Arin Merrill

Final Eportfolio Project

The first paper I would like to revise is my memoir. Upon further inspection, I was
actually disappointed with all of the mechanical errors I had made throughout the paper. Not only
that, but I feel as though the ending sentence to each paragraph could have been stronger. In my
opinion, they fell flat. So Ive decided to revise.

That 40 foot Wall

I wobble back from sick call in the cold of the Missouri air. My bum knee had been
bothering me all week but of course, the doctor did not do much to help relieve any pain. Already
in a bad mood, I round the corner to the classroom on the second floor of the barracks. I see all
of the other privates in small groups attempting to tie knots with thick ropes. No, not in your
fancy Boy Scout knots, but in a harness. A freaking harness? As I enter the room, the class comes
to and end as the drill sergeant walks out to let the privates practice tying their harnesses. As I
spot my battle buddy and approach her with a puzzled look on my face, she explains that theyre
learning to tie Swiss seats for the rappelling wall tomorrow. I stare at her, somewhat
dumbfounded. If you knew me, you would know that I hate heights. I cant help but think back
to the one simple ride across Lagoon, the sky coaster. Everyone loves it. Why? Because they
dont have to walk. I on the other hand, would gladly choose to walk over riding that awful sky
coaster. I attempt to tie a Swiss seat of my own but it is proving to be very difficult. This is due
to the fact that I missed the instructions and that the other privates, who just barely received the
class, were trying to catch me up to speed, and I believe, subconsciously, I dont want to do this.

I mean, who wants to fall to their death from a rappelling wall. I mope around for the remainder
of the day. At this point, I am not even looking forward to sleeping because that will only bring
me closer to what the day will bring. That night, as I lay in my bed with my single brick of a
pillow and my scratchy brown blanket, not even thick enough to keep me warm at nights, I cant
help but think about that spine-chilling 40 foot wall.
Wake up call is at 0400 this morning. At first, it is just another morning, just without our
morning workout, but then it hits me, and we have to rappel today. We get ready for the morning
like usual and rush off to chow. I try not to eat too much for fear of puking later that day. After
chow, we grab our ruck sacks and helmets and form up out in front of our barracks to head out to
the range. The rappelling course isnt far from the barracks so the ruck march is short and sweet,
compared to other ruck marches weve done. As we round the corner and first lay eyes on the
course, my stomach flips and my heat drops to my butt. Though it may be below freezing
outside, I break a sweat. We are instructed to ground our gear in our usual formation and go start
tying our own swiss seats. Yes, I, a dumb little private that didnt attend the class, has to tie my
own swiss seat to later rappel down this wall. Of course the drill sergeants and the range cadre
check our swiss seats to ensure our safety. The first time I go up to get inspected, I am failed
instantly due to my knot being tied backwards. The second time, I make it a little further but,
again, I am sent back. On my third try, I finally pass. It takes me three tries to pass? This is
disheartening. I gulp hard as I stare up at that dreadful 40 foot wall.
We are instructed to get in a line as a company. I make my way towards the end of the
line. There is no way I am going first. I end up somewhere in the middle of the line which is
okay with me because in no way do I want to be first but I definitely dont want to be last. The
line is getting shorter and shorter in front of me as the other privates are double checked and sent

up the ladder to go down the wall. As it gets closer to it being my turn, I start to get the jitters,
sweat beads on my forehead, and my heart begins to pound. Merrill! Youre up. I inch my way
towards that neck breaking 40 foot wall.
The ladder to go up the wall is made of wood, in fact, the whole tower in made of wood.
It creaks under my weight as I climb further up. As I near the top of the ladder, the steps of the
ladder become further and further apart. The last step I take to get up is more of a leap. I reach
the top and am instructed to stay on my heads and knees. Ya right, like Im going to stand up on
this thing. As I shuffle along, I slowly make my way towards the drill sergeants. Once I reach
them, they do a final check on my swiss seat. I am given the all clear as the slap a carabineer
onto me. The drill sergeant tell me to first look out over the wall, I can barely open my eyes, and
Im too scared. I turn back to the drill sergeant as he instructs me to step over the edge. He does
this with a smirk on his face. They feed off of fear, I swear they do. With my hands gripped
tightly to the ledge, I take my last long look over the side of that 40 foot wall.
I ever so carefully take a step over the edge. I refuse to look down, it will only make
things worse. The drill sergeant says that it is best to attempt to take three bounds down the wall.
Me? I say it is best not to go down at all. I attempt one jump. Though a small jump, it is a leap of
faith, I am testing the waters. Seems safe enough. I take a bigger leap. Though my jumps are
small in size, they are huge for me. It takes me around five or six jumps to get down that 40 foot
wall.
When my feet finally touch the unstable ground of the tire pit, my body relaxes, I feel
every muscle release its tension. I did not realize how tense I had been holding myself. I am
shaking. From fear? No, from excitement. I look up the wall and actually think I want to go

