I came to this class believing that I was a decent writer, I had a complex vocabulary, and a decent concept of proper grammar and mechanics.  After having taken this class its very clear that my writing abilities have improved, both grammatically and mechanically.  I have a deeper understanding of how to write and cite information in MLA format, and most importantly, thanks to the professors teaching style, I am more confident in my ability to produce comprehensable writings that are clear and make for an easy read.

Of the initial learning outcomes that were stated at the beginning of the semester, I believe I have successfully demonstrated skill at the stylistic aspects of integrating sources, such as employing a variety of transitional effects or integrating a quote into the grammatical structure of a sentence.  Before having taken this class, citing sources and integrating quotes into my writing was offputting to me, and difficult to accomplish.  The class definately helped me overcome this and have a better understanding on how to integrate my sources via parenthetical citations and issuing corresponding transitional effects to create a writing that ‘flows’ well.

This course was definately taught using “unique” methods, and effective subject matter.  The method in which the material was taught was very enjoyable and very effective, and will have a lasting impression on my academic career, and possibly beyond.  For someone who was deathly afraid of writing at the beginning of the class, the semester long process of writing our trend paper, definately helped me ease through it and gain a better understanding of what would produce an effective essay, as well as helped me understand that writing should not be feared.

This was my second time taking COM 102, and I made sure that I got into Mr. Shermaks class because having taken it with another instructor, I learned a deep appreciation for his teaching style.  Writing is all to often being relentlessly downpoured onto students who often are taking up to 4 or 5 other classes and get overwhelmed.  In my opinion, this doesn’t teach anything to students, it merely frustrates them and causes them to do worse.  Thanks the teaching methods of Mr. Shermak, and the way he takes the edge off of writing, I personally being a full time student, will have come out of his class a much better, more prepared, and stress free writer.

I think the elevator chats were fun and interesting, due to the reactions people had to the presentations and some of the visual aids.  It was interesting to learn what was interesting to my peers, while that sounds redundant, there’s no better way to say it.  Each person had their own interests and from their presentations actually cared about their topics.  They helped enlighten other classmates and brought pressing issues of our society into perspective for other young people looking to make a difference in the world.  It was also a good idea to have the visual aids, as it provided something tangible for the audience, which helps the information being shoved at them to sink in and take effect.  Also the scorecards for the audience to take notes on helped ensure that everyone paid due attention to their peers, instead of listening to their iPod or texting the class away, being disrespectful.

The Elevator chats where a good way to bring up overlooked issues to a young aspiring class. They were also very effective in getting information to sink in and ensure people get the respect they deserve while standing in front of a class of recent high school graduates.  I think a system like this would be more effective in other areas of study as well, to help get information to sink in.

Destruction caused by these invasive species includes wildfires, waterway clogging, and destruction of crops, and of course ecosystems, forcing native life to vacate, most often due to lack of food.  Primarily here in the Midwest, the most destructive species include the Asian Carp, Zebra Mussels, and the Emerald Ash Borer.  What is the most surprising is that a solution to these problem species is being put on the back burner by congress.  You would think that a dent in the nations’ wallet of 138 billion per year would get their attention better.  There are experts that have suspected solutions to these problems but they are not getting appropriate attention to face the matter.

Asian Carp alone are causing damage all along the Midwest and are threatening to invade Lake Michigan.  There are four types of Asian Carp that have invaded the United States, all of which reproduced and spread rapidly.  The common and grass carp have been documented as existing in every state through legal or illegal introduction.  These types of carp are less disastrous as they mainly exist on farms and in other types of controlled environments.  Although they are less harmful they have a definite potential to devastate ecosystems and monopolize food sources even from local mammals including Raccoons, Otters, and Muskrats (Indiana).

The most destructive of the Asian Carp family, especially to the Illinois region, are the silver and bighead carps which compete with native species by being filter feeders, which means they take food away from larval fishes and mussels that are native to a region.  Silver carp have also been known to injure fishers and other water goers by reacting to outboard motors by jumping out of the water and onto or over boats.  Although these fish seem harmless when caught, they have proven to be hazards by destroying vast areas of native aquatic life.

