Senior Writing Portfolio Fall 2005 / Shawna Vaughn
Millikin University
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Shawna Vaughn

Shawna Vaughn

In May 2006, I will graduate from Millikin University with a double major in English-writing and Spanish. My experiences here have provided me with the opportunities to explore a variety of writing genres, expand my knowledge, and exercise my writing skills. I have taken journalism, creative writing, and literature classes to focus and improve all areas of my writing. Writing for Millikin's newspaper, The Decaturian , has allowed me to practice my journalism skills in an almost professional atmosphere. In my Spanish classes, I studied the culture, art, and history of Spanish-speaking countries. During my senior year at Millikin, I began working on a short reference guide to help elementary teachers communicate better with Spanish-speaking parents. This project gave me the opportunity to combine both my English-writing and Spanish abilities. After graduation, I hope to find a career in which I can continue to use my English-writing and Spanish skills.  

Statement of Poetics

My writing is influenced by my life experiences, including my college years at Millikin University.    Each class I have taken has contributed unique bits and pieces to my overall knowledge and interests in a variety of areas. As a Spanish-major, I have a high regard for different cultures, which is frequently reflected in the topics I choose to research. My travels have also been a great influence in my work, especially in my creative writing, because I am fascinated by exploring new places, learning new histories and cultures, and meeting new, intriguingly different people along the way. I write best when I am addressing an issue that is of personal interest to me but I also enjoy the challenge of exploring unfamiliar topics. When I am writing, I learn about myself and the world around me.

As I explored various writing genres throughout college, I wrote certain works that have more significance to me than others. I've written a short, creative screenplay about the people we meet in life and a brief, historical theatrical play about the Spanish terrorist group ETA. Both of these projects are important to me because they allowed me to explore a writing genre that I had not ventured upon previously. My two most significant research papers include a paper on cross-class dressing in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and a brief, analytical paper on Sarah, the main character, in Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman . The news articles I have written also provided valuable experiences for my possible future career endeavors.      

I know that I have made progress in all areas of my writing over the past four years. Currently, I am interested in focusing on my journalism skills, which I believe will be beneficial in almost any professional writing career. I am also trying to improve my Spanish writing skills as well.         

Introduction

As human beings living in a country strongly supportive of free speech, we all have opinions, especially those concerning the welfare of our government. The first news article I wrote, "Bush addresses congress", was completed as part of a journalism workshop class, which requires writing articles for publication in the university newspaper. While most of the articles I have been assigned to write have been features, "Bush addresses congress" reports the most significant points President Bush made in his 2005 State of the Union address. This assignment poised not only the challenge of writing a news article but also a test of my journalism skills, which demand I write with an unbiased tone. I approached this controversial subject by writing to fulfill the questions my diverse audience might have on this speech:   What was the focus of the President's speech? What did he stress the most? What are the President's goals for the future of our country? As I wrote, I overcame the obstacle of objectively writing a news article. My final draft of "Bush addresses congress" is not only an example of unbiased writing, but also evidence that when confronted with a challenge, I am capable of reasoning, writing, reviewing and redrafting my way to success.
 

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Bush addresses Congress

Shawna Vaughn
staff writer, Decaturian

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, President George W. Bush gave the annual State of the Union Address in which he outlined the White House's objectives for the next four years. The President's primary goals included improving the economy, saving and reforming Social Security, preserving America's family values, and continuing to protect the United States against terror.

"Over the next several months, on issue after issue, let us do what Americans have always done, and build a better world for our children and our grandchildren," President Bush stated near the opening of his speech Wednesday evening.

The first issue on the President's agenda is to better the nation's economy by making it "more flexible, more innovative, and more competitive." President Bush aims to do this by cutting the national deficit in half by 2009, making a college education more affordable by increasing the size of Pell Grants, protecting small businesses and improving America's health care system by building more health centers in poorer communities, developing better information technology and expanding health saving accounts.

"All of these proposals are essential to expand this economy and add new jobs--but they are just the beginning of our duty," President Bush declared.

The President plans to "strengthen and save Social Security," which he claimed is "headed toward bankruptcy." According to Bush, Social Security will be nonexistent by 2042 if the system remains the same. Social Security reforms that are currently "on the table" include "indexing benefits to prices rather than wages, increasing retirement age and discouraging early collection of Social Security benefits."

"We must guarantee there is no change for those now retired or nearing retirement. And we must take care that any changes in the system are gradual, so younger workers have years to prepare and plan for their future," Bush stated.

The President also suggested voluntary personal retirement accounts. These personal accounts allow workers to deposit their money into a retirement account that will increase over time.
Family values were also at the top of the President's priorities.

"Our second great responsibility to our children and grandchildren is to honor and to pass along the values that sustain a free society." Bush commented before emphasizing the importance of the institution of marriage.

"Marriage is a sacred institution and the foundation of society, it should not be redefined by activist judges. For the good of the families, children, and society, I support a constitutional amendment to protect the institution of marriage."

Briefly mentioning his opposition of stem-cell research, Bush declared, "America will continue to lead the world in medical research that is ambitious, aggressive and always ethical."

The President also vowed to fight gang life by helping "organizations keep young people out of gangs," and showing "young men an ideal of manhood that respects women and rejects violence."

It came as no surprise that the biggest issue in President Bush's State of the Union address was the War on Terror and defending the American people.

"Our third responsibility to future generations is to leave them an America that is safe from danger, and protected by peace. We will pass along to our children all the freedoms we enjoy--and chief among them is freedom from fear," Bush announced.

In his second term of office, the President will continue to promote peace and democracy in the Middle East while fighting the threat of terror on the home front and abroad.

"Our men and women in uniform are fighting terrorists in Iraq, so we do not have to face them here at home," Bush commented.

The President concluded his State of the Union address by offering examples to support of our contribution in Iraq, including encouraging comments by Iraqi citizens, by declaring that Iraq will be "a country that is democratic, representative of all its people, at peace with its neighbors, and able to defend itself," and by honoring our nation's military.

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©2005 Randy Brooks—all rights return to the authors upon publication.