Project Pitch
Bryce Anvar
Professor Megan Pillow
Davis
WRD 110
September 19, 2016
Zach
Motes
Turning
Disability Into Ability
Abstract
Many times we see people around us with
different kinds of disabilities. Some of those disabilities may be mental,
physical, or emotional. At CSF or Christian Student Fellowship there is a man
on staff by the name of Zach Motes. Zach has a disability but oftentimes you
will not notice it. Zach was born with a stump leg, meaning it was not fully
developed. The doctors decided to amputate the leg and replace it with a fake
one. This has led to many different experiences in his life that someone like me
would never be able to experience. Zach struggled with things like self-worth
and fitting in. This problem Zach faces has been the problem of millions of
disabled children and adults around the world. However, this very same problem
shaped him into who he is today. Through the use of different resources, Zach
has been able to come to terms with his disability and the implications that it
has had and will continue to have on his life. He overcame these struggles and
uses his experiences to help people who may be going through a similar
experience. He truly is an inspiration.
Treatment
When I first came to the University of Kentucky I
attended some of the CSF events. Through some of these events I eventually met
Zach Motes. As we got to know each other better we decided to go out for lunch.
Zach wore shorts that day which exposed his fake leg. I noticed many people
looking, even staring at his leg. Surprisingly, this didn’t seem to bother Zach
at all. When I asked Zach about how he felt about people always looking he
informed me that he was used to it and it didn’t bother him, but it wasn’t
always like that (Motes). In order to get more of Zach’s story, it is
imperative for me to interview Zach. In this interview I will focus on how he
was not able to do certain things in his childhood. I will also ask questions
about how his condition made him feel as a kid and how his image of himself
changed overtime. It will also be important for me to get information on how he
eventually was able to accept his condition and use his experiences for the
benefit of others.
I will also email Zach’s parents. One of
the things I will get information on is what their first thoughts were when
they first found out about Zach’s condition. Another important reason to ask
Zach’s parents different questions is they will have insight on things that
Zach may have been too little to remember. Seeing how Zach was able to overcome
the many obstacles in his life will be very beneficial to all who listen. We
can apply what methods he used to whatever challenges we have in our own lives.
I plan on doing research into
the new developments in the medical field in regard to prosthetic legs and
arms. This will be relevant as it will shine light on the process of getting a
prosthetic leg and how it works. It will also tell me about how they are
changing and what new innovations have been made since Zach first received his
prosthetic leg. For example, Vanderbilt University is doing research to
integrate robotics into prosthetic limbs (Salisbury).
I will use the internet as well as William T.
Young library in this part of my research.
I will do my best to get into contact with
medical professionals in this field. This will allow me to get a glimpse into
both the doctor’s view and a patients view on a condition. I will attempt to
reach out to Next Step Bionics and Prosthetics. The president Matt Albuquerque says “I’ve
been very lucky to find what I consider some of the most caring, compassionate
people you could ever find in a company (Albuquerque). I am not sure if there would be a reliable
method of communication for me to use. I will do the best I can with the
resources that I have to try and get a medical doctor’s opinion on how Zach’s
condition would make his life different.
One of the additional individuals I will
interview is someone with the same disability. I will use the internet to find
this person and interview them. It will be important to get more than one
opinion on what having that disability is like. Their experience may be a lot
different than Zach’s or it might be very similar. That is what I want to find
out through the interview. I want to analyze the patterns I see in both and
find out which things are universal and which experiences are unique to the
individual.
One of the people that may be easily
overlooked in this situation is the common bystander. Zach likely has ideas
about what people think when people stare at his leg and that makes him
insecure. By talking to a regular person I can find out what is going through
their mind when they see a prosthetic leg. One of the problems I could
potentially run into here is finding the right person. I would have many
different choices when it comes to people so it may be hard to choose one.
Using all of this information I would have
a well-rounded idea about everything surrounding prosthetic appendages. I will
have gained viewpoints from virtually every possible angle. Understanding
people with prosthetic limbs is the first and possibly the most important step
into helping to improve their lives. This is not a subject we are aught about
extensively in school and they are a very misunderstood group of people. I
believe that by interviewing and digging into the life of Zach Motes, these
misunderstood individuals can finally get the recognition they truly deserve.
WORKS
CITED
Albuquerque, Matt. "Prosthetic Services for Amputees." Next Step Bionics
Prosthetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
Motes, Zach. Quote. 23 Aug. 2016. Raw data.
Lexington, Lexington.
