Venkatakrishnan 1

Akshayaa Venkatakrishnan
Prof. Gary Vaughn
Intermediate Composition
21 Apr. 2014
Intermediate Composition: Redefinition and New Understanding
Opening your heart and being courageous, and telling people that you care about them or like
them or that you think theyre special only makes you a better, bigger, kinder, softer, more loving
person and it only attracts more love into your life.
-Amy Poehler
Reflection requires honesty, a characteristic that I did not truly possess until this
semester. The honesty I am referring to is internal: it is much easier to point out the strengths or
flaws of others than it is to the same towards your own self. Nothing is more enriching than to be
able to reach out to those who have made experiences memorable, the mundane extraordinary, or
the toughest times a little bit bearable, and to make sure they know that they have benefited
someones life in even the most seemingly miniscule way. Yet if that process is not first applied
to ones own capabilities, a person can easily fall into a state of mental neglect. I found myself
appreciating others for their intelligence, humor, compassion and capabilities, but never stopping
to wonder what I could offer to the world. I averted my eyes from my own reflection, instead to
choosing to appreciate the images of those around me. The three essays of this semester forced
me to look at my own strengths and interests in different ways, and ultimately allowed me to
address my capabilities, fears and hopes for the future.
The first essay dealt with literacies that fall outside of reading and writing. Originally, the
prompt felt easy; its always easier to write about oneself than to research and critically think
Venkatakrishnan 2

about another subject. As I pondered more about potential topics, I realized that it was much
more complex than I originally anticipated. Others in the class had great ideas about their
literacies, from being well-versed in technology or laboratory techniques or gymnastics, and it
made me wonder about what distinctive skills I possessed. I realized that I had never given the
topic much thought. What were my strengths? What made me different from others? I know the
words to every Beatles song, I can play a little Bach on the piano, Ive built a couple of nice
birdhouses. It all seemed mundane until I really thought about the idea of literacy: being so
immersed in understanding a subject that it doesnt just come second nature, but becomes an
inherent part of ones nature. After a small existential crisis, I decided that a literacy that was
applicable to me was a willingness to listen and remember the people that I encounter. My
literacy was embedded in a vulnerability that I was not aware that I possessed, and this
realization only served to improve my writing and my approach to research and self-awareness.
The second essay was an analysis of genres and how different tones and formalities could
affect the message conveyed by a writer. I originally planned on writing about the Cool Girl
depicted in Gillian Flynns novel, Gone Girl, and analyze various sources that discussed her
theory. While beginning research on the topic, several interesting articles popped up that
discussed the influence of Disney stereotypes on young children. It was a topic that I had not
given much thought, but the arguments in the papers were cohesive and straightforward, despite
being approached in different ways through different genres. It also gently tied in with the theme
of the first paper: I remember my parents buying me pirated copies of The Little Mermaid and
Jungle Book on the same streets where we spent muggy Saturdays, vendors setting up short
plastic tables along the street with various goods to peddle to tourists and to entice children. This
Venkatakrishnan 3

essay was another opportunity to develop as a writer through analysis and understanding what
tone and which words would most appropriately convey a message to the reader.
The final essay seemed the most difficult at a distance, but with increased research
became the most enjoyable. I chose the Chemistry Graduate Student Association as a discourse
community rather randomly. Several members had served as TAs for my labs and recitations,
and I always wondered about their backstories and what could possibly make them want to
continue their educations and be around annoying undergraduate students, many of whom see
chemistry as a stepping stool or generally lack the same appreciation for the science.
Interviewing graduate students and writing about their experiences tied together everything that I
had learned throughout the semester in class: rhetorical analysis, critical thinking and appropriate
research being among the skills.
At some point, however, the rather formal ethnographic piece made me realize all that I
had learned about myself during the course of the semester. This course had made me realize
how important writing has been throughout my life. Before seventh grade my parents switched
me from a rather liberal, bohemian private school to public school, and I had few friends due to
my strange attitude and appearance. My mother also briefly moved away for those years to
pursue higher education, and it was in those years that I turned to writing to continually express
myself in ways that my community did not readily allow or I was unable to express to my family
and peers. Writing had always been a safe place: it wasnt always happy, and it wasnt always
the most thought-provoking, but it was through written words that I had always been the most
honest with myself. Writing the first essay made me realize that it is completely acceptable to be
vulnerable and the importance of being kind and open to everyone; the second essay showed the
importance of source, tone and niche when presenting arguments; the final essay made me more
Venkatakrishnan 4

aware of different perspectives to the same topic or area of interest, and how essential it is to
harness all of these different paradigms to forge change.
A writer is really a painter: with every adjective and verb, one more stroke is laid on the
paper, weaving sensation and imagery together. The writer has an image in his or her mind and
must handpick words to create a fitting depiction for others to experience; through these words, a
writer can share his or her own experience in the most raw and honest form possible. The most
important realization that I made this semester was how important writing has been in my life as
a whole. Writing about the people who have made me who I am, the societal ideals that have
influenced my generation and those previous since we were children, and analyzing a group
whose social and academic discourse expands much further below the surface of their
expectations has been critical in understanding my writing history. This semester, I have been
forced to be upfront with myself and to truly take time to reflect on my own history, in writing
and in experience. With this new self-understanding, I can now look forward to how I hope to
use writing to change the way we view the world. From breaking gender-normative boundaries
to giving a voice to a community that is rarely acknowledged, the possibilities that words make
available are endless. My own pursuits have led me to be a part of the Connections Dual
Admissions Program in the College of Medicine, but this semester I have become cognizant of
the fact that my strengths lie more in interpersonal relations than the science that facilitates those
relationships. Through this course and the constant encouragement of Professor Vaughn, it is my
newfound goal to use writing to make the medical field and associated topics more accessible to
the public, which can play a role in global health or policy-making. Until then, I know that words
will continually be flowing from my fingertips to capture the memories that I make and people
that I meet at the University of Cincinnati and beyond.