Conference Notes

The first pages of my research paper attempted to introduce my thesis topic. The biggest mistake I made was not treating my topic as a controversial debate between my hunch is and what other scholars are saying about the assumption, "education is something that promotes the common good." Dr. Archibald gave me helpful advice on the controversy I should be looking for in my research. This includes finding examples of people who hold an occupation not within the norm (entertainer, artist, comedian, etc.) and challenging the idea that they do not give back to the community. What I plan to do now is find sources that not only support my thesis, but attempt to contradict my thesis.

Research Progress

During the first phase of my search for sources I tried looking for articles on motivational rhetoric. Since my two speakers, Drs. Lyte and Herr, were attempting to motivate their audience I wanted to find information on how to motivate people. My findings turned up an article concerning the different levels of motivation under investigation for the improvement of education. This was a win-win article because my thesis states that, "Education is something that promotes the common good," and improvements to education therefore should equal improvements in society.


Another finding in my investigation was of the Millersville magazine "Review," which has a section to update readers on what MU alumni are doing at the moment. This was a very useful tool for my research because I need examples of alumni who are making a difference to support my thesis that, "Education is something that promotes the common good." There should be evidence of how these Millersville alumni are using what they have learned to serve their community.


Also I will use the original documents from the beginning of the semester to support my thesis. There are plenty of examples in both speeches that education can improve the lives of those who experience it.

Conference notes

1. My new research proposal is, "Education is something that promotes the common good."


2. Research the science behind Motivational Rhetoric.


3. Research who else is/was doing motivational speaking in the local area.


4. Purpose of commencement speeches is to not only energize the audience, but also causes them to reflect on what they have just done.


5. How to become "someone" in this community?


6. How is Central PA (Lancaster-Millersville) area generating the means for a better society?


7. Browse community websites and call around.


8. Use examples from past individuals to get into the conversation about individuals making a difference today.


9. Look for alumni who did what their speakers told them to do.


10. Look for alumni who now do community service, politics, environmental work, health care, work to solve poverty problems, work with medicine, etc.


11. Start with both commencement speeches.


12. Ideals taught in liberal arts education can be internalized.


13. Philosophy of institution is my thesis, "Education is something that promotes the common good."


14. Connect the ideals of commencements to the individuals who acted on those principles.

ResProj paper ideas

1. "Lyte and Herr were excellent motivational speakers intent on making the world a better place."


2. "Motivation brought [Lyte and Herr] to the highest levels of their existence, and motivation led them to share the knowledge that everyone has the capacity to achieve their dreams."

After reading these quotes from my 2Syn paper what do you think about these topic ideas? Do you understand what I am getting at? Which one sounds best to use for the 3ResProj? Why?

Integrating Sources

Example #1 

Dr. Lyte, in his address, warns his students to, “be loyal to your friends. Be loyal to your country. Be loyal to your vocation. Be loyal to the truth.” Loyalty is a delicate bond, and should not be taken for granted. Loyalty is the central idea in Lyte’s speech, from beginning to end. He relates loyalty to all parts of life and all circumstances, no matter how trivial they may seem. Therefore, the body of the speech covers each loyalty trait and why they are important to the graduates of 1896.

Example #2

Both Lyte’s and Herr’s purpose for delivering their respective speeches was to motivate their audience. Both were commencement speeches meant to be heard by the graduating class of that time period. These individuals must have felt great anxiety for a moment such as graduation day. Dr. Lyte begins his speech by mentioning to his students,

The ties that have bound you to this institution as students are now about to be severed. You are ready to commence a new life in the broad field of the world, and await but the word which will seud you forth as laborers with the thousands that are winning fame and fortune in the professions and in business.

Now, for those listeners to hear the first portion of that address is frightening, with the thought that their lifeline, a.k.a. Millersville, is about to be cut off from their lives forever. They were, to a point, sheltered from the realities of a cruel, cold world outside of college life. Even though the student body present holds a degree in each hand, the promise of securing a position with said degree was never guaranteed upon entering and leaving the school. Slowly but surely reality is sinking in, doubt and worry will take a toll on the inexperienced graduate. Luckily, Lyte throws in the opposing viewpoint that the business men and women are making a grand living. Every student present at the graduation ceremonies are in fact business tycoons in the making. All they need is a gentle shove and a clear indication of the direction they need to go. And with Lyte just being present at that moment in their lives, giving them words of hope and wisdom on their new chapter of life, is a push in the right direction.

