by | Sep 24, 2022 | English
Discussion Board – Project 3 Brainstorm
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Before completing this assignment, thoroughly read the following under the Project 3 module:
The Subtle Power of Language: Word Choice
The Subtle Power of Language: Sentence Structure
Project 3 Prompt
For this discussion board, pick two of the four scenarios in the prompt and answer the questions below. Your response should be 500-600 words total.
Scenario 1
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
Scenario 2
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
Important Notes
You cannot place the blame elsewhere. In each scenario, you hold at least some level of responsibility. So, you can’t deflect. (For instance, in the first scenario, you can’t say that it was another restaurant that actually caused food poisoning.)
You cannot use clichés like “everyone makes mistakes” or “nobody is perfect.” A mistake is calling somebody the wrong name after you just met them (and not what we see in each of the scenarios).
If you try to compensate / make it up to the audience, you cannot suggest anything that would be legally or logistically implausible. (For instance, in the first scenario, you can’t say that you’ll cover the medical bills for all affected customers–how would you verify who was affected? Not everyone keeps their receipts or goes to the doctor when sick. Or, in the third scenario, you can’t say you’ll work for free to make it up to the boss–that would violate labor laws.)
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Toai Nguyen
Toai Nguyen
Sep 9, 2022Sep 9 at 10:25pm
The first scenario that I selected was the one where the president of Southern California State University is getting questioned about a $60,000 raise while students being charged an additional $500 in the upcoming semester for their tuition. The audience for this scenario would most likely be agitated, perplexed, and in an outrage. The first step I would take to make things right in my letter would to first address the problem that their intuition was raised while my own income was raised as well by using a euphemism such as “It has come to my attention that many of you are greatly displaced by the decisions made by the Board of Trustees”. I would then apologize for the inconvenience and frustration that the situation has caused through a dependent clause like “Even though all I wished is to do is be a good principal, we have made a grave mistake and have jeopardized the trust between the school and its students, for that you all have my condolences”. I would avoid mention the specifics of the situation such as the raise I got and the raise in intuition the students got since this would just remind most of the students why they were furious. I would also avoid using active sentences such as “It was all my fault for accepting the raise while I knew student intuition would rise greatly” since this would just make more people know about the situation and make them angrier.
The second scenario that I chose was the one where I am the CEO of Four Dudes and caused mass food poisoning from releasing a new burger to compete with Around-N-About. The audience for this scenario would most likely be curious, infuriated, and have a great anticipation of an answer. The first step I would take in this scenario would be to address the issue through euphemisms like “As a chef myself nothing is more important than providing a safe and delicious meal to a guest. Recent reports have brought forth incidents of that many people were contracting illnesses from our food.” The next step would be to present a solution to this issue or what steps our company will take to resolve the problem. I will state that “The fact that any person has become ill due to our food is completely unacceptable, thus Four Dudes locations across the nation will be closed for inspection and intensive research to find where this illness first started.” Lastly I would use more active sentences and language such as “we” and “I” to further sell that Four Dudes is deeply sorry and know they did the wrong and are trying to make things right not some other agency that forced us to do so. Some things I will not say will be the specific bacteria or virus that was found to lower the amount of people who add more negative feedback. Phrases I won’t use are “Just be patient, we are trying our best” since this is a very common phrase that could be seen as a CEO who is taking their leisurely time to address the issue.
Alvin Orata
Alvin Orata
Sep 10, 2022Sep 10 at 10:28pm
Scenario 1:
The first scenario I chose is the one in which I am a CEO of the burger company Four Dudes.
The audience for this scenario would be my current/potential customers, and they are rightfully enraged for my company’s negligence for food safety standards. The audience is causing an uproar due to food poisoning cases from our new burger; I would think they feel understandably endangered. Customers enter fast-food establishments with the expectation and trust that the food they will consume are totally safe for consumption. In this situation, my company betrays this trust. I would assume my current patrons would feel hesitant in coming to eat at ‘Four Dudes’ until the situation is addressed, and my potential patrons would be pushed away from trying our food.
The first step I would take to make things right with my audience would be to address their sentiments towards the whole fiasco. I would acknowledge the mistake and negligence for food safety in the production of our new burger. After the acknowledgement, I would explain the steps in how we will make it right: how we will recall all shipments of the new burger so that no more harm can come, as well as perhaps offer a free item for all patrons on our (hypothetical) app. I would then bring our redemption attempt further and promise that we will be much more stringent in the food safety standards of our products, and potentially invest more in our quality control department. All to ensure that this situation will not arise again in the future.
There would most definitely be a couple things I would avoid in my letter. The most obvious one being the deflection of accountability. I cannot swipe the cause of the issue towards specific chain stores in which the food poisoning occurred. Since I am the CEO of the company, I am expected to act accordingly, therefore I must act as a leader and take accountability for my oversight on customer safety. I also cannot undermine the anger of the patrons as they have every right to be mad. I must not use language that over generalizes the situation, or compare it to other food safety situations. I need to address the company’s situation directly and write a response with the customer’s best interests at heart.