Salisbury, David. "Robotic Advances Promise
Artificial Legs That Emulate
Healthy Limbs." Vanderbilt Research. N.p., 07 Nov. 2013.
Web. 20
Sept.
2016.
Annotated Bibliography
Albuquerque, Matt. "Prosthetic Services for Amputees." Next Step Bionics
Prosthetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.
This source talks about the various services available for amputees.
This would give me insight into the life of an amputee in a few ways. One, it
would allow me to see the problems that people with prosthetic limbs have to
face in their life. On the other hand, it will also allow me to gain access to
information on how those problems are solved.
Boelter, Jean, Katie Policani, and Marta Creswell. Amputeddy
Goes Back to School. Seattle, WA: Amputeddy, 2005. Print.
This source is a book that is provided to children who have missing
limbs. This will give information on the psychological side of amputation and
the effect it has on children. Since Zach has had his prosthetic leg his whole
life he will likely be able to relate and expand upon this information.
Motes, John. Personal Interview. 6 October 2016.
John Motes is Zach Motes’ dad. I believe he has
very valuable information when it comes to this project. He will have picked up
on things about Zach’s experience that Zach may not have due to various
reasons, especially in Zach’s early years. He may have been too young to notice
things that his dad would be able to pick up on. I think it is important to
know what those things are to get a better picture of what Zach’s life was
like.
Motes, Zach. Personal Interview. 23 Aug. 2016.
This is obviously a very important source.
Zach is the main subject of this documentary and I believe this to be the most
important source out of all of them. To understand what Zach’s experience has
been living with a prosthetic leg it is imperative to get his take on it.
Out on a Limb. Dir. Daria
Price. International Documentary Association, 2011.Out on a Limb. Out on a Limb, 9 Sept. 2011. Web.
3 Oct. 2016.
This is a documentary about other kids having prosthetic limbs. This
will be useful because it gives multiple accounts on what it was like to live
with a prosthetic leg. The visual aspect of this source is an important asset
to this collection of sources because footage is important. It also captures
more than one viewpoint on how children’s lives are affected by amputations.
Pistorius, Oscar. Blade Runner. London: Virgin, 2009. Print.
This is a book written by an amputee. He is from
South Africa and writes about his experience with prosthetic legs. This will be
another account on life with a prosthetic leg. This will also add to this
documentary because it is an experience outside of America. This is related to
the topic because like Zach, Oscar was able to overcome his struggles with a
prosthetic leg.
Salisbury, David. "Robotic Advances Promise
Artificial Legs That Emulate
Healthy Limbs." Vanderbilt Research. N.p., 07 Nov. 2013.
Web. 20
Sept.
2016.
This is an article that explains how there are technological
advancements being made in the prosthetic limb field. This will give
information as to what the future for people with prosthetic limbs possible
looks like. It will explain what the current problems with prosthetics are and
have been and it will offer possible solutions. This will allow us to see the
main problems with them now and in the past few years. Consequently, we will be
able to understand Zach’s struggles on a deeper level.
Shayne, Adkins. Personal Interview. 9 October 2016.
This interview will be
vital to this documentary. It is the interview of a doctor who works with
prosthetic legs and arms here in Lexington. He will be able to describe the
limitations and process that Zach would have had to go through. He can also
explain the cause and the procedure done to Zach when he was a child.
Outline/Storyboard
Bryce Anvar
Megan Pillow Davis
WRD 110
October 25, 2016
Outline
Storyboard
Author
My connection to Zach Motes is that he is
my small group leader at CSF. He leads our group in discussions about God and
he is on staff at CSF. He is oftentimes there when there is an event at CSF.
As I selected the topic for my documentary
I thought about all the different people I had met at UK. I thought about CSF
and that made me think of Zach and how he told me about his struggle with his
prosthetic leg. Some of his defining characteristics are his positivity and his
sense of humor. This can be seen in the interview where he told me “You just
have to keep a positive attitude and laugh at yourself” (Motes).
Audience
My audience for this documentary is my WRD
110 class. They are a group of college freshman with a variety of majors. There
are different religions, worldviews, races, and genders all represented. If I
were to try to reach them more effectively, I would focus more on the part of
Zach’s life that relates to them the best. This area would be life at UK as a
freshman because Zach was once in their shoes.
I will use close-ups of Zach and his leg
to connect with the audience by offering an emotional connection. They will be
able to see the emotion on Zach’s face and get a better sense of how he felt
having a prosthetic leg if the camera zooms in more.
Message/Medium
A documentary helps me to not only convey
what quotes were said but also to communicate body language and emotions of
Zach to the audience. This would only go so far in a medium such as text.
