Next paper proposal

For this next multi genre paper, i have decided to create a music video that depicts the importance of high school. I'm gonna use the song "4 years" by Jon McLaughlin.  This song is about how you should enjoy high school while it lasts because it's gone before you know it and all the cliques and stereotypes don't matter anymore. I'm still trying to decide the clips I want to use.  I'm not sure if I want to use like TV clips that work with the lyrics or like real life clips that i can get off of youtube etc. This idea is subject to change.  Right now I'm just playing around with some things seeing if it's actually doable. 

Response to Staple's"just walk on by..."

While reading this passage, I realized how much African Americans are stereotyped.  The main character tells his story of how he is mistaken for a rapist or a criminal, when in reality he is harmless and innocent.  No matter how much a person is against racism, they still will stereotype black people in a negative way.  For example, the term "the ghetto" is usually used in negative context and often times when people think of the ghetto, they think of black people living their.  I personally think it's awful that even now it still exists.  It has too be hard for people to fear you for the way you look and while reading this passage I realized how often it happens. Stereotypes will never go away and it's really a shame.  I'm not going to lie, if someone was following me that looked intimidating, i would absolutely run.  The hard part is what if you are that person people are afraid of?

Rhetorical Analysis Paper idea

When trying to come up with a subject for this paper, I wanted it to be something that I was interested in and could easily write about for pages at a time.  In order to fulfill this goal, I've decided to write about an episode of my favorite television show One Tree Hill.  The episode I want to focus on deals with a school shooting.  It shows a gunman who is a student that sort of was ostracized by the other characters over the years.  He becomes a confused, depressed individual and resorts to carrying a gun to school to get people to stop taunting him.  The episode does a really good job of letting you feel emotionally attached to both the gunman and the students held hostage, but most importantly, it persuades the viewers that bringing a gun to school is bad and there are other ways to deal with pain that doesn't end in consequences.

Logical Fallacy

Logical Fallacies are seen a lot throughout the media today.  Many advertisements use emotion to get people to buy their product even if the situation shown has very little to do with their product.  For example, there was a commercial for Anheuser-Busch beer that was placed in an airport.  The airport is busy with people and all of the sudden you see troops in uniform come out of a gate in uniform.  Everyone stops what their doing and start clapping for these troops as they walk through the airport.  The commercial then ends with a black screen that says "thanks and enjoy".  That commercial had nothing to do with the product itself but it affects people emotionally causing them to be drawn towards the product.  Their logic is that if this product is supportive and caring towards our troops then there must be something good about it, which is why it is an example of a logical fallacy

Journal 2- Response to "Residence Halls"

The essay "Residence Halls" by Kelley McCormik points out the flaws of living on campus.  The author complains about all the imperfections of dorm life such as sharing a room and lack of food variety.  For me personally, I think that she is completely overreacting.  Dorm life, in my opinion, is essential to the college experience.  It is where you meet new people who are first years' just like you.  If you live off campus or commute, then I feel that the student is at a disadvantage because he or she is coming to a place where they do not know anyone and do not get the luxury of having an instant group of friends living in their corridor in the residence hall.  Isn't that the point of college? To meet new people and deal with the struggles that come your way?  Life does not turn out the way it is supposed to and those roadblocks are what make you stronger.

Even though her argument is weak, it is still true.  There is always a chance that you and your roommate do not get along or the dining hall has nothing satisfying for the picky eaters of the world, but I think that it teaches you life lessons that you can use throughout life.  For example, let's say after graduation you get your dream job.  You arrive for your first day and you love the job but hate your boss/ co-workers.  Would you give up all of that hard work of getting the job because of a few people standing in the way of your dreams?  Is the fear of not getting along with your roommate really going to stop you from  trying?  In the essay, she harps on the negatives of on campus living but to me, the positive reasons outnumber the bad.

Ethnography 2nd draft

Lauren Wallace

Ethnography

September 12, 2008

Another World

A swimming pool is usually a place to hang out with friends and splash around but to me it is a place to come and shut out the rest of the world.  The scenery of the pool deck may change but the transparent blue water is universal throughout every venue.  For three hours a day, I spend time in this temple and it is just me and this water.  Framed at the end of the space is the familiar trademark picture of the Miami Redhawk.  Everyday I get to represent that signature symbol by putting on a bathing cap with a block "M" advertised on the side as part of my uniform for the Women's Varsity Swimming team at Miami.  When I put that cap on, the outside world is nonexistent and the only thing that matters is me and the water.

When a person walks into the venue, he/she will feel the school spirit around them.  The open high ceiling creates a large, light space contrasting with the bright colors of the banners hanging that honor other teams dedicated to the sport.  Accents of the traditional red and white are highlighted in the lane lines and flags lining across the two pools, one pool bigger and the other about half the size as the first.  The light blue tiling of the deck makes these school colors stand out and appealing to the eye. Rows of spectator seating are elevated above the pool overlooking the entire room.  These seats have an eye level view to the digital scoreboard placed directly across the pool that displays a clock used by swimmers to keep track of his/her pace.  The high placed windows surrounding the pool lets the sun shine through, which lightens the atmosphere and gives off a positive vibe to the people making it a desirable place to visit.   

The smell of chlorine permeates throughout the space while small ripples of movement can be seen on the surface of the water as a result of various movements by the people using the pool.  Several activities are often going on at once.  Classes taught by lifeguards can be seen in one pool as divers flip through the air off the diving boards behind them.  Meanwhile, lap swimmers swimming back and forth along the lane lines in the larger pool are just a short distance away from friends splashing around just enjoying each others company.  A low murmur can be heard from various people socializing with each other along with the occasional sound of a splash made by a new person jumping into the pool.  Sounds are soft since the large space absorbs the sound waves and drowns out the noise, but even that sound disappears as the head submerges into the water.  The cool, crisp water surrounds the body while one's arms and legs slice through the water doing various strokes.  Once underwater, the only sound heard is his/her thoughts.  Some of my best ideas have come from the time I have spent in the water.  It is the one time that there are no distractions and no interruptions from my thoughts.  It is like the world around is muted and the only thing able to be exempt from the silence is the dialogue created in the mind. 

