Blog Two: Learning Outcome One, Room Four

“Room Four” is a small restaurant in Indianapolis, owned and run by Greg Hardesty. It is by no means a fancy restaurant, but is described multiple times by the review’s author as “close to home.” The food served at Room Four is typically up the hamburger and taco alley; however one of the rare specialties is strip steak. The food, going along with the casual atmosphere, is served on a block of cedar and held on by nails. With a few exceptions, the author is confident in the unique, enjoyable, family atmosphere of this restaurant…an opinion that many of Hardesty’s fans would agree with. http://www.indianapolismonthly.com/dining/mainreview/Story.aspx?ID=1528941

This review addresses middle class families who enjoy trying new places to eat. Compared to some of the fancier restaurants downtown, Room Four may seem below the mark to those who frequently enjoy “fine dining”. However, for the family of five who is looking for some delicious food, it is right on the ball. The author purposes to convince readers that despite its [very] casual atmosphere, the food is delicious and worth the visit. He begins to promote this idea in the first paragraph when he states, “But when you are a chef who has racked up enough four-star reviews that you already have your own cutting-edge, postmodern “playground” where your culinary vision answers to no one, then just about any food you offer up, in any space, would draw a crowd.” The cooking genius of four-star-owner Greg Hardesty is emphasized in this quote, granting credibility to the idea that the food is delicious. The next two paragraphs inspire an image of the restaurant’s layout and design; parents can enjoy the plastic chairs and tiny kitchen, without worrying that their kids will destroy the atmosphere or break the dining ware. In the following paragraphs, the author discusses the quality of the food at Room Four. While the main focuses are taco and burger courses, the author also points out the tastiness of Hardesty’s “unique” creations -- he states, “How many chefs could elevate a schemer of egg salad on an English muffin to a righteous first course, topped with a silken slice of Serrano ham and a peppery tangle of arugula?” The role of this rhetorical question is to sell adults on the idea that there is food for all: kids can enjoy tacos and hamburgers, while their parents munch on skillfully-prepared ham and English muffin combinations. With the exception of a few kitchen mishaps, the author grants an overall positive representation of Room Four to the audience. By focusing on the “home” atmosphere, through descriptions of the restaurant’s interior and main course selections, the author appeals to his audience: families who are looking for an enjoyable bite to eat.
WORD COUNT: 350

Blog Three: Sensory Detail, The Gulf Coast Haven...True Heaven

            Upon exiting the staircase of your condo, the fresh sea breeze greets your face. As you make your way across the paved parking lot, a glimpse of the ocean catches your eye; the turquoise waters glisten, the sun creating sparkles on the crest of each wave. You reach the sidewalk and begin your quarter-mile journey to the beach, a book in one hand and an umbrella in the other. As you saunter along, you admire the beachfront homes across the street -- they are colored in pastel shades of pink, blue, orange, and green. Each home is different; some have white siding and shutters, others have tan doors and brown steps. Some are protected by a large, ornate fence, while other have a simple walkway. While admiring these beautiful Gulf Coast homes, you decide that if your Chicago plans fall through you are definitely moving to Florida. Upon arriving at the crosswalk you take a left and continue for a brief distance. A raised wooden bridge showered with sand and engulfed with palm trees welcomes you. After removing your sandals, you hurry down the ramp in anticipation of the beach that lies beyond it. Your feet are now submerged in heaven -- they sink deep into the sand's warm graininess. As your gaze rises, the ocean, vast and immeasurable in distance, captivates you. On the water's edge, two dolphin tails soar above and beneath the waves. The water shimmers and sparkles like that of the photo-shopped pictures in travel magazines. The sun's rays kiss your face in warmth and your skin begins to tingle. You think to yourself, "Who could have asked for a more perfect day at the beach?"

            This piece is intended to transport the reader back to a beach vacation, through the use of sensory detail. For all who have visited the Gulf Coast, the "fresh sea breeze" referenced in the first sentence is relatable; the scent of the ocean and gentle air on the face are characteristics that every Gulf Coast-attendee has experienced and can thus connect to. The opening sentences convey my positive attitude toward the beach experience. The use of phrases such as "the turquoise waters glisten" and "the sparkles on the crest of each wave" support this positive beach experience, by creating the image of a perfect natural landscape. The reader can actually visualize the sea-green waves and tiny spots of light atop each [wave]. Because of this, the audience is drawn further into the paragraph and can view the writing with credibility, knowing that my description of the ocean is authentic. After the first three sentences, I went into a brief description of the homes found along the beach. I illustrated these homes using color (pink, blue, orange, and green) to trigger that nostalgic, serene image in the reader's heads. All along the Gulf Coast, these quaint colorful homes are present and are thus identifiable landmarks to vacationers that serve to transport them back to a memorable vacation. The raised wooden bridge referenced in the ninth sentence is intended to capture the reader; the natural beauty of a palm tree canopy and the tingle of sand on the feet are simple pleasures that engulf the reader. This bridge also carries metaphorical significance; the audience knows that the final destination is the beach. While I take a mini-tangent in the description to focus on the bridge, the audience is waiting in anticipation to finally hear of the ocean's glory. At last, I bring the readers to their final destination: the Gulf of Mexico. By using phrases such as "the ocean, vast and immeasurable in distance," I wanted to make the reader feel as if they were a part of something larger than themselves. All of these instances of sensory detail accomplish my purpose by transporting the audience back to a nostalgic beach vacation.

WORD COUNT: 360

Blog One: Learning Outcome One, Preoccupying Opera: Youthful Acts of Dissent

This movie review featuring the 2008 Opera Kommilitonen! is geared toward adults, both young and established, who have a passion for opera. Kommilitonen! appeals to passionate opera-lovers because of its unique style; it is unlike other modern American operas, harmonically brilliant and marvelously lyrical. "The music," comments composer Peter Davies, "is brash and brassy." Unlike many of its' bland cousins, Kommilitonen! utilizes "pentatonic phrases" and "restless atonal harmonies" -- these unique qualities help the opera to go somewhere. The author states, "The way the opera cuts continually from one group of characters to another lends the work cinematic vibrancy." The cinematic vibrancy referred to helps the reader grasp the idea that Kommilitonen! is on a very different level than its predecessors. This comparison to a movie characteristic reveals the smoothness and developed plot that makes the opera so unique. The mention of the quality "cinematic vibrancy" is used to draw in younger opera-viewers; those who are less traditional would enjoy viewing an opera that is formatted similarly to a movie. Because this review purposes to expose the opera's unique nature, the author [of the review] opens the piece by dwelling on its unrivaled characteristics, namely a "demanding score" and its' "incisive, colorful performance." After the author has grabbed the audience' attention, he provides a brief synopsis which further pulls them in through the mention of various Chinese and Communist elements.  Finally the author concludes with the current movements, specifically the Occupy Wall Street, that connect to Kommilitonen!. This "current events connection" allows the readers, who might otherwise feel distant from the opera's plot, to relate. The review's positive representation of Kommilitonen! leaves readers, particularly those whose interest lies in opera, wanting to see it. All in all, the atypical brilliant nature of this new opera is presented in an appealing way to opera-loving audiences, sparking their interest through the use of music terminology and a reinforcing structure.

WORD COUNT: 317