Scenario 2:
The second scenario I chose was the one in which I am the manager for a famous singer.
The audience in this situation would most definitely be the singer’s fans. However, the audience also extends to the media in general. In today’s society, good news travels fast but bad news travels faster. Thus, the audience I am addressing would be everyone. The singer’s fans would be the most hurt, considering how artists serve as role models for young children and young adults alike. I assume they would feel hurt that someone they look up to would act in that behavior. The media’s entire image of the famous singer could be gravely stained by this one instance of bad behavior, it is just as easy for their followers to hate them as it is to love them.
Firstly, I would address the situation and what happened, and how this is not normal behavior for the singer. However, I would not apologize for the singer, I would include a direct apology from the singer themselves. Though I am the manager, it is important for the fans and media to see the artist taking accountability for their actions. Saying sorry myself would paint irresponsibility all over the singer. I would then appeal to the human nature of the audience and describe how everyone has bad days or could be going through something that may be unseen by the rest of the world; this could very much influence their actions. I would explain that we are working with the singer to ensure they never exhibit such unsavory behavior again.
The main thing I would avoid would be to apologize for the singer, or to create an excuse as to why they exhibited such behavior. I would avoid words and phrases that shift the blame over to the hotel staff or the fans. It is important to remember that I am not the one apologizing, I am merely the medium through which the singer is apologizing.
Megan Kojima
Megan Kojima
Sep 12, 2022Sep 12 at 7:15pm
Scenario 1:
I picked the scenario where I am the CEO of a burger company whose new food gave customers food poisoning and have to write a statement to current and potential customers. I think that the audience for this scenario feels upset and wary because of the bad experience they had at the restaurant or because they are scared to return and it happen again. The steps I’d take in the statement would be that I would first address and thank our customers for supporting our restaurant. This would be to remind them that they are cared about and how the company feels strongly about any negative impacts this has made on them. I would then address the new burger and how we were unaware of the food poisoning it was causing. I want to lightly touch on what the cause of the food poisoning but focus more on the steps the company is going to take to address it to reassure customers. I want to provide some fact or statement that is from a credible source to show we handled the situation and I also want to evoke emotion to remind customers of what good our company brings. I would include words and phrases like support, dedicated, taking action, resolved, and safe to ensure the customers feel encouraged to come back. Thus, I would avoid using words and phrases like mistake, accidental, nothing to worry about, and fault that seem like the company is not taking it seriously. Overall, I want to make sure that customers know we are taking responsibility for it and most importantly it is being resolved so that it never happens again.
Scenario 2:
I picked the scenario where my partner acts out at a holiday work party and I am writing a letter to my boss. I think that the audience (my boss in particular) for this scenario feels frustrated, embarrassed and unappreciated, especially since a professional gathering was disrupted. The audience wants to know that I’m sorry, be reassured that nothing like this will happen again, and be reminded of my value to the company. The steps I’d take in the letter would be that I would first address my boss and ask them how they are doing to reconnect and remind them of our relationship. Then I would like to apologize and address the situation that occurred and how I will prepare to prevent situations like this from happening again. I would include words such as cope, stressors, and triggers to evoke empathy (pathos) from my boss. I want to avoid explicitly commenting on the complaints made that my partner told people because I don’t want to remind my boss of these that could make the situation worse. I also do not want to downplay the severity of the situation and say it was just a mistake my partner made because my boss also needs to know that there is an explanation to the behavior. I want to avoid use phrases like “don’t fire me”, “hope you’re not upset”, “we can laugh about this”, or any others that diminish the situation.
Jasmine Nguyen
Jasmine Nguyen
Sep 12, 2022Sep 12 at 9:10pm
Scenario 1
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
I chose scenario 3 where you bring your significant other to a holiday party and they become intoxicated and act inappropriately.
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
The audience would be the coworkers and others that were invited to the party. They would most certainly not like the fact that you brought that significant other to the party and their actions reflect on you.
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
I would focus on the idea that the significant other was intoxicated and was not aware of their actions. I would also still apologize on their behalf because I was the one that brought them and I should have made sure they acted appropriately. I would appeal with logos and reason that the significant other was intoxicated and then use ethos to ask for their understanding of the situation as it was not intended. Then I would talk about how this will never happen again and show that there is a reason for such behavior.
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
I would avoid saying that it was not my fault that their significant other did all these actions. It would seem like you are placing the blame on the significant other when you are the one responsible for them. Avoid using the phrase “They did not do anything extreme to upset the audience” or “The audience should have told me sooner so I could address the situation.”
Scenario 2
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
I chose scenario 4 where an artist yelled at hotel staff and degraded a fan for their appearance.
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
They would feel angry because the artist did not treat them with kindness. Imagine someone you look up to and admire acting inappropriately, especially to a fan that supports them.
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
I would emphasize that the artist has been under a lot of stress from song-making and the media. They have no time for themselves to take care of their health because of their busy schedule. I would ask for their understanding of the situation. I would apparel to the audience with logos by addressing the high amounts of stress the artist has been going through and ethos to appeal to the audience by having them empathize with what the artist is going through right now and send them their sympathy. The artist would need to write a direct apology to the audience to take accountability for their actions.