First Paragraph of 2Syn Paper

Dr. Eliphalet Oram Lyte and Dr. Hugh Herr are two visionaries who lived in two very different time periods. Lyte comes from the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, and Herr from the end of the twentieth century to the early twenty-first century. However, both were motivational speakers who read inspirational speeches. Oram Lyte delivered a well-written address dealing with the many levels of loyalty, instilling in each graduate a will to govern the outcome of their future. Hugh Herr’s message was that despite all odds a person could make a difference in the world. Therefore one cannot judge a book by its cover and think that these two monumental figures have nothing in common. You have to see the purpose that drives these men forward, and that purpose is to motivate their peers.

After reading this first paragraph what do you think my paper will be about?

What is a Synthesis?

You've probably heard the word "synthesis" countless times in the past, haven't you? It comes to mind from words such as "photosynthesis," or if a material can be described as being "synthetic." However, the definition we are looking for doesn't involve plant life or the creation of new matter. In its raw contextual form synthesis is defined as, "The process of combining objects or ideas into a complex whole," according to dictionary dot com. Along those lines from the synthesis chapter it states that a synthesis project, "Brings together material from two or more sources in order to generate new information or to support a new perspective."

Thus the whole procedure is as simple or difficult as finding common ground. In fact I've discovered that the most challenging synthesis by far is between two documents from different time periods. It's frustrating enough when decades or even centuries separate the dates of the documents. But when several events and changes have occurred since the time of the old document's publication, the link between the two is practically nowhere in sight. Not only do outside factors present an issue, but also the documents themselves have a contrasting structure and style. Therefore I would need to look beyond the opposing elements and search for a deeper, contextual meaning hidden inside the work.

Luckily I've been planning ahead and began the prewriting stage for my topics. The speakers had a similar goal in mind when presenting their speech: they both wanted to motivate and inspire their audience. Therefore my whole study and thesis should be centered on the argument of how to properly motivate or inspire an audience. I will need to conduct research on the social, political, economic and technological aspects of each time period. And I will need to pay attention to techniques each speaker employs in their speech to get across to their respective audience. 

Insights From Reading The New Document

My new document is unique because instead of being a text, it is a video of Hugh Herr’s keynote speech at the commencement of 2011. Nonetheless after watching the video, and compiling a working outline for what ideas were covered, similarities could be seen between Dr. Herr's and Dr. Lyte's speech. Both speakers' purpose was to motivate their audience, and both were renown for the respective work they accomplished in their time period. Thus they were way ahead of their time; they were true visionaries who were equipped with unique personalities and versatile abilities.

In the original document, Lyte based his argument around a central theme: Loyalty. He states in the beginning of his address to, "Be loyal to your friends, be loyal to your country, be loyal to your vocation, be loyal to the truth." He expanded these ideas into rhetorical situations for the graduating class to take to heart.

In the new document, Herr emphasizes the theme of his progress: Passion. His favorite quote during the speech was from Archimedes, which proclaimed, "Give me a place to stand, and a lever long enough, and I shall move the world." He also advises the graduating class to pursue a career that they love and enjoy in order to be successful in life.

Dr. Lyte was the force behind the greatest renovations in Millersville's history: the erection of a new gymnasium (Dutcher Hall today), the construction of the Biemesderfer Library (now the administrative building), and the completion of the Science Hall (called Wickersham nowadays). 


Dr. Herr not only was the founding father of his unique prosthetics, but has three main positions that he maintains: professor at MIT, professor at Harvard, and teaching and conduct research at prestigious colleges throughout the world. 

E. O. Lyte started a one-on-one interview program to stay informed about the livelihood of his students, which he kept written in a diary he called the “Principal’s Black Book.” When a student of his, Kate Heintzelman, died of typhoid fever, he wrote a very touching and sympathetic letter to her mother. And Lyte supported the WCTU (Women’s Christian Temperance Union), The Normal Journal, The Christian Advocate, and The Reformed Messenger; all were student organized and only possible because of Dr. Lyte’s favor towards them.

Hugh Herr could foresee the possibilities and freedom of improved prosthetics. Obviously he manufactured bionic limbs that enabled gripping and adaptation for mountain climbing, but he is also working on technology that will connect the wearer’s nervous system to the limbs. Thus the sensation that the amputee lost will be restored so they can feel grass and sand on their feet again. 

