Table of Contents Reflection Letter Final Moments Introduction Final Moments Time To Focus Introduction Time To Focus Summer Time Introduction Summer Time Nervous Journal Introduction Journal # 5 Nervous The Car Was Messy Journal Introduction Journal # 4 The Car Was Messy

Reflection Letter

My name is Eric Koffski and I’m 19 years old. I have a brother who is 26 years old and sister that is 24. My girlfriend and I met in freshmen year of high school and have been dating since. I love sports, from the competitiveness to the exercise you receive. I am currently a student at Everett Community College. My goal for school is to finish with my associates degree in the welding program. This is the end of my first year and I have learned many new things. I’ve learned how to use an AutoCad machine which is a computerized cutting torch that automatically cuts the shape you created on a computer. I am also in the process of getting certified for Stick welding.

What I like about writing is that you can express yourself easily and it is a way to be unique and different from everyone else. No two people will ever write something exactly the same, no matter how alike they are. However I do have trouble with writing topics or picking one for that matter. When given the opportunity to pick my own topic, I have trouble deciding on just one thing and I'll make my essay to vague. However, “What is the best advice given to you?” is easy because I can think of everything I know about that piece of advice down, when I heard it, who said it and where it happened.

Since the beginning of the quarter I have learned to use more descriptive words and use them in complete sentences. I found out I used a lot of fragments, then learned how to correct them using commas, semi colons and combining sentences. For my portfolio I have chosen to use “Time To Focus” for my descriptive piece as I feel that was one of my strong papers using the “show not tell” theory. Also I would like to use two of my journals that show my progression throughout the quarter and strengths and weaknesses in writing.

“Final Moments” Introduction

“Final Moments” is an essay I wrote at the beginning of the quarter; it was the second major writing assignment for the class. I chose this piece for my major writing assignment piece. The first draft of my paper has a solid core but it was mediocre and needed many revisions. Once I received revision notes and tips from my teacher and classmates I was able to revise the essay and create one of my stronger assignments. I wouldn’t have chosen this piece to demonstrate my major writing assignment if it didn’t need the attention it received. If you look at the many drafts of the essay, it shows my strength as a writer to take constructive criticism and fix my paper to make it better. Another strength this paper demonstrates is the use of building anticipation to reach a climax. An example of creating anticipation from my paper is, “This is what we spent all those gloomy, fall nights practicing for. This was the last play of the year and I’m sure I was going to make it worth my while. When they broke the huddle my heart was racing faster than ever. You could feel the tension lingering along the line of scrimmage.

Final Moments

From an outside perspective, a football team may look like a group of jocks hitting each other releasing their anger, but in reality they’re a group of motivated athletes acting as brothers trying to prove themselves. In football, the offense scores the points and gets all the fame, but the defense is what wins championships. Through the third quarter, the opposing Spartans had been controlling the game, running the ball consistently, following with tough defense. The score was 21-17.We didn’t have much of an answer for them, but fourth quarter was our time. When they fumbled during the handoff with eight minutes left in the game, we saw our opportunity to mount a comeback. In the upcoming drive, we knew we had to be sharp, making sure each of our assignments was met and then some. The lights were beaming down, the crowd was noisy and anxious, and it’s what Friday nights were all about. We started running sweep plays, running to the sideline stretching the defense, followed by runs up the gut. Being successful, we marched downfield and punched through the end zone with our fullback. After kicking through the extra point making it 24-21, the heat was now on them.

Stopping an offense from scoring when they need it the most is the best feeling. In the final moments of the last game of the year, the opponent needed to score one more time to win. That’s when the real excitement started. They were on the ten yard line, only thirty feet away from the end zone. “Go Bruins” was painted in bold crimson red on the turf, right in their faces. They could smell it, they wanted it bad, but it was easy to say my team wanted it more. It’s first down, four tries to score from point blank. They broke the huddle in the same formation they had been in all night. The ball was going to the massive running back that had been fatigued throughout the game: he was exhausted. The quarterback quickly hiked the ball, turned cautiously, and handed the muddy football to him. What happened next put me in awe. My three-hundred pound teammate lifted him off his feet and buried him into the ground. It was now second down, three more tries for the touchdown. The next two downs were unsuccessful pass plays due to our stingy defensive backs that swatted down every ball thrown in their direction. This is what we’ve spent all those gloomy, fall nights practicing for. This was the last play of the year, and I’m sure I was going to make it worth my while. When they broke the huddle, my heart was racing faster than ever. You could feel the tension lingering along the line of scrimmage. The ball was hiked and pitched outside the tackle. I jolted forward and took on the lead blocker. The next thing I knew a few teammates swarmed him like bees; we stopped them!

"Time to Focus" Introduction

I chose "Time to Focus" as my piece for the descriptive writing piece. This was written at the beginning of the quarter and it is one of my favorite pieces I've written. "Time to Focus" is about the football locker room at my high school where all the guys met to get ready for our Friday night games. The reason I chose this is because of the very descriptive detail I used to describe the locker room. I feel I painted a clear image for the reader. I've noticed that one of my greatest strengths as a writer is my use of pinpoint detail and I feel like this essay demonstrates that more than most of my other pieces. One example of my descriptive use to describe the locker room is, "The outdated tile is covered with cleat-patterned grass clumps everyone tracked in. Dirty socks and knee pads wander off from their owners and scatter themselves under the beaten wood benches. The history of the football program is taped to the walls with scores telling the outcome of past games."

Time to Focus

When you enter the locker room you become overwhelmed by the smell of dirty jerseys, and you hear the noise of thirty rowdy athletes; only a football player would appreciate this atmosphere. Each player has their own space filled with their gear, schoolwork, and good luck charms. It’s not like being at home where your mother tells you to clean up after yourself. The outdated tile is covered with cleat-patterned grass clumps everyone tracked in. Dirty socks and knee pads wander off from their owners and scatter themselves under the beaten wood benches. The history of the football program is taped to the walls with scores telling the outcome of past games. When a game is won, it’s an accomplishment to add a piece of history we can call our own. The cruel smell of body odor being covered up by Febreze and Old Spice lingers throughout the crowded space. When everyone starts to gather in the locker room, the beat of rap music pulsates out the doors. Because of the comfort level between players, there is no reservation when we begin to dance and sing. The tone of the locker room becomes more serious as game time approaches. As coaches appear in the locker room, the players become silent, soaking in each motivational speech given. Each player isolates themselves, head down and arms crossed, mentally preparing for the night to begin. Although the wrinkled posters from the eighties are just about to fall, they still bring motivation to the eyes glancing up at them. The locker room may not be up to date, it may smell horrible, and it may be too small, but it serves its purpose.

"Summer Time" Introduction

For my effective writing piece I chose my process essay. My process essay was demonstrating how to prep a swimming pool getting ready for summer time. This essay was written toward the end of the quarter so I had good practice before it. The reason I chose this to demonstrate effective writing is because I used strong detail to describe the condition of the pool and what it takes to restore it. Given that it was a process essay I provided understandable steps and transitions into the process of cleaning the pool. An example of the strong detail used to describe the condition of the pool is, “That means now everyone can see our half filled, green pool with an occasional frog in it. My pool looked like a swamp. Branches, leaves and burnt out fireworks from past parties from next door litter the water.” An example of the transitions used is, “Next, when it’s up to your standards, it’s highly recommended to add chlorine powder to the water, making sure no living thing can survive such as frogs, bugs, mosquitoes.