As a member of group five, it has been a pleasure these past few weeks to help organize and see the group project to go from just an idea to now a full on working project.
Group Five is working on a benefit concert that will showcase the amazing Dave Matthews Band along with some local talent. The idea behind having this concert is to raise student morale along with raffling off (at only $5!!!) five 1-year free tuition. We believe that with such a great band and the chance for 5 students to win free tuition, the draw will be great for both current students and potential new students. I threw out this idea to be a hybrid between a concert at LSU and Jazzfest. Group five has been working on this project for about 3 weeks.
Over the past few weeks all members of the group have been tasked out to perform certain tasks that when completed will have the project finished. All members have made progress on their tasks. One member, Larry McCook, has done an incredible job at putting together a great t-shirt design. At the beginning of the project, we all picked out portions of the project that we thought would fit our personal strengths. Several parts of the project have not been completed but have been started and have been getting revised. These parts include a letter to the school administration, a design for a flier that would be passed out around school, and possibly a design for either a cup or cozy. This week Group five hopes to complete the letter to the administration and continue to work on the flier design. By the end of the project, Group Five will have made a plan for presentation that will outline our work as well as show how Southern Miss needs this event. For the future of our project, I see no obstacles that stand in the way of Group Five achieving our goal. There really have been no revisions to group five’s original timeline. All in all, Group Five is on track to complete the project within 2-3 weeks. I believe that the project will present a clear idea to people as to why this concert is needed and why Southern Miss can have this benefit concert without much student financial support.
I believe that the group dynamic of our group is quite well. Each team member is self driven and needs very direction. We have been communicating through email and the need to meet outside of class time has been unnecessary. I believe that if all group members continue to work hard and work independently group five will be able to finish the project and receive high marks.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Blog Week #6
While writing in the work place, one needs to take into account several factors. Two factors that I believe are the most important are those of understanding to whom you are writing to and the second is to understand that in the work place the best manner in which to speak to someone is to speak in a professional manner. In this blog I am going to dissect the email sent from Mr. Pryzblo to a manager in the Personnel Department.
The first part of the email that I want to look at is the Subject line in the email header. The subject reads as INCORRECT PAYROLL CHECKS. I believe that with having the subject in all caps and the language set a tone of anger and aggression towards the receiver of the email. I believe a more acceptable subject would be: Follow up on (the date of the previous meeting) meeting. I believe that this sets a tone that allows the receiver to know that this email is going to be about a meeting where feelings and maybe even tempers were hurt. After the subject line the sentence that sets an accusatory attitude to the receiver was the first sentence. The first sentence reads as follows: I have been reviewing the “errors” in the computer files. First and foremost this sentence has an almost mocking sense with the use of quotations around the word errors. This is a real passive aggressive and even child like way to conduct business. I believe a better start to the email would be: I have reviewed some of the problems we discussed during our previous meeting and have found some discrepancies in the computer files. I believe that this opening sentence sets the agenda for the email while still being said in a professional manner. Now that I have discussed the opening to the revision of the email the following is the full revision:
I have reviewed some of the problems we discussed during our previous meeting and have found some discrepancies in the computer files. I have found that the problems between our two departments are occurring when team members in your department are coping down the incorrect times. I believe that the solution to this problem does not need to be an addition to my department but maybe a refresher course for all employees on how to properly do the time checks. I hope that between our two departments we can work out this problem, but in the meanwhile I recommend that you tell your clerks to review their work carefully before giving it to the computer operators.
I believe that this new revised email takes into account the situation as to which the email was written. I believe that if this was the email Mr. Pryzblo sent then the two departments would be able to work out their differences.