again. I actually had a good time even though my body is still trembling. I take a step back to
get a better view, I look up and smile at that 40 foot wall.
The next paper I want to revise is my evaluation paper. Personally, I know that
this was my least favorite paper to write. I know I didnt put as much effort into this
paper as I should have. In saying that, I dont believe there is much to revise on this
paper, for the same reason.

Do you want a Scooby Snack?

You toss and turn, unable to sleep anymore. You sit up and rub the grogginess out of your
eyes, looking outside, its a beautiful sunny morning. Maybe you should go play outside today.
But then it hits you, its Saturday morning, you know what that means: Saturday morning
cartoons! You rush down stairs and flip on the television just in time to catch the beginning of
your favorite show, Scooby-Doo.
Children seem to have gravitated towards Scooby-Doo due to its darker, more intense
nature. It is smart and ingenious, making you think and ponder. Its filled with wonder and
curiosity as you try to help the gang solve the mystery, it has a thick layer of humor and comical
elements that children can understand and laugh at, and it also has a few subliminal jokes for
adult humor included Shaggy and his constant munchies.
Scooby-Doo is a very well-known childrens animated show. It has five main characters
consisting of Freddy the cool, macho jock, Shaggy the easy-going guy, Velma the popular and
pretty girl, and Daphne the smart nerdy girl. Oh, and you cant forget their talking Great Dane,
Scooby-Doo, whom the show is named after. The gang drives from city to city, town to town, in

their blue and green psychedelic van known as the mystery machine, in search of cases to
crack and mysterious to solve. The gang has one goal in mind, to solve the mystery and find the
monster. When they find a mystery, the gang collects as much information as they can and then
proceed to gather clues that the monster leaves behind. Once the gang is able to piece all of the
clues together, they are able to find the supernatural creature who doesnt happen to be very
super. Famous scenes from the show always includes the gang unmasking what they thought to
be a monster to reveal that it just a person in a costume. Throughout the process of solving the
mysteries, the gang is constantly getting in trouble. Shaggy and Scooby usually end up getting
chased by the monster, Velma gets captured by the monster, Freddy has to save her, and Daphne
always loses her glasses, what a mess!
When watching Scooby-Doo, you can almost always predict how it will end. Every
episode has a similar plot to the one before it, and will have the same plot as the episode to
follow it. The gang always catches the monster, unmasks it just to discover that it is a person.
The gang is always surprised to find this out, but as a viewer, you know that it will be just a
person. So why do we tune back in every time I we know how it will end? Well, you never know
how the gang will catch the monster, you wont know who it is or why they did it, this is what
makes the show so mysterious. The show thrives off its ability to have a similar story line
throughout every episode, every season, ever re-run. The show has a unique ability to keep its
viewers interested for every episode by making the story plot similar but also still keeping its
sense of mystery.
Scooby-Doo has been on air for over forty years. The original production was aired on
CBS in 1969 to 1975. Scooby-Doo, Where are you! Was the first to be created and released of
the series. The first run didnt last very long with the creators running out of ideas and each

episode only had one bad guy, making it easier to guess who the suspect was. The only good
thing about the earlier episodes was that Scooby was less of a coward and was actually very
brave in attempting to find the bad guys and monsters. With multiple re-runs of the show, it has a
sense of longevity. How is it that one show, started over forty years ago, still has appeal to the
generation today? Back when it was first created, to be made so the generation could relate to the
show. Throughout the years, Scooby-Doo has evolved and adapted to its new viewer while still
keeping its old viewers.
Throughout the series, there are many subliminal messages that are more appealing to
older age groups. Did you know that Shaggy, in deed, is a hippie, but with that entitles weed. He
always has the munchies and is very laid back. Freddy and Daphne are dating and occasionally
sneak off in search of clues, this is why we dont see them often. This makes us assumes that
they are off having sex, where in reality, the writers found that Freddy and Daphne were
considered to be straight characters meaning theyre boring and not as fun to write about.
Meaning the Shaggy, Scooby, and Velma are considered to be the more fun and diverse
characters. In later episodes, the writers end up splitting Velma up from Shaggy and Scooby
because they wanted to focus more on them. Many viewers believe to think the Velma is lesbian
and interested in Daphne because she always volunteers to be with Daphne when Freddy leaves.
This is not true, just because Velma doesnt have a boyfriend who is known to us, doesnt mean
she doesnt have one. In fact, it is thought that Velma and Shaggy are together. It is said the
Shaggy is a druggy/ pot head and this why is always first to see the monsters where they might
actually be hallucinations. In actuality, Shaggy is a hippie and considered to be a free thinker,
making him see monsters first because his mind is open to the idea of them. The show leads us to

