WRI380_Portfolio

! 1!
Joshua Herring
Kutztown University
Professional Writing
Culture & Media Studies
Digital Communication & New Media
WRI 380 – Spring 2016
Anticipated Graduation: May 7, 2016

! 2!
Purpose
As a writer, I am endlessly learning how to compose honest, interesting and
comprehensive text. Throughout this compilation of work, you’ll discover not only
various writing samples that exemplify this perpetual process, but also a development of
diverse writing that will show you my progress in the Professional Writing program at
Kutztown University—and then beyond.
This portfolio celebrates the progress and accomplishments I have made. More
significantly, it will demonstrate to you my ability to craft a clear, cohesive and
compelling piece of writing in different fashions. Words have limitless potential, and
throughout my professional writing education, I’ve learned how to hone in on that
potential and bring forth my distinct, natural abilities; it’s evident in creativity, phrasing,
organization, succinctness, focus, targeted audience, style consistency, technical
proofing and balance. From essays to long-form articles to short news pieces, you’ll
notice an attempt at perfecting balance: a balance between narrative and exposition and a
balance between detail and simplicity.
Let this body of work speak for my talents as a writer and to give you an
indication of my individual voice. It will allow you to evaluate my student and
professional work and provide you with a deep and inclusive depiction of what I have
learned and am able to do.

! 3!
Table Of Contents
Resume……………………………………………………………………………...…4-5
Internship Work (Page 6)
The Ultimate Interior Design Endeavor………..……………………………..…....…8-10
The Barn Community Garden……………………………………………………….12-13
Volunteer Spotlight: Daniel Dortic………………………………………………….15-16
Berks Bits……………………………………………………………………………….18
Professional Writing Course Assignments (Page 19)
Sheetz Employee Lights Up KU’s Campus…………………………………………21-22
MUFON Newsletter…………………………………………………………………24-25
Celebrating 150 Years Of Music Through Public Art………………………………27-30
Thesis: Exposing Gender in American Culture……………………………………...32-42
Sacrificing Sleep: Millennials Are Fatigued for a Reason…………………………..44-47
A Vegan Rehab……………………………………………………………………...49-52

! 4!
(610) 737-8195Joshua Herring
301 N. Mill Street, Saint Clair, PA | jherr745@live.kutztown.edu
To obtain a position at an innovative publishing platform, whether for print or online.
! B.A. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA
English, Professional Writing Jan. 2014 to May 2016
Concentration: Culture & Media 3.96 GPA, Dean’s List
Minor: Digital Communication & New Media
! A.A. Northampton Community College Bethlehem, PA
Liberal Arts, English 2012 to 2014
Published in the Laconic Literary Magazine 3.8 GPA, Dean’s List
Membership in Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
! Lehigh Valley Style Magazine Easton, PA
Editorial Intern Jan. 2016 to May 2016
o Copyedit and fact-check 96-120 page proof books, in Chicago M.O.S., to improve
readability, accuracy and to locate errors—from punctuation to page layout
o Brainstorm and generate online exclusive web articles (3 per month) targeted
toward a specific reader demographic and trends in the Lehigh Valley
o Research, contact and interview subjects to compose business profiles,
advertorials, short and long-form features, volunteer spotlights and gear pieces
o Pitch content at editorial meetings and follow-up with research/photo-shoot
coordination
! Berks County Living Magazine Reading, PA
Editorial Intern Jan. 2016 to May 2016
o Copyedit and fact-check various editorial content for each issue using AP style
o Pitch web articles according to monthly themes; write one online piece per issue
o Compile monthly calendars by researching events, writing compelling
descriptions and providing accurate contact information
o Compose short articles on businesses, nonprofits and newsworthy individuals
! The Keystone Newspaper Kutztown, PA
Arts & Entertainment Editor May 2014 to Dec. 2015
o Wrote, rewrote, fact-checked and edited copy to improve efficacy
o Allocated print space for story text and photos using layout principles
o Planned the contents for each issue in collaboration with editorial staff
o Communicated with writers and evaluated the newsworthiness of their content

! 5!
o Published 15+ self-written articles
Joshua Herring (Page 2)
! Journal of Dracula Studies Kutztown, PA
Copy Editor Sept. 2015 to Oct. 2015
o Proofread this internationally anthologized journal by carefully editing for
grammar, syntax, punctuation and design/style consistency
! Jeffrey Voccola – Freelance Project Kutztown, PA
Flyer Designer/Copywriter Jan. 2015 to Mar. 2015
o Created an event flyer for a fiction reading event
o Utilized Adobe InDesign to write copy, design the page, create info graphics and
proofread for clean, concise content
o Assisted in printing and distribution
! The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley Kutztown, PA
Newsletter Writer/Editor Aug. 2014 to Dec. 2014
o Designed, wrote and edited a four-page newsletter in Adobe InDesign for The
Promenade Shop’s winter issue as the culminating project for a Desktop
Publishing course
! The Keystone Newspaper Kutztown, PA
Assistant Arts & Entertainment Editor Jan. 2014 to May 2014
o Researched, wrote and edited A&E/Culture/Lifestyle-centered articles
o Pitched relevant article ideas for each issue
o Collaborated with the multimedia and photography editors to garner high
quality pictures and video
o Published 10+ self-written articles
! Sheetz, Inc. Leesport, PA
Supervisor Oct. 2012 to Feb. 2015
o Oversaw and ensured quality operations by managing time, prioritizing tasks,
delegating to staff accordingly and expeditiously completing all necessary
paperwork
! Writing, editing, interviewing &
research
! Extensive training in copyediting (AP
& Chicago)
! Page layout & basic graphic design
! Knowledge of multimedia journalism
! Leading & encouraging teamwork
! Superior communication skills
! Adept with digital media & SEO
! DSLR operation, film & photo editing
! Captions & promotional copy
! Utilizing Microsoft Office, Adobe
Creative Suite, Final Cut Pro & HTML

! 7!
The following pages will showcase the first feature-length article I was assigned
during my time interning for Lehigh Valley Style magazine. The goal for this
assignment was to introduce to readers a new, local interior designer, but also to
explain and elaborate on her renovation and interior design project of a historic
Bethlehem home.
My editor made it clear: enlighten readers about this renovation process and what
made it unique to the Lehigh Valley. The article was then printed in the March
“Spring Home” issue and paired with “before and after” photographs of the 150-
year-old home.
Readers of Lehigh Valley Style range from predominantly middle-aged women to
men and women in their late twenties. However, the target audience for this
specific feature article focused specifically on the latter, as we hoped to attract
attention from those interested in or looking for new homes or homes to renovate.
Much of Style’s reader base is full-time working, career driven, family-centered
individuals, so we hopes to appeal to their curiosity in making a new home.

! 8!
The Ultimate Interior Design Endeavor
Carrie Oesmann renovates 150-year-old Bethlehem home
Just imagine this; upon the threshold of a remarkable interior design showroom approaches a
bright-eyed couple. They’re anxious, for putting the feat of redesigning their home in someone
else’s hands is monumentally nerve-wracking. Then, they enter a 150-year-old home that
showcases striking renovations, a state-of-the-art furniture floor plan, lighting displays, window
treatments and an abundance of brilliant finishing touches. Bethlehem’s newest interior design
luminary—who’s responsible for transforming this historic building—greets and assures them of
her mission: to make educated design decisions and guarantee a well-organized renovation
process. Carrie Oesmann and her business, Bailiwick Interior Design, have operated by this
philosophy since the company’s inception in 1999, propelling Oesmann and her design
reputation into a booming decade of noteworthy home redesigns and satisfied clients. Now, she’s
spreading her wings—and talents—to the Lehigh Valley.
Oesmann recalls completing a school career project when she was in fifth grade. The subject she
reported on, based on the theme “what you want to be when you grow up,” stuck with her for
years. She was finally able to pursue her “dream” profession—interior design—after gaining
success as a graphic artist with a degree from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the
Arts. Today, she operates her own design company and is a proactive member of the American
Society of Interior Designers. She also holds a certification with the National Kitchen and Bath
Association and an official accreditation from the National Council for Interior Design. Her
bailiwick as an interior designer—hence her company’s name—is that she gets inside of her
clients’ heads. “I give a concrete definition of their dreams,” she says, “creating something that is
a functional and beautiful interpretation of their goals for a space.”
Clients are often cautious about undertaking a large-scale interior design project, and moreover,
having faith in Oesmann’s design insincts. But, she has a distinct proclivity as a designer to
finish-strong with any concept. According to her, clients frequently confess, "You got us!" So,
when Oesmann and her husband John became infatuated with a historic Bethlehem home at 114
East Broad Street, it was unclear whether or not she could uphold and demonstrate this reputed
bailiwick to herself, her husband, her “new” home and the Lehigh Valley community. After
uprooting their lives in New Jersey, where they had lived for over 17 years and where Bailiwick
Interior Design was founded, Carrie and John knew that this home must also serve another
purpose: Bailiwick’s interior design studio and showroom, or as Carrie calls it, her “think tank.”
“We originally were looking for a residential property within walking distance of Main Street,”
Carrie says. “One day I saw this property and thought ‘why not?’” It was a conscious decision to
create what they couldn't find elsewhere—a decision that turned into an impassioned renovation
endeavor. The couple knew it was time for a change of pace: “My husband started working from
home, and we were ready for a new adventure, a change of scenery and an active lifestyle—and
boy did we get it,” says Carrie. Discovering an unexpected property that could be reappropriated
into both her design studio and a fitting home was an “added bonus,” she says. It only took them
seven months, three realtors and five failed bids until they finally claimed their humble abode on
East Broad Street.
Built in 1850, this timeworn Bethlehem building has housed a hodgepodge of people and served
several different functions. It began as a private residence and remained so for many years. At
one point, army recruiters occupied the property using it as a commercial enlisting center.