Some of the efforts to reduce and/or control populations of Asian Carp, specifically Bighead and Silver Carp in the Illinois and Chicago areas include an electric fence which was established by the Army Corp of Engineers, and more recently an agreement between Governor Quinn and 2 private companies to begin exporting the invasive carp from Illinois rivers.  The Electric Barrier, which has a cost of over $9 million, was established in Chicago’s sanitary and ship canals to prevent any Asian Carp from reaching Lake Michigan where they damage they could cause would be mind blowing.  The Barriers are not fix-alls for the potential Lake Michigan invasion, they merely “serve to plug the biggest hole” that provides access to Lake Michigan according to Col. Vincent Quarles of the Army Corp of Engineers.  It is feared that the newer barrier’s power could cause problems for local barges that cross that area as well as recreational watercraft users, which is why the barrier will more than likely not be run at full power.

A much more recent deterrent to the increased risk of spread of the Asian carp in the Illinois waterways, was announced by Illinois’ own Governor Quinn.  This deterrent includes the employment of 2 separate companies, one of which is a fishing company, the other a meat processing company.  The agreement which will include Beijing Zhuochen Animal Husbandry Company, and Big River Fisheries, has been put together for the purpose of capturing the nuisance Asian Carp and exporting them to China where the fish are considered a delicacy (State of Illinois).  In the agreement, the companies are to capture and process 30 million pounds of fish by the end of 2011 (State of Illinois).  Where does the State come in?  The state of Illinois will be providing millions in funds to ensure that the Big River company will have the proper equipment to take on such a large task.  The funds will also provide many new jobs and expand the company’s operation.  

These efforts show and increased interest on the part of local governments to stop the spread of the destructive Asian Carp which could be argued is a tremendous accomplishment.  Governor Quinn was quoted saying, “Protecting the Great Lakes is vital to millions of people from Illinois and throughout the Midwest who rely on these waterways for their livelihoods. Today’s agreement is one of the most aggressive efforts to address the Asian carp problem, and is a critical step to long-term economic sustainability and the success of the commercial fishing industry” (State of Illinois).  The Asian Carp have caused millions in damages, as well as in costs for preventing their spread, just in the Illinois area alone.  The increased government support shows that the problem has a potential to be fixed and in turn could be a large boost to the Illinois economy.

Another species that has been threatening Illinois waterways and has already taken over much of Lake Michigan is the Zebra Mussels.  The Zebra Mussels are believed to have come to Lake Michigan in the 1980’s in the same way that many other aquatic invasive species are brought over, via ballast water from incoming ships to port cities, and more specifically hail from the Caspian Sea which is north of Iran.  The first cluster of mussels that was found in the Great Lakes, was picked up by a student of the University of Windsor located in Ontario in 1988 (Egan).  During its discovery in the Great Lakes, Zebra Mussels were not considered a serious concern until several years later when it was calculated how fast they reproduce and how much water they can filter.  The rapid filtering done by the Zebra Mussels creates a hostile environment for native species due to the increased water clarity which causes and exponential growth in algae whose decomposition deprives the lakes of large amounts of oxygen.  This deprivation in some cases has lead to botulism outbreaks due to the mass amounts of decomposing algae.  This is only one of the destructive results that the mussels produce, others include the clogging of power plants’ water intake systems, as well as water treatment facilities for the Midwest, and much more,  endangering the power and water supplies for millions of people. 