believe all of these comical inputs but by knowing the facts, you can better understand the
making of the show.
Scooby-Doo appeals to many different aspects that all contribute to making the show
loved by all. The show has normal, comical humor that children can understand and laugh at and
it also has subliminal adult humor. The show remains timeless throughout the year with its many
remakes. Im sure we will see plenty more of the widely known and loved Scooby-Doo.

Lastly, I would like to revise my proposal paper. This had to have been one of my favorite
papers that we wrote. Not only was it the final assignment for our chosen topic, but it was a
paper that I am truly passionate about. The idea behind the topic comes from personal experience
and in saying that, has meaning to me behind. It is a topic that civilians would never think
mattered, but for those who serve, those who are the minority in the numbers of those who serve,
this is a serious issue and has brought much controversy.
Proposal
Your left, your left, your left, right, left. When a cadence is called to keep time while
marching, the cadence doesnt say for females to take a left step and for males to take a right
step, the formation marches as a unit, for marching as a unit makes them stronger. Each
individual plays an important role and contributes something different than the individual next to
them. Whether that individual be male or female. Both male and females have experienced a
similar mix of struggles, therefore, females deserve the same rewards as the males.

Females have been in the military since day one all of the way back in 1775 when the
Revolutionary War began. Whether they were actually fighting in it is a different question. The
military needed nurses and cooks and people to clean the facilities and who better to fill that role
than a female. In 1941, during WW2, more than 400,000 women were able to serve as
ambulance drivers, administrators, pilots, and nurses. During the Vietnam War, females were
laundresses, nurses, and cooks. But never were they allowed to fill a position in the front lines.
Women have been in the military ever since the military was created. The only problem is, to this
day, females are not allowed to serve their country on the front lines in combat roles.
In 2013, Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered that by 2016, all military branches will
have every job available to both males and females. Females have many different aspects that
they bring to the table that males just cant provide. Females in the front lines and in combat
roles provide diverse thinking patterns, creativity, insight, equal opportunity throughout the
mission, and in some cases, seem to be more trustworthy to outsiders. Not only would the
military benefit from allowing females to be in artillery or infantry jobs, but females would
benefit from it as well. It would provide military career advancements form the females but it
would take in to every aspect of what the United States stands for, equality.
Having quite a few military friends who have been deployed, I have heard many times
about how when the military does shake downs on the native people of the country they are
stationed at, it is against the natives culture and religion to have a male do a shake down on them
because he would be seeing too much. With females in the mix, the natives feel more
comfortable and the process goes along much faster and there is less stress to be had. This makes
the United States military more respectful and sensitive to the culture of the country they are in.

Females in the military provide a sense of diversity among the United States military. Our
enemies are becoming more cunning so we have to modify our tactics in order to come out on
top. The military, or the country as a whole, should not be blind to our diversities, we should
accept them and embrace them. Many studies have shown that with a diverse group, ideas flow
more easily and they tend to make better decisions. These differences should be used as an
advantage and should propel our mission forward in order to succeed as a unit. A diverse fighting
force is more dynamic and can more easily adapt to the next challenge thrown their way.
Females bring a different way of thinking to the fight. In a way, their though processes are more
empathetic and softer. It is not a manly modern Achilles or the strongest alpha male who makes
the best warrior leader in todays communication age. Military leadership today also requires
political and managerial skills, says Kelsey L. Campbell, author of Diversity and Inclusion. Any
role a male can do, a female can do it too, men and women are interchangeable in all roles. It is
easy to deploy a female as long as she is completely able, in some cases, you might be able to
deploy a female who is more prepared than it is to deploy a male. Females bring a different sense
of thinking to a unit and may bring a softer, more cunning tactical ability. Females bring
creativity to the battlefield, a more empathetic insight, and by incorporating females into the
battlefield, group intelligence rises.
Females work just as hard as their male counterparts so in doing so, females deserve the
same rewards. By not allowing females in combat roles, there is a limit, a speaker at the
Pentagon states, Their current and future earnings, their potential for promotion and
advancement, and their future retirement benefits, is strongly committed to examining the
expansion of roles for women in the U.S. military, as evidenced by the recent step of opening up
thousands of more assignments to women. By opening up combat roles and making the front

