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Nick Oddo
Dr. McLaughlin
Multimedia: Writing & Rhetoric
9 December 2016
Semester Portfolio: Semester Analysis & Final Thoughts
The structure of my portfolio along with the final forms of each major composition
constitute the growth as a student and writer that I underwent throughout this semester. In this
portfolio, the reflection paragraphs providing introductory statements prior to my completed
work help to exhibit an overall fluidity of the project. Revisions made along the way paired with
strong examples of writing embedded within the sections help to reveal my understanding of
writing as a process. These strong examples of writing such as my research paper would not have
been brought into fruition without revision and adaptation of my original ideas and outlines.
Introducing that paper with both the research proposal and annotated bibliography positioned
before the final product also aid in showing the development of ideas for each piece while also
demonstrating the composition process that began each assignment. Including both the
storyboard and documentary proposal offers insight into the ever-changing elements of audience
recognition, strengthening of claims, and production of useable material. Referring to my
proposal for the research paper, my audience changed from a narrow language addressing
younger parents, to a larger audience including the younger audience attracted by these films,
parents of this younger audience, and even the filmmakers themselves. As more sources were
examined and gleaned for information, stronger claims were developed with stronger detail
backing them. Because of the repetition of this research process and adaptation of rough drafts to
a final copy, the work that I produced evolved over the semester. Struggling at first to identify
key claims in Rubin and Lyubomirsky articles in the first blog prompt, I became able to pull

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from multiple sources at once while integrating them into an argument in my voice by the end of
the semester. This strong progression not only was reflected in the feedback that I received from
my classmates, but also in the grades that I earned throughout the course.
Following this growth in understanding of writing, my improvement in creating and
defending a rhetorical argument appears most easily in my final rhetorical analysis essay. By
using key sources such as Judith Lancioni and Lloyd Bitzer, I was able to craft an analysis of the
film Happy, arguing that the filmmakers urge their audience to pursue their passion regardless of
poverty rather than attempt to gain material wealth at the expense of happiness. Discussion on
the usage of camera angle and shot selection paired with the rhetorical implications of subtitles
and transitional screens helped to provide support for my analysis. However, this project does
not constitute the only form of persuasive appeals found in my portfolio. Within the minidocumentary, the same techniques identified in the film Happy such as panning, shot selection,
transitions, interview choice, and editing appear strongly as well. Because of the pre-existing
debate over the division of non-athletes versus athletes on campus, my group decided to join the
conversation, understanding that the audience our documentary that we would be addressing
would most likely widespread. After all, the issue affects almost every student, faculty member,
and visitor of Notre Dame. To display this context, interviews of both sides (athlete/nonathlete)
were conducted. By doing so, we were able to create our own persuasive appeal backing the
athlete through this wide variety of techniques.
As stated earlier in this reflection, the inclusion of other portions of projects such as the
annotated bibliography of the research paper and the storyboard of the documentary demonstrate
the process and work behind each final product. However, these portions of my portfolio also
exemplify my improvement in critical thought process and research. With regard to my annotated

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bibliography, the material that was retrieved from multiple sources not only was able to
strengthen my argument, but also be introduced into a paragraph seamlessly with transitional
phrases and proper punctuation. My ability to scan an article for useful material also increased as
the semester progressed due to the mass quantity of information being used for class discussion
and blog posts. These simple weekly exercises also aided in the writing process of many of the
major assignments, specifically past essay review prompts such as Prompt 3 (the review of
Running into Fear and Finding Selflessness) and 14 (the review of A March Toward
Destruction). Class discussion also aided in the beginning stages of a project, allowing for an
argument to be tested against contrasting opinions.
Transitioning into the more technical side of writing development, my portfolio
demonstrates an understanding of the benefits of academic writing through careful analysis,
examination, and implementation of intellectual sources such as Bitzer and Herrick in my
finished compositions. Once again, work such as the annotated bibliography of the research
paper show the systematic process of citation and investigation of scholarly journals,
dissertations, and academic essays. Also, the in-text citations found in three out of four major
projects (the rhetorical analysis paper, the research paper, and the documentary paper) show an
understanding of source material and the positive aspects of reinforced claims through the use of
others thoughts.
Over the course of the semester, in-class examples of multimedia literacy, from examples
of documentaries to TED talk presentations, assisted in my growth as a writer and researcher.
Projects such as the group discussion facilitation demonstrated that a combination of visual and
written effects has the capability to sway an audience as long as they are presented in an
organized, clear manner. The Happiness Infographic created towards the beginning of the

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semester in comparison to the documentary created at the end of it also clearly shows the
progression I underwent in connecting medium to an encompassing message. Rather than letting
the media dictate the outcome of my project as the infographic template did, the overall claim
made by my documentary group dictated how WeVideo and the tools we used to capture the
documentary portrayed it. In other words, the synthesis of relative media and my own thoughts
were woven tighter with each experience. Finally, due to this synthesis, the caliber of multimedia
arguments continued to strengthen, culminating in the form of my research paper.
Receiving the position as the pinnacle of my writing this year, my research paper joining
the debate over the influences of Disney media on family structure proved to be the work that I
am most proud of this semester. The sources that I was able to draw from and interlock,
combined with the ease of transitioning allowed for a strong piece of writing that kept the reader
engaged and while highlighting my growth as a writer over the course of the semester. The topic
itself was fortunately fascinating to research, providing multiple voices for my final product that
supported my claims. This paper, even though it was the highest grade that I received on a major
project, still would have been my proudest work because of my strong interest in the topic. I
successfully stayed on top of my timeline each class period, and revised my final work multiple
times before actually submitting it for final grading. Lastly, I effectively condensed my topic
during the early stages from a broad analysis, to a concise, strong final argument. After
completing the minor revisions for its portfolio submission, I believe that it offers a strong
conclusion to a semester of hard work and determination.