Every swimming skill level is represented on the pool deck.  No one to be an olympic swimmer or have any talent in order to enjoy the benefits of the facility.  Everyone has a different perspective and emotional feelings when entering the space.  For many, this is a place to relax and have fun, but to some the pool is a place of fear.  If a person does not know how to swim, it can be scary to get into a deep pool of water.  The common activity of swimming is a fear just as much as it is a enjoyable activity.  Those who have already taken the plunge and learned how to swim view the pool as a place to hang out or experiment with the swimming strokes as exercise.  The atmosphere for these visitors is low stress, which is not the case for those swimmers that swim competitively.  Speaking for the athletes who dedicate themselves to competitive swimming, the pool has an entirely different meaning to us.  It is still the same water, the same sensation, and the same smell, but add a competitive aspect to swimming and a person will see how the perspectives differ from an athlete compared to a non-swimmer.  The varsity swimmers represent Miami University in the swimming world.  They wear their school colors of red and white proudly and while in the water, they are there to reach a goal both as a team and as individuals.     

      The people participating in water activity are not the only ones that contribute to the pool atmosphere.  If one were to look around the natatorium, he/she will see other inhabitants such as lifeguards, coaches, and even spectators.  Depending on the activities happening at various times, these people show themselves on a daily basis when needed.  For me personally, I see coaches on the deck whenever a practice occurs.  Their yells of encouragement and sometimes even discouragement echo over the sound of the swimmers as they complete the workout.  The coaches yell and push the athletes to be the best they can be in order to succeed in competition.   

These competitions bring a whole new population of people to the pool.  Friends and families come and fill the stands creating excitement and gives one a new perspective of the space.  When cheers fill the air and athletes gather to race each other as well as the clock, no longer is the pool a quiet temple, but it is a loud arena celebrating the competitive spirit.  One has to remember, however, that it is still the same transparent blue water and once underwater, it is still the same quiet.  

People everyday join at the pool in the recreation center; no matter what his/her level or swimming background.  Some people choose to swim as a form of exercise, others swim for fun, and some people are there to represent a team.  No matter what skill level, everyone can appreciate the atmosphere of this natatorium.  Everyone has a desire to be there and everyone's reason is different but no matter the excuse people are there for one common activity: swimming.  The discriminatory factors that exist in our world today such as race, gender, and age have no meaning in this space.  It is almost as if this pool is another world.  

Ethnography

A swimming pool is usually a place to hang out with friends and splash around but to me it's a place to come and shut out the rest of the world.  The scenery of the pool deck may change but the transparent blue water is universal throughout every   venue.  For three hours a day, I spend time in this temple and It's just me and the water.  The open high ceiling creates a large  bright space contrasting with the bright colors of the banners hanging that honor other teams dedicated to the sport.  Accents of the traditional red and white are highlighted in the lane lines and flags lining across both pools.  Framed at the end of the space is the familiar trademark picture of the Miami Redhawk.  Everyday I get to represent that signature symbol by putting on a bathing cap with a block "M" advertised on the side. When I put that cap on, the outside world is non-existant and the only thing that matters is me and the water.

  People everyday join at the pool in the recreation center; no matter what his/her level or swimming background.  Some people choose to swim as a form of exercise, others swim for fun, and some people are there to represent a team.  No matter what skill level, everyone can appreciate the atmosphere of this natatorium.  Everyone has a desire to be there and every reason is different but no matter the excuse everyone is there for one common activity: swimming.  When a person walks into the venue, he/she will feel the school spirit around them.  The smell of chlorine permeates throughout the space while small ripples of movement can be seen on the surface of the water as a result if various movements by the people using the pool.  A low murmur can be heard from various people socializing with each other along with the occasional sound of a splash made by a new person jumping into the pool.  Sounds are soft since the large room absorbs the sound and drowns the noise out, but even that sound disappears as ones head submerges into the water.    

Journal 1- writing history

Journal 1

Writing for me is a release. I love expressing my emotion and opinion through writing.  In high school, research and literary analysis papers that i had to write felt more like an obligation rather than a way to express myself.  These grueling assignments made my high school English a lot less enjoyable, but every once in a while, there was an assignment that I would really enjoy.  Anytime that I can reflect on an important event or experience in my life and/or write creatively, I can effortlessly write for pages.  These opportunities to write creatively were rare in my high school experience and I hope to get more in English 111.

Even though high school English was not my favorite course, I never had a teacher that discouraged my writing career.  I cannot say that I ever had a teacher that has changed my outlook on writing; although I will say that one of those teachers may have made a difference without me even knowing.  Teachers in my old high school were very strict when it came to writing.  They made sure that every student was competent and ready for his or her college career.  Many students hated them because of it but personally, I am glad I was challenged because there is nothing worse than going into a new class feeling unprepared to learn.

Writing in general is fun for me if I am writing about a meaningful topic.  It is no secret that I would much rather write on facebook about the gossip than an english assignment but I can enjoy other forms of writing as well.  I feel like I appreciate other's writing more than my own.  For example, I love song lyrics.  I do not write songs and do not have any plans to but lyrics that other artists write speak to me sometimes and make me wish I could express myself that way.  Mostly, I enjoy works that express real issues and do not just analyze books or topics that are not relevant to my life at the moment.