Now you begin to see the surreal likeness between these very different men of stature. One was a loyal teacher, and the other was a passionate engineer. Nonetheless, their work all centered around the betterment of the fellow man. 

Revising the 1 Report Assignment

After reading Dr. Achibald's comments on my first draft, I knew I had my work cut out for me. Some comments were friendly reminders about steps that I overlooked, and one was actually a compliment on my opening paragraph. Nonetheless, my final draft has to show some marvelous improvement in order for me to feel satisfied about my overall report.

The opening paragraph can stay where it is and basically worded how it is, but I should really tweak the ending sentences in order to tie into my new format. This time around, I will definitely expand and draw examples from my document, "Dr. Lyte's Address to the Graduating Class." This includes painting a picture of who E. O. Lyte was, whether by sources on his accomplishments or on testimonies of his character. 

This is not enough, however, and I must take that background information and turn it into a helpful catalyst for my thesis statement. My thesis statement was that, “Not much has changed at our university even though the years have slipped away. Besides the obvious changes in politics, the economy, social conditions and technology the goals for teaching and learning have not been compromised. A prime example of the timelessness felt here at Millersville University is in the core value that has been passed down from generation to generation: Loyalty.” There must be evidence that my thesis is correct, and that will come from an additional about our current president, Dr. Francine McNairy. By making a connection between how presidents behaved in the past and how they do in the present age, I will cement the foundation of my point of view.

And of course I will follow every step this time. There will be an accurate word count on the bottom of the report, the spacing will be doubled, my works cited list will be complete, and my paper in its entirety will have closure to it by its concluding paragraph.

They Say / I Say -- Response 1

In the Introduction to "They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein provide templates designed to improve writing techniques of scholarly reports. Specifically, Graff and Birkenstein argue that the types of writing templates they offer are but a starting point for the work to be done, and creativity can complete the rest of the report. As the authors themselves put it, "The belief that pre-established forms undermine creativity... rests on a very limited vision of what creativity is. In our view, the [templates] in this book will actually help your writing become more original and creative, not less." Although some people believe that writing in templates takes away from originality and makes their papers all sound the same, Graff and Birkenstein insist that the templates represent the tricks of the trade in sophisticated thinking and writing. In sum, then, their view is that their techniques will significantly improve the writing habits of college students, if the readers of this text carefully follow their instruction and practice the authors' logistics.

I agree to this bold statement about the advantages of using "They Say / I Say." In my view, the types of templates that the authors recommend are very practical for repetitive usage. For instance, if a writer gets tired of using a particular template, he or she can easily switch to another legitimate template. In addition, depending on the direction of the paper, different templates may be employed to suit the needs of the subject matter. Some might object, of course, on the grounds that writing using templates restricts the overall content of the work. Yet I would argue that the wording of the templates isn't important either; or you can reword one of Graff's and Birkenstein's templates to match your style. Overall, then, I believe this text is essential to the beginner -an important point to make given arguments a standing chance.

The History of Lancaster County

After several failed attempts to add my library research findings to the course mind map, I gave up and began this course blog post instead. I honestly tried to edit the course mind map, but the "add idea" button wouldn't light up by dragging my cursor over it. Luckily I already browsed the items available for the MU & Local History branch of the map to stay up-to-date on my topic.

My library search unearthed an extensive volume of archives concerning the history of Lancaster County.  I will narrow my search to the time period we are after, which is of course anywhere from 1820 to 1920. This could prove to be tricky considering the twenty-some chapters that I have to sift through during my research. But as with all great masterpieces, or any work for that matter, it requires time and patience to complete to the fullest of your ability. And mark you I am prepared to take on this task.

In the very beginning when we had to preference our topic choices, I knew I wanted to cover the history of this area. I come from Lebanon County, which is next door to Lancaster, but still outside of its unique legacy. I am curious to what life was like in Lancaster during the 19th century, and taking this viewpoint I will compare it to my perception of what I originally believed 19th century life was like in general. 

How this history will tie into the rest of MU & Local History I am not sure. Hopefully Christiana and the Christiana Riot will be mentioned to connect it to the findings found on the course mind map. I am confident that Millersville will be covered in the archives, and thus Dr. Lyte’s Address can be woven into the tapestry of Lancaster’s traditions. And finally the whole picture can be painted from the standpoint of Sally E. Bolton, in order to bridge the final gap.