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
I would try my best to justify the artist’s actions just because they are stressed. It would degrade what the artist did to the fan and the hotel staff. I would avoid saying “it was not the artist’s fault” or “it was just in the heat of the moment”.
Edited by Jasmine Nguyen on Sep 12 at 9:14pm
Arianna Reyes
Arianna Reyes
Sep 13, 2022Sep 13 at 7:18am
For my first scenario I chose the one about the intoxicated significant other sabotaging the work holiday party. I believe the audience in this scenario felt 2nd hand embarrassment and were probably judging the intoxicated partner in a negative way. Unfortunately not only were they making a fool of themself but definitely making their partner look very bad in front of the boss and other coworkers. I would describe them as very irresponsible for not keeping composure at their partners work party. In my apology letter to the entire law firm team, I would sincerely apologize for having brought my partner and allowing them to get as intoxicated as they did. A strategy I’d most likely use in this letter is adding some euphemisms to let down the blame a little, so the guilt doesn’t appear as bad. For example, in the scenario my partner mentioned some complaints I had said about the law firm, so in this case I’d mention in a letter admitting to my negative comments but also addressing the fact that I just get stressed out about work and had an unsavory opinion about work at the time it was said, but it’s not entirely how I feel about work. Words like sincerely, apologize, intoxicated, inappropriate, would be more professional to use in a letter. Some things that wouldn’t be so professional in a letter is if I said words like, sorry, drunk, bad, annoying, flirting. I would avoid using this type of vocal in my letter because it isn’t professional and it would make my letter sound like a half apology instead of a sincere one. I would also avoid blaming everything on their partner for getting intoxicated because it isn’t entirely their fault.
My second scenario I chose is the one about the disrespectful behavior that the famous singer had done towards his fans and the hotel management. I believe this celebrity’s fans and the staff at the hotel were very unhappy and in disbelief of their behavior. I feel like after this incident, people and other hotel companies are going to look at this celebrity in a negative way. As the singer’s manager, my letter to the public would sincerely apologize for my clients behavior. I would also apologize for not taking action at the moment. Instead of blaming my client for possibly having a rough day and taking out their anger, I would make sure to make peace with the hotel manager and fan that was insulted. I would do so by having my client make it up to them. For example, I’d offer the fan a meet and greet with my client and have them apologize in person to make up for their mistakes. And as for the hotel I’d have my client give them a 5 star review and pay for marketing strategies by becoming a brand ambassador for their company to help get business . Some things I’d avoid doing in my letter is blaming my clients behavior for personal things because that’s not a good excuse to treat other people disrespectfully. I would also not use not use cliches like “everyone makes mistakes” or “nobody is perfect.”
Kaylee Crane
Kaylee Crane (She and They)
Sep 13, 2022Sep 13 at 10:50pm
Scenario 1
I chose scenario one.
I think the audience feels distrustful toward the restaurant. They are probably disappointed that a food they enjoy can not be safely consumed.
I would use passive voice when describing the situation. I would place the blame onto the retailer where the ingredients are from, making it less of the individual restaurant’s fault. I would also talk about a plan to test the food or switch sellers, building back confidence that the food is safe.
I would avoid talking directly about the illness that people suffered, instead using broad words like “sick” instead of throwing up. I’d also not blame specific locations, that would make people more likely to avoid a certain one.
Scenario 2
I picked scenario four.
I think the audience would feel betrayed that someone they loved did such a bad thing. I would have to give reasons for these actions to happen to try and excuse the behavior.
I would start by talking about the singer in a good light, using their accomplishments as a way to overshadow what had happened. I would use dependent clauses for this. I would explain the reasons things happened in a way that connects with everyone, citing mental health or alcohol use. Painting the singer in a humanizing light would make people feel sympathy for them.
I would avoid saying this has happened before and going in-depth on the seriousness of the topic.
Jenny Lopez
Jenny Lopez
Sep 13, 2022Sep 13 at 11:12pm
Scenario 1
1. I have decided to take on the scenario #3 that discusses being employed in a law firm and my significant other getting drunk.
2. I believe the audience for this scenario would mainly be my boss and the coworkers would be included. The audience is feeling insulted, disrespected, and probably shocked with the things said or done. On the other hand, the coworkers are probably feeling a bit intrigued to find out what the outcome is and are gossiping throughout.
3. I would take on explaining that my decisions we not well thought out and I should have taken better care of my significant other. I would apologize and state that while the things that were brought up may have some merit, I was speaking out of turn and should have handled my issues with my boss directly and in a professional manner. My strategy is to own my faults and apologize. Also, once I feel I have successfully apologized, I will try to move it forward by expressing my way of handling these situations in the future.
4. I will avoid putting all the blame on my significant other and avoid using statement that will indicate that my work environment is still bad. I will avoid using any negative statements about work in general so that it doesn’t look as bad as what was said.