! 9!
Eventually, the building’s office spaces were leased out to accountants and attorneys. Fast-
forward to early 2014—Carrie’s keen eye saw the potential to transform a derelict office setting
into an alluring home featuring her finest design work. The 4,694 square-foot building has three
floors, most of which comprised rooms that the Oesmann’s could easily repurpose, like the first
floor waiting room/receptionist area, second floor office spaces, the third floor multipurpose
rooms with lavish windows and the partially finished basement for storage.
The overall charm of the heritage property was one of its foremost selling points, but the trick
was to keep the character and the period of the house while creating both a suitable home and an
extraordinary design studio. As an outdated commercial building, it inevitably presented
challenges—especially to a seasoned interior designer with elaborate objectives. “We did not
want to purchase a property if we couldn’t achieve our end goal; we did our homework,” Carrie
says. Re-zoning the property as both a commercial and residential space meant converting
interior floor plans and reengineering the exterior grading to include a patio, garage and
driveway in order to acquire a mixed-use permit. Carrie says, “One of the biggest issues we had
to tackle was that the town required us to have two parking spots on our property in order to be
[considered] mixed use.” Having neither direct alley access nor the advantages of a corner lot
made this zoning challenge considerably more convoluted.
The existing structure inside the home also posed a few complications. Yet, every day is a
challenge for Carrie. Her design work “requires a vast amount of knowledge and a variety of
skill sets—with long days and many nights. You need to be creative, detail oriented and a good
manager of time, budgets and work force,” she says. This work experience prompted extensive
pre-planning; her and John looked at the purpose and flow of each room in order to ensure that
all of the areas would fit their needs.
While honoring the character of the home’s historic features, the couple dove right into
renovations and demolition work. “We had multiple projects going on simultaneously,” Carrie
says. The entire kitchen and each of the four bathrooms were refurbished with new tile and
finishes, electrical wiring, plumbing alterations and new lighting designs. Her and John faced a
major holdup when they attempted to remove the vinyl wallpaper. They had to re-sheetrock a
sizeable portion of the house—about 50 quarter-inch sheets worth. Carrie says, “The plaster just
disintegrated.” To make matters more trying, the couple realized there were fragmented dropped
ceilings throughout most of the building. “We had to demo every acoustic tile ceiling because
there were so many holes,” she says.
Fortunately, there were numerous antiquated elements in the home that the Oesmann’s were able
to repurpose into their design scheme: American chestnut trim contouring the rooms; hand-
carved posts and railings accenting the central staircase; original gas fireplaces and chandeliers
making vintage statements; beautiful forced air heating grates representing the home’s charisma;
and—one of Carrie’s most cherished components—“wonderful, old growth pine floors
underneath all of the layers of commercial carpet.” One of John’s favorite original features is the
lime-plastered cistern underneath the kitchen floor, which he hopes to transform into an old-
fashioned wine cellar.
Despite this exhausting “labor of love,” in Carrie’s words, the couple felt rewarded by the
different skills they were able to learn. Contractors and laborers were hired to assist with large
projects and various tasks. Still, when it came down to it, they both took on substantial
renovation duties that were entirely new to them. For instance, Carrie boasts, “I can proudly say I
personally refinished almost every bit of trim and molding myself.”

! 10!
Carrie and John’s mission—to create a unique home environment that could demonstrate to
clients real-world examples of good, sensible design concepts—gradually became actualized in
the last few months of 2014. With key structural changes checked off their detailed renovation
schedule, Carrie began putting her plans for the interior in action. She says, “I take for granted
that I can visualize a space. Most people don't have that same vision.” And what she saw was a
new house-studio compendium that reflects and utilizes her “ability to integrate any style,”
according to her. Just like she aims to do with her clients, she focused on expressing her and
John’s own personalities in their freshly transformed home, a design objective Carrie explains as
“integrating the many aspects of color, pattern, texture, balance as well as the most important
part of any interior design project—lighting.” She attests, “After all, what good is a beautiful
design if you can't see it?” The crystal chandelier in the first floor powder room exemplifies this
emphasis on lighting, which, combined with the contrast of the original exposed brick wall, is
one of Carrie’s favorite rooms.
Since she was still operating her interior design business while putting the finishing touches on
the new home, an end-date was agreed on in order to give the couple some “closure and sanity,”
says Carrie. The Oesmann’s welcomed visitors to their home for an open house party in
December 2014. Onlookers perused a home inspired by a variety of dark and warm wood
accents, from ceiling beams to old pieces of furniture in Carrie and John’s collection, but with
juxtaposed contemporary designs and fixtures, like stainless steel appliances, patterned carpets,
slate gray wall coloring and subtle hints of green, yellow and red. Funny enough, her most prized
decoration, which she actively sought out, is a reproduction etching of an original 1891
Bethlehem Fair poster, ultimately discovered at the Bethlehem Public Library. Many described
the alterations and interior designs throughout the home as a “merging of many different styles
and color palettes in a way that pays homage to the age of the home,” according to Carrie. “I was
blown away,” says one visitor, Kevin Gehman, Owner of Solid Rock Concrete Design in
Emmaus. “The many details that went into creating the final outcome were excellent. It’s a great
use of space and functionality, and Carrie is especially talented in lighting details; it showed
throughout the whole home.”
The revamping of their historic Bethlehem home gleaned admiration throughout Northampton
County and the greater Lehigh Valley, and in 2015, it was chosen as one of nine "Rooms to
View" in the Bethlehem Historic Museum and Sites 23rd Annual House Tour. “It was such an
affirmation of the transformation of our property,” says Carrie. More than 300 people attended
the June 2015 showing, excitedly surveying the remodeled interior of the Oesmann’s teal brick
house. To their indulgence, the couple and their home received sincere praise. Yet, according to
Carrie, they were most thankful for the opportunity to show off their “hard work, blood, sweat
and tears to others who appreciate a good renovation saga.”
To hesitant home renovators, the Oesmann’s have one piece of advice: “it's never too late to set
goals and challenge yourself!” Before buying the historic East Broad Street home, Carrie admits
she questioned her own sanity, even as a multi-certified interior designer. Now, she says they’re
gratified and proud to be among the Valley’s cast of thousands “who work so hard to preserve
the rich history that is found in Bethlehem and its architecture.” It was an enormous undertaking,
but she and John did it together—and, she jokes, “we’re still married.”
-30-

! 11!
Soon after completing my first feature length article to much commendation, my
editor at Lehigh Valley Style felt confident enough in my interviewing abilities to
assign me this next article. Pam, the publisher, hoped to start a new section in the
magazine called “Charity Spotlight,” and I was fortunate enough to be the guinea
pig.
My objective with this text was to highlight The Barn Community Garden, a local
charity that brings people together and supports the Lehigh Valley community with
gardening. The Barn was making waves in the humanitarian community, and the
article needed to describe what exactly the charity is, what it does and how it has
evolved since its inception.
The increasing popularity of Style’s “Volunteer Spotlight” section of the magazine
prompted the idea for this article. We hoped to appeal to those readers wishing to
get involved in the community and undertake charitable acts. Moreover, there’s a
distinct, but large portion of the magazine’s readers who are involved with
gardening or highly value the trending “farm-to-table” concept. With that in mind,
it was obvious that the unveiling of this thriving community garden in the Lehigh
Valley would be vastly engaging.

