Project 3 Reflection: Unique

                Project 3 was without a doubt the project that I felt most comfortable finishing. I would say that my best aspects of the project were producing the audio file into a viable podcast, and linking my thesis statement at the beginning to my closing argument. Even though Audacity is a poorly designed piece of software, I was able to work my way around the kinks and even edit some of the sound I imported.

           On the other hand, I found a challenge in the interview questions. I knew I had to ask them in a fashion that would contribute to my cause because a general question would allow the interviewee to go off on a tangent. So for instance, I interviewed Brandon Penton and instead of simply asking him what he thought about the smoking ban, I asked if he thought it was a battle of freedom or the danger of tobacco. It took me a while to come up with that approach so I definitely struggled with it.
           
           One thing I learned is that no matter how new a task may be to me or how difficult it is, the most effective way to solve any problem is asking logical questions. Logic was my guardian angel through the trials I faced and I committed to utilizing it early on.
          
            I do not know how many future experiences I will have using recording software but this assignment offered new techniques to use in my writing. The script format is very helpful to me and I plan to use it when drafting my papers. I understand that not every piece I write will be a script, but the technique is very methodical and provides visual support for the flow of the paper.

 I wholeheartedly believe I created a strong, fundamental argument. Although my thesis does not project a particularly abstract idea, it does reveal the true problem in the smoking ban. Its simplicity is the driving force behind it. I find that behind all the specifics involved in issues like these, the best answer is usually the most basic, logical one.

           When I am not occupied with writing for school, I love to write on my political blog, Paine’s Apprentices (referring to Thomas Paine). Because the content of this paper and the typical items I write on the blog are more or less connected, there are lessons to apply to the latter. Like I said before, my belief in the power of broad ideas has been reignited and I actually came across a few new ideas for the blog. For one final thought, I gained some valuable work experience using Audacity which I can apply to the film production area of my job.