Tess Griman 1102-095 Midterm Ms. Ingram 1.

I chose the topic of same-sex marriage for my exploratory essay because it is not only something I am very passionate about, but it would also be a topic that would force me to take a risk in writing. Before I had even started writing my exploratory essay, I knew that if I wanted to write a paper worthy arguing for samesex marriage, Id have to challenge myself to really think about all the key concepts and try to incorporate them into the examination of my passion in a way that could change peoples perspective on the matter. Although I was already somewhat familiar with the topic, there were still plenty of things that I was curious about, other factors, like how economically beneficial it would be to each state to legalize the union of gay couples. Throughout the time I spent writing this paper, I spent quite a bit of time engaging with the key concepts of critical thinking and the writing process in its entirety. Finding information that wasnt biased, just straightforward facts was the toughest part because I had to reference numerous sites to affirm the validity of just one. Finding research to help people understand my passion for human rights was only one part of my paper though, I knew I wanted to incorporate a unique element or perspective that would help me mature and grow intellectually by making myself look at the topic in a different way. I chose to incorporate the song, Same Love, by Macklemore because I knew that was the easiest way to make a connection with my peers. The song also gave me jumping off points, other ideas of topics that I could discuss. Overall, I believe that my strong use of independent inquiry makes me worthy of at least a B. 2. I have chosen to analyze Camerons portfolio. It is clear that her intended audience is her peers, people that are either familiar with the class or the assignment. On her home page, she states that the purpose of her page is to learn more about her own writing style and grow as a writer over time. She also states that the e-portfolio provides her with the opportunity to connect and better understand her peers. Overall as a writer, I would say that she is very credible. Her credibility stems from unique writing

style. In her Lit narrative, Cameron exhibited great use of imagery and detail that made me feel as if I was a part of her experience. To me, I believe that Camerons portfolio was a highlighted work due to its neatness and straight to the point style. She excelled in the Spatial, Visual, and Linguistic mode of communication the best. Her portfolio is well organized in that she has put all her works under a portfolio tab in the order they were done to make locating them easy. This could also be praised as a smart choice because it makes her page uncluttered and also free of distractions. The white background and inclusion of only the necessary elements make her page visually appealing as well. Like I previously mentioned, her choice of words in her Lit Narrative, make visualizing her story easy for her readers. Overall, I believe that Camerons e-portfolio was A material for sure. 3. Although it was not necessary to do so yet, in my exploratory essay I included some information that I had researched to support my argument for my passion. My research detailed numerous benefits to the legalization of same-sex marriage. But in order to be fair and open minded, I have to consider all sides to have a winning argument. I would like the focus of my inquiry question to be something along the lines of: What arguments do people and government officials make to support their claims that same-sex marriage will do more harm than good. Im also curious about the whole aspect of separation of Church vs. State, disregarding someones religious beliefs as a contributing factor, and what support do they have for their argument. As the first openly gay United States Senator to be elected into office, I would like Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin to be my first choice. I am choosing her not just for her own personal beliefs, that I would hope would appeal to the other peoples pathos, but because she could prove to the rest of the guests, great leaders do come in many varieties. To be fair, I would also like to have U.S. Senator John Cornyn from Texas. The state of Texas is known for many things, but being a conservative, Republican state is the most popularly known fact. It should come as not surprise that this senator is vehemently opposed to same-sex marriage. He has been known to reference the Bible when speaking about the matter. Because this matter is more than politics though, Id want

to pick someone who could appeal to the pathos side of it, someone like a human rights activist. I used to believe that those who voted against the legalization of the union in their state were mostly older people because most people from those generations were raised more conservatively and were God-fearing people. I recently read an article that interviewed some people from older generations that were asked about how they felt in regards to the matter, and most of them felt that it was not their job to tell others how to live their lives. That being said, my other choice would be a handful of heterosexually married elderly couples. Opposite them, a few same-sex couples that are elderly. But it would also be wise of me to consider the fact that the legalization of this law will affect my generation and those younger than me the greatest. I would also select people between the ages of 18-25. Since being elected, Pope Francis has radically changed the way things have been done in the Catholic Church. Changing policies and becoming a more people person, Pope Francis is known to openly support gay marriage and tell those who oppose it, that to not support it would be an anthropological regression.