I think the instructor chose a documentary
as the final project because it is different. Most of us have never done a
documentary before and a project about difference calls for a different medium.
A documentary also allows for different aspects of something to all be covered
at the same time. This is essential if we are trying to understand something or
someone.
Purpose
My purpose in making this documentary is
to inform people about what life is like living and growing up with a
prosthetic leg. This documentary will also inform people how Zach overcame his
struggles and people can apply this to their own struggles. One way I can learn
how Zach felt is by reading “Amputeddy Goes Back to School” d(Creswell) to
learn what kids think about their prosthetics.
I think this purpose could be beneficial
to everyone. Knowing more about others and how they live their lives is always
a benefit and will make the audience more knowledgeable about people that have
prosthetic legs. One way to gain knowledge is by the interview of Dr. Shane
Adkins (Adkins) as this will provide a medical perspective that no one else
could give.
Context
The larger context of this film is about a
disability. It shows how physical ailments affect a persons’ daily life in
different areas. These areas might be physical or emotional but this film
covers a wide range of areas.
“Out on a Limb” (Price) is a documentary
that focuses on children with prosthetic limbs. This will add additional
context to my film by providing a different point of view about what life is
like for someone with Zach’s disability. This will allow people to see
similarities and differences between people with the same problem. “Blade Runner”
(Pistorius) will also be a way to learn how someone dealt with the same issue
in their lives.
Constraints/Limitations
If my subject gives me unexpected
information that is possibly unrelated I will try to recognize this as soon as
I can. After I recognize that it may be of little use for my documentary I will
ask a follow up question to try to tie it back to my original purpose.
I plan on overcoming technological
problems by using various resources. The tech center in the library will be a
vital resource if I run into problems I cannot solve on my own. The internet
will also be a great resource to learn how to utilize certain techniques that I
want to use for my documentary.
Works
Cited
Boelter, Jean, Katie Policani, and Marta Creswell. Amputeddy
Goes Back to School. Seattle, WA: Amputeddy, 2005. Print.
Motes, Zach. Personal Interview. 23 Aug. 2016.
Out on a Limb. Dir. Daria
Price. International Documentary Association, 2011.Out on a Limb. Out on a Limb, 9 Sept. 2011. Web. 3
Oct. 2016.
Pistorius, Oscar. Blade Runner. London: Virgin, 2009. Print.
Shayne, Adkins. Personal Interview. 9 October 2016.
Documentary First Cut
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceG-c-tgkzc
Writing Piece #2: Presidential Debate Reflection
After watching the debate, I came to a few conclusions for each candidate. There were things each candidate did well, and things that they didn't do so well on. For example, Donald Trump did a very good job of not being pushed around by the moderator. He made sure he got in everything he had to say. However, he didn't do so well when it came to staying relevant. He often trailed off into different subjects that were far from the question at hand. As for Hillary, she did a very good job of keeping on the offensive. Of the two candidates, she was the best at keeping the other on the ropes. She didn't do a very good job of appearing enthusiastic or passionate about what she was saying. Many times she appeared apathetic. Overall, I think Hillary won the debate. I support Donald Trump and I quite frankly despise Hillary. However, from a non-biased standpoint I believe Hillary did a better job during the debate of articulating herself.
