English 420: Business Writing

This week our group met at Hicks and we discussed what we were going to do for our white paper project. I already had a good idea and when I brought it up to the rest of the group they all really liked it a lot and we went with it. We then came up with two more possible solutions to our problem and wrote out our proposal. We plan on meeting again tonight to start on our draft due on Thursday.

This week our group met at Hicks Undergrad library to work on our proposal for the White Paper project. Before our meeting we already had our problem on what we wanted to write about figured out, as well as one solution. At the meeting we discussed together a few more solutions that would go well with our problem, which is to help stop the spread of germs at Purdue University. Asish and Kayla had their computers with them so they typed the proposal up and I helped with the brainstorming and how to articulate the sentences.

My group and I spent the first meeting this week contemplating different topics for our White Paper Project. We tried to find problems in the technology area here at Purdue and initially we were going to propose solutions for getting rid of DC++ (a file sharing program used by anyone on the Purdue network). After spending some time trying to figure out solutions, we decided that all of us did not know enough about the subject to even get started developing solutions. We came to a conclusion that the technology used for the bus transportation system here at Purdue needed improvements.

Our group met on Tuesday this week to isolate some specific problems with Purdue’s current Intercollegiate Club Sport program and to write our proposal. We discussed different problems and experiences we have had with club sports, the Co-Rec, and the intramural fields. After working through some different ideas, Kyle Toombs came forward with some of the problems he has faced being Captain of the Men’s Rugby Team. We were then able to pick out some problems we believe all Intercollegiate Club Sports have. The first problem we chose was a lack of publicity for club sports.

Throughout this week, my group members and I met a couple of times to begin the research process for out White Paper project. Our group has done an excellent job collaborating together to make suggestions and new ideas. Collaborating together as a group and being prepared before our meetings has allowed us to accomplish many things efficiently. Mainly, I have been focusing my research on Purdue's energy usage and finding information comparing Purdue's green initiative with our Big 10 schools.

This week of our white paper project, we worked on our proposal. Everyone in the class had read articles on Professional Writing Online to understand the basics of what was being asked of us. On Tuesday during class we met with our group to decide on which green initiative problem we were going to do our white paper on. While Jenn was sitting in class, she noticed the sticker on the light switch that says to leave the lights on when leaving the room. She pitched the idea to the rest of us about doing it on energy conservation.

This week was the beginning of a project that I feel will allow us to get to know each of our group members as we prepare this white paper. On Tuesday, our group discussed different problems that we feel are putting a damper on the sports and recreation here at Purdue. We mentioned a few different problems until we agreed upon one that we felt would fit the categories expected for the white paper. We then met on Tuesday evening where we discussed what our game plan would be, narrowing down our problem to one specific issue.

This week marked the beginning of execution on our group’s White Paper project. We first got together in class to discuss possible problems to address in the paper. Being under the topic of health and safety, we decided as a group to address the issue of the spread of germs and sickness on campus. We concluded that this was a timely topic with H1N1 being present in everyone’s minds and with flu and cold season being just around the corner. One group member had an initial solution for this problem, but we needed at least two more to be able to begin our proposal.

The main topic our group is focusing on is technology. While conducting my preliminary research, I found it to be rather difficult to narrow down my research into serious problems rather than complaints. On Sunday, I e-mailed my group asking how their research was coming and I shared some ideas I had for our project proposal. On Tuesday morning, our group met briefly during class, but we were having trouble narrowing down our ideas into one cohesive problem.