Category: Uncategorized
Food for Thought
22 October, 2018
In my English class, we are writing an argumentative essay about the gaming community. We could choose any topic we wanted but we had to make sure we can argue and provide evidence. My mind was running blank about what I should write about. I was playing Toontown and considered how it was full of corrupted capitalism. I decided to link those two things together to write my paper. Here’s my thesis:
MMORPGs, massive multiplayer online role playing games, have been established itself as a form of entertainment. As a result, MMORPGs have shifted their image to have a capitalistic issue due to the video game industry pressuring their consumers.
It still could use some work. I have a hard time working on my thesis’ for papers. As for the whole process of my paper, I have not thought any further. I should start planning my essay and organizing them by ideas. For my resources, I could use the information from my library research assignment. I sort of know how to use the library database to find my sources. It’s pretty easy to find the books from their ISNs. It was difficult trying to incorporate the quotes and my topic into a cohesive thought. I could find multiple varies of sources to use and put them in a list, so I can easily go back to it and find it. From my own knowledge of games, I could experience more games to give me more evidence in my essay. It has been a very long time since I have written an argumentative essay, so I’ll try my very best to write it the most I can. After I complete my rough draft, I can proof read to make sure it’s how I like it. If I’m doubting my writing skills, I can ask someone to read my paper as well and ask them for good criticism.
-Felicia Tran
Ruminate
8 October, 2018
Writing my Micro-Ethnography paper was a little difficult. I have never done an observation essay before, so it was hard trying to put that into an essay. In the last few journals, I told you about my writing process. Its pretty much similar as I felt but I learned a little bit more.
I believe my writing process is still the same. Before I write, I do not brainstorm or outline. I see the prompt and I just write. After writing a couple of sentences, I have to double-check it for any mistakes. Sometimes if I’m feeling little adventurous, I check my writing in Grammarly. Every week, it has gotten easier to write these blog posts. I know what to expect when I do these writing assignments. Its sort of like a habit now.
After my class on Wednesday, my professor cleared up some things that I was uncertain about. She said to write about what I observed and why it was important enough to notice it. If there was something in the observation and if it wasn’t in the observation anymore, how would it affect the story? After my class ended, I had to somewhat include the Toulman Argumentative Tactics. I don’t think that anything has changed in my writing. I use the same vernacular in every situation.
I know these changes had to occur. If this is what my professor was teaching in class, I think it was important enough to include it in the paper. I need to work on using the Toulman Argumentative Tactics. I need to get use to it for future essays.
It was hard to use the Toulman Argumentative Tactics correctly. When I was using this process, I didn’t know if I was doing it right. It was troubling to do the rebuttal. How do I know what my audience doesn’t believe in my words.
-Felicia Tran
Reflection
24 September, 2018
For those of you who are wondering how I wrote “Life Is a Game” and “Rhetoric in Video Games” and what I regret doing, then this blog post was meant for you.
In my “Life Is a Game” blog post, I performed what I actually wrote. I told my cousins that we should play The Game of Life and secretly recorded the whole game. I thought it would be easier for me to record, so I wouldn’t have to remember every detail later on. I believe that they were a little annoyed by me, because I had to shout out everything that was happening. There was so much happening physically that I couldn’t get my phone to see what was occurring. I didn’t have enough time to write what I wanted and I had to leave out information that was important to the narrative. Next time I do a long narrative, I hope I do right.
In my “Rhetoric in Video Games” blog post, I had to use an example from the DALN, Digital Archive of Literacy Narrative, and Evan Narcisse’s “Video Games’ Blackness Problem” and try to connect them with my class discussions. To be honest, it took me a lengthy amount of time to come up with something to write about. I had to go back into my black hole of a memory and re-collect what my class discussions were about. After I did one of the examples of the DALN, I summarized it in my mind what it was about and tied it to my class discussions and “Video Games’ Blackness Problem”. From each source, rhetoric was the main topic I could correlate. I write about my class discussions and incorporate Narcisse’s article and the DALN into the discussions. Next time I try to do a connection between sources, I will think longer and harder about what I am going to write about and make it better than I want to.
-Felicia Tran
Rhetoric in Video Games
17 September, 2018
In my class discussions, we talk about rhetoric and how many different ways there are to persuade about a topic. Recently, we have been talking about video games and how they have an underlying message in them. Pathos is one of the reasons why consumers feel about the video game. The creator uses this to make the consumer have a connection with the characters and the story. Logos is another reason why consumers are persuaded by the morals of the video games.
Everyone has played video games or even games at least once in their lifetime. It could be Halo, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, or as simple as Candy Crush, Family Feud or Word with Friends on your phone. Every creator wants to have a meaning towards their games. When consumers are playing the games, they are taken through a specific story line. In each game, everyone learns the same story, so everyone should feel equal in experiencing the same things. One person could feel positive about a subject, but another person could feel negative about the same subject. A creator should look at their demographic carefully. When creators are developing their games, they should think about their demographic and evolve the game on the age of consumers. By disclosing a certain genre of people, it can leave those people with discomfort about the creator’s decision.
Narratives are important, because they tell a story. Whether it is real or fake, they present information to a certain demographic. Narratives help the reader see through the author’s point of view. A narrative could be literally anything that is written down physically, like a book or online, like a blog. A narrative is everywhere. Anything you look at is a narrative. A narrative could be even under your nose and you wouldn’t notice.
-Felicia Tran
Life Is a Game
10 September, 2018
“Let’s play The Game of Life!,” I said.
