by Emma Giesbrecht | Apr 23, 2018 | Year 1
My business writing course included a group project in place of a final. This project required us to make up a completely fake company and create a proposal and presentation of our suggested actions using a marketing letter, media release, and brochure. I wrote out the proposal and put everything together.
Our group struggled with communication a little, as it was nearing finals and everyone was busy studying and working on other classwork at the same time. We managed to all come together over the final weekend and finish everything on time, however, creating a successful proposal and presentation, as seen below.
Fuel Cafe Proposal
Fuel Cafe Proposal Presentation
by Emma Giesbrecht | Apr 23, 2018 | Year 1
In my business writing course we had a large solo report assignment. We were to interview a contact and write a report inspiring action in the targeted reader. I interviewed Aurelea Mahood, “project lead on the Capilano University’s E-Portfolio Project, where she is working with colleagues from across the university on the pedagogical and post-graduation uses of portfolios” (Capilano University).
The interview was over 30 minutes (and is too large of a file to upload!), but a summary of the interview is included in the body of the report below.
A Guide to ePortfolios
In my business writing course we had a large solo report assignment. We were to interview a contact and write a report inspiring action in the targeted reader. I interviewed Aurelea Mahood, “project lead on the Capilano University’s E-Portfolio Project, where she is working with colleagues from across the university on the pedagogical and post-graduation uses of portfolios” (Capilano University).
The interview was over 30 minutes (and is too large of a file to upload!), but a summary of the interview is included in the body of the report below.
A Guide to ePortfolios
by Emma Giesbrecht | Apr 3, 2018 | Year 1
My first semester at university came after a relaxing summer spent celebrating high school graduation and vacationing. I remember being nervous and excited and apprehensive all at the same time, dreaming of success but too aware of the chance of failure. I decided to begin my university experiences with subjects I had faith I would do well in; my final course list was as follows:
ENG 100 – University Writing Strategies (English)
BADM 102 – Quantitative Methods (Math)
BADM 107 – Business Law (Law)
BFIN 141 – Introductory Accounting I (Accounting)
I had taken English Literature, Accounting 11, Law 12, and Pre-Calculus 12 in my final year of high school and was feeling confident in taking similar courses. They seemed like a nice introduction to the expected upcoming struggle, relying on my skills with numbers and writing as opposed to my weaker presentation and participation skills (I was just beginning to grow beyond my childhood shyness).
English was a mandatory course for all new students and it was quite similar to work I had done previously in high school. This was nice in that it removed a lot of pressure from the classwork, but it was quick to feel monotonous again after over a year and a half of a similar experience. The writing topics were new and interesting, however, and I decided to pursue my love of fashion throughout the course. We began by writing some smaller pieces on our sites and one in class to prepare for our final paper. My initial thoughts can be seen under the ENG 100 tab at the top, as well as the final essay for that class that those helped shape.
Quantitative Methods was not at all what I had been expecting when I entered class on the first day. The course focused on ratios and interest, two topics that I had covered extensively throughout high school. I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly I picked up the work and completed assignments. I did better than I was expecting in a math course and felt much more confident with my abilities. I believe this class has been my highest grade at university based on the mark I received.
I was very concerned about Business Law at first, as I have never been strong with memorization and details. Despite my high school level course experience, I was sure there would be significantly more content and work to be done (I was certainly right about that!) and that I would struggle with the change. The course became one of my favourites quickly, including more practical work than direct memorization. While I did spend many hours memorizing the contents of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Human Rights Code, I also spent time considering how laws could apply in certain situations and looking at how the law works. The class inspired me to consider becoming a lawyer after attaining my degree.
Introductory Accounting I was the class I was most excited to enter and it certainly lived up to my hopes and expectations. I had learned the content of the first three chapters, adding up to the first midterm, in my previous course, which allowed me to adapt to the new learning environment before expanding my knowledge. We learned triple the amount of content in less than a third of the time I had in high school, but the speed kept me engaged and working hard on the assignments. I had lots of questions to work through to practice new ideas, which is how I learn best, and overall felt I thrived in the environment of that class.
My three business related classes were quite closely linked. I was glad to have followed the school’s advice and taken Math at the same time as Accounting as the content taught was exactly what I needed to succeed in the later units. Key concepts in both included calculating interest and partial payments, which was made easier to understand by having it explained in two ways at similar times in different circumstances. Accounting and Law both discussed the different types of ownership (sole proprietorship, partnership, and corporation) in depth from the separate perspectives. Both courses explained the differences, advantages, and disadvantages in unique ways to each method, as well as how it affects the business in different areas.