! 12!
The Barn Community Garden
Growing food, friendships and CommUnity
There’s no denying that a gradual disintegration of a sense of community is occurring in today’s
society—exacerbated by digital distractions and isolated communication. Nevertheless, one
visionary in the Valley avows that with a little effort and a lot of outreach, people can come
together regardless of modern social tendencies, race, religion, or class distinction and cultivate
community bonds that go beyond Facebook likes or courteous retweets. Bob Yoder, a Penn State
Master Gardner, retired dentist and longtime humanitarian, managed to accomplish such a feat. It
all started with a plot of land and a few helping hands.
The fundamental inspiration for this undertaking is, according to Yoder, “gardening as a means
to build ‘unity’ in our ‘CommUnity’.” As a certified Master Gardener, he imagined the outcome
of combining his skill set with the willingness of a few volunteers he could count on: the faith
community at The Barn Christian Fellowship, where is wife, Sue Pizor Yoder, serves as Head
Pastor at the Swain School. Roughly seven years ago, after spending six years as a missionary
dentist traveling back and forth to Honduras and offering aid in rebuilding homes after Hurricane
Katrina, Yoder completed 50 hours of required volunteer service to solidify his title as Master
Gardener. Subsequently, the Lower Macungie Township generously donated to him a half plot of
fertile land. His immediate thoughts fixated on using the plot as a means to do social good in the
Lehigh Valley community. He says, “When one contemplates homelessness, veteran re-entry,
food insufficiency—particularly among children—and mental health challenges in the Lehigh
Valley, it’s important for those who are able to become engaged as positive agents of social
change.” Thus, he began The Barn Community Garden.
Today, the pride and astonishment at what his community service project has achieved is clear in
his voice. In just the first year of operation, Yoder witnessed the help of three additional Master
Gardeners, over 40 volunteers from The Barn and a little over 500 pounds of produce. His
objective, to “create a community garden that intentionally brought people together to grow food
for the hungry in our community,” quickly became fulfilled. Yet, Yoder says that more
importantly, he saw “friendships develop, fun ensuing and something bigger than ourselves.”
Soon, news of The Barn Community Garden’s success rang through the Valley’s faith and
philanthropic communities, which resulted in widespread support. The Lower Macungie
Township donated more land, now equaling two plots at the original site on Bogie Avenue and
two more at the Camp Olympic gardens off Cedar Crest Avenue. Yoder, fellow Master
Gardeners and his administrative team headed by Paula Weiant were able to reach out and garner
backing from other ministries, including the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley in
Whitehall, which donated yet another plot of land. Lutheran and Master Gardner Joe Vincent
says he was inspired by the notion of “bringing people together of different religions to do
something productive.” Yoder thinks this is something to celebrate. He says, “You know you
have struck a beautiful chord when in one hand you have the day’s harvest and in the other you
are hugging a new found friend who comes from a completely different life situation than
yourself.”
Also motivated by this idea, other faith organizations are following suit and rousing volunteers,
like Congregation Keneseth Israel and Muhlenberg Hillel, and according to Yoder, proposals for
a plot at Temple Beth El in South Whitehall and at Life Church in Lower Nazareth are under
way, all contingent on increasing the volunteer pool even more, which lessens throughout the
growing season because of scheduling conflicts.

! 13!
Still, there is now a community being built, according to Yoder, both in the garden and in
reaching the urban center of Allentown. Each year, crop yields are donated to DayBreak, a self-
sufficiency and prevention program, and the Soup Kitchen at 8th
and Walnut Street in Allentown,
both public outreach programs of the Lehigh Conference of Churches. And in a growing
community, there’s a give and a take. Encouraged by Yoder, recipients of the crops harvested—
at both DayBreak and the Soup Kitchen—now actively volunteer in the very gardening that
benefits them. “With assistance from other volunteers in transporting them from Center City
Allentown, these underprivileged folks are learning how to raise seeds and tend for the gardens
instead of merely taking handouts,” says Yoder.
The Barn Community Garden seems to combine its efforts toward a particular charitable goal
every year, with last year’s aimed to promote religious diversity: “Muslims, Christians and Jews
all worked together in the gardens to show the world a way to build bridges moving forward,”
says Yoder. The volunteer work of 2015 produced almost 3000 lbs. of fresh produce from the
current 5-plot gardens, an immense improvement since the beginning. This spring, Yoder says
the Community Garden plans to grow flowers for hospital patients, begin fruit production, and of
utmost importance, reach out to involve veterans in the Valley who may be combating a sense of
hopelessness. He’s optimistic that, “the community garden can offer them a supportive
community and a renewed purpose.”
In the off-season, Yoder met with various organizations in attempt to increase a volunteer base;
an additional 80 volunteers later, he’s still out promoting and seeking help, focusing his efforts at
the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council. Over the past few years, The Barn Community
Garden’s story of invigorating the “unity” in “community” has motivated a myriad of financial
backers including Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Emmaus Borough, Wal-Mart, Lower Macungie
Township and the Master Gardeners of the Lehigh Valley.
“We have indeed grown CommUnity and the forecast for this year’s growing season is one full
of love and care,” Yoder says. To offer your support or to express interest in volunteering with
The Barn Community Garden, contact the administrators at The Barn Christian Fellowship or
visit The Barn’s Community Garden Facebook page.
-30

! 14!
Selecting a volunteer with a notable track record has been a long-standing
tradition for Lehigh Valley Style. The magazine “spotlights” one individual
every issue, and this was one of my responsibilities as an intern. The
following article was the May “Volunteer Spotlight” I wrote on Daniel
Dortic, who’s considered a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society All-Star.
Mr. Dortic’s campaign manager was adamant about his tenacity for giving
back, so I aimed to express this in the article. All in all, I hoped to give
people a concise snapshot of his volunteer efforts, while making both him
and the article an interesting read. Like other volunteers I wrote about, he
seemed to have a particular story, and it was my job as the writer to convey
his narrative.
These articles inevitably serve as promotional pieces for the various charities
or programs the volunteers work for, so our targeted readers are those
interested in getting involved with such organizations. As mentioned before,
Style’s audience includes many altruistic members of the community, so this
article is directed towards them as well and those who are curious about
what sorts of extraordinary charitable efforts are being fulfilled by people in
the Lehigh Valley.

! 15!
Daniel Dortic
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Confronting an industry-wide slump and coming out on top is not an easy feat.
Nonetheless, for the indomitable President of Major Hyundai in Stroudsburg, bettering
his automobile business not only proved possible, but also instigated a triumphant spark
that encouraged his persistent drive to better himself and his surrounding community.
Hellertown native Daniel Dortic’s ambition extends further than being a leading car man.
A jack of all trades, he’s also the owner of DD Management and Construction, a joint
realtor for Merica II Realty and a prolific philanthropist. After upturning a decline in
sales and growth at Major Hyundai and learning that the recession had caused a
downtrend in charitable giving, Dan says he “decided to make it his personal mission to
improve himself and the world around him.” He wanted to transcend the frequent
disqualification of “being just one person.”
Dan first made it a personal goal to take accountability for his own health. After
struggling for years, he managed to lose 120 pounds in a mere 15 months and—adding
another to his list of professions—he became a certified personal trainer. This
resoluteness stuck with him, and soon, a number of opportunities to give back to others
came about; Dan and his automobile company jumped at them. “Both because of causes I
sought to support and through inspiration from friends, I set out for years to donate
anonymously to various organizations as personal expenditures and with the support of
my dealership.” A few charities that Dan donated to include the Dale and Francis Hughes
Cancer Center, the Steel Horse Poker to benefit cystic fibrosis, the Blazeman Foundation
for ALS Research through his triathlon team—which he still donates to today—and the
Centro de Capacitación Social Allende Community Youth Program in San Miguel de
Allende, Mexico that supports the education of less fortunate children. “The best part
about volunteering and giving back to others is the look in people’s eyes who truly need
the help,” says Dan.
In 2011, he made a choice that would carve out his humanitarian path for years to come.
He and his company sponsored the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Leukemia &
Lymphoma Society’s Man & Woman of the Year Campaign. “It wasn’t long that I
realized what a wonderful organization it was,” he says, which prompted his decision to
run for 2012’s Man of the Year. His enthusiasm for the cause—to foster a world without
blood cancer—inspired others in the Lehigh Valley and beyond, quickly grossing over
$81,000. Pamela Formica, Campaign Manager for the Lehigh Valley Chapter of the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, says, “My immediate impression of Dan was that he
is driven and that, once he sets his mind to something, he will achieve it.” After
successfully earning the title of 2012’s Lehigh Valley Man of the Year, Dan pledged to
raise $500,000 for the organization over the course of five years. Personal challenges like
this are exactly the reason why Formica enjoys working with Dan. She says, “I know that
the challenges he puts out there will always seem larger than life, but he doesn’t set out to
fail; he continues to work until both his goals and our organization’s goals are reached.”

! 16!
Fast forward to 2016. Dan has been fundamental in raising over $332,000, and he has
been selected to participate in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s National All Star
Man & Woman of the Year Campaign, where he is confident in fulfilling his promise to
raise $500,000. Yet, “Dan’s contributions to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society go far
beyond his monetary fundraising,” Formica says, “he has mentored several candidates in
the past five years, sharing with them his knowledge and passion and thus increasing the
impact that they have in their own personal fundraising.” This is Dan’s real
exceptionality; his volunteerism goes beyond raising money, helping others and
supporting causes. He inspires others to do the same.
-30-

! 17!
During a lesser, but equally informative internship at Berks County Living
Magazine, one of my duties was to write the “Berks Bits” for every issue.
These are short descriptions of various events or businesses that are worthy
of being called-out in the magazine.
Yet, the there’s a trick that’s difficult to get right in writing these short
articles. My objective for each is to fully portray the business/event at hand
but in only a 100-150-word blurb. After learning an assortment of details
and acquiring insightful quotes, it proved difficult to compose short
paragraphs that do their justice. Nevertheless, I triumphed. The following
three blurbs are March’s assignments.
For these “Berks Bits,” I was assigned to illustrate each business and
describe what makes them a Berks County gem. The “Bits” aim to satisfy
the search of various readers of the magazine looking for the best and the
newest places in Berks County. In the end, I had to answer, “What is this,
and what makes it special?”