Writing Piece #3: Ethos Logos Pathos
I believe my speech went well. I was beginning to worry when I heard everyone else's speech. I was listening and everyone's topics were serious and deep. Mine was simply that I believed metal was the best genre of music. I was worried that I would look like I didn't put in very much effort and I would get a bad grade and I would stand out in a bad way. I was nervous so I didn't volunteer until the very end. However, I was able to get the class laughing and I think I did a pretty good job. Overall, with the fact that grading should be easier in the beginning I believe I earned an A. Not necessarily a high A but an A nonetheless.Ethos is conveying a message based on the speaker's credibility. An example of this is one of Gatorade's commercials. They use Serena Williams in the commercial as ethos. They want the viewers to make the connection that if Serena drinks Gatorade and is successful then I will be successful when I drink Gatorade too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3K_4LfzKPko
Logos is an appeal to logic. An example I found of logos is Microsoft's commercial. In the commercial it makes comparisons to an Apple product. It lists things that the Apple product doesn't have that the Microsoft product has. Microsoft is trying to tell the audience that it only makes sense to buy the Microsoft product because it has more features than the Apple product.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_QWuyX8U18
Pathos is an appeal to emotion. An example of this I found was the ASPCA commercial. It shows you pictures of cute dogs that are hurt or alone. The ASPCA is trying to make you sad so you send them money to ease your sense of guilt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO9d2PpP7tQ
Writing From Another Class: All About Me (UK 101)
My name is Bryce Bijan Anvar. I was born
in St. Louis, Missouri. After two years I moved to South Carolina. After about
3 years there I moved to Louisville where I grew up. My mom was born in Toledo,
Ohio and is a stay at home mom but she used to be a surgeon technician and
served in the Navy. My dad was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up in Iran. That
is why my middle name is so strange. It is the name of my Grandpa who was a
general in the Iranian air-force. I have two sisters named Lydia and Sophie. My
older sister Lydia goes to WKU and is an English major. My younger sister is a
junior in High School and wants to be a veterinarian. Some of the things I
enjoy are tennis and music. I played tennis in high school and I still love the
game. I like to play the guitar and I enjoy listening to music. My favorite
genre is metal. I enjoy watching NFL football, I am a big Rams fan. I am a
Christian and that affects my life greatly. I also am a Republican and politics
is interesting to me. I like to read books and I think history is awesome. I am
a computer science major and I am living in Woodland Glen as part of the
engineering living learning program. I visited many schools when I was looking
for a college. I visited Centre, University of Cincinnati, Western Kentucky
University, Eastern Kentucky University and finally the University of Kentucky.
I wanted to go to a large school because of the many opportunities to get
involved in different things and meet all kinds of people. I was also undecided
on what my major was going to be and UK is a very well rounded school. I am
most excited about learning how to program on a computer and building new
things. I have not done very much with computers so I am excited to learn all
the things I can do with computers. I also applied to work on a NASA Kentucky
team to construct a balloon that will be launched next August. I am most
apprehensive about being able to handle all of the coursework I have and
succeed in all my classes. I want to be able to manage my time effectively and
not get behind in any of my classes this semester. Overall, I think I will
really like it here at UK.
Reflective Essay
I believe my project pitch was a
successful assignment. The purpose was to propose an idea for a documentary
that was going to be done. I believe that I communicated my ideas effectively.
I was not however, able to pinpoint exactly what the project was on. Whether it
was on Zach’s life or on prosthetic legs as a whole. I chose this because I
feel that this assignment shows my ability to communicate abstract ideas that
have not yet come to fruition. The annotated bibliography’s purpose was to
allow me to do research and find sources that I could reference while I was
constructing my documentary. The annotated bibliography does a very good job of
providing a variety of sources. Some are books, some websites, and some
interviews. I was not able to utilize most of these sources in my final
documentary because they became unrelated as my focus changed. I chose this
because this displays my ability to do factual research. The purpose of the
outline/storyboard is to plan out my ideas. I did well in evaluating the
different factors that would decide what my documentary looked like such as
audience and purpose. I did not do very well in planning out what the
documentary would look like scene to scene. I chose this because I believe it
shows that I can plan ideas that have not yet come to fruition. The purpose of
the first cut of the documentary was to provide insight that represents
difference in our lives with knowledge that it will be improved. I did well in
the content area of prompting Zach to provide thoughtful answers. However,
there was not enough B roll footage to make it interesting to watch. I chose
this because it shows how I can improve myself given feedback. The purpose of
the blog introduction is to show who I am and what I am like. I did well in
accomplishing this but I could have used more effective diction. I chose this
because it shows how I write when I can but basically whatever I want. The purpose
of the presidential debate reflection was to give my thoughts on the debate. I
did well in expressing my point of view but I could have provided more
information and elaborated more. I chose this because it shows my ability to
remain objective, an invaluable characteristic of a good writer. The purpose of
the ethos logos and pathos blog post was to explain what each of these words
were and find examples of them in daily life. I did well in explaining what
they were but I could have elaborated on why I made the choices of examples
that I did. I chose this because it allows me to show my ability to relate what
I learn in the classroom to everyday life. The purpose of the all about me
assignment was to elaborate on who I am as a person. I was able to give
different areas of interest in my life but I could have made it more interesting
to read. I chose this because it shows how I can take a general prompt and
expand on it and make it specific to myself. I have learned many things about
writing this semester, such as the use of rhetoric and how it can affect how
the audience interprets different messages. My strength in writing is my strong
use of descriptive words to express myself effectively. My weakness is that I
tend to wander when I am trying to focus in on something specific. The problems
I have encountered are how to plan things out. Usually I just jump right in but
this class has taught me the value of taking time to plan out my ideas before I
begin.
