Thoughts and Commentary of El Mundo: The Water Access Disparity in the World – Joey Bilyk

                                                        Reflection Memo
Ideas and concepts about the portfolio
Over the last semester, I have been working on a portfolio that includes four pieces of work. Each piece is written in a different format, but the issue and the message is the same throughout. I talk about the water access disparity among people on earth and the consequences that will take form if the issue isn’t handled in a timely and efficient manner. Because I arm my audience with four different forms of the same argument, they get to take in the issue from different angles that provide them with a complete view of my argument.

The issue: water access disparity
I argue that as humans continue to populate the earth, water accessibility will become a critical issue in the global community. Water is one of the most important resources to life on this globe, but there is only so much that is usable.  Human population is growing faster than ever before which is straining the world’s fresh water resources. Although this is a global issue, some areas of the world have better access than others. Because of climate and wealth, some countries are able to provide their citizens with all the clean water they need. But in underdeveloped countries, water is a scarce resource. As water resources become more scarce, tensions rise and conflicts will arise. The works in my portfolio discuss the issues at hand concerning water and discuss possible solutions.

Goals for myself as a writer in the portfolio
I want this portfolio to show my readers the diverse abilities of my writing techniques. The works in the portfolio vary from highly technical pieces to fictional and more laid back writing styles. I pride myself in my ability to write about my thoughts and ideas in a laid back and creative format. I feel as if my technical writing is not as strong. While revising my portfolio, I spent the most time on my issue analysis piece which is my most technical piece of writing. I wanted to show to my readers that I could write professionally and competently in a highly technical format. I am also proud of my newsletter which shows my creative side in a technical outline. These two pieces were the focus points of my revision process since they show the starch contrast between technical writing and creative writing. My main goal for the portfolio was to work on my technical and professional writing, while maintaining my style as a creative writer.

Reflecting on myself as a writer and the works in the portfolio
            When I used to think about writing, I would think about the most creative way to get the ideas from my head onto the paper. Looking back on the work in my portfolio, writing is more than just the words and ideas on the paper, it’s about the total presentation of the document. The newsletter’s argument isn’t channeled through the writing itself, it’s about the overall presentation and design of the document. I worked tediously to format, fix, fit and find photos that could make my argument most effective. The power of the press release comes by delivering the message in a short, but sweet format. The beauty of the press release doesn’t come from the flow of the words or detailed ideas, it comes from the writers ability to deliver a message in only a moments glance. This is the same case with the issue analysis. The beauty of the issue analysis comes from how persuasive a highly technical piece of writing can be. The most important thing I’ve walked away with from this portfolio is that writing isn’t only about the words on the page, it’s about the total presentation of the message in a document