Scenario 2
1. My next scenario I have chosen is scenario #4, which is about being a manager for a famous singer.
2. The main audience for this scenario is going to be the hotel staff and second will be the fan base. The hotel is feeling disrespected and taken advantage of. They feel that some of the problems would have also affected fellow guests. While it would be hard to make it up to them, I would still include them in the apology. If possible I would attempt to get the fellow guests information or proof they were guests that night and pay for their stay for that specific night. The fan base is also feeling disrespected and unimportant. They feel like they are only important to help with bringing in the money and fame and nothing else.
3. I would start by paying for the damages to the hotel and offering an apology stating the singer is aware of the wrongs and I will personally try to keep the singer out of that hotel to avoid further incidents. To the fans, I would explain the singer was having a bad night and while that is inexcusable the singer loves the fans. I would go into explaining the singer will be doing a photo/autograph session for each remaining city of the tour.
4. I would avoid saying things like this will never happen again because I cant assume the singer won’t go through something like that. I would also avoid saying things that would include the singer making a public apology depending on if the singer tries to justify his words.
Ethan Gomez
Ethan Gomez
Sep 14, 2022Sep 14 at 11:12pm
For the first scenario, I chose the law firm scenario
In this case, I would presume that the audience is the law firm I work with, and they’re either angry or uncomfortable with the comments or flirting my significant other had done at the party.
The first step I would take is to address the problem, though using euphemisms regarding what my SO had done at the party, her saying inappropriate comments while under the influence with just “them not being themselves,” or possibly “having one too many drinks for them to handle.” I would also make excessive use of passive sentences throughout the entirety of my address, so instead of saying something like “they had thrown around rather inappropriate comments at the party,” instead say “vulgar and/or inappropriate comments had been passed around during the party that night. Also make use of dependent clauses, possibly say “although vulgar comments had been passed around, they are a completely different person outside alcohol’s influence.
I would make sure to never bring up an ounce of what was precisely said during the party, and refrain from the use of words such as flirting, or the specific vulgar comments said that night. I would also avoid active sentences a lot as well, as saying “they had said some vulgar comments that night” is much more off-putting than if I were to keep it passive.
The second scenario I chose for this would be the Burger Company CEO, relating to their burgers causing food poisoning.
The audience would be rather distrusting of the company, possibly even angry at the news of food poisoning from your burgers.
I would address the problem by saying something such as “informed about a mishap with our recent burger,” making sure to use euphemism for the problem at hand. Also to make sure of shifting the blame to someone else entirely in this case, as we don’t want the entire thing to look bad on us. Saying something such as blaming whichever company provides the meat as poor oversight of the meat and their quality inspections. Also to make sure to use of dependant clauses heavily in this case with saying things like “Despite the oversights in this last burger, this new upcoming burger by our company I have personally made sure has been reviewed by food safety companies and tested numerous times to be up to our normal standards.” Possibly even use passive sentences to say things such as the meat had problems with it rather than it has problems.
I would avoid the use of “food poisoning” in the entire letter entirely, as straight up admitting to the fault of your food causing food poisoning is a bad look on you. Also I would avoid taking full blame on the problem. Not making an attempt to partially shift the blame off you is a not a good move at all, and only makes the problem harder on yourself. Having a scapegoat would be ideal for this kind of ordeal.
Andrew Youn
Andrew Youn
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 12:56am
Scenario 1:
1. The scenario I picked is the last one where I am a manager of a famous singer.
2. The audience is most likely furious about how the singer acted and lashed out. They might also feel a sense of betrayal and being lied as they thought the famous singer was a better person. They are probably expecting a very sincere apology and something to make up for it.
3. The first step I would make is to say that I am very sorry with how things turned out that day. Then, I would try and downplay the events that occurred and try to cover it up using careful word choice such as saying how the famous singer was stressed out in order to get more sympathy. I would also say something along the lines of how the famous singer refused to take a picture with a fan and not include what they said. This may make people think that the media were over exaggerating what happened and may calm the people down.
4. Some things I would try to avoid in this letter is to talk too into detail about the situation that happened. I would do this because I don’t want to keep the audience’s minds on what has happened. I would also avoid trying to bribe them with something like a giveaway which may infuriate them even more. Some words I would not use are “yelled” and “trashed” as used in the prompt as they are very extreme. I would probably replace them with something like “exclaimed” and “spoiled”.
Scenario 2:
1. The second scenario I choose is the very first one about the burger company “Four Dudes”
2. The audience most definitely feels disgusted and anxious about eating at the establishment and most likely does not trust the food anymore.
3. Some steps I would take in the letter is to apologize to anyone who may have gotten food poisoning. Perhaps some strategies I would use are to use euphemism like instead of saying “food poisoning” say “felt worse” or something along the lines of that. Some words I would use are words such as improve, better, and new in order to try and build trust with the audience and get them to realize that “Four Dudes” is changing for the better and striving to become better. I would also probably try to throw in a promotion such as a free side of fries with the new burger in order to make people more inclined to try and see if the burger really has changed.
4. Some things I would avoid in this letter is to shift blame by claiming that the ingredients were not up to par or anything. Instead, I would much rather come out clean and say that they were not prepared correctly. Some words I will try to avoid are things like “didn’t know” because it may make people feel worried that the burgers will continue to be not up to standard and cause food poisoning. Instead of helping cover up the incident, it would further damage it by making people even more hesitant.