My first semester at Capilano University was a success and I am proud of my accomplishments and the work I put into my courses. I did not get a chance to explore extracurriculars during the semester, being focused on my classes and grades, but I gathered information to look into for my second semester and year. I was disappointed to discover many of the events hosted by Capilano were only for students nineteen and over due to alcohol as an eighteen-year-old just finished high school, but opportunities will hopefully arise in the upcoming years.
by Emma Giesbrecht | Feb 9, 2018 | Year 1
This paper was a work in progress over the entire semester, and I finally merged all of my previous work into this. I had been doing research for the duration of the semester and reporting my progress (as can be seen below).
Here is the final Term Paper.
by Emma Giesbrecht | Nov 25, 2017 | Year 1
The language of fashion is spoken by a multitude of people ranging from teenagers to industry experts. This has led to many different ways of speaking about fashion, and emphasizes the widening gap between the people reporting on fashion and the people consuming fashion. When fashion is being discussed on the street, trendy terms are heard more often than professional terms, likely due to the difference in research and general knowledge of the way it is spoken about officially by the specialists.
Common words to hear on the street include “Canadian tuxedo,” “relaxed,” and “oversized,” two of which are common styles among teenagers and one of which is despised by teenagers. Relaxed and oversized are simply used to describe clothing that hangs off the body when being worn, with relaxed being “one size too big” and oversized being “two sizes too big” (Wasilak). This is a common occurrence in many teens’ closets right now. A Canadian tuxedo is wearing “denim-on-denim” (Wasilak), most often seen as jeans with a jean jacket. The vocabulary common to the streets represent the fashion common to the streets, which is rarely a direct reflection of the runway styles.
The industry uses more complex terms, such as “applique” and “covert couture,” both of which come from the French language. Applique is a method of layering materials to create detail and texture (Danishwar). When translated to English, applique is simply applied, a simple term that could be used and possibly integrated to the street but likely will not be. Covert couture is ordering personalized haute couture (Danishwar), which is not something the average person can afford to do, emphasizing the difference in class levels between those in the industry and those simply following fashion. The vocabulary used in the industry is suited to the needs of those speaking about luxury items, but does not have the ability to flow into street-speak as well.
The divide between fashion industry expert and consumer languages will continue to exist until the people using the language casually require the terms of the professionals. As long as fashion remains a difficult industry to explore without money, the two languages can never combine to become a single widely-spoken one.
Works Cited
Danishwar, Dessy. “Speak Fashion-Ese: The A To Zs Of Fashion Lingo.” HuffPost Canada, HuffPost, 25 Feb. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.ca/dessy-danishwar/speak-fashionese-the-a-to_b_9308306.html.
Wasilak, Sarah. “Do You Speak the Language of Fashion?” POPSUGAR Fashion, 21 Feb. 2017, www.popsugar.com/fashion/Style-Words-Fashion-Girls-Say-34864256
by Emma Giesbrecht | Nov 12, 2017 | Year 1
“Perfect” items and outfits to wear for a certain occasion or to a certain location are constantly being published in places that many shoppers frequently view, such as brand advertisement or magazines. To the companies, this is an incredible marketing strategy that creates a connection between two items and/or concepts that are not necessarily connected, but become connected through example or statement. It is less-than-perfect for the consumers, many of whom do not have the money required to make purchases equal to those being suggested by the industry experts. The styles and supposed “essentials” for trips and events are often difficult to style in everyday situations, preventing those in the middle and lower classes from having access to wardrobes that leave them feeling good about themselves.
Connections can often be found in articles with statements such as “a halter is the new go-to for the beach this summer” or “garden weddings will be filled with floral dresses this season;” neither statement could be proven true, yet both can be convincing if announced by a person with influence in the fashion industry. They are being paid to make the people pay, and this is an effective method. It creates an impression of importance and exclusivity for the product mentioned, but never delves into any ways to reuse the often obscure, difficult-to-style item. The industry convinces people that a different item is necessary for everything they will ever do, and sets standards and selects “appropriate” clothing accordingly.
The idea of select clothing only being appropriate in select situations needs to be changed. It is certainly not ever going to be acceptable to wear a formal dress to grocery shop, or yoga pants for a formal event, but different people feel good and can afford different clothing, and a wider variety should be considered appropriate. Limiting fashion to only those with extensive pocketbooks creates a large rift in our already divided society, and will lead to resentment if it continues. No one should be left to feel they are not worthy of looking their best or that they are inherently worth less than others because they cannot dress as well, but this is the society we live in.
