Final Blog before summer, due May 11th: Coms 2 and Coms 5

BON VOYAGE FRIENDS!!!!
communication competence is important as we leave each other to go on into the sunshine! name one competent communicator in your life and at least 2 reasons with examples of why he or she is competent and well-recieved. consider: cultural diversity, gender, income levels, listening skills, tone of voice, words and action. please keep in touch through email, it was a pleasure meeting you all! idnasss@yahoo.com
--your blogging leader

Blog For Coms2 and Coms5: Due May 9th

Feeling lost? here's a map: For the second to last blog of the semester, I am getting a little choked up....or maybe its just allergies--who knows? Any-hoo, for this blog entry, make a persuasive claim about blogging as a map (figurative analogy, for those A students out there!) How is blogging a unique form of communication, does it lead you anywhere different, develop any new directions of thought? Remember: Rhetoric is the art of using all available means of persuasion, or, according to worldwideschool.org, rhetoric is "languguage all dressed up." So, is blogging a form of rhetoric?

Blog Due--All Classes, Cinco de Mayo!

For this blog, discuss something from hispanic culture and how it relates to communication for us here in the US--think influences and cultural links--Happy Cinco de Mayo Amigos!!!!--S

Debates, due May 2nd Coms 2 and 5

Hi There--The sun is out --hooray! For this blog, describe an on-going debate you have with some one close in your life and something from the class that relates to this issue, (4 lines minimum for credit). I'll go first! My dad and I always debate about creation versus evolution and various possible combinations...It relates to concepts such as persuasion in Coms 5 and the ability to convince one to "change" or open their mind, on either side of an issue, we both think we are "right!" --It also relates to Coms 5 is that our debates are performances of our family dynamic, a way we strengthen our roles and personas within the family. Whose next?????--S

Post Due by Fri 4/21: Coms 2 and Coms 5

Hi Gang--Both classes are approaching our final speeches and presentations for the semester...time to start those outlines. Remember, when outlining, all citations should be included with complete urls or references according to APA or MLA --See http://www.apastyle.org/ for tips and get ORGANIZED! Citations build your "ethos" or speaker credibility! Now, for this BLOG--go visit this site: http://apnews.myway.com//article/20060414/D8GVOOK00.html
and refer to the article in a sentence, correctly making one citation with quotation marks, quotes and website location according to APA Style. Hint: According to Wheeler (2006), "Following these directions for the blog is not only neccessary, but outrageously fun too!" (comstwo.blogspot.com).
Citations Rule!--Bloghead

What Bugs YOU?: Post Due 4/14 Coms 2 and Coms 5

Hi There! With all this rain, it is hard to really focus on spring, but we only have 5 weeks left, can you believe it??? For this blog, please respond to the following question in five sentences or so, incorporating in concepts from either interviews and resumes (coms 5) or persona and voice (coms 2).

WHAT REALLY GETS ON YOUR NERVES??????????????????????
Peace-Out,
Homie-blogger Sandra

Post due Wed 4/8: Coms 2 and Coms 5

Hey hey hey!!!!! It is almost April, summer is coming! Let's get a sunny blog going to help dry out all this rainy gloom! Opinion, strong opinions are important in effective arguments...For this blog, in 2 parts,
1. Tell me one thing you have a super strong opinion about (appropriate topics please).
2. Make a three or four sentance argument for the opposite side of your opinion (as though arguing against yourself).

WHY you ask??? BECAUSE The best way to debate an issue is to understand and gain empathy for the other side you plan to argue against most effectively, believe it or not...try it! Sandra The Blogger, out...

This post Due Wed 3/29: Coms 2 and Coms 5

Persuasion is an important aspect of rhetorical argument. How does persuasion operate in the NBA and especially the organization of the Kings here in town. Visit http://www.nba.com/kings/ and find a good example from the Kings' official site. Five lines minimum for credit--S

COMS 2 and Coms 5: This blog due 3/22 at midnight

OKAY--Blog 5 sentences or more here on the following video of Jason McElwan and his on and only--amazing high school basketball game. Watch this: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/79325/scored_20_in_4_minutes/

WHAT DOES THIS STORY ARGUE ABOUT (DIS)ABILITES?