Zackary Tynes
Zackary Tynes
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 2:49am
For the first scenario that I picked from the discussion board was being CEO of the burger company “Four Dudes” that have a food poising problems. I believe the audience are disappointed and becoming untrusting with our company. If clients who have never tried our food before and heard about the complaints they will be more incline to not ever try our restaurant. Loyal customers who love our burgers could stop coming if they here the complaints or could be in between deciding to come again if they are the ones making the complaints. In my most sincere efforts to try to make things right some steps I would try in the letter is first giving my deepest apologize for the incident even happening and ask them for their trust and forgiveness. If they are a long time customer will thank them for all the times they eaten at our restaurant and for being a loyal customer. Then after that, I will try to explain the situation and why it even occurred in the first place. Such as testing out new ingredients to see which company gives out better quality. Possibly that it was the certain cook, that there is new way we are trying to cook a different way, or there is a new recipe we are trying out. Lastly, I would give out as many best solutions I can to try to work it all out. I would try to use words like apologize, forgiveness, unfortunate, fixing, solution, gratitude, and more positive words. I would avoid saying our ingredients about being bad or saying these complaints are common. I wouldn’t use words like bad, spoiled, reoccurring, and other words that make the company sound bad.
The second scenario that I picked from the discussion board was being a manager for a singer who has been causing problems in the hotel and acting inappropriate for their image. I believe the audience would either be disappointed in the artist behavior and mad if there is no punishment. People who have never heard of the artist may not even listen to any of their music because of what happened. Some fans actually might like the bad boy or girl scene depending on what exactly they did and how bad these events were. Since the artist name will be appearing more on social media it will defiantly cause more views on their music to raise. In my most sincere efforts to try to make things right some steps I would try to start off by apologizing for my artist behavior and how they are feeling about the situation and the regrets they have about it. Appreciating all the loyal fans for their love and support. Maybe explaining certain situations to make them sound less harmful. Then if there is a punishment, explaining what it is and why my artist has to deal with. I would try to use the forgiveness, gratitude, apologize, fixing, improve, and other word that will make my artist look better. I would avoid saying anything my clients have to say to make the situation worse like them not apologizing or saying more inappropriate comments about the situation. I would avoid using words like uncaring, unimportant, overexaggerated, and other words that will not my client sound worse.
Paris Wilson
Paris Wilson
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 10:41am
1. The scenario I picked for the discussion board is the holiday party and the intoxicated significant other.
2. I feel like the audience is somewhat surprised and in shock but at the same time I do believe this situation can be somewhat amusing especially when you are not involved. I also feel like the coworkers in which he was flirting with may have been I uncomfortable. The boss probably feel very taken back and disrespected.
3. The first thing I would do to make this situation right is to admit to the wrong doings done at the party. Apologize to all parties involved and, I will take full responsibility for what taken place at the party. I would them explain the bases or my complaints, having a bad day and needing to confide in my significant other.
4.I would avoid trying to sugar coat the situation. I would avoid trying to defend my significant other.
1. The scenario I picked was about the disruptive singer who trashed the hotel and was causing issue with fans and media.
2. I feel like since this is more of a social and celebrity issue that many fans probably feel disrespected and feel like the singer is on edge and doesn’t care about them. The hotel probably thing they are entitled and disrespectful.
3. The first steps to fix this is a formal apology to hotel as well as fixing any damage caused. I would have the singer personally apologize to the fan while also explains some background of what may of cause the disruptive behavior. I would have the artist take to social media and talk about problem they are currently facing and what steps they are taking to solve them.
4.I would avoid making excuses and sharing too much information with the public but at the same time sharing a little so it doesn’t seem like we are hiding anything.
Cassandra Dove
Cassandra Dove
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 2:45pm
Scenario One:
For my first scenario, I chose to do the option where I work at a successful law firm and have a significant other who got too intoxicated at the annual Christmas party and subsequently flirted with my coworkers and shared my complaints about my workplace with my boss. I will need to compose a letter addressing my significant other’s actions.
In this instance, the audience of my letter can be described as my coworkers and boss at the law firm as well as those higher up in the company who may have influence over my future career. The audience likely feels embarrassed for and of me. They probably view me in less of a professional light. They see that I cannot control my significant other who clearly does not respect me or our relationship, and this will lead them to also respect me less.
In a sincere attempt to make things right with my boss and coworkers, I would first apologize for my significant other’s actions. However, to save my career, I would do my best to minimize the situation and downplay its significance. I would employ the strategy of choosing my words carefully. This is intended to distance me from my significant other’s actions, which I would downplay. I would describe my significant other as “spirited” and their behaviors as “a bit rowdy”, but insinuate that everyone else was acting similarly under the influence. I would also use passive voice to describe the situation to distance myself, saying phrases like, “outlandish things were said”.
I would avoid owning up to the truth of anything my significant other said. I would avoid using words and phrases like, “inappropriate” or “uncalled for” in order to downplay the significance of what happened.
