information on one entire page, tabs are located at the top of the page. These tabs organize different topics from learning about the department to the research that is conducted. The site also divides up the undergraduate and graduate degree information making it easier to locate the information that the reader is interested in. Besides the great organization and structure to this site, the colors that are used are captivating. When a college is trying to pursuade students to participate in their program it’s kind of like how businesses make an advertisement for a product or service that they offer. Therefore, the “advertisement” needs to grab the attention of the reader. This can be attained through the use of color and word choices. Some eye catching words used in the Colorado State University website are “remarkable, exceptional, and outstanding”. Also, they make sure to let the reader know in the welcoming statement of the homepage that their biology department was ranked “5^th in the nation in 2007 amongst 375 research universities”.

An example of what an academic website should not be is Delta State University's department of biological sciences webpage. It gets the basic information to the reader but doesn’t really try to grasp the reader’s attention and make the person want to advance his or her education at their institution. There are a few links but they are still very basic. I’ve personally attended this college in the past and, in my opinion, their program is just about on the same level as their website: basic and lacking.

The overall purpose for creating a website is to recruit students to continue their education in my field. The ultimate outcome would be to actually get an incoming freshman or transfer student to want to pursue biology as their chosen field. The reader’s outcome would be to gain more information on the field and what kinds of careers one could achieve with this type of degree. Proffesors that are interested in teaching at USM in the future might also find the website helpful.

A recent catastrophic event that occurred was the oil spill situation in the gulf. This event will most likely have damaging effects for years to come. Because of this, many knowledgable workers will be needed so the job market after graduation should be good. This is where obtaining a degree in the biological sciences comes in. The University of Southern Mississippi offers many concentrations in the field of biology from environmental biology to microbiology. A bachelors of science in marine biology is also offered.

Education is an important and serious topic. By getting the best education that you can, you also increase your chances of landing a great job in the future. Because furthering your education is a serious topic, the website should be written in a somewhat formal way. After all, why would a person want to go to a college that has an ill-written webpage? Everything on an academic website should be thorough and correct. There should be absolutely no spelling errors. That would be extremely tacky. And, yes, I have actually run across an academic site that had spelling errors. I understand that sometimes webmasters make mistakes in grammar and spelling but an academic page should be mistake-free with no exceptions.

Some questions the reader might ask could be-

• What is the student teacher ratio?
• Are there any scholarships that are available for my particular major?
• What kind of research is conducted?
• Can I partake in research projects?
• Are there any honors clubs?
• Which professors are extremely difficult/easy?

The reader could find the questions to their answers through reading the website thoroughly. Also, the reader could find out which professors are difficult/easy by going to Koofers, which has a great deal of information. The reader could use the information that I give through the website by comparing information from another school’s program and deciding which has the better program for his or her needs or wants. I suspect that the reader would think the information I provide would be helpful and interesting. Having been a transfer student, I found it exciting to learn about the program at USM. The website is full of information and easy to navigate. There is even a section that has a list of faculty members so that when you get your classes set up you can go to this page and look up the professor’s name and it will take you to their page. Most of the time there will be a picture of the professor on the page. When I first came to USM I found that very helpful. It’s always good to put a face to a name. I would hope that the reader would see me as a peer offering advice and knowledge.

By seeing what other programs have done to grasp the attention of readers, I believe that I would make sure to treat my site as if it were an advertisement. It would be an advertisement for getting a great scientific education. Using eye-catching colors and providing pictures would cause the reader to want to pay attention. Once you have the attention of the reader, he or she will want to read on because it looks interesting. If the reader is like myself, he or she will assume that if it looks interesting then it is interesting!

Assignment 2: Analyzing a Rhetorical Situation

The article "Chirality at Work" by A. Maureen Rouhi is an article that was assigned to read in organic chemistry I at USM. Around the time that this article was assigned we were discussing stereochemistry which is "the branch of chemistry that deals with spatial arrangements of atoms in molecules and the effects of these arrangements on the chemical and physical properties of substances" (yourdictionary). The author of this article, A. Maureen Rouhi, is the deputy editor-in-chief for Chemical & Engineering News magazine. She received her Ph. D in chemistry from the University of London and has covered stories ranging from biomaterials to the custom production of chemicals (C &EN). Rouhi's article was published by the American Chemical Society in the Chemical & Engineering News magazine (About C & EN). This magazine has an array of topics through its pages. These topics include business, government & policies, and science & technology. However, the topics of business and government & policies almost always are involved with science in some way. For instance, in this month's issue in the government & policy section there is a story titled "Greenpeace Targets Dupont Facilities" which is about an environmental group exposing the risks caused by using toxic chemicals (GTDF). That being said, the publisher's intended readers are scientists, chemists, or any person who has an interest in science. A person reading this article would most likely have some interest in chemistry. Otherwise, he or she would simply not finish reading it. The writer assumes that the reader is aware of meanings of the scientific words that she uses such as "enantiomer, chiral, and racemate". There were some things in this article that I didn't even understand.

The article begins by telling the story of a woman that has been found dead. Investigators found Robutussin in the woman's body but not enough that would kill her. Later, gastric content was analyzed and traces of levomethrorphan were found. Levomethorphan is an enantiomer of dextromethorphan which is the active drug found in Robitussim. These two chemicals combined together, being enantiomers of each other, are extremely toxic thus killing the woman. An enantiomer is a "stereoisomer whose molecules are nonsuperposable mirror images of each other" (Solomons). Here is an example of what enantiomers look like:

The article basically gives many examples of different enantiomers causing toxic effects on those who injested them. Racemic drugs are also mentioned and according to the article racemic drugs "can cause problems in the differences in the biological effects and in the pharmacokinetics of the enantiomers". Some of the different drugs are metabolized differently in different individuals causing some individuals to need more of the drug and some to require less. Rouhi discusses the idea that much more research should go into chiral technologies since so many deaths have resulted in the past from lack of knowledge on the subject. I agree that more research is needed for fully understanding how different drugs work together and, in a way, against each other. Through some of the research that has already been conducted researchers have found that new drugs are most likely to be developed as a single enantiomer and that this is best because of chiral switches.