Summary: Midterm Portfolio

Midterm Portfolio

Forum 1: Posts Primarily about Other’s Writing

1. I find the fact that your schooling in India focused on writing various styles of essays, as well as picture compositions. I recall that in my third grade English class, I was assigned a photography project that really initiated my love of photography. We were all given small, disposable cameras, and told to take pictures of a number of different subjects ranging from an airplane, to a church steeple. Upon completion of the photography project, we were assigned to write a short reflection essay apropos of what we discovered or learned. I believe that this unconventional, diversified approach to education allowed me to experience an entirely new dimension of the arts and

I find that if I re-read the sentence I composed, I often find places were I can separate my thoughts and avoid run-ons.

Forum 2: Writing Primarily about My Writing

1. Three grammatical issues I always find myself having difficulty using while writing include the infamous semicolon, rephrasing sentences so they aren't in the passive voice/ending with a preposition"," and the hotly debated use of the "Oxford Comma".

- As per the use of the semicolon, I understand the general usage rules, however, I am often too timid to incorporate it into my writing out of fear of misuse.

- In my Junior year of high school, my Honors English teacher was an extreme fundamentalist regarding grammar. I was taught to never use passive voice in writing, as its usage was conceived as an infantile style of writing. Further, I was taught to never end a sentence with a preposition, which I still make sure not to do.

Apropos of the Oxford Comma, I heard a number of conflicting accounts as to the comma's use, however, from my own research, it is more of a stylistic addition to writing that varies on personal preference and has no defined rules. At least, that is my

That being said, religion does not build barriers, ignorance and ethnocentrism do. Education is the only cure for this pervasive mindset. To be completely honest, reading your essay was a breath of fresh air. Far too many people in today's society settle for "religious ignorance". You, like me, strive to dig deeper to find a truer spirituality, which can only be birthed when one gains a comprehensive view on religion. Like you said, learning and opening your mind to other religious viewpoints seems to make your own religion that much more enlightening. From just having the great privilege of getting to know you over the past month, I can truly attest to the fact that you embody all of these principles that you discussed in your concluding paragraph. I am really excited to share in conversation with you, as I can already sense we both share such similar ideas regarding a plethora of different