Scenario Two:
For the second scenario, I chose to do the option where I am the manager of a famous singer facing a PR nightmare after trashing a hotel room, yelling at hotel staff, and insulting a fan. In this scenario, I will have to answer for the singer’s actions to the public at large. I will need to compose a letter addressing my client’s actions.
In this instance, the audience for my letter can be described as the fans of my client as well as the public at large, specifically those who care about celebrity gossip. My client’s fans probably feel betrayed and distrustful of my client. Those who subscribe to celebrity gossip probably feel smug and are enjoying tearing apart my client online for their actions. The public may be less likely to support my client in the future.
In order to make things right with the fans of my client, I would first and foremost apologize on their behalf. However, in order to manage the situation and control the narrative, I would place the blame not just on the singer but on the stress caused by the paparazzi. I would announce they would be going to therapy to deal with the emotional pressure caused by fame to avoid incidents like this in the future. I would use dependent clauses to describe the singer’s actions to place the bulk of the focus on outside pressures. I would do this by using phrases like, “The paparazzi relentlessly harassed my client, leading to them lashing out.” to shift blame from my client onto the media at large.
I would avoid describing my client’s actions by writing phrases like, “[Client] trashed a hotel room” or “[Client] insulted fan”. The goal is to apologize while distancing my client from their actions and influencing the audience to have sympathy for them.
Aidan Tippins
Aidan Tippins
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 3:20pm
1) I am choosing the greedy president of the school scenario.
2) I believe that the audience is absolutely outraged. As a president of a school your salary should never be that high. Also besides the students as a teacher id be upset my entire salary is being added onto someone’s who doesn’t have to deal with students all day.
3) In my letter i think a good step to solving the issue at hand is to solve another one. By taking that extra 60k a year and starting a program for under privileged students to get cheaper tuition, housing, and food options wold make a lot of people happy. Or even taking my absurd paycheck and just donating that 60k to the school each year.
4) I would avoid apologizing because its not in my control. I would also avoid placing the blame elsewhere.
Perla Yong
Perla Yong
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 4:17pm
Scenario 1
The scenario I chose as my first scenario is the first scenario, being the CEO of a burger joint. I believe the audience for this scenario feels very discouraged and uneasy of trying the new burger but also anything else on the menu since others or themselves have had food poisoning for the new burger. I would describe them as worried customers. I would address the problem, express my apologies, then write what step we will take to fix the situation and prevent it from happening again. I would let my customers know that I have heard them they are not in the dark. I am addressing the matter. We will take the burger off the menu until we can resolve the situation. Every Four Dudes will be tested and inspected to make sure there is no contamination and they will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected for maximum cleanliness. Our cooks make sure the beef is cooked to its appropriate temperature to ensure illness does not occur. Lastly I want to thank every loyal customer for eating with us and trusting we will resolve the situation. I would use exemplification by providing examples of what I will do as the CEO of the company to stop the spread and prevent it from further occurrences. I will also use pathos by sympathizing with my audience and they uneasiness. I would avoid blaming anyone. When there is someone to blame it becomes the main point of your letter. Instead customers looking at the solutions that will occur they would stick to the blame.
Scenario 2
The scenario I chose as my second scenario is being a manager of a famous singer who caused many problems. I think the audience for this scenario feels angry and upset towards the famous singer. I would describe the audience as shocked at the singers choices and actions. In effort to make things right with my audience I would take the following steps to do so; I would address the situation, apologize for the singers actions, send gifts to the hotel and pay for any damages, and lastly send the fan an apology letter from the singer. The strategies I would use are identification and rhetorical question. I will use identification by getting the audience to identify with my argument. I will use “Should some be judged by what they did one night?” as a rhetorical question. I would use words like; relate, wrong judgment, mistake. I would avoid blaming the hotel or fan in my letter. I would also avoid words such as ‘right’ and ‘justifies’ in my letter. These words will rise anger in my audience and I want them to be on the same page as me and understand my point.
Christina McBreen
Christina McBreen
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 6:05pm
Scenario 1
I decided to use “the CEO of a burger company” as my example scenario for my discussion. Those who are looking for quick meals and drinks that don’t put their health at risk. The target audience believes that ensuring the safety of the food they eat is crucial in preventing the spread of disease. Consumers are less likely to have health problems like asthma attacks or even fatalities as a result. Those are the characteristics I would use to characterize them. Manufacturer negligence may lead to food poisoning in rare instances. My “letter” should always include a call to the local health agency if a customer reports food poisoning, just in case the customer decides to sue. When a customer complains about being sick after eating at the restaurant, I believe the first step should be for the staff to show compassion without taking responsibility. Saying “I’m sorry” might be seen as an admission of guilt if the customer decides to initiate a lawsuit against you. Words like “I hear your complaint” and “I realize that you are angry about what occurred” might show that you are listening to the customer and caring about their feedback. Restaurants that respond calmly and rationally to customer complaints of food poisoning are more likely to elicit complete reports of the occurrence. Your restaurant should next use a foodborne disease complaint form to record the details of the occurrence. Customers who complain of food poisoning want you to conduct a thorough investigation. To begin, inquire with the kitchen staff as to what items were utilized to prepare the customer’s meal. When a customer reports being ill immediately after eating at your restaurant, it’s usually simple to figure out what exactly in the dish made them sick.