! 18!
A New Look for Reading Dermatology
Just like its patients, one of Berks County’s dermatology practices recently received a
makeover. Yet, Reading Dermatology Associates’ transformation goes beyond aesthetics.
Formerly located on Quarry Road in West Lawn, RDA has been relocated and renovated
into Reading Dermatology’s Center for Healthy Skin at 3317 Penn Avenue. Since 2008,
the family-centric practice has strived to satisfy their mission of providing compassionate
care to their patients “resulting in healthy, radiant looking skin,” according to RDA
Practice Administrator Yomaira Polanco. She says now, with an “array of innovative
cosmetic procedures and products that help make our patient’s look and feel amazing, it
simply made sense to rebrand our new facility as Reading Dermatology’s Center for
Healthy Skin.” The center features separate areas for surgical practices, cosmetic
procedures and Superficial Radiation Therapy—a non-invasive skin cancer treatment—
for which RDA is the exclusive provider of in Berks County. Visit their new website,
readingderm.com, for more information.
There’s No Place Like Home
At Peritech Home Health Associates, women, infants and children not only receive
quality home healthcare, but are also treated like family, according to CEO Michele
Werner. She explains, “Our patients’ trust comes from the genuine compassion of our
staff.” Since its start in 1992 as a Clearfield County home healthcare provider for women
with problematic pregnancies, Peritech recognized “a void in other counties in
Pennsylvania, Berks being one of them,” says Werner. The company swiftly expanded to
a 12-county establishment. Today, with an office in Wyomissing at 845 N. Park Road,
Peritech will be able to provide perinatal healthcare to Berks County and nearby
residents. All services are available in-home with a “warmhearted care” by licensed
practical and registered nurses. Call 610.376.1160 for more information or to set up a
consultation.
Soda with a Spin
Kutztown-based Pollock’s Kefir Pop puts a healthy spin on conventional soda. Co-
founder Paul David avows that this sparkling drink is not just low calorie, but loaded with
vitamins, enzymes, and probiotics—bacteria recognized for its dietary benefits. David
says KPOP is “more full-bodied than a seltzer, but somewhat dryer than traditional soda.”
The fizzy beverage is concocted at KPOP’s brewing facility at 236 W. Walnut St. in
Kutztown, where Brew Captain Kevin Shire ferments Turkish kefir grains with water,
natural sugar and various organic ingredients. “It's been exciting to see more and more
people discover Pollock's Kefir Pop,” says David. With a focus on upgrading production
capacity this year, he “hopes to add more Berks County locations including the West
Reading Farmer's market.” For more information, visit kefirpop.com.

! 19!
Professional Writing
Course Assignments

! 20!
As a part of the Professional Writing core, Journalism 1 introduces students
to the basics of journalism. It was during this course that I realized my
aptitude for and interest in writing journalistically.
I produced multiple articles by the culmination of this course, one of which
you’ll find below. The assignment was to profile someone local to
Kutztown, but one who is not so well known. It combines all of the
fundamentals as well as two of the more difficult skills that I learned during
this course: how to interview and then how to write a profile on a person.
Its goal is to make the subject at hand—Nicolette Mandes-Rivera—come to
life with a unique story and described personality. After receiving feedback
instructing me to let her persona “shine” a bit more, I re-wrote the lead and
restructured the body content.

! 21!
Sheetz employee lights up KU’s campus
If you have been to the Sheetz convenience store and restaurant located in Fleetwood, a
few miles from the KU campus, then chances are Nicolette Mandes has delivered your
burger and fries with a cheerful, quirky smile.
Nicolette Mandes-Rivera, named after the actress Nicolette Sheridan, is currently a
sophomore accounting major and has worked for Sheetz for about five years. She says
she “loves the repetition” of accounting and if she didn’t have to work, she would get
more involved in extracurricular activities in school and on campus.
Aside from her work and school, Mandes has close ties with her family. She explains that
she was excited to go off to college, but “It’s hard to be away from my parents. It was
always just the three of us.”
Her family moved to the United States from Puerto Rico when she was three years old.
Most of her extended family still lives there, including her grandfather.
As she talks about him and his battle with Alzheimer’s, memories of her early childhood
light up the conversation. She says, “I remember when he showed me his chickens. He
has 60 at his home in Puerto Rico. One of my earliest memories is feeding them while
holding his hand.”
She wishes she could see him more than just once a summer when her family goes to
visit. After growing up in Bethlehem and attending Bethlehem Catholic High School,
Mandes continued her education at Northampton Community College.
However, since she had never been to public school, KU’s appeal for its mix of quality
academics and rousing social life ultimately drew her towards the campus.
“I wanted that college experience and to be with a different crowd of kids,” says Mandes.
She now resides in the University Place dormitories.
Her carefree smile and fuzzy Bohemian boots accompany her lighthearted persona,
lending to her fairly notorious reputation among her friends as having a peculiar knack
for confronting and embracing troubling situations. She says, “Sometimes, I feel like my
life is movie.”
In a giggling stream of consciousness, she rattles off middle-of-the-night antics and
almost always ends with, “For some reason, I make it back to my room by 4:30 a.m.”
To a bystander, Mandes might seem a bit silly and careless, but she is far from your
typical “party girl” or rash college student.
Those who acquaint themselves with the twenty-one-year-old realize that she defies the
irresponsible stereotype, and embodies a characteristic that often pervades throughout the

! 22!
millennial generation: optimism.
Mandes displays this quality in one of her many funny stories, which makes light of this
winter’s icy troubles. Late for class one day, she was running to board the shuttle. “My
friend ran ahead of me and I tried to catch up, but I slipped on ice and fell flat on my butt.
I got up and fell three more times. I was so embarrassed, especially when I realized the
shuttle wasn’t leaving for another five minutes,” says Mandes.
The word “refreshing” immediately comes to mind as she giddily retells these
embarrassing anecdotes. Juggling work and school make her an average young student,
and she may not form to the mold of an outstanding over-achiever, but her uniqueness
comes from her ability to diffuse trouble into brightness.
For life after college, she has a clear image for herself. She says, “This is how I picture
myself in ten years: I want to be the executive boss at a giant corporation in a big city,
where everyone looks up to and respects me.”
-30-!

! 23!
Next, you’ll find an assignment that demonstrates a little bit of my page
layout and design skills combined with editorial. One of my favorite courses
at Kutztown was Desktop Publishing; it taught me how to actually present
my writing.
The assignment portrayed is a two-page newsletter, which needed to take on
the authority of a specific organization and write about current happenings
that would appeal to its readers. I chose to take a less conventional approach
and write on behalf of a UFO organization; it was interesting to say the least.
The newsletter attempts to pair newsworthy content in the UFO industry
with compelling design; I created and wrote everything that you see. Those
weary about joining and being affiliated with MUFON—the featured UFO
network—are my targeted readers with this newsletter.

! 26!
When a Kutztown English professor recommended I take the program’s
Magazine Writing course, I followed suit. It was during this course that I
realized I wanted to continue writing as a journalist; magazine journalism
opened a world of writing that embraced creativity while still being focused
on structure and clarity.
The assignment you’ll find below required me to write a reported magazine
article on any current event in the Kutztown area, but it needed to coincide
with standard magazine form. So, I chose an individual who was completing
a rather remarkable project right on campus.
Although my target audience was technically my professor, I aimed to write
as if it were being published in a local magazine targeted towards those
involved and curious about happenings in the community. The final article
you see is after revisions following advise to make the project at the center
of the article better defined for the reader.
!
! !
!

! 27!
“Celebrating 150 Years of Music Through Public Art”
Student muralist memorializes music department
Benjamin Hoffman fixates on a half-finished, large-scale mural in a Kutztown University
art studio. His paintbrush smoothes over the final touches of a small self-portrait in the
bottom-left corner: a motif of himself playing the tuba.
Hoffman’s girlfriend, Meagan Merris, rattles off Facebook updates beside him: “Your
advisor just shared the latest pics of the mural!”
The public art piece encompasses various aspects of KU and the music department, such
as the marching band, the orchestra, singers, different composers, faculty, campus
buildings, and an inside view of the Schaeffer Auditorium.
It strays from Hoffman’s typical linear and abstract style, such as his recent exhibition at
the Bear’s Den Gallery, “MedioOchre.” He said, aggravated, “I can’t stop painting these
geometric patterns.” Meagan replied, “It’s architecture, Ben. Don’t worry, it’s looking
great.”
Hoffman, a KU Honors student, has studied fine arts, art education, art history, and music
since 2009 and plans on graduating in December 2015.
The project was initially designed for the Honors Program’s capstone requirement, but it
quickly became something broader and more inclusive. Christened as “Celebrating 150
Years of Music Through Public Art,” Hoffman’s capstone project will also serve as a
formal dedication in the upcoming KU Sesquicentennial Celebration in August.
The mural is a collage, or according to Hoffman, “figurative puzzle pieces painted
together.” It developed out of his experiences studying art and working with the music
department for over five years, and it intends to commemorate the performers of KU’s
music department as well as those who have contributed to its success over the past 150
years.
He said, “It’s a great opportunity to bridge my artistic talent with my passion for music.”
Because it’s a dedication, Hoffman said he wants to keep himself out of the painting. “I
had to take some stuff out that was more of my own style, but I did include a small self-
portrait.”
Before winter break in the fall 2014 semester, Hoffman rattled off plans for his mural
with both enthusiasm and uncertainty. Now, the capstone project is finally approaching
completion.
The entire undertaking involves the 6 by 16 foot mural along with four tapestries,
representing the four different music organizations at KU, and a commemorative plaque
dedicated to all donors and contributors. In the Schaeffer Building at KU, the mural and