The mass invasion of the Zebra Mussels is also having a drastic effect on the ecosystem.  The bottom of Lake Michigan used to be covered with a tiny crustacean called diporeia, which have been a vital part of the Lakes Ecosystem for thousands of years.  The severe reduction in these creatures is having a profound effect on the organisms of the lake that used to feed off of them.  In some areas of the lake there has been a diporeia die off which has created “vast underwater deserts,” says Andy Buchsbaum, director of the National Wildlife Service’s Great Lakes office (Egan).  This drop in population of dipreia has detrimentally effected the whitefish population of Lake Michigan.  It has left the whitefish in a state of emaciation or starvation, and they have been forced to eat zebra mussels’ whole instead of their normal diets.  This is causing many health issues among the fish as you can imagine swallowing large rigid sea shells would do to many animals.  Since the diporeia are at the bottom of the food chain, the zebra mussels’ mass consumption and eradication of the crustaceans has a devastating effect on all levels of the food chain.  On top of the food chain upset, zebra mussels’ selective eating habits have resulted in a large increase in a toxic blue green algae called microcystis.  Microcystis produces a toxin that that could poison water that pets drink out of and harm other wildlife called microsystin.  Microcystis blooms are becoming more and more common and although they aren’t harmful unless direct contact is made, they are offensive visually, as they look like spilled paint on water, and offensive by emitting a noxious odor.

The government is taking steps to prevent the spread of zebra mussels, in 1989 the U.S. and Canada agreed to have ships flush out their ballast tanks with salt water from the Atlantic Ocean before entering the St. Lawrence Seaway.  This only applied to about 15% of the ships entering the Great Lakes due to their regions of origin (Zebra Mussels).  Even with government intervention, it is unknown if these invaders can be stopped and eradicated.  The rate at which these creatures reproduce is astounding and their ability to spread far and wide to many different fresh water sources make the zebra mussels a nuisance to most of the country.

Invasive Species that are affecting Illinois and the Midwest are not attacking only the water ecosystems, there is another enemy that can decimate entire populations of Ash Trees, this includes black, white, and green ash.  The Emerald Ash Borer was first found in southeast Michigan, near Detroit in 2002.  It is believed that the Emerald Ash Borer arrived in Michigan via a wooden cargo crate that was infested with the insects, which originated from China.  Since it’s arrival in Michigan the Emerald Ash Borer has spread across 14 states and 2 Canadian provinces destroying ash trees wherever it goes (Emerald Ash Borer).  In Michigan alone the Emerald Ash Borer has killed tens of millions of ash trees, and tens of millions more across the other states and provinces that it has invaded.  Through the increased destruction comes increased economic damage as municipalities, property owners, and forest product industries tens of millions of dollars.   Although it is a relatively new pest to this side of the world, the Emerald Ash Borer has proven to be very harmful to the ecosystems that it invades.

Emerald Ash borers have only a one year lifespan with adults emerging in the mid spring and living until mid summer before they lay eggs.  Adult males typically live anywhere from 7 to 9 days, whereas the females have an adult lifespan of 21 or 22 days (McCullough).  Females can mate more than once and eggs are typically laid on the bark of the tree or in crevices.  After 7 to 10 days the eggs will hatch and the larvae will begin consuming the tree just under the bark in an S shaped pattern, with the pattern getting wider as the insects grow inside the tree (McCullough.  After winter, the insects will begin to emerge from the ash trees leaving small D shaped holes from which they exited.  While woodpeckers in some cases feed heavily on these young insects, it’s just not enough to control the population of the voracious eaters.

Although the effects of the Emerald Ash Borers are not quite as destructive as other invasive species, they are still quite a nuisance and a sense of urgency should still be practiced when it comes to eradicating the pests.  The insects are excellent fliers but that is not believed to be their main means of spread, people are.  Through forest product industries and firewood sales, people are mainly responsible for the spread of the Emerald Ash Borers across the Midwest and Canada.  State and local governments are doing what they can to prevent the spread of the insects by placing quarantines on the wood coming from areas where the insects have been found.  Also many people are taking up special insecticides that are designed to target the Emerald Ash Borers.

There are hundreds of invasive species in the Midwest and specifically the Illinois area, some of which are more destructive than others.  In Lake Michigan alone there are approximately 185 different types of invasive species that are changing the ecosystem and affecting life in the water and on land (Hosansky).  The Asian Carp were initially brought over to help fish farmers and as a food fish for the people of the United States.  More recently they are no longer prized as food fish and most species are considered to be a nuisance and under the Lacey Act considered to be invasive. 

