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.