The first part of the email that I want to look at is the Subject line in the email header. The subject reads as INCORRECT PAYROLL CHECKS. I believe that with having the subject in all caps and the language set a tone of anger and aggression towards the receiver of the email. I believe a more acceptable subject would be: Follow up on (the date of the previous meeting) meeting. I believe that this sets a tone that allows the receiver to know that this email is going to be about a meeting where feelings and maybe even tempers were hurt. After the subject line the sentence that sets an accusatory attitude to the receiver was the first sentence. The first sentence reads as follows: I have been reviewing the “errors” in the computer files. First and foremost this sentence has an almost mocking sense with the use of quotations around the word errors. This is a real passive aggressive and even child like way to conduct business. I believe a better start to the email would be: I have reviewed some of the problems we discussed during our previous meeting and have found some discrepancies in the computer files. I believe that this opening sentence sets the agenda for the email while still being said in a professional manner. Now that I have discussed the opening to the revision of the email the following is the full revision:
I have reviewed some of the problems we discussed during our previous meeting and have found some discrepancies in the computer files. I have found that the problems between our two departments are occurring when team members in your department are coping down the incorrect times. I believe that the solution to this problem does not need to be an addition to my department but maybe a refresher course for all employees on how to properly do the time checks. I hope that between our two departments we can work out this problem, but in the meanwhile I recommend that you tell your clerks to review their work carefully before giving it to the computer operators.
I believe that this new revised email takes into account the situation as to which the email was written. I believe that if this was the email Mr. Pryzblo sent then the two departments would be able to work out their differences.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Blog Week #7
In the Criminal Justice career field, new members to the field have many options that are available. One of the most important factors that a recent graduate needs to consider is whether or not to work in the federal sector. The federal sector offers graduates many benefits such as full medical and dental for not only the employee but also for the employee’s family. A government backed retirement plan is also an enticing factor that many graduates take into account when looking for a job. One benefit that I have taken a personal liking to when it comes to the federal side of the criminal justice field is their policy of giving preference to people who have served in the armed forces. Once I decided upon going the federal route, I knew that the two areas that I would be most interested in was either intelligence or anything having to deal with drugs/firearms. I went to a website, www.usajobs.gov, to do my job research. While researching I found that there were common features that most of the jobs were looking for. These master qualities include having some form of experience in the field you are trying to get into. Another quality that the FBI and Secret Service requires is an extensive background check to include a polygraph test. One quality that the DEA looks for is the applicant’s lack of use of illegal drugs. One of the most important factors that all of the agencies are looking for is for an applicant to be able to perform physically demanding tasks that are required for the job. This job requirement was especially stressed in a job listing by the United States Marshals Service (http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86806106&JobTitle=Detention+Enforcement+Officer&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&pg=2&re=4&jbf574=DJ*&AVSDM=2010-03-11+11%3a39%3a00). Of the many requirements that federal agencies the most important factor is the ability to attain a Top Secret security clearance. These are just a few of the many requirements that agencies look for.
There are also many qualities that federal agencies look for; this paragraph will address some of those qualities. All agencies want a new employee to be able to be a team member and be able to work as a part of a team. Agencies also look for a person who has the ability to make quick and decisive decisions. Another quality that job descriptions called for is an ability and willingness to relocate as per the needs of the Agency. Discipline is also a very high quality that agencies look for when they look for applicants. One of the more difficult qualities that the ATF looks for is the ability to be able to masterly handle a weapon (http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86508955&JobTitle=Law+Enforcement+Training+Specialist%2c+GS-1801-13&q=ATF&where=&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&AVSDM=2010-03-11+14%3a50%3a00#qualifications). These are some of the qualities that I saw in job listings.
