I found this assignment to be the most interesting thus far. I believe this has to do with the fact that I enjoyed researching my topic and I was able to find a lot of useful, and often eye-opening information on logging in the national forests. When I began, I knew very little about my topic, but I had a strong opinion to go with. I think that through my research my opinion became even stronger and more justified, and I was able to base my beliefs on more that just an uneducated opinion. One problem I had with the research, was the fact that there was tons of information on certain aspects of logging, such as how much it costs the taxpayers each year, and how devastating logging roads are to the forest, but I came up short on other topics such as fire danger, and alternative sources of paper and building materials. I didn't really want to leave these arguments out of my essay because I felt that they were very valid points, but I found myself stretching to come up with enough information to make complete paragraphs.
When it came to actually sitting down and writing the essay, I ran into some serious writers block. I found myself procrastinating, which is something that I never do. I finally had to force myself to sit down and write a paragraph at a time. I also found that the outlines we were required to fill out for this assignment helped in the long run with organizing my thoughts into an effective paper. One problem I had with this paper, was the fact that we were supposed to be open to our opponents views, while still defending our opinions. I found that hard to do because I had so many convincing facts to support my point of view, but after talking to my instructor, I found that by simply rebutting my opponents strong points, I was being open without crossing over to the other side.
Over all, I feel that my paper was effective and convincing. I had plenty of facts to support my opinion, and I had strong feelings about my topic.
Grade - 95%