Other aquatic invasive species have been arriving by boat through ballast water and by attaching to the underbelly of ships that import goods into the Great Lakes region.  This is how the Zebra Mussels got their start in the Great Lakes in the late 1980’s, as stowaways in a ship coming from the Caspian Sea as they purged their ballast water, which is used in ship navigation, into Lake Michigan.  These little creatures could possibly be the most destructive invasive species in the area, as they are changing the entire ecosystem that the Great Lakes has been a part of for thousands of years.  They are creating massive amounts of biological pollution, and clearing out large areas of the lake bottoms leaving massive underwater deserts.  While they are creating a clearer Lake Michigan, that doesn’t necessarily represent a good sign.  When water turbidity goes down, algae growth goes up, and this includes harmful algae.  If left untouched and without a viable solution for eradication, or at least spread prevention, these mussels will surely but slowing poison the drinking water of millions of people and animals.

On the land side of the invasive species in the Midwest, and also relatively new to the most wanted list, is the Emerald Ash Borer.  These tiny insects came to Michigan and immediately started ravaging the ash tree population there.  The state government issued quarantines but through human involvement and partially because of the flight patterns of the Emerald Ash Borers, these insects began spreading rapidly throughout the Midwest and have even reached Canada.  While people from all walks of life are searching for solutions to the infestation of the Emerald Ash Borers, a permanent solution appears far from sight as the spreading of the insects only worsens.

It is well known that there are many invasive species in our country, but what is not widely known is their means of arrival.  They can arrive in anything from ballast water, to wooden crates in which they were burrowing, or even as a stowaway in a child’s pocket.  It is clear that much more consideration must be taken when we allow foreign entities into the country, this has already been said to be the best way to prevent invasive species from entering the U.S.  Although the government is taking action now, could it possibly be too late?  Scientists are working on viable solutions to the infestations that plague our native ecosystems, but they will need support from governments and citizens alike, to be more careful when introducing pets or when traveling to foreign countries, as one small mistake could result in large scale environmental problems that will effect national economies and entire ecosystems.

Works Cited

Egan, Dan. “Zebra Mussels Among Invasive Species Harming Lake Michigan.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (2005). Web. 21 July 2010. <http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SIL1424-0-4814&artno=0000209498&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=invasive%20species%20midwest>.

Emerald Ash Borer. Web. 28 July 2010. http://www.emeraldashborer.info/index.cfm.

Hosansky, David. “Invasive Species.” CQ Researcher 11.34 (2001). Web. 20 July 2010.<http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2001100500&type=hitlist&num=0>.

Indiana. Deparment of Natural Resources. Division of Fish and Wildlife. Aquatic Invasive Species: Black Carp. 1 Apr. 2009. Web. 20 July 2010. <http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/BLACK_CARP.pdf>.

McCullough, Deborah G., and David L. Roberts. Pest Alert. Michigan State University. Web. 28 July 2010. http://www.northvillemich.com/docs/ashborerpestalert.pdf.

State of Illinois. Office of Governor Pat Quinn. Governor Quinn Announces New Initiative to. 13 July 2010. Web. 20 July 2010. http://asiancarp.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Governor-Quinn-PR-07-13-2010.pdf.

“Zebra Mussels’ Damage Make Them the Worst of All Great Lakes Exotic Species, ScientistsSay.” The Grand Rapids Press [Grand Rapids] 9 Apr. 2009. Print.

I think this is a great article because I can see this people a widespread problem, especially with people raised in our society.  Kenji definitely nailed it when he went in to the “realize the value of a wrong answer” portion of the article, going on to describe how modern education has conformed us to expect certain things from ourselves and those who criticize or “grade” us.  Also the guidelines he offered, could be helpful to writers everywhere, myself included, the most important guideline being, “Learn to value criticism.”  This article really made me think about how I receive and respond to criticism, which was probably the goal of the writer.  What really made the article, and put a cherry on the writers sundae of effectiveness, was the addition of the paragraph of his personal experience dealing with criticism and how it has helped him grow as a writer.  This shows the reader that he is not above the problems that everyone else faces and that his guidelines have helped him find success in writing, only adding to his credibility.