This section will address how I measure up with some of the requirements and qualities that I saw listed at www.usajobs.gov. By the time that I start to look for a job to use my criminal justice degree I will have completed the Military Intelligence Basic Officers Leadership Course (BOLC). This course will have taught me to the trade of being an intelligence officer as well as having been assigned and trained in an area of intelligence. I will have also received my masters, hopefully Loyola University in New Orleans, in criminal justice. Being a MI officer, I will have had to have gone through the process to get a Top Secret security clearance so agencies wouldn’t have to worry about me not being able to go through their security background process. In response to the DEA’s want to find an applicant who has never experimented with drugs I can gladly and proudly say that I have never tried any illegal drugs. There is also nothing in my past that I want to hide that I would try and hide from a polygraph test. The last requirement of having to be physically fit, I know that I can pass any physical training tests that an agency can put me through because of my time in the military. My physical fitness is not the only thing that I have learned from my time in the military. I believe that I possess a strong sense of discipline that would benefit an agency greatly. Throughout life I have always belonged to some form of team. As a senior in high school I was awarded one of the two team captain roles on my varsity football team. I believe that this shows that I am a team player and also able to inspire my other team members to give their best. In addressing the quality posted by the ATF about being able to masterly handle a weapon I believe that I can do that. I have been exposed to all forms of weaponry throughout my life to include pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, machine guns, and shoulder fired rocket launchers. I believe that with my past experience and my willingness to go on new adventures will make me a great new team member to any federal agency.
There are also many qualities that federal agencies look for; this paragraph will address some of those qualities. All agencies want a new employee to be able to be a team member and be able to work as a part of a team. Agencies also look for a person who has the ability to make quick and decisive decisions. Another quality that job descriptions called for is an ability and willingness to relocate as per the needs of the Agency. Discipline is also a very high quality that agencies look for when they look for applicants. One of the more difficult qualities that the ATF looks for is the ability to be able to masterly handle a weapon (http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86508955&JobTitle=Law+Enforcement+Training+Specialist%2c+GS-1801-13&q=ATF&where=&brd=3876&vw=b&FedEmp=N&FedPub=Y&AVSDM=2010-03-11+14%3a50%3a00#qualifications). These are some of the qualities that I saw in job listings.
This section will address how I measure up with some of the requirements and qualities that I saw listed at www.usajobs.gov. By the time that I start to look for a job to use my criminal justice degree I will have completed the Military Intelligence Basic Officers Leadership Course (BOLC). This course will have taught me to the trade of being an intelligence officer as well as having been assigned and trained in an area of intelligence. I will have also received my masters, hopefully Loyola University in New Orleans, in criminal justice. Being a MI officer, I will have had to have gone through the process to get a Top Secret security clearance so agencies wouldn’t have to worry about me not being able to go through their security background process. In response to the DEA’s want to find an applicant who has never experimented with drugs I can gladly and proudly say that I have never tried any illegal drugs. There is also nothing in my past that I want to hide that I would try and hide from a polygraph test. The last requirement of having to be physically fit, I know that I can pass any physical training tests that an agency can put me through because of my time in the military. My physical fitness is not the only thing that I have learned from my time in the military. I believe that I possess a strong sense of discipline that would benefit an agency greatly. Throughout life I have always belonged to some form of team. As a senior in high school I was awarded one of the two team captain roles on my varsity football team. I believe that this shows that I am a team player and also able to inspire my other team members to give their best. In addressing the quality posted by the ATF about being able to masterly handle a weapon I believe that I can do that. I have been exposed to all forms of weaponry throughout my life to include pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, machine guns, and shoulder fired rocket launchers. I believe that with my past experience and my willingness to go on new adventures will make me a great new team member to any federal agency.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
blog #3
This week’s blog assignment is a bit of a change of pace from what our other blog assignments have been. This week we were instructed to find two different university’s websites that deal with our major or professional career paths. I have taken a slightly different approach to this assignment and have decided to apply it to my current situation. I am in the process of finding a university that offers a masters program in Criminal Justice. The two universities I have chosen to analyze are those of Loyola University in New Orleans (http://css.loyno.edu/criminaljustice/master-of-criminal-justice) and Southern Miss (http://www.usm.edu/cj). The reason I chose these two schools is because of the stark differences in website designs and also because they are both in my top 5 choices of schools.