! 28!
plaque will be installed along the back wall of the newly constructed large rehearsal
room. Each tapestry will be hung beside each window across from the mural.
“It’s rare to have an opportunity such as this,” said Hoffman. According to him, students
aren’t usually granted space for any type of public art. “I’m learning so much about how
to create public art and the entire process,” he said. He hopes the project will inspire
future students interested in public art and give them more opportunities to create work in
public spaces.
Hoffman swiped through album after album of pictures on his tablet that displayed his
work from conceptual CG designs, to large-scale pencil sketches, to a brilliant, nearly
complete canvas strewn with KU associated people, places, and motifs.
“I’m having a lot of fun with it. There are so many elements and I feel like I’ve done so
much, but there’re still a lot of details to finish,” he said.
He describes the work as “painterly” and “stylized.” The artwork is largely inspired by
one of Hoffman’s favorite muralists, Thomas Hart Benton. “The colors are really
dynamic like his. I think it will bring a boring space to life.”
So far, the project’s progress has received a lot of positive feedback on Hoffman’s
“Celebrating 150 Years of Public Art Through Music” Facebook page. “Only a month
and half ago, it was almost nothing, and now there is so much paint work done. With
such a massive project, the work can be really taxing, so everyone’s comments are really
encouraging.”
The project is split into three sections to make painting less burdensome and storage more
feasible. The seams for the three pieces follow the architecture in the painting, so when
installed, the work will appear cohesive.
“I’ve been working on it every Thursday to midnight on Sunday since the beginning of
the spring semester,” said Hoffman. “I haven’t really taken a break; it’s night and day.”
The mural should be ready for installation sometime in June. It’s currently being worked
on in a small art studio and stored in another with permission from the Dean of Visual
and Performing Arts, Dr. William Mowder.
With the expeditious help of fellow art students—KU students Lauren Beauchner and Bre
Young—“Celebrating 150 years of Public Art Through Music” has made significant
progress since its preliminary planning in the fall.
The painting would’ve been impossible without the help of his friends, according to
Hoffman. “Bre did so much detail work and little monotonous things, while Lauren is
fully responsible for the figurative work.”

! 29!
His excitement about the project is contagious. “I love talking about it,” he said,
laughing. “My friends always joke that there has not been a day since I started that I
haven’t said the word ‘mural.’”
The entire process and particularly the past few months have proved demanding for the
senior honors student.
He worked with KU Architect Carol Sztaba to figure out structural accommodations. For
instance, the mural is only allowed to be five inches off the wall and he’s required to
construct a wooden frame for it, which will all be suspended on a floating system; the
frame will have a notch for a glass cover to slide through.
The capstone project itself comes with a myriad of requirements. Hoffman frequently
meets with his Honors Capstone Advisor, Professor Johanna Forte, to discuss his
proposal, incentive forms, concept designs, preliminary drawings, logistical paperwork,
confidentiality and various progress reports.
Despite tedious painting, project requirements and logistical obstacles, Hoffman managed
to alleviate at least one stressor of his multifaceted project: money. His budget was about
$3,000, and through nothing but a barrage of generous donations, he is now reaching over
$4,000. He said, “I’ve raised all of the money I needed…and then some, which is
allowing me to get everything completed, even make it a little nicer, and be prepared for
unknown costs.”
Hoffman put out a call to the entire Visual and Performing Arts community at KU for
donations. “Soon enough, faculty, students, family, and even university employees I’ve
never even met were sending me contributions,” he said. Within his incentive form,
Hoffman described five different options for donating patrons. Whether it was $15 or
$500, he provided a tangible thank you gift for them, which ranged from a postcard to a
framed, high-quality print of the finished mural. According to Hoffman, the response was
unexpected, and in fact, he set a deadline of March 16 for all donations; yet, people are
still sending him money.
All donors and those who supported the project will be included on a commemorative
plaque beside the mural. He is also attempting to contract student documentary
filmmakers to record the last leg of the project’s process and the official dedication
ceremony in order to put a DVD together.
“All of the pieces are finally coming together, “ said Hoffman. “It’s all painting from
now until the end of the semester.” Installation is tentatively planned for the first week of
June. Once completed, Hoffman will gather last minute preparations to get ready for the
August debut.
On Friday, Aug. 21, the KU Sesquicentennial Celebration will take place, and Hoffman
hopes to unveil the mural with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The time slot for the official
dedication ceremony of “Celebrating 150 Years of Music Through Public Art” is still

! 30!
unknown. He plans on displaying his capstone project folder with beginning conceptual
sketches, and he also wants to do a second opening for his friends, family, and other KU
students. “I want to have a traditional art opening, with cheese and crackers, within the
first few weeks of the fall semester.”
When discussing the amount of time and energy he put into this one painting, Hoffman
rhetorically asked, “Does it seem slightly insane to go through the entire process? Yes.”
Up until recently, the pressure was weighing down on him. “The project seems like this
crazy masterpiece and I felt like I had to paint something perfect because of everyone
supporting me,” he said. “But lately, I’ve felt relieved because I realized I’m just an arts
student and I’ve had such wonderful feedback.”
“The next two months,” he said, “ I want to have fun with it and just enjoy painting.”
-30-

! 31!
In an effort to establish writing skills that I have developed in other
capacities besides journalism, here is a thesis that I wrote for my Advanced
Composition course. The requirements for the assignment were to expound
upon existing research in a particular subject, but to also include my own
thoughts and ideas as the guiding theories of the essay.
This course in general taught me how to properly become inspired by the
work of others. I quickly became interested in how our culture in the U.S.
tends to treat and understand the notion of gender, so I dedicated myself to
researching more about gender in American Culture and let that motivate the
following thesis project.
When my professor suggested I try harder to represent all perspectives on
the topic, I added some more research and presented ideas that, overall,
attempt to account for the diverse mindsets on this topic.

! 32!
Exposing Gender in American Culture
Sometimes, the ways in which we operate within society become habituated, and
throughout life, these familiar ways of doing, thinking, and being are not only second
nature, but indeed, seemingly natural. Often, this familiarity is a false comfort: how well
do we really know the aspects of life that seem so certain? Actively integrated in most of
our lives, gender is one of these commonly misconstrued and overly generalized aspects.
Put simply, masculine and feminine characteristics and behaviors have been embroidered
into the fabric of society. Men must remain emotionally and physically tough, while
women are expected to be polite and compliant. Yet, in reality, individuals identify
within a scope of masculine and feminine associations during their lives, whether it be as
a concrete understanding of themselves or more of a mixed-up awareness. It seems
imperative to reconsider our expectations of how people perform their gender. In all
technicalities, “male” and “female” describe the biological sex of a person, not their
gender. Those who perceive gender within a rigid binary, explicitly masculine or
feminine, are not only contributing to the oppression faced by those who recognize
outside of these strict gender expectations, but are also expanding false knowledge of
how gender operates. There are many experts on this topic who propose that gender
occurs in individuals through a process of enculturation, but there are varying views on
how this process operates in American society, and some people suggest that gender is
biologically innate.
One way to explore the development of gender identities is through the lens of an
evolutionary scientist, as done in the article “On The Minimum Standards Of Argument

! 33!
A Darwinian Would Expect Of Socially Constructed, Postmodern And/Or Feminist
Gender Theorists”, in which Jim McKnight talks about the current ideas in modern
feminist studies regarding gender, and pays close attention to modern theories proposed
by researchers and through the logic of Darwinians, or evolutionary scientists. This is an
interesting way of looking at gender and gender development, but there is one issue; we
are simply not capable of studying the past. It is gone. Especially when trying to make
progressive insights into the workings of gender in society, this type of approach is bound
to be problematic. For instance, McKnight mentions how biological men are
categorically “exploitative, violent, sexually repressive, power-mongering brutes”, and
goes on to suggest that this may not be a “failure of moral conscience but rather a
reflection of a long evolutionary agenda that put a premium on these attributes” (87).
McKnight seems to be indicating that the gendered behavior of all men went through a
process of “natural selection” and thus, today we have gender expectations of men due to
evolutionary development of behavior. He essentially implies that behavior is not
culturally learned, but innate due to evolutionary history. A convincing claim, no doubt,
yet besides the ability to review historical documents, researchers cannot make
deductions about the behavior of men during a different era, especially gendered
characteristics. Furthermore, it seems counterproductive to put all men into a larger
category. The evidence that all men were equally exploitative, sexually repressive brutes
is deficient at best, and to then assume that this behavior became selected to pass through
human evolution as some sort of novelty is slightly an overreach. Yet, it might be more
sensible to theorize that gendered behavior may have not been a part of the evolutionary
process, but a part of a social and cultural evolution.