Scenario 2
For this discussion board, I pick the scenario “work at a successful law firm”. People tend to extrapolate their degree of intoxication from the amount they saw in others around them, rather than from the level of intoxication they experienced as measured by their breath alcohol levels. Therefore, your level of inebriation will mirror that of your drinking companions. For my “letter,” I’d be brief and to the point. If I want my employer to take my issue seriously, I need to be specific. If we get off topic, it will only serve to confuse the audience and hurt my argument. For me, it’s important to stick to the facts. I will refrain from making any charges or claims that I cannot back up with evidence. To put it simply, I would never intentionally offend somebody with my words. I don’t believe you’ll go very far if you write a letter that irritates or angers the person who will be reading it. To shed light on my feelings towards my significant other’s actions, I would elaborate. I’d want to point out in my letter that drinking impairs my ability to focus, as well as my speed of response and my ability to coordinate my movements. Both your health and your “fitness for work” will suffer as a result of drinking alcohol. Managers should never purchase beverages for their employees or offer to go out for drinks with them. If an employee’s excessive and/or persistent drinking makes them incapable of doing their work, they should be let go.
Anver Chou
Anver Chou
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 6:48pm
Scenario 1
The first scenario I choose for Project 3 is the Four Dudes and the food poisoning fiasco.
I think the audience is frustrated and demanding answers, such as where Four Dudes got their produce, what is in the new burgers, the ingredients, how many people are affected, etc.
In a step to make things right for the Four Dudes and deliver answers to the public, I would first formally apologize for the nationwide fiasco and announce that an investigation will be conducted to find the cause of the food poisoning. Secondly, I would inform the public what changes will be made to the existing Four Dudes restaurants and what changes Four Dudes will be making in the future to prevent any situation like this from happening again. Active sentence structuring is important here so that the public understands that Four Dudes know that they are responsible for the situation. Connotations will be used best when expressing apoplectic empathy for those that suffered from Four Dudes. Denotations will be used best when trying to explain the situation to decrease the severity or pressure from the public.
Some things to avoid doing in the letter would be using euphemisms or anything that would downplay this serious situation. This will result in backlash from the public. Using passive sentence structuring will add ambiguity to the letter which can lead to confusion.
Scenario 2
The second scenario I choose for Project 3 is making a public statement addressing the singer’s behavior and those who have been wronged by the singer.
As the scenario says, the public is very upset, resulting in the singer getting push-back from the media. The public wants answers as to why the singer committed such actions. The media will pressure the singer and the manager to release a statement and answer questions regarding the situation.
As the manager, I would first state that the singer is regretful and apologetic for his actions. In addition, any damages caused by the singer will be completely compensated, whether that be physical damage to the hotel or emotional damage to the hotel employees and fans, each problem must be properly addressed. Using active sentence structuring is crucial, as there is only one individual involved so that individual must shoulder all responsibility. However, euphemisms and dependent clauses will be helpful here to decrease pressure or hatred towards the singer. Dependent clauses can help hide smaller details. Another way to decrease pressure is to mention what actions the singer will be taking to improve in the future such as therapy or counseling to better control his/her emotions.
Important things to avoid would be passive sentence structuring and any phrases that create excuses, such as “thought”, “but”, etc., as these words will seem like an attempt to deflect the situation which can cause backlash from the public. Saying that the singer made mistakes will further outrage the public too.
Phoebe Araujo
Phoebe Araujo
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 8:52pm
Noah Closas
Noah Closas
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 9:19pm
Scenario 1
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
CEO of Four Dudes
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
I would say the audience feels discontent with the product they received. I would describe the audience as one that goes to Four Dudes for a quick meal.
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
I would offer discounts on menu items. Provide a promotion on the new burger to continue sales. In order to make things right I would first apologize and own up to the situation. Then I would investigate on how and why the burgers led to food poisoning. Then, release how it happened and offer an immediate action to avoid the issue from concurring again. Words and phrases that can potentially be used are “This will never happen again.” “Four Guys sincerely apologizes for the cause of food poisoning.” “At four guys we are looking to improve our products straight from the source.”
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
I would deter from undermining the employees. Avoiding the fact that the events of food poisoning happened. Avoid using “the” because it can contradict your apology.
Scenario 2
Which scenario have you picked for this discussion board?
Manager of a famous singer.
How do you think the audience for that scenario feels? How would you describe them?
Fans of the singer are disgusted by the acts that have occurred over time.
In a sincere effort to make things right with your audience, what would be the steps you would take in your letter? Are there certain strategies you would use? (How and why?) What certain words or phrases would you use?
I would provide a statement from the singer with their sincere apology. Provide insight on what happened. As the manger, I would provide details on how the singer is improving on their actions.
What would be some things you would avoid doing in your letter, and why? What certain words or phrases would you not use?