Loyola’s criminal justice masters website caught my eye because it gives really all the initial information a prospective students needs to know to want to learn more. What I mean by this is that it tells the reader why the criminal justice career path is the one to choose. Right beneath that paragraph is a break down of the 30 credit hours that are needed to earn a masters from Loyola. There is also a menu along the left side that is asteticly pleasing and also has links to other parts of the website that a prospective student would want to know. One of the things that I found Loyola’s website to be lacking was accurate information on admissions requirements. One of the phrases that they say when talking about the GRE is that they want the applicant to have a “satisfactory score”. I found this to be very open and not give the student a concrete goal to shoot for.
Southern Miss’s website I found to be very disappointing. There was very little time or thought put into the website design and the information put onto it. The original website has links to different parts of the website that allows the interested student to eventually find out the information he/she is interested in. I find that the initial website has very little actual information on it and does nothing to draw in the reader.
There are some overall objectives that must be completed when a person puts together a website. I am going to take some of the questions provided by the Defining Objectives worksheet provided and answer as if I were designing the perfect website.
What outcome do you desire? The purpose of these websites is to draw in an interested student to dig deeper into the website. The overall goal is to persuade eligible students to join that institution’s program.
Who is your primary reader? The primary reader of this website will be prospective students. Many of these students could be “non-traditional” students meaning they are coming back to school to further their education. This needs to be taken into account so that there is enough information for even the most displaced applicant to understand.
What expectations, regulations, or other factors limit the way you can write? I believe that people that design websites used to universities are virtually handcuffed by a set of policies and the need to be politically correct. I also expect that individual programs are not allowed to take creative license to reflect their unique differences.
I believe that the ideal website is one that strikes a perfect balance between information given and creativeness. I believe that the ideal website must have the number of hours, tuition costs, application requirements, and a description as to why that school is better than the thousands of others out there. I believe that a prospective student shouldn’t have to spend hours clicking away on a schools website just to find out information. I believe all information should be just one click away. The website should have a central theme that is catchy and flows with the information. I believe that if all this is followed then the website will be a huge success.
Loyola’s criminal justice masters website caught my eye because it gives really all the initial information a prospective students needs to know to want to learn more. What I mean by this is that it tells the reader why the criminal justice career path is the one to choose. Right beneath that paragraph is a break down of the 30 credit hours that are needed to earn a masters from Loyola. There is also a menu along the left side that is asteticly pleasing and also has links to other parts of the website that a prospective student would want to know. One of the things that I found Loyola’s website to be lacking was accurate information on admissions requirements. One of the phrases that they say when talking about the GRE is that they want the applicant to have a “satisfactory score”. I found this to be very open and not give the student a concrete goal to shoot for.
Southern Miss’s website I found to be very disappointing. There was very little time or thought put into the website design and the information put onto it. The original website has links to different parts of the website that allows the interested student to eventually find out the information he/she is interested in. I find that the initial website has very little actual information on it and does nothing to draw in the reader.
There are some overall objectives that must be completed when a person puts together a website. I am going to take some of the questions provided by the Defining Objectives worksheet provided and answer as if I were designing the perfect website.
What outcome do you desire? The purpose of these websites is to draw in an interested student to dig deeper into the website. The overall goal is to persuade eligible students to join that institution’s program.
Who is your primary reader? The primary reader of this website will be prospective students. Many of these students could be “non-traditional” students meaning they are coming back to school to further their education. This needs to be taken into account so that there is enough information for even the most displaced applicant to understand.
What expectations, regulations, or other factors limit the way you can write? I believe that people that design websites used to universities are virtually handcuffed by a set of policies and the need to be politically correct. I also expect that individual programs are not allowed to take creative license to reflect their unique differences.