Coms 2/Coms 5: Pre-Spring Break Blog-o-Rama

Okay Coms 2 Students: for this blog, make a simple cause and effect argument about your upcoming plans for spring break, (using appropriate language, but some humor is cool)describing the group you will be hangin' with and why
.....Then, enter the critical Coms 5 students: Using appropriate language, but a bit of humor is ok, use a small groups vocab word to comment on anyone in coms 2 and their spring break posse.

I, as your unofficial blog-master and fellow communication scholar will be monitoring these comments and watching for:

1. Possible 10 points extra credit for really fun, creative and interactive bloggers.
2. Multiple postings.
3. Good times. Yeah, good times.......(cut to dream sequence):
...Why, I remember one spring break back in '85.......(drifts off)

CRASH: Extra Credit Post

Post your CRASH extra credit assignments here and congrats for going above and beyond! Hope you enjoyed the film!--Sandra

Coms 2 and Coms 5: Blog Assigment #3

Okay, this is an all class post. Hello to you all from the Western Communication Conference in Palm Springs California. It is freezing down here! I showed my movie to a group of performance studies scholars today, I was very nervous. I got some good laughs, though!

Current Events: Regarding the recent landslide disaster in the Philipine Islands, tell me what it means to communication scholars. How can we help? What does our discipline have to offer in order to address natural disasters? Can you suggest a charity we should associate with if we want to contribute as a class or group? As students, what is our social responsibility? I am open to extra credit for ideas that can actually move our classes to action or those of you that are motivated to ACT in the face of the recent disaster. Think outside the box/act outside the classroom/make an active difference!--Sandra

Second Blog for My Coms 5 Posse

Hi Team! Hope you enjoyed the Superbowl and are ready for the olympics! Check out the two images below in the Coms 2 post and based on your What is Communication Paper, tell me what the idea of a mascot communicates and how your personal opinion of Communication as a discipline can help to explain this odd sports phenomenon. Please type up at least five sentences and whenever possible, connnect with a classmate's comment in some way. Good luck!--Slogger

Blog #2 For My COMS 2 Peeps

Hi fellow arguers! Now that you have your first speech in the bag, you are officially "argumentative." Or something like that....anyway, I want to know...what's up with mascots? Neve and Gliz are the goofy mascots for Torino's Winter Games on your right and for the Superbowl, we have a Seahawk named Blitz to your left....uh, well The Steelers don't have a mascot....they used to have some longshoreman dress up like an I-Beam in the eighties, but now, they just have bath towels...hmmm...An argument in its most simple for consists of data and claim...and a mascot is a visual argument...search the web a bit and make a claim here backed up by data (examples, stats, effects, evidence) that you can use it when you write your position paper (see p. 69) about mascots in general --or any of these mascots in particular or even the Steeler's lack of a Mascot, which is also a rhetorical statement.

Ask yourselves:
1. What does a mascot do? What is it for? (This is teleological question for you A students, fyi)
2. Who is the mascot's audience, really?
3. Whose point of view are the characters seen from? (p. 57 in our book)
4. What ethnicity or gender are these mascots if any? Why?

Experiment with voice and take a strong rhetorical stance in your comments and respond to the questions above...backing your claims with data. Have fun with this and PUSH your critical thinking. Try to use vocabulary from our class in your response!
PS: Speaking of mascots, I think Hornets are scary, especially that gigantic two-story- one that gets tied to the library during Homecoming!

Welcome CSUS Coms Two and Coms Five Students!

Hello and glad to have you all here! For your first blog, do the following. Respond using the comments prompt below to the following three questions, and number them please. #1. What is your first name and last initial/are you coms 2 OR 5? #2. What is you favorite movie? #3. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? #4. On a scale of 1 to 5, "1" for scared /angry enough to puke/punch something and "5" for EZ street dawg, I could do it with one hand tied behind my back, rate your feeling going into this class . #5. Respond constructively to someone else's posting. Whoever goes first can respond to me or my syllabus. No profanity please!
--Sandra