It’s quite obvious having read both articles that the article from the LA Times was much easier to understand as David Colker broke down the facts of the digital conversion into a format that anyone could understand.  He broke his article down into simple sections that were sorted by the type of TV versus the method of programming delivery.  A much more people friendly article all around, even the voice used had a much more friendly feel to it.  Whereas the article from CNET written by John Falcone was clearly focused on a much more technical savvy audience.  Falcone was rattling off more focused technical terms and even models of TV’s that I’m sure very few people know.  While the voice he used was still friendly it seems as though he was writing for people who were in the TV business as opposed to people who would merely be at home watching TV.  But considering the type of people that each respective news source is trying to reach, it’s clear that they tailored their writings accordingly.

Conservation: The prevention of injury, decay, waste, or loss of, in our case, our environment.

Atmospheric pollutants: Particles let off into the atmosphere by car emissions, forest fires, volcanic ash, and industrial plant emissions.

Deforestation: The process of cutting down trees or the natural removal of large areas of wooded areas.

Groundwater pollution: the contamination of groundwater by different forms of chemical and synthetic pollutants that render the water unfit for normal use by living beings.

Invasive species: Are alien species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.

Native landscaping: Landscaping with the use of indigenous plant life of the area.

Fire behavior: The manner in which a wild land fire develops, how fuels ignite, flame development, and fire spread

Fire Accelerant: In fire protection, an accelerant is any substance or mixture that “accelerates” the development of fire. Accelerants are often used to commit arson, and some accelerants may cause an explosion.

Journals

Geomorphology: publishes peer reviewed journals that pertain to tectonics, regional structure, and glacial processes, weathering hill slopes and soil erosion and more. The journal uses sources ranging from “fundamental theory and science to applied research. The journal gives current events that deal with the changing geology of the planet and also explains the dynamics of what is happening to show what it means.

Ecological Restoration: is a journal that is published quarterly that informs those interested in ecological restoration. It is a forum for those interested in and those involved in restoring the natural ecology of their neighborhoods. The journal includes evolving theories, technical and biological explanations, and the role of education for anyone interested.

Ecology: This journal is used for publishing articles on current ecological research and trends in the ecology field. The journal publishes research with an emphasis on newer ecological concepts. This journal would be an asset appreciated by almost anyone looking to go into a field that would have lots of environmental and ecological considerations.

Fire Safety Journal: The scope of the journal is wide and entails fire chemistry, physics, fire dynamics, active fire protection systems, including detection and suppression, passive fire protection methods, fire interactions, fire safety management, and more. Contribution are welcome from all sources and especially if the contributions are quantitative. The journal has eight issues yearly and is the leading publication for fire safety engineering.

Websites

NWAS: National weather association website is member led non-profit professional association. Members of the organization can share studies, news, and concerns regarding operational meteorology. The website also has information on getting jobs in the field. The website also has online publications, current news, and dates when there are going to be meetings and what happened at those meetings.

ASLA: American Society of Landscape Architects website is one of course consisting of landscape architects and those aspiring to be. Their mission is to help guide and educate those considering, or practicing in the field of Landscape Architecture. They keep up to date information in the field as well as maintaining a standard for members and practitioners of the profession.

National Fire Protection Association: The NFPA is a non-profit organization founded to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on quality of life. The website features safety information, training news, research, and current news. It also includes seminar dates and codes and standards which are kept current. The sites membership is open to all but comes with a fee. I like this website because it has a lot of information that is useful to most everyday life.

Google News Search: A news search of native landscaping showed many recent trends for the topic, most results are of recent developments and additions in the field. The search also revealed that another term for native landscaping is “wildscaping.” It is becoming very apparent that native landscaping techniques are becoming much more popular with residential areas as well as commercial and government entities. This is very important due to the fact that most of the landscaping done in the past involved the use of exotic species which weren’t native to the regions and require as much as 10x the amount of water to sustain life.

This article could inspire just about anyone, as it tells of the economic hardships of the city, and what the residents are willing to do just to see a Tiger’s game.  I definitely think the author did a great job telling the story of the Tiger’s “renaissance,” and bringing some attention to a team and a city that would really appreciate it.