I believe that the ideal website is one that strikes a perfect balance between information given and creativeness. I believe that the ideal website must have the number of hours, tuition costs, application requirements, and a description as to why that school is better than the thousands of others out there. I believe that a prospective student shouldn’t have to spend hours clicking away on a schools website just to find out information. I believe all information should be just one click away. The website should have a central theme that is catchy and flows with the information. I believe that if all this is followed then the website will be a huge success.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Blog assignment #2
I want to preface this blog in stating that as a criminal justice major, I have not had to read many outside articles in relationship to my major. That is why I choose to analyze an article from my minor, military science.
The article I have chosen was that about the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville. This article, which discusses the effective and sometimes ineffective principles of war that were used by both Confederate and Union generals, was written for the West Point Military History Series: The American Civil War. The fact that this article was written for and accepted by the professors at the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, speaks volumes for this article. West Point has strived to be one of the top universities in the country and I believe that it has succeeded in its mission. I believe the author or authors who published this article have a near expert level of knowledge in the main topic of this article, which is outlining the use of the principles of war in a single battle. I believe that the author(s) had to do extensive research to find a single battle, Chancellorsville, which demonstrated all the principles of war.
I believe that the author(s) call to write was that of proving how essential it is to obey the principles of war during all battles. The author is writing this article, not as an opinion piece, but out of the need to educate the young officers in training at West Point and at other ROTC programs across the country. When reading the article I saw that there was no sense of urgency or a need to rush through the article because this article needed to be precisely written. The author does nothing in particular to identify the importance of the matter at hand because the actions of the battle spoke. I believe that the only way in which the writer could express the importance of the principles of war is by showing what happens when they are not applied. The Union generals, who lost thousands of troops during the Battle of Chancellorsville, clearly ignored the principles of war during the battle. This was a fact that the author(s) clearly point out. The author(s) know that the greatest way to impact the future leaders of this nation’s soldiers is by showing them the price in which others pay when mistakes are made. I believe that this also ties into the reason in which the author(s) wrote this article. The reason for the article being written is to put into the lessons learned into a real world context. The author(s) shows what happens when a leader fails to take into account the principles of war.
The intended audience for this article is for members of the United States Military Academy and all members that are in advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. This is where I encountered the article. The article was featured in the ROTC textbook which is passed out to every cadet in the country.
This article, in my opinion, successfully completed the task for which it was designed. The author(s) should not change a thing about their article because they are able to demonstrate effectively the principles of war by only telling the facts. The point of the article is to give only the facts and not be skewed by an author’s opinion. I believe that if the article had been written in any other fashion, the article would have suffered.
The article I have chosen was that about the Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville. This article, which discusses the effective and sometimes ineffective principles of war that were used by both Confederate and Union generals, was written for the West Point Military History Series: The American Civil War. The fact that this article was written for and accepted by the professors at the United States Military Academy, also known as West Point, speaks volumes for this article. West Point has strived to be one of the top universities in the country and I believe that it has succeeded in its mission. I believe the author or authors who published this article have a near expert level of knowledge in the main topic of this article, which is outlining the use of the principles of war in a single battle. I believe that the author(s) had to do extensive research to find a single battle, Chancellorsville, which demonstrated all the principles of war.
I believe that the author(s) call to write was that of proving how essential it is to obey the principles of war during all battles. The author is writing this article, not as an opinion piece, but out of the need to educate the young officers in training at West Point and at other ROTC programs across the country. When reading the article I saw that there was no sense of urgency or a need to rush through the article because this article needed to be precisely written. The author does nothing in particular to identify the importance of the matter at hand because the actions of the battle spoke. I believe that the only way in which the writer could express the importance of the principles of war is by showing what happens when they are not applied. The Union generals, who lost thousands of troops during the Battle of Chancellorsville, clearly ignored the principles of war during the battle. This was a fact that the author(s) clearly point out. The author(s) know that the greatest way to impact the future leaders of this nation’s soldiers is by showing them the price in which others pay when mistakes are made. I believe that this also ties into the reason in which the author(s) wrote this article. The reason for the article being written is to put into the lessons learned into a real world context. The author(s) shows what happens when a leader fails to take into account the principles of war.
