Introduction

My Philosophy Statement

Hello and welcome to my RCL e-portfolio! My name is Katie Gergel and I have been taking a Rhetoric and Civic Life course over the past year. The purpose of this course was to enhance students’ understanding of how to communicate effectively using a variety of forms – through writing, speaking, multimedia and more.

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The assignments that we completed in this class allowed for us to interact with others in ways that we never had the chance to before. One project that sticks out to me in particular was “Deliberation Nation” in which we had to moderate public forums in community spaces to address ways of solving issues that we face in the world today. I really appreciated the chance to interact with both my peers and strangers in a way I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise.

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This class has taught me above all else how important it is to do our civic duty of speaking up on issues that we feel passionate about. If no one spoke up and called for change, change would never happen. Effective communicators who aren’t afraid to raise their voices are the foundation of progress and the source of the change we need to tackle problems faced in society.

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In this portfolio you will find sample work that I have done in this class. All of these projects have helped me in some way or another to become a more effective communicator and to find my personal voice when it comes to writing, talking, or expressing myself in general.