My Newsletter

Purpose:

This week in my English class we had to slow down and go back in technology. We were tasked with creating a newsletter like it would have been created in the 80’s by using typewriters. While we didn’t have to use real typewriters, we used a software that acted like a typewriter. This meant no spell check, no backspace to delete, and no moving around on the document. If that doesn’t seem hard enough, we also had to include two columns of text, a banner, something in a box and a text-based call out.

Process and Reflection: 

My process for this task began in a notebook and a word document. I sketched out a general idea of how I wanted my newsletter to look in terms of content I would include before I moved over to my computer. Due to not having specific content requirements, I felt like a topic I could write a lot about would be popular attractions in the state. I went with two major attractions in Michigan, the Detroit Zoo and the Detroit Institute of Art. I spent a few hours typing up what I wanted to say because I knew this would cut down on time later and it definitely did. Due to being unable to backspace in the typewriting software, I needed to know what I was going to say and how everything was spelled. I spent about two and a half hours writing out my chosen content of the paper and then turned to the typewriter simulator called OverType. Since I knew a basic outline on what I wanted the beginning portion to look like I figured out how many spaces I would need to go down and how many letters would fit in a page. Needing to have two columns of text meant that I had to know how many letters and spaces I could type before having to press enter and having the words start on the line down. For my newsletter it was 34 letters and I kept it consistent which helped make the newsletter look much nicer. I found that after having what I wanted to say written up, this assignment wasn’t overly complicated. I had my computer on split screen and had to be mindful of what I was typing leading to me having very few errors. Once I had all my content typed up I had to cut out portions and lay them on the paper which ended up allowing me to start a new row of text if I felt that there were too many errors in one line when typing. After cutting out all my pieces, I laid them out together and stuck the pieces together with the sticky portion of a yellow sticky note as I don’t have tape in my dorm room. Overall, if I were able to stop there then this assignment wouldn’t have been too terrible. Where I really had trouble was the printer, this was because I had to make a copy of my taped up versions so it was just one piece of paper. Not only that, I had to make this paper double sided and I had no idea how the printer in the lobby of my dorm works. When I asked the RA on duty how to make it a double sided paper, she also had no idea, meaning I had to mess around on the printer and hope for the best. Eventually I did figure out how to take my copies and make them my final, but it was after a lot of wasted paper and time. Overall, this assignment wasn’t the worst, and I would recommend others try using software that is different from their norm as it gave me more insight into the benefits of current technology. For me, the worst part of this assignment was trying to figure out the printer that I have at my disposal rather than the typewriter simulation itself. I had fun looking into what is currently happening at the zoo and the museum as I haven’t had time to get there in the past few years, but now I want to revisit the DIA as the exhibits seem really interesting. I also enjoyed the arts and craft feel of the assignment, just not the printer and the frustration it caused.

My Newsletter: