Greg Dittman

English 150 Sec. 800

July 15, 2015
Discussion Board 1
Hello class! My name is Greg Dittman and I am a sophomore accounting major
and software development minor here at UNL. I am an active member of many different
organizations and clubs on campus including Delta Upsilon, Nebraska Human
Resource Institute (NHRI), College of Business Honors Academy (CBAHA), Honors
Program, and Prevent. When not consumed by these commitments, I volunteer at the
People's City Mission Free Medical Center as a data entry specialist and at Tabitha
Nursing Home as a piano player. Through my community involvement and scholarly
achievements at UNL, I have been able to gain personal satisfaction.
Writing has never been a defining part of my life but it plays its part. Each class
Ive taken in my educational career, whether freshman year of college or even third
grade, involves some form of writing. Without being proficient at writing, I wouldnt be
where I am today. Standardized tests like the ACT and the SAT that incorporate writing
have placed an emphasis on the importance of students abilities to simply write. Score
well on these tests and college is free. That was my mindset and it worked. But
through this approach, I developed a dangerous way of thinking that was, in fact,
explained in detail to me in this class's WaW Introduction excerpt. I wrote merely to get
by and please the academic environment. I conformed and adapted my writing skills

like a chameleon in a jungle. In the end, I hadnt found my identity as a writer and,
today, I am still searching for it.
My favorite thing about writing is its journey. Each writer begins with a blank
sheet of paper. Perhaps intimidated by its emptiness, the writer is daunted to begin. As
the writer begins to formulate thoughts and ideas into readable lines on the paper, a
story is born. A story that is unique to the writer, alone, acting as a reflection of the
writers individualization. This story belongs to noone but the writer. In fact, one could
argue that without the writer the story would never exist. I truly believe that writing
allows people to create something that never would have been created had they not
been born. I sincerely believe that is special. Writing allows people to leave their mark
in the books of history, for people like myself to enjoy the readings of their work, years
after writer leaves this earth. Writing allows people to connect without an interaction.
Uniform and articulate words on a page, the story allows the reader to use a lens not
yet clouded by the appearance and social status of the writer.
My least favorite thing about writing is the objectivism that occurs. With
exception to standard grammar and English, there is no uniform grading criteria that
teachers can share to grade written work. Thus, grading writing is objective and
arbitrary. An A in one class could be a C+ in another depending on the teachers.
Therefore students, like me, are forced to adapt to each academic environment as they
create written work that truly doesnt represent their individuality. Many times in my life,
I have written a paper with one goal in mind: get an A. With this goal in my head, I
write to please the teacher not to unload the ideas and opinions that originated in my
head. In math class, I know what I need to do to get an A. I study it, learn it, and I

succeed at it. In writing, I have a general idea how to get an A and so I write and hope.
After turning in each paper of mine, I am left with doubt and fear that the teacher wont
find it appealing and will come down harsh on me, ruining my grade in the class.
The biggest stumbling block I have as a writer is finding my own identity. Finding
an identity when writing for a different person each time is difficult. I hope to gain
feedback in this class and help develop a sense of identity myself. I plan to stick to it as
I go on throughout life. In JGEN 220, I learned that business writing is nothing like the
writing I am doing right now. As a business major, I fully accept the idea that all the
perceptions of writing I once had might be thrown out the door in accordance to the
harsh standards of business writing. Business writing lacks detail and flow, things that I
pride myself on being able to do.
Where I am from Poem
I am from the rays of the sun, gently touching the grass
Receding into darkness
I am from the laughs shared after a filling meal
Smiling from the people around me
I am from the sweat off a drooping brow
Succumbed by immense goals and desire
I am from the moments before waking
In the midst of the deepest of dreams
Yearning to dream but ready to awake
I am from the walk down the beaten path
To my brick house hidden in the trees
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To my family busy with occupations

To my happiness
I am from this world and I am happy

By taking English 150, I want to develop my writing skills and expand my

imagination that has proven to deteriorate with age. There are many flaws in my writing
and I apologize if this has been a pain to read. I hope to articulate my thoughts on
paper accurately and effectively. By doing so, I will create a whole new element in my
future professional life. It would be naive to claim that writing will not play an important
part of my life in my future endeavors. That being said, this class is beneficial to me.
As a business major, I am taught to think one way and conform to the standard quo in
business. I need to take certain classes, go to business school, and get a good job.
With writing, there is a sense of unknown. Over an hour ago, this paper was blank.
Once empty, now filled- filled by my ideas and my thoughts. I enjoy writing with regards
to creating something unique each and every time you write.
Frank Smith, in Myths of Writing, claims that writers arent any different than
normal people. The only difference is that writers write. Smith doesnt mention that
writers enjoy the sense of creating something unique to them and everyone else,
perhaps more than normal people. Writers dont conform to the standard quo and I
hope not to either. By taking a writing class in college, I hope to gain invaluable
knowledge on leaving my mark in history- no matter the scale. My great, great, great
uncle kept a detailed diary of his experiences of the civil war. By reading his diary, I felt
connected to him and I appreciated him. He left his mark on me and my family and he
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did so by writing. Given that I understand the value of writing, it only makes sense to
better myself by engaging in a writing class at UNL. English 150 will enhance my ability
to better articulate myself as a person and writer. I am excited to see where this class
takes me over the next four weeks.