! 34!
In fact, the evolution of gender norms is explored in the text “On the Origins of
Gender Roles: Women and the Plough.” Alberto Alesina, Paola Giuliano, and Nathan
Nunn talk about how traditional agricultural practices have influenced a historical gender
division. According to their findings, agricultural societies in Europe and Africa
experienced a general division in female-to-male labor as these societies gradually
developed mechanical tactics, such as the plough (471). Ultimately, it was found that the
participation of women in the workforce during this age of expansion decreased
significantly, which inevitably imposed an essential change in women-to-men social
relations (482). These findings suggest on a fundamental level that society’s perceptions
of gender are inherently subjective, dependent on social circumstances. Still, something
more illuminating emerges from this study on the construction of gender roles in society.
It is disclosed that the empirical analysis completed by this study “cannot explain existing
differences in gender role beliefs within Western Europe (and its offshoots)” (488). So, if
there are crucial holes in the argument proposing a biological evolution of gender, and
now the social evolution approach proves unsuccessful, is there any way to explain
society’s collective expectations of gendered behavior? I believe this answer can only be
proposed through deductions made from genuine social examination.
Methods for exploring the way gender realistically functions in American society
are all centered on common expectations of gender performances. The appropriate way to
describe gender is bound by the very nature of our culture; it is an array of characteristics
and behaviors in relation to masculine and feminine expectations. Consequently,
observations of gender are even measured by levels of conformity. Hence, non-traditional

! 35!
ways that gender functions are referred to as “nonconforming”. A common issue that
people who have become so socially invested in a rigid gender binary usually experience
a problem with comprehending is the essential way gender does not conform to the
typical, and wrongly categorized, labels of male or female. This is sometimes referred to
as gender normativity. Researchers have used a variety of terms to describe these
particular deviant individuals, such as the previously mentioned “gender
nonconforming”, “trans” or “gender queer”. In a report conducted for the Journal of
Counseling and Development entitled “I Am My Own Gender”, one participant in its
study on gender nonconforming people, Will, could not clearly define a gender. Will
explained,
I guess what I’m saying is [my gender is] very, very multifaceted.
There are lots of different feelings and experiences that come with
being a trans youth that aren’t always visible to the naked eye. It’s
just so many different feelings, experiences, emotions, and situations
that a trans youth deals with that makes it a unique experience
(Singh, Meng, Hansen 211).
Will’s unique experience combats the socially expected ways of being a man or a
woman. This expectancy for people to conform to the social norms of their biological sex
is grounded by self-projecting a socially constructed appearance. There is a performance
aspect to gender. Instead of playing the role of how society, or at least the American
culture, expects a “man” to behave, Will projects something different; he acts as he sees
fit, not how others expect him to behave.
Likewise, another text that deals with deviating from gender norms, “Gender
Independent Kids: A Paradigm Shift In Approaches To Gender Non-Conforming

! 36!
Children”, discusses how gender norms develop and are largely challenged by children,
whom are regarded as, “gender nonconforming children” (Pyne 1). A common thread of
thought among researchers in gender studies is that an identifiable gender is virtually
absent until a child begins to learn and develop among the norms of society. Jake Pyne’s
findings build upon this theory and assist in illustrating that gender is socially constructed
and essentially rooted in cultural development. A main concept in this source is coined
“gender independence” (Pyne 1). He explains that gender independence is used to
describe children who “substantially challenge gender expectations, including gender
non-conformity, gender variant, gender creative, transgender, and for some Aboriginal
children, two-spirit” (Pyne 1). Here, he appears to denote that gender can be analyzed
according to a suggested fundamental dichotomy distinguishing between gender
normative and “gender non-conforming”. Therefore, as signified by referring to
conformity, gender can be thought of as socially created, or in the sense of conforming to
society’s expectations, socially constrained.
In his research outcomes, Pyne also talks about an anatomical male named Jordan
who does identify as a boy, but more specifically, calls himself “fancy” because he “likes
pink, sparkles, and finds other boys to be a bit dull” (Pyne 1). Now, one might presume
that Jordan learned this “fancy” behavior from someone else in his life, but what can
definitely be deduced from this situation is that Jordan is comparing himself to the other
boys around him. Henceforth, his gender is developing out of a reaction to his social
surroundings, his immediate cultural exposure. Although biology determines our sexual
anatomy, it does not appear to determine who we are. That essential question, in fact, is

! 37!
customarily formed and asked in response to living within a society with rich cultural
norms. Gender works in this way; it is not biologically innate nor an aspect of
predisposition, but an internal manifestation of how we see ourselves in relation to the
outside culture. We act accordingly and eventually internalize that behavior as a
recognizable part of our individuality, whether in opposition, negotiated, or conformed. It
develops and changes as we mature and as we continue to live and interact within
society.
Renee DePalma touches upon this in her article on exposing the truth behind
gender called “Choosing To Lose Our Gender Expertise.” She notes that gender
normativity creates social expectations of gender. Learned “normal” behavior becomes
apart of natural social interaction, and when it comes to gender performance, DePalma
says, “queering entails constantly questioning this social order” (2). She uses queering to
describe those individuals who actively express their gender-nonconforming selves.
Moreover, her studies focus attention on highlighting and exposing the differences
between sexual orientation and gender identity. In many cases, those who challenge
gender-normativity in any fashion typically face judgment from society as being gay, or
in the case of children, “proto-gay” (DePalma 2). While in many situations, homosexual
individuals perform in opposition to socially expected masculine or feminine
characteristics; the reality is that gender identity and sexuality are critically separate (2).
One might illustrate this distinction by looking at an incident of violence against, say, a
homosexual man. Even though this man indeed identifies himself as a man, his gender
identity may also include characteristics and behaviors normally associated with

! 38!
femininity. In the incident of being a victim of a violent confrontation, this man may have
realistically been attacked because of his gender-atypical performance, not his sexuality.
Educating people about this sexuality-gender disparity might not only lessen such
insensitive moments of misunderstanding, but also expand thoughtful consideration for
gender variation. DePalma describes this expansion of knowledge as “a crucial
dimension to queer politics.” She says it is imperative “[to explore] ways of
marginalization that are specific to our assumptions of the biological stability of sex–
gender categories, just as much work has focused on marginalizations particular to
lesbian, gay and bisexual experiences” (2). Indeed, in a time of much misunderstanding
concerning how gender operates, it is crucial to explore how we marginalize gender
nonconforming individuals opposed to hetero-nonconforming people within the
hegemonic boundaries of a socially perpetuated structure of gender.
Jamie Lester claims in his article, “Performing Gender in the Workplace”, that
there are three social forces that exercise this propagating control over gender
performance. First in the development, social practices related to gender are defined and
replicated: “watching how individuals represent gender by dress, mannerism, and social
interactions, for example, provides clues as to how the culture and context define gender
roles” (280). Therefore, expected gender behaviors are learned and mimicked. Then,
culturally implemented gender roles are performed, negotiated, or challenged, which
Lester says is an indication of “forms of acceptance or resistance” (281). This phase of
gender performance most likely causes much stress for those who have an unclear or
nonconforming gender identity because Lester suggests that one’s gender performance

! 39!
ultimately comes down to confronting the choices of acceptance or resistance. A
negotiation is surely not unreasonable, but under social pressures and a hegemonic code
of norms, an individual’s gender is forced under scrutiny. Lastly, Lester notes “one
reinforces and replicates social norms and roles simply by choosing to perform a gender,
legitimizing their existence” (282). This socially constructed interpretation of gender
reveals that gender norms develop through an inevitable process of one’s own social
enculturation. How regulated might our own gender identities be? Whereas Lester’s ideas
have logic in terms of social influence and replication, they do not address the ways in
which individuals determine their own gender identities.
Individuality has rolled off the tongues of Americans for almost three hundred
years. In the discussion of gender, this culture is called forth to recognize self-expression,
whether it is specific or more ambiguous. Gender appears to unfold in a “fluid, shifting
reality of the mind,” according to Jim McKnight (84). In this sense, it is neither
biologically innate nor nonexistent, but rather, a mental process. This process occurs
inevitably through enculturation and as an interaction with society. Susan McKenzie
makes an interesting analogy concerning society’s view on how gender develops in her
article for the Journal of Analytical Psychology. She says, “With the declaration of a
child’s sex comes a preprinted operations manual describing the outer gender
performance of the model and assumptions about its inner workings as well” (92).
McKenzie indicates that by painting the nursery blue for a baby boy, the child becomes
apart of a pre-planned lifestyle path, expected to play the appropriate masculine role.
How do Americans react to those whose biological sex does not match these preprinted

