Alyssa Witherington 

            I enjoyed Project 3 for multiple reasons. To start, it was a very unconventional type of

English assignment that really enabled me to branch out and get creative, which is not something

I get to do for school very often. The project in general was kind of like a breath of fresh air for

me, and it was definitely not what I was expecting. Additionally, this project enabled me to have

yet another opportunity to write more about plastic pollution in the ocean, which is something

about which I am extremely passionate.

            This has probably been my favorite project out of Projects 1, 2, and 3. It was not

necessarily easier, but it was definitely more fun than the previous two project assignments.

While I was still researching facts and using rhetorical terminology, it felt more rewarding

because I was able to apply my creativity to what I learned in class and create genre

compositions rather than just essays.

            I enjoyed making my beach sign the most. I wanted to create something that I wish

existed right now and was visible to beachgoers. If more beachgoers truly knew and understood

the egregious extent of this massive problem and the detrimental effect it has on marine life, I

genuinely believe that they would help right then, especially since they would be on the beach. I

wanted to create the sign because I felt, while maybe not being as rhetorically persuasive as my

brochure genre composition, it would reach the most people.

            I learned that my creativity works best when I do not try to please. When I try very hard

to achieve something, I am not as creatively successful as when I let my creativity take over and

run free. My perception about my own creativity was not necessarily changed. I have always

been an extremely creative person, so, when I stopped focusing as much on the grade I might

receive for the project, I was able to work much more efficiently and successfully.

            I am, admittedly, very proud of my genre compositions. I had seen only a few

infographics before this project, but I somehow was able to create an infographic that I think is

relatively persuasive. I managed to incorporate facts and consider rhetorical appeals, genre

conventions, and genre constraints within each of my genre compositions, so I am very proud of
what I was able to accomplish. I would definitely want to compose since I think it is such a good

way to expand creativity.

            The most challenging part of Project 3 was deciding on a topic. I did not consider reusing

my topic from Project 1 initially, so I floated quite a few ideas around for a while, such as

persuading people to live on the moon. I ultimately came back to persuading people to help

reduce plastic pollution in the ocean.

            My favorite word is “love.” While I think it is self-explanatory, I admire this word

because of its meaning. However, I feel that “love” has a multi-layer meaning that can be applied

to almost all relationships in one’s life, and, while the love an individual feels for someone in

their life differs from person to person, it is the underlying foundation to most relationships, and

I think that is a beautiful thing.