ABout meHello! Thanks for visiting my page! As a high school senior in her second semester I can honestly say I was less than motivated to write a 7-10 page research paper, especially a historical research paper. I am the worst at paying attention in history class. However, I fell in love with my topic and worked very hard to create an accurate and entertaining portrayal of my ideas. So now I want to share that with you!
Throughout this process I have learned a lot about myself as a writer. One thing I found out is that I am very good at finding my research, making notecards, highlighting sources, and organizing all of my ideas. When it came to writing down my ideas though, I struggled. I am a perfectionist and I hate writing rough drafts because I know my thoughts are organized and explained the way they should be. With this paper, I decided to let loose a little. So what did I do? I sat down and just wrote. Sounds pretty simple, but it was difficult! I wouldn't allow myself to go back and fix anything until I was done. In the end this helped me to develop a more complete final draft. With this paper I learned that as a writer, I need to let go of my inhibitions and write -- the end result will be worth it. One reason I was able to let my inhibitions go throughout this paper was because I was totally absorbed in my topic. Like I said earlier, I am not good at history and I think it is quite boring. When picking a topic I just tried to find the least boring option that I could, so I chose the Peirce Mansion. The story of the Peirce Mansion and its owner, John Peirce, inspired me to analyze the effects John Peirce had on Sioux City. After realizing that Peirce was a fraud, I wondered what other trusted sources of power were also frauds. I began making connections. I was able to relate Peirce's story to Richard Nixon and the Watergate Scandal as well as the Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff. After looking into these stories and forming connections among them, I learned that people trust well-known names. When people with well-known names abuse their power, reputations are tarnished, and communities suffer. "Those who find themselves in power make a name for themselves through the media and this name becomes the center of trust for citizens in his or her community. When
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"Peirce, Nixon, and Madoff are names that cannot be trusted, not because of the name but because of the character behind the name."The interviewTo kick off my paper, I began with an interview with Theresa Bayse-Weaver, an employee at the Sioux City Museum. Theresa filled me in on some important information about John Peirce and the Mansion.
She also gave me some great insight to the connections between John Peirce, Bernie Madoff, and Richard Nixon.
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The final product
After much frustration, many late nights, and a few dozen cups of coffee, I finished my research paper. Relief! Feel free to check it out by clicking the button below. Enjoy!
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