! 40!
operations of gender performance? Like when McKenzie says that, “There is no pre-
printed gender manual labeled ‘other’ in Western monotheistic cultures” (93), Americans
have trouble understanding the true range of characteristics that gender really comes
down to. The article “Sex/Gender Identity: Moving Beyond ‘Fixed’ and ‘Natural’
Categories” reveals that this hegemonic tendency of society to expect certain gender roles
to be natural is a part of a “sex-gender system constructed and legitimized to the
exclusion of those whose physiology and/or behaviors do not conform to it” (1). Instead
of assuming someone to act a certain way because of their perceived sexual anatomy,
people interacting with each other must realize that gender comes in all shapes and sizes.
Hypothetically, the relationship between one’s sex and gender can be intrinsically
recognized in an infinite amount of ways. Moreover, gender can be both acknowledged
and “valued on various social planes, through activism, the production and critique of
popular culture, and education” (Carrera, DePalma, Lamerias 1). Understanding that
gender functions like this, and can be learned to actually be valued, is essential to the
plight of social progress.
It can be disconcerting to many to imagine identifying as “queer”, “trans”,
“gender nonconforming” or “gender independent”, but instead of analyzing ways of
nonconformity; we must take a prudent look at gender in its larger cultural context.
Depending on cultural upbringing and the capacity to freely explore an unbounded range
of gender characteristics, an individual’s gender identity can either become ostensibly
conformed or rather arbitrary. In her study, “Influences of Gender Identity on Children’s
Maltreatment of Gender-Nonconforming Peers”, Rachel Pauletti expands on gender-

! 41!
stereotypical and gender-atypical people, and more profoundly, discusses the social
impact of their interactions. She refers to those who conform to gender stereotypes as the
gender collective, or the majority of society whose gender identities embody precisely
masculine or feminine behaviors. Frequently, when interacting with gender-atypical
individuals, Pauletti says,
People with strong gender-differentiating beliefs and identities
harass gender-atypical others because they perceive them as threats
to their worldviews, as morally disgusting, as challenges to the
positive distinctiveness of their gender collective, as disloyal and
untrustworthy members of the collective, or as expecting other
people to reciprocate their gender-atypical behavior (845).
A few theories are tested as to why gender-atypical behavior is so often ostracized by
gender-stereotypical people, but the presumption that they are perceived “as threats to
their worldview, as challenges to the positive distinctiveness” supports the idea that
gender is socially formed, and therefore, socially regulated.
By revealing this process, the nature of how gender becomes misconstrued, and
describing the reality of how gender “works” in all of us, I hope this exertion of
educating efforts can show you the true need to open up the eyes of countless Americans
kept in the dark by social tradition.

! 42!
Works Cited
Alesina, Alberto, Paola Giuliano, and Nathan Nunn. "On The Origins Of Gender Roles:
Women And The Plough*." Quarterly Journal Of Economics 128.2 (2013): 469-530.
Business Source Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
Carrera, María Victoria, Renée DePalma, and Maria Lameiras. "Sex/Gender Identity: Moving
Beyond Fixed And ‘Natural’ Categories." Sexualities 15.8 (2012): 995-1016. Academic
Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
DePalma, Renée. "Choosing To Lose Our Gender Expertise: Queering Sex/Gender In School
Settings." Sex Education 13.1 (2013): 1-15. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct.
2014.
Lester, Jaime. "Performing Gender In The Workplace." Community College Review 35.4
(2008): 277-305. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
McKenzie, Susan. "Genders And Sexualities In Individuation: Theoretical And Clinical
Explorations." Journal Of Analytical Psychology 55.1 (2010): 91-111. Academic Search
Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
McKnight, Jim. "On The Minimum Standards Of Argument A Darwinian Would Expect Of
Socially Constructed, Postmodern And/Or Feminist Gender Theorists." Psychology,
Evolution & Gender 1.1 (1999): 81. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Pauletti, Rachel E., Patrick J. Cooper, and David G. Perry. "Influences Of Gender Identity On
Children’S Maltreatment Of Gender-Nonconforming Peers: A Person × Target Analysis
Of Aggression." Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology 106.5 (2014): 843-866.
PsycARTICLES. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Pyne, Jake. "Gender Independent Kids: A Paradigm Shift In Approaches To Gender Non-
Conforming Children." Canadian Journal Of Human Sexuality 23.1 (2014): 1-8.
Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Oct. 2014.
Singh, Anneliese A., Sarah E. Meng, and Anthony W. Hansen. "'I Am My Own Gender':
Resilience Strategies Of Trans Youth." Journal Of Counseling & Development 92.2
(2014): 208-218. Business Source Premier. Web. 2 Dec. 2014.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

! 43!
I continued to pursue a growing interest in magazine writing and took the
Advanced Magazine Writing course. Out of many assignments, there are
two that I am particularly proud of and that I think represent my writing
abilities the best. First, you’ll find the article below. Similar to the reported
article I wrote in the beginning course, this assignment required me to focus
on a particular topic, not an event.
Utilizing my newfound interviewing skills, I reached out to professionals
and talked to fellow students at Kutztown to compose this long-form,
researched article on sleep deprivation for college students. The article
points to professors and parents as readers in the attempt to raise awareness
about—what many would deem as—a crisis.

! 44!
Sacrificing Sleep: Millennials Are Fatigued for a Reason
Often times, when faced with the decision upon waking up at eight in the morning to
either go to class or stay in bed, Michael Hurley said he feels almost compelled to turn
back onto his pillow. “Every day of the week my alarm goes off and I’m disoriented. I
usually only get about 5 hours of sleep, if that,” said Hurley. A sophomore
communications major at Kutztown University, Hurley describes himself as sleep
deprived, which is evident in his raccoon-like eyes, vacant expression, and venti-sized
Starbucks coffee in hand at 2 p.m. His three-day scruff completes the classic appearance
of not just a college kid, but a sleepless one; self-imposed sleep deprivation, which is
exactly what Hurley inflicts on himself, runs within the coming-of-age instincts of
millennials everywhere.
The phenomenon of depriving oneself of the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep,
according to the American Psychological Association, is rooted in the ideology that
wasting less time on sleeping and more on various expenditures of work, like school
work, clubs and side-job employment, will result in higher productivity. In light of this
news, Hurley nods his disheveled head.
In reality, he argues, “It’s about not being labeled as lazy.” It’s an attitude about sleep
that’s “undeniably debilitating,” according clinical sleep researcher Joan Wendling at
Drexel University. Like Hurley, when one consistently fails to get sufficient sleep every
night, they are suffering from sleep deprivation. This can be a double-edged sword: the
more throughputs completed in daytime, the more tired one should be. Yet, the latest
trend, especially in millennials, seems to be the opposite case: the busier one tends to be,
the less likely they are to sleep well. Wendling said, “Sleep is the regenerative process
absolutely necessary for our bodies’ systems. If someone deprives themself of a decent
night’s sleep, not only are they basically deteriorating every organ system, but they are
causing dangerous situations on the road, risking day-to-day work with less than lifeless

! 45!
functioning, and jeopardizing positive relationships with family and friends due to an
inevitable irritable shift in personality,” said Wendling.
After taking a large gulp of coffee and rubbing his eyes, Hurley shrugged and said, “I
know I need sleep, but what college student ever really sleeps like they should? I have to
work full-time, do hours and hours of homework and then wake up for class at 7 in the
morning.” Even on the weekends, he works his local job at Sheetz in Fleetwood, Pa. He
aims to avoid the reputation of a lazy college student, a judgment placed on students
because of tardiness, lack of involvement, decreased quality in work, and even
appearance, according to Wendling. It’s easy to sympathize with his motivations to
continuously deprive himself of sleep.
“This semester, even more than last, is honestly just a series of naps,” Hurley self-
recollects as he tumbles back-and-forth his almost-empty coffee cup. Like so many, I
don’t think he remembers what it feels like not to be tired.
According to a study conducted by the APA, the L.A. times reported that in 2013, nearly
40% of millennials said their stress shot up within the year, compared with 33% of baby
boomers and 29% of those 67 and older. Students like Hurley are testimony to the fact
that this rising trend in stress continues to impact the sleep of those 18-to-33-year-olds.
With the U.S. economy now barely ameliorating after a 6-year depression, college
students questioning the usefulness of their degrees are in high productivity mode,
resulting in extra workloads for school and additional side-job hours. In a 2013 interview
with NBC News, Katherine Nordal, the APA’s executive director of professional
practice, said, "Many of these young people have come out of college or graduate school
with horrendous student debt into a job market where there are not very many jobs. This
has put their life plans, probably, on hiatus."
Although Nordal’s insinuation is 2 years old, job insecurity in millennials may still have
a resounding residual effect on work behavior both in terms of college and current or