lines available to females, it provides them with career advancements. Females are just as
capable as males, but females are restricted to promotion and career advancements due to the fact
that they are only females. One military opportunity that has been opened up to females in the
military has been the chance to become infantry. In order to become infantry, the females must
go to and pass Ranger School. In order to have females make it through Ranger School the
military must put together that allows talented females to further advance their careers and
broaden their opportunity.
Many will agree that we are not stuck in the 1900s. Times have changed and along with
that, so have the ideas of gender equality. The only issue that stands with the idea of allowing
females into combat roles are the former and current war veterans that still have the mentality
that females are lesser than their male counter parts. Many soldiers and civilians feel as though
females cannot physically keep up with the demands required to become a soldier in the front
lines or in combat roles. One of the main arguments that those still opposed to the gender
equality keep throwing in is the fact that in even branch of the military, males and females have
different standards that they are required to meet in order to even enlist in the military. Being a
female in the military, I have to agree with the different standards set because what may be my
maximum could be a males minimum just due to the fact that our bodies are created differently.
Physically, a female will always struggle to keep up with the select few males but in some cases,
females can kick ass.
Another issue many state is the fact that females menstruate and due to that menstruation,
they become weaker, which could affect mission readiness. Not only that but during
menstruation, females can become emotional and they say this can cause problems when making
important decisions.

The last main counter argument that has its foot in the door is the difference between the
sexes. You put males and females into a small building and have them spend every day with each
other for a year or more, there is going to be some sexual tension. This issue can and will affect
mission readiness if all everyone is thinking about is sex.
I will not disagree with the many counter arguments that are previously stated, but I will
say that females work just as hard as males do and females see little or none of that reward.
Although the military is taking steps towards becoming more gender aware, they still have many
steps to take in order for females to feel as though they truly are equal to their male counter parts.

Reflection

Before taking this class, I had always considered myself to be a somewhat gifted writer. I had
even had one of my papers published in the Fall Folio on campus. After taking this class, I
realized that am, in deed, a good writer, but only in the essences of storytelling. Memoirs have
always been my strong suit. By choosing one topic to focus on during the course, I had to stretch
my writing style to lengths I have never gone before. I believe my achievements from doing this
have not only improved my writing, but the way I view things. I now know to think outside of
the box and to look at all aspects of an argument of an evaluation of a proposal.
Throughout the course, I have learned many different writing styles. Some I am good at,
others not so much. Any research paper, I love to READ about the topic, but to put all of the
ideas together, I find myself to be somewhat jumbled. The writing strategy I learned for this
issue I have was to use rhetoric. In saying that, I was able to use pathos which means
emotions, ethos which is your creditability, and logos which means logic. This writing
technique helped me to better my writing because I had to focus on all three rhetorical uses
instead of just favoring one, like I usually did.
Another writing challenge I had was my mind tends to wonder while writing. I seem to
have a difficult time focusing on the topic at hand. I want to incorporate all of the details and
facts and ideas gravitated around one topic but in writing, that can become very confusing
because you tend to lose what the main idea it. The technique I found most helpful for this

issue was to create a draft, write everything down that was spinning in my head, and then
revise the paper and trim out the excess ideas that did not support my topic.
One thing that truly helped me throughout the process of writing my papers was when we
would use the opinion of our peers. By doing so, we could see our work in a new light and
understand how other people would perceive our writing? My favorite person to have read
my papers would be Matt Newman because he had different ideas on my topic and by
discussing them with him, I was able to better target my audience by broadening the ideas.
I chose these three assignments to revise and update because, first of all, I though my first
assignment, the report, was very well put together and I didnt see much that needed to be
revised, secondly, I know I had a few week essays. My evaluation being the weakest. After
reading through all of my assignments to pick the ones I wanted to revise, I couldnt believe I
had actually turned them in. I was glad when I got the opportunity to revise them and complete
them the way I would like. By picking these three assignments, I was able to understand that I
am working on my writing technique and I can only get better from here.
All of the assignments we have had throughout this course were very helpful. I
had to think long and hard on a topic I was truly passionate about. Not only that, but this
course made me look at every angle possible to tear apart my topic. By doing so, I am now
able to look at one flat topic in every way possible. This course gave my writing dimension
and diversity.