Vivien Doucette

For this project we were asked to create a piece of writing based on our sense of place
and our personal environmental ethic. To begin this project we researched different energy
production schemes such as dams, coal and renewables. We were introduced to environmental
ethics by reading articles such Bakken Business, Aldo Leopolds The Land Ethic and some of
Edward Abbeys writings. We analyzed these sources and independently researched different
methods of energy productions. Multiple speakers came into to discuss different schemes and
their personal ethics. A class trip to Canyonlands, a favorite spot of Edward Abbeys was offered
as we began to form our sense of place and land ethics. Before we wrote our pieces we
discussed nature writing, and how it can be effectively used to reach your readers.
This essay project was in particularly difficult to refine, but after some hard, focused work
I was able to see significant growth in the development of my thoughts, correct comma use and
more concise language. My initial Inspiration Journal entries, though to the heart, were
unorganized and jumbled in ideas. This showed itself again in the first and second drafts of my
writing. Complete parts of the assignment were missing and the ideas given were not connected
in a cohesive. In effort to create a better paper, I combined my ideas, drawing on parallels of my
sense of place and my ethics, including the needs of society. This hopefully made the paper not
only easier to read and understand but also more professional. In my first and second draft,
there was also an excessive amount of commas. They were placed in areas that made the
reading choppy and confusing. They were so often, that when corrected the entire page seemed
to be underlined in red. By using my resources I was then able to refine and add or delete
commas when needed. I have come to realize when commas are necessary and not, while
learning more about proper sentence structure. It has become apparent that to improve my
writing, I must learn and use commas properly, especially if I want to study writing in college. I
have always struggled with wordiness in my writing, but the refinements from my first and
second drafts helped me improve the conciseness of my paper. I learned that reaching a word
limit should not be done by adding extra words or sentences, but by refining and explaining your
ideas. Extra words and sentences only confuse the reader.
Ive always know that dance has a special place in my heart and creates a better life for
me, but I wasnt entirely sure how or why. This project has helped me realize the importance
and reinvigorated the passion within me to continue doing what I love. During this exceptionally
difficult time allowing myself to write about the connection I have with ballet has refocused my
mind and gives me more capability to process and handle work loads and personal issues. I
have also have come to realize more that to do as well as I want to in papers, school, or
anything I need to stop and slow down so I can process my thoughts in a logical manner. I
believe that my difficulty with school lately has stemmed from a Just get it done attitude and
has resulted in me turning in less quality work. In the future I need to really think about my
projects and work and refine with the goal of turning in the best work possible instead of just
handing it in to get it done.