Mai grabs the box and places it on the table and takes a seat. Michelle runs into the kitchen and we sit around the box. After we open the box, Michelle starts searching and grabbing all of the game pieces.
“I want the green car!,” Michelle yells.
“We have to place everything down in their place before we start the game,” I said.
She places the green car piece beside her, so no one can can have it. Whenever we play this game, we know to give Michelle the green car piece.
“Who wants to be the banker?,” I asked, looking at both of them.
“I’ll do it!”, Mai exclaimed.
Mai organizes the money and cards into different stacks depending on their name, color or worth. She deals everyone $200,000, so everyone can start the game with some money. After we place everything down, Mai and I get our car pieces.
“I want yellow,” Mai said.
“I guess I’ll go with pink. Everybody get a character piece,” I said.
Everyone places a pink person in our car piece. Each of us spins the dial to see which one of us gets to go first. Mai spins the dial and gets a 7. Michelle spins the dial and gets a 3. I spin the dial and get a 1. Mai gets to go first, then Michelle, and I get to go last. We place our car pieces on the starting line.
“Would you like to college or have a career?,” I asked Mai.
“I want to go to college,” she said.
She pays the bank $100,000 and spins the dial and gets a 3. Mai zooms to the third space and picks a card.
The card says: “You make a fruit smoothie! Spin to see how smooth it is. Spin: 1-5, Collect: $50,000; Spin: 6-10, Collect: $100,000.”
She spins and gets a 5, and receives $50,000 from the bank.
“What do you want to do?,” I asked Michelle.
“I want have a career,” she said.
Mai fans out the Career Cards, so Michelle can pick her career. She gets Police Officer. Michelle spins and gets a 3. She lands in her space and gets a card.
Her card says: “Win a “Beautiful Forehead” contest!” COLLECT 40K FROM BANK”
Mai gives her $40,000 and puts it into her pile.
“I’m going to college,” I said.
I pay the bank $100,000 and spin the dial to get a 4. I land in the space and pick up a card.
The card says: “You write a children’s book! Tell everyone what it’s about. COLLECT 40K FROM BANK.”
Mai hands me $40,000. I take the money and put it in my money pile. Mai spins the dial and gets a 3.
Her card says: “You learn to skydive! Link up with everyone in formation. PAY BANK 70K.”
…
I finish into retirement and choose millionaire mansion to live in with my husband and children. Michelle finishes and picks millionaire mansion, and eventually Mai finishes as well and also picks millionaire mansion. We count up all our cards, houses and money. We also count up our children to get our child bonus. Mai wins the game with $1,000,600. I come in with a close second with $394,000 and Michelle ends up in last place with $70,000.
“This game sucks. I don’t like The Game of Life,” Michelle said.
I picked this game because it represents life. Everyone experiences it and has to deal with life. Everyone has to choose what path to take and go on from there. I am very decisive person and I like to choose the best option for me. I am scared that if I pick the wrong thing, then my future will be bad as well. I will re-trace my steps and waste time when I should’ve picked this. There are times when I’m playing The Game of Life, I’d rather pick a career than college. I know I don’t have to pick college or a career. Based on my experiences, I can judge what is best for me. When The Game of Life is over, everyone is at the same place, retirement. Everyone can have the same amount of money, someone could be in debt or someone can be a millionaire. There are many open doors for you. When you walk into one, all the other ones will close. When you go through that door, there will be another hallway full of open doors. Once you get to a dead-end, you find that all the other doors ended up going to one place.
-Felicia Tran
About
27 August, 2018
Hello! My name is Felicia Tran. I am currently 18 years old. I was born and raised in Gwinnett County, Georgia, then I moved to Saint Simons Island, Georgia. I have a wonderful family of a mother and a younger brother. I am a freshman attending Georgia State University, and I am majoring in Biology.
I am a huge dork for the Korean culture. When I first learned about Korea, I was completely mesmerized. I find the country very interesting. Even their music is wonderful. If I hear that their is a new K-pop song, I will immediately drop everything and listen to it. I am a huge fan of the boy group, Bangtan Boys, and the girl group, Red Velvet. I will unexpectedly find a Korean drama, and I will binge watch it for a week. My choice in clothes are based off of what they are wearing and Korean dramas.
I am very passionate about arts & crafts. Having to use creativity and think outside of the box makes me smile. I get pure happiness to see something that I made was from my own two hands. My house and room is filled with projects that I make. Baking is another hobby of mine. Baking makes feel like I am a chemist making an experiment. I put in all the ingredients and see the outcome of it. If it doesn’t go as smoothly as I would like it, I can try different measurements or a different temperature.
Whenever I have any free time to spare, I’m always leaning towards playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, also commonly known as PUBG. PUBG is an online multiplayer battle royale shooter survival game. You and 99 other players are dropped into an island and have to use a variety of weapons or vehicles to be last man standing. The game is similar to The Hunger Games. When I play PUBG, I feel like I’m in the game as well. You get to use strategy techniques and aim accuracy. I enjoy the rush and feeling the adrenaline pumping through me.
I am somewhat unsure about what I want to do for the rest of my life. I know that I want to do multiple things or projects in the future. My goal is to help people, whether it be helping those in need, a helpful service or making someone smile. I love putting smiles’ on peoples’ faces.
I have a hard time expressing my feelings openly. I believe this blog will help me become a better version of myself. Thank you for choosing my blog and I hope to inspire you.
“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”
Toontown 