Spring Break Fishing

Since this post will be a free topic one, I would like to express my high hopes of offshore fishing during this upcoming spring break. Seven friends and I will be fishing the blue water of Marathon, Florida. Marathon is the centermost island in the Florida Keys. It offers a short distance access to the Gulf Stream. We have a house and a boat for one week, so there will be many opportunities to hook many different species of fish. Topping the list of desired species are sailfish and tuna. Sailfish are the pinnacle of sportfishing, and since I have yet to catch one it is on the top of my list. Tuna are lots of fun to catch, and sushi happens to be my favorite food. Sailfish and tuna are bluewater fish, caught about 20 miles offshore. Some of the inshore species targeted include tarpon, bonefish, snapper, shark, and barracuda. Most of my friends coming along have never fished, and I hope to not disappoint them. Hopefully a week of Florida fishing will be enough for them to like fishing enough to make them understand my obsession with saltwater fishing. I will report the fishing results in a later blog.

Cover letters

When asked whether I agree with the articles or not, I must say that I have no specific opinion. The writer seems to be well-experienced on the subject of hiring and evaluation of resumes. I must admit, however, that all of what he said was new to me. If what he says is true, then all of what he claims is useful to me. Most importantly, the fact that the cover letter is not a letter describing you or your skills, but an application of your skills towards the specific company for which you are applying, contradicts all of what I thought a cover letter is. I admit that I fall into the category of belief in sending as many resumes to as many companies in hopes of getting a percentage of those companies reply, but according to the author, that's not an productive method. I learned that careful study and research of the company, and tailoring the cover letter (which will be reviewed after the resume) to match the company's goals is the most effective way of getting responses.

Interview Articles

I selected two articles that I think relate to my field the most. In the architecture world, things are different in many ways when it comes to finding and getting work. Most of what we do in school is generally considered 10% of our education as architects. Most of our knowledge will be acquired in professional practice. The first article I chose dealt with the "what to ask the interviewer." I chose this one because architecture firms are very different. They differ in size, style, projects, age, and location. It is very important to choose a firm that matches your "kind" of architecture. Otherwise, you will not enjoy the work, which curbs your creativity. My studio professor in Spain stressed the fact that "you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you." From the article, I learned that the type of question you ask can be used strategically to bring out your strengths. I also learned that different people at the firm have to be asked different questions based on their position as recruiter, boss, etc. The second article was concerning the second interview. Similarly, it can be used as a means to distinguish your skills, especially from other interviewees that might be invited at the same time. Also, if an offer is not made at the end of the day, a follow-up thank you note was recommended.

Hitler's Speech to the Reich

I agree that all great speeches possess a craft of logos, ethos and pathos; however, I think that any given great speech relies on at least one the these techniques more than the others. In the case of "A Letter from a Birmingham Jail," MLK relies on ethos to persuade the reader. He expresses his strong opinions of what is just and right. He supplements his ideas of ethos with logos and pathos to form a powerful example of a persuasive speech. Looking at our speech with the Army representatives, one can only be disappointed in the delivery. The speakers' reliance on logos, the descriptions of the facts of public speaking; were heavily opposed to the audience's knowledge of the speakers' ethos, the need to recruit people in the audience to the army. In my selection of a speech, I chose Hitler's declaration of war on the US to the German Reichstag. Like MLK, Hitler's speech mostly utilizes ethos, aiming at the audience's sense of propriety. He explains the duty of the German people to protect Europe from the US and Soviet Russia. He supplements his speech with historical logos of ancient and modern examples of how Europe was defended in the past from invaders the likes of Persia and Africa. There historical references are delivered in a manner that evokes emotion of nostalgia for what Europe has been, should be, and will always be (pathos.) The result is a powerful speech that brings about a sense of patriotism, one so strong that he convinced Germany to fight against the powers of the world: USA, Russia, and England.

The link to the speech is : http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/Adolf_Hitler/index.htm