! 46!
future employment. In fact, “insecurity” is actually how Hurley describes his attitude
concerning his college experience so far. He said, “I’m trying to be perceived as someone
who has a good work ethic, while actually building myself professionally for the future;
I’m not sure if it’s paying off.”
A culture of college-age people overscheduling themselves has evolved out of such
insecurities. Parents put pressure on kids to succeed in college while still making a
buck—and to make outstanding tuition payments “worth it,” peers put pressure on each
other to “over-achieve” and “out-schedule” each other, and professors construct a “no
exceptions” classroom atmosphere in order to simulate the “real world.” According to
Wendling, these very types of pressures are “at the root of rampant sleep deprivation in
young people.” In particular, she notes, is student anxiety about finances.
When asked if worries about finances affect his sleep, Hurley said, “No doubt. We’re all
here because of money: succeed in college, acquire income, save money, and find a job.
When do I have time to worry about my lack of sleep? Making money’s the bigger
picture.” He crinkles his forehead and scrunches his hair. Thoughts of the future seem to
unnerve the Kutztown student.
If money and reputation are the underlining motivations for self-imposed sleeplessness,
then, despite amassing an impressive resume, students are going to graduate with not
only bad sleep habits, but also secondary health problems. Laura Marcucci, Social Norms
Program Coordinator at Georgetown University’s Student Health Services, said in an
interview with the Huffington Post, “It's fine if a student's definition of thriving is a full
class load, extracurriculars and a job or internship on the side, but if it's at the expense of
your physical and emotional health, that's when it starts to be a problem."
In the short term, missing sleep could cause weight gain, decreased skin quality,
moodiness, memory loss, hallucinations, loss of sex drive, and of course, a general
exhaustion that causes apathy and impacts daily performance. Plus, sleep deprivation
over long periods can cause chronic health issues like heart disease, diabetes, high blood

! 47!
pressure, weakened immune response, and even permanent brain damage according to
Steven R. Goodman, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of Experimental Biology and Medicine in a
statement reported by The Atlantic.
"Including myself, students really need to re-prioritize what’s important if they’re not
getting enough sleep," said another Kutztown sophomore, George Fladeland. Much like
Hurley’s insight about this scarily augmenting phenomenon of sleep deprivation among
college students, Fladeland said, "There's a strange pride when my friends and I pull all-
nighters.”
!
,30,!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

! 48!
This last article, as representative of my work in the Professional Writing
program, shows off a type of article I’ve learned to thoroughly enjoy
writing: a profile. My “beat” in Advanced Magazine Writing was Health &
Wellness. When it was time to tackle the assignment of profiling an
individual, I immediately knew an interesting figure that I was dying to learn
more about.
Enter Jazz. She was a wonderful person pursuing a healthy lifestyle to
profile, and I was excited to write this article as a testament to what I’ve
learned throughout my professional writing education, through my
experiences with journalism and in magazine writing in particular.
Here, my objective is to let Jazz’s story come through, but more so, let her
charisma come of the page.

! 49!
A Vegan Rehab
It’s a noisy Sunday filled with raucous fans sitting in front of multiple pints of beer, half-
empty appetizer trays and transfixed on the eight or nine televisions above the bar
streaming the last quarter of the Eagles game. Three pumpkin martinis and a plate of
beef-topped potato skins glide around the cocktail lounge at the TGI Friday’s in
Allentown, Pa. The young woman balancing the tray weaves behind the bar horde—
almost three rows back at this point—to a nearly indistinguishable table in a far corner of
the restaurant. She’s vibrant and dynamic; like an ethnic disco ball, Jasmine IvanaJae
Kellyman, 25, gleans the assorted eyes of men and women around her, most likely due to
her pastel orange head wrap, hemp crystal-ornated necklace, distinct, exotic features and
an empathic smile.
But this effervescent woman, Jazz, as most of her friends and loved ones call her, would
frown at the perception of being someone who grasps the attention of others, someone
who might be misconstrued as vain. It goes against her newly embraced values of
universal love, optimism and selflessness, values that she only recently brought into her
life after years of materialism…and meat.
Jazz said what ultimately attracted her to Rastafarianism was the encouragement to “love
and respect yourself and every living thing around you,” which naturally lead to her
transition into an all plant-based diet.
Veganism has been fringing as an established regime for years now, supported by
celebrities like Beyoncé and public faces like the Clintons. Recently, vegan followers and
enthusiasts have attempted to largely glamorize this all-natural diet with sexy and
varnished photographs aimed to elevate the persuasion of vegan publicity. Jazz mentions
restaurants on the U.S. coasts and trends on online food blogs and throughout social
media that make a vegan diet not just appealing, but “fashionable.” “Like David
Beckham advertises men’s underwear, these super-slim fashionistas are promoting the
plant-based diet,” she said.

! 50!
With her fiancé, Elion Namuganga, on her arm, Jazz keenly sits down in a Friday’s booth
after the game ended and the crowd dissipated. She scoops up spoonfuls out of the bowl
of raspberries, blueberries, and tofu marinated in a sweetened cashew sauce in front of
her. The young Rasta couple—not Rastafarian as Elion corrected—met in New York City
and just recently moved to Pennsylvania. Jazz was immediately attracted to the beliefs
that her partner accepted for most of his life. “Roman Catholicism to Rastafari is a leap,
but when I met Elion I realized how much I longed for a religion that didn’t focus so
much on scripture,” she said. “Rasta’s believe that there is a simple oneness between
humans and God, and that we are here to celebrate life.” The Rastafarian lifestyle comes
with the culturally pervasive tropes of smoking marijuana, dreadlocks, and venerating
over Bob Marley, which may be true for many young, black Rasta followers, but the
majority unfortunately doesn’t realize these are misconceptions.
After she graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with a B.A. in Mass
Communication, Jazz had been contracted as a commercial model for BMG Models. Yet,
swiftly, her dream to be “a refreshing face that dominates and inspires” fizzled into the
reality of superficiality and restrictive diets that bordered on an eating disorder.
It started at a photo shoot for American Apparel in Queens. It was June 2013 and at this
time, Jazz was almost a year into her contract with BMG. She was featured in multiple
print ads for Jeremy Scott, Levi’s, and The Mountain, and she also appeared as a fresh
face for H&M in January 2013. Whereas the cultural stigma associated with the Rasta
lifestyle is often misconstrued, Jazz would vehemently confirm the stereotypes associated
with professional models. “I was force fed diet pills and all liquid diets all too often,
especially when my commercial career started booming,” she said.
The shoot, like most, had a buffet of assorted breakfast items: croissants, eclairs,
danishes, and healthier options like oatmeal, fruit, and granola—which Jazz new all too
well were expected, almost required by her agency, to be chosen over the doughy treats.
At this point, according to one of her lifelong friends, Bella Woodford from her

! 51!
Washington, D.C. high school who often stayed in her studio apartment in Brooklyn, Jazz
wasn’t just malnourished (living off of power kale salads, green tea and diet supplements
like a desperate Hollywood diva), but she was edging on anorexia. When the young
model decided to give in to her very physical and anatomical yearning for something
substantial that day, her agent and the booked photographer actually called in another
model. “All I ate was a croissant with butter, but that was it. Luckily for BMG, they have
a pool of carefully crafted models that are so surprisingly my same size—and I was
booted.”
Jazz mentioned that some agents were more lenient than others, but the idea of being
perceived as having what she called “extra padding” was enough to permanently make its
mark. This is what physicians commonly deem as body dismorphia. Yet, that day
changed her perception of the business, and resultantly of her own situation. She had it,
and Elion, whom at the time she just recently met a few weeks prior, was already pushing
her to leave behind the toxic, superficial lifestyle and embrace healthier choices, both
spiritually and nutritionally.
The couple risked it all—comfort, money, and friendships—and moved to Bethlehem,
Pa. where Elion got hired as a warehouse manager and Jazz began to pursue her Masters
degree in Community Leadership and Communication at Moravian College. Among this
transformation came her newly adopted Rasta belief system and even more revolutionary
for her, a switch from eating irrationally to eating sensibly.
At Shankara, Jazz’s current favorite all-vegan joint on Main Street in Bethlehem, Pa., just
a few blocks down from her and Elion’s apartment, she explains the process of going
from barely eating to planning out meals and consciously choosing different foods. “As
someone who basically lived without essential nutrients for a year, it was such a
gratifying change, probably the most influential, even above embracing Rasta ways and
continuing my education.” Many times, health-goers say they could never be vegetarians
because they “need the protein.” Others admit they are ordinarily vegetarian but won’t
sacrifice their beloved dairy. After embarking on her vegan diet, Jazz said, “In just a few

! 52!
months after eliminating dairy, I could already see and feel the positive impact. I slept
through the night, had more energy, no longer felt bloated or lazy, and most importantly,
I felt like I had levelheaded control over my dietary choices.”
Her meal consisted of Korean fried cauliflower and braised Japanese eggplant in a garlic-
mushroom sauce. Elion’s favorite dish, black bean chili over brussel sprouts and rice, was
ordered to go since he worked late that night. The situation paralleled going to TGI
Friday’s for dinner and ordering buffalo wings to go for your late-working husband; Jazz
and her fiancé eventually situated themselves in a regime that’s just right for them and
adheres to their values. “I have never felt better in my life. I felt so much better removing
all animal products from my diet, and focusing on plant-based foods with wildly
abundant nutrients,” Jazz animatedly said as she finishes her dessert: ginger-balsamic
glazed papaya.
Elion recommended sticking with foods that were familiar to her, the foods she already
ate and then to figure out what is plant-based and what contains animal products, but in
that year of extreme restrictive dieting, Jazz forgot what she liked to eat. Her vegan
rehabilitation was unique in so far that she was able to start fresh—literally—and
transform from a materialistic model to a revitalized woman.
-30-

WRI380_Portfolio

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to WRI380_Portfolio

Similar to WRI380_Portfolio (20)

WRI380_Portfolio