Avoid using “but” because it can contradict the apology. I would also avoid blaming fans for the actions of the singer.
Evan Barnett
Evan Barnett
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 9:42pm
Scenario 1
For this scenario I have picked the new president of Southern California State University.
I believe the audience here feels very upset. While the president is receiving a 60,000 dollar raise, everyone else is receiving a 500 dollar increase in tuition per semester. In this scenario, one person is benefitting while everyone else is suffering the consequences.
The first step I would take is explaining the reasoning behind the increase in tuition, while also providing an explanation as to why my raise is so high. A strategy I could employ here is cause and effect. “X” happened which caused the increase in tuition. I would also try employing ethos here because it’s important to establish a level of credibility, especially as the president of a university. Also, trying to gain back student’s trust would be a priority. I would also use an active voice rather than a passive voice to be extremely clear in my letter and to take ownership of what happened.
I would not use euphemisms or anything that would take away from the seriousness and authenticity of the letter. I want to be honest in describing what happened and avoid shifting the blame elsewhere. I would also avoid using dependent clauses in order to prevent hiding information that could be brought against me.
Scenario 2
For this scenario I chose the manager of a famous singer.
I believe the audience in this scenario feels hurt and disrespected. From the hotel staff to numerous fans who were disrespected, I believe everyone in this scenario felt upset and hurt. I would write to ease the pain felt by her fans.
I would start by addressing the hotel specifically and apologizing for trashing the room and yelling at hotel staff. I would address people specifically and lay out the wrongdoings. Next, I would address the fan and apologize for the blatant insults. While I wasn’t the one who directly did these wrongdoings, I am the manager and must write the letter and own up the actions as if they were my own. I can’t shift the blame here as the manager must address the letter from the singer’s perspective. One strategy that would work well here is pathos. I would try to establish a level of connection between the audience and myself and try to describe what occurred in a way that the audience can feel what she was going through. Also, by using a precedent, I can refer to a previous situation that is comparable to the current situation. Finally, by describing the events chronologically, the audience can go through step by step what happened, with an appropriate reasoning/ apology.
Again, I would avoid the passive voice just to be as clear as possible and own up to the wrongdoings. I would use words connotations that don’t make the singer sound mean or rude as a person, but more in the moment. Finally, by hiding bad news in dependent clauses may focus the attention away from the bad news, to highlight the good news.
Jack Luna
Jack Luna
Sep 15, 2022Sep 15 at 11:37pm
Project 3 Brainstorm
The first scenario I picked is when I am the manager of a famous singer and caused numerous problems. The audience would feel the need to cancel my singer because of his actions. And actions lead to consequences. Just because the singer is famous, it does not mean the singer can treat everyone else as someone who is lower than them. Being an influencer is not just a job but it’s also the opportunity to be a role model for everyone else. My singer would be under scrutiny for the damages my singer has done. The audience would also feel anger because of the response the singer gave to a fan “I don’t have time for somebody like you”. Maybe my singer was having a bad and long day and the singer wanted to be away from everyone and privacy is important because my singer wanted some peace and nobody bothering them but what my singer did is not right and I would make my singer hold a conference and make things right with the public. I would not try to deny anything because that will cause more problems. Saying sorry is too late but doing stuff differently in the future would change something. For example pay for the hotel damages and even get a hold of the fan and take the fan on a tour. Some of the things I would avoid bringing up would be any hotel damages because that would bring reporters to investigate the hotel and see how much of a trash my singer made.
Scenario #2 is when I am the president of southern california state university. Earning almost half a million dollars a year would be nice but would not look nice for others for example students. If I was a student and I was aware about the president’s salary and the president earning an extra 60k, while my tuition keeps rising, I would be extremely upset and think the president and the school is profiting from my tuition and into their pockets. Especially since they raised the price yet again. The steps I would do as the president of the school is to keep the raise but with those extra 60k I would distribute to students to help with their school tuition. Nowadays school tuition can be expensive and saving every dollar counts so I would start a fundraiser and scholarships programs with the extra money. Some things I would avoid bringing up is the board that granted the extra money for my raise because then the board of education would look bad as well and it would look like they are helping me instead of the students. Keeping the school’s image of excellence is my priority because it would affect future students who would like to earn their degree at my school. And being under the microscope for getting big time bonuses and raising the prices for school is not a good image to show to the rest of the world.
Discussion Board – Project 3 Rough Draft and Feedback
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For this rough draft discussion board, you will submit a partial draft of Project 3. (See the Project 3 Prompt and Project 3 Guide before starting your draft.)
By Tuesday, September 20th: Submit at least one letter from Part A. (It would also help if you submit a partial draft of Part B, but it’s not required.) You can either attach your document or copy/paste it directly into the text box.
Points: 15
By Thursday, September 22nd: For extra credit, you can give feedback to two other rough drafts. Feedback should be 75-100 words per response. Discuss what works well and offer suggestions for improvement–you must provide details / reference specifics from the draft in your comments. If a draft already has 2-3 feedback comments, please leave feedback for somebody else.
Points: Extra credit, 2.5 points per response (5 points total)
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