The intended audience for this article is for members of the United States Military Academy and all members that are in advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs. This is where I encountered the article. The article was featured in the ROTC textbook which is passed out to every cadet in the country.
This article, in my opinion, successfully completed the task for which it was designed. The author(s) should not change a thing about their article because they are able to demonstrate effectively the principles of war by only telling the facts. The point of the article is to give only the facts and not be skewed by an author’s opinion. I believe that if the article had been written in any other fashion, the article would have suffered.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
First blog of the semester
Hey y'all,
I guess the best way to start things off is to tell a little about myself. My name is Kevin and I am in my 4th year at Southern Miss, thought I am not a senior. I have spent my college years living from one great experience to another. College has allowed me to participate in the Journey of Hope, which is a 4000 mile charity bike ride that raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities. This trip changed my outlook on life and has made me into a more thankful person. My next great adventure took me to Ft Benning, GA. There I underwent 4 months of training to become an infantryman. I have been a proud serving member of the Mississippi National Guard for the past 2 years. Once I graduate college (May of 2011) I will become a 2LT in the MS National Guard. Aside from my past, there are a few things I like to do outside of the classroom. I love to cook, fish, and hunt. But now onto the meat of the assignment.
Being a criminal justice major, our writing assignments are usually based around case reports and analysis of court cases or court decisions. Having never been in a work setting that required lengthy written proposals, the only time in which I write reports would be during my bi-monthly reports in ROTC. This reports are in a BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) format where you cut straight to the facts of what has happened. I have not written any public documents however.
I have a confession, I really dislike writing in formal manners. I prefer the writing style used by the military where writing is simple and straight forward. The style of writing I dislike the most would have to be where very little instruction is given. I am a person who needs direction and guidance, so writing that is free form is very difficult for me.
Having not really written many reports where any action would come from my writings I have had no actual break downs in communication. One factor that I could see that would cause writing to fail would be the fact that people in my generation are not used to expressing themselves in a formal written form. I believe one way in which we can fix this break down is by forcing ourselves to work on having better written communication.
To conclude the assignment, I hope to learn to become a more proficient writer by being able to get my point across accurately and be able to be understood by all that read my writings.
Till next week!
I guess the best way to start things off is to tell a little about myself. My name is Kevin and I am in my 4th year at Southern Miss, thought I am not a senior. I have spent my college years living from one great experience to another. College has allowed me to participate in the Journey of Hope, which is a 4000 mile charity bike ride that raises funds and awareness for people with disabilities. This trip changed my outlook on life and has made me into a more thankful person. My next great adventure took me to Ft Benning, GA. There I underwent 4 months of training to become an infantryman. I have been a proud serving member of the Mississippi National Guard for the past 2 years. Once I graduate college (May of 2011) I will become a 2LT in the MS National Guard. Aside from my past, there are a few things I like to do outside of the classroom. I love to cook, fish, and hunt. But now onto the meat of the assignment.
Being a criminal justice major, our writing assignments are usually based around case reports and analysis of court cases or court decisions. Having never been in a work setting that required lengthy written proposals, the only time in which I write reports would be during my bi-monthly reports in ROTC. This reports are in a BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) format where you cut straight to the facts of what has happened. I have not written any public documents however.
I have a confession, I really dislike writing in formal manners. I prefer the writing style used by the military where writing is simple and straight forward. The style of writing I dislike the most would have to be where very little instruction is given. I am a person who needs direction and guidance, so writing that is free form is very difficult for me.
Having not really written many reports where any action would come from my writings I have had no actual break downs in communication. One factor that I could see that would cause writing to fail would be the fact that people in my generation are not used to expressing themselves in a formal written form. I believe one way in which we can fix this break down is by forcing ourselves to work on having better written communication.
To conclude the assignment, I hope to learn to become a more proficient writer by being able to get my point across accurately and be able to be understood by all that read my writings.
Till next week!
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