Intro to the Senior Paper Synthesis: Notes from 1/16

          The objective of today's class session is as follows: I will be able to develop seeds of synthesis that can be organized into a coherent essay. To begin our activities, we started with group brainstorming. A statement and question were put on the board: "Dr. Hier's dissertation was around 120 pages long with almost 15 pages of citations. How does a human being do that?" In our groups we came up with answers and then as a class we constructed this chart on the board:

What did Dr. Hier need to have?	What did Dr. Hier need to do?
Passion Time Concentration Patience	Manage time Organize Set goals Energize

          We were urged to follow in Dr. Hier's footsteps. These examples of what he needed to have/do can be reintegrated into our own writing processes. This will ensure a smooth writing experience. 

          We then moved on to discussing a quote said by a man of the name Saunders. The quote is fairly long so I will paraphrase it. He creates an extended metaphor comparing the building of houses to writing. Saunders, in his quote, expresses doubt that he cannot build a mansion as he is accustomed to building small, simplistic yurts. However, he comes to the realization that a mansion is just "a series of connected yurts" (Saunders, 2017). This of course can be applied to our perception of the senior paper. Some of us look up at the word count minimum in fear, but by taking it with steps (one yurt at a time) we can alleviate these fears and have a more enjoyable/successful writing experience.

          We then took a step back to look at the Literature Review in a "big picture" sort of way. When we were assigned the Literature Review, we were given three points to hit:

1. Introduce major speakers/topics/events
2. Distill current state of conversation
3. Call for research

          These three points, when compared to the three-act structure, seem like three acts, but they are actually three sequences. They cover the first three sequences of Act 1:

1. Point of attack
2. Inciting incident
3. Lock in

          This hints to how one should sequence their paper. By referencing the three-act structure while writing, you will be able to align your paper to maximize synthesis. Creating research clusters will also aid in sequencing your paper. It is likely that in this process you will have to do more research. This is because by organizing clusters of information, you will open up gaps in your research that need to be filled.

          I must also include a link to the world at large from these studies. This will be redundant, as I made the same claim in my last Daily Log Blog, however I feel that as students, this is the most prevalent example: We will soon be graduating from high school and many of us will be attending college shortly. I have gathered enough information to confidently say that college isn't a walk in the park. If we want to perform our best, we're going to need to step up our game when writing. This senior paper assignment is a perfect opportunity for us to stretch our legs and see what we can do at our best.

          Best regards and good luck to you all! Don't forget that the senior paper is due February first. NO EXCEPTIONS. So you know, no pressure👍👌