My PWR Portfolio
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Context:
This piece was written for my Capstone course (a writing intensive general education requirement in Elon’s liberal arts curriculum) that asked us to explore a pocket of Florence outside of the city’s typical realm. This being said, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge or Duomo building were topics to be avoided as to enable us to think outside of the box. With this being said, I decided to choose a shop on the complete opposite of the bridge from where I lived called the Contempo Record store. I had gone there a few times with a friend I met in Florence (who was not an Elon student), so I felt like I was not only expanding beyond the confines of a routine tourist spot, but even my wings as an independent person, living and studying in a new place.
Rhetorical Strategies:
I chose to add images to the cover page that elicited a sense of spunk that the record store contains itself. They were mostly from 1980s European bands, which is a large component of what the store held and sold (though they maintained records from various genres). I felt that this form of visual rhetoric would serve as a general idea for the reader of what to expect to read. Additionally, I geared towards language that was built on a persuasive tone (as the audience was intended to be anyone interested in new, niche spots in the city). However, a requirement in the rubric for the assignment was additional research in the location itself beyond a physical visit (secondary research). To do this, I looked into the history of music in Florence beyond 1980s rock. I learned that the bedrock of music in Florence (for it is a city where you can walk by public, classical music performers every 5 minutes) stemmed all the way from DaVinci family times. This research adds a sense of credibility (ethos) to the paper that situates me as a trustable source for those looking for cool musical spots in the city of Florence.
Reflection:
This piece gave me an opportunity to utilize my journalistic skills I’ve practiced in my time working for the communications office, but in a different context. Rather than exploring a new club on campus or talking to a new professor, I ventured into a new avenue with a more cultural and musical emphasis, and had a more candid conversation with the owner, rather than a sequence of questions in a more interview styled manner. It showed me that this is something I would love to do in a more formal capacity; not necessarily for record stores, but rather reviews of new and different places with research to back it up. It feels similar to the work I’ve done with Highway 64 as well, talking to new people with a cultural background different than myself (though in this instance, it would be Northerner vs Southener in contexts like food and culture).
