15

Throughout the semester we have definitely done a lot of writing. We have worked on many projects and papers and read through a lot of readings that were somewhat interesting and very boring. However, I believe I have come quite a ways this semester. Although my writing may have only improved slightly, I feel as though my appreciation for different styles of writing is what really advanced. Before coming to this class I hated all forms of research, research papers, and anything that involved facts. I just wasn't interested. My main interest of writing was creative writing. I enjoyed writing stories and things of that nature. Although, this semester I learned a lot about adding creativity and my own spin to the projects that involve the research I hate. I enjoyed learning about ways to put myself into the research. The subculture project as a whole really improved my outlook. I believe maybe in the future I will be able to use this on normal research papers and projects. As far as advice for future classes I can't say I have any. I feel like for this project and the subculture theme, the class was ran about as well as it could have been. It was easy to learn and figure out what was going on because of the website and its nice to have the schedule online because it is constantly updated.

Week 14

Over the last semester I gathered a lot of research and data from researching the subculture of college bands and marching bands. From everything I gathered the one that I enjoyed the most was the data I received from actually being inside of my field site. Obviously, the main reason this data is my favorite is because I am in general a fan of basketball, football, and pretty much all sports. It helped to be able to do research while attending something I love to watch. However, It was also a lot of fun to actually realize what was going on in that gym. Before this class, I would have never even considered the thought of subcultures all around me. I had no idea what a subculture even was. After learning about subcultures in general, I was able to point out the different subcultures that all gather in my field site. It was interesting to look at the athletes, the parents, and the student section and think about how these groups of people act all across the country. Not to mention the work I did in my field site actually gave me an appreciation for the band. All the book research I did was simply that, book research. Being able to see the band in person and watch how they bring energy to the entire site is amazing.

Week 13

I walked into the large gymnasium to hear the roar of the crowd, a basketball bounce, and shoes squeak. The environment was one that was loud and intense. Nothing I have ever seen is similar to that of what was happening in the gym. I was there to watch the band play and monitor them in their field site. I wanted to watch how the react to what happens around them and pay attention to things I'd never noticed. However, being a basketball fan, a got engulfed in the game and lost thought of why I was there. Then, during a time out, I heard the band begin to play unbelievably loud. That is when I noticed for the first time how much they bring to sporting events. I watched them play simultaneously and began to enjoy it as I saw everyone around me continue to wait for the game. This was the most significant experience I had when doing my research at the field site because it truly was the first time that I payed attention to the band. It was the first time I was able to focus on exactly what they were doing and how they were doing it. From there on out I spent more times at the games watching them and being capable of doing the research I needed to do. It was the moment that changed my entire mini-ethnography, along with my thought of the band.

Six Word Stories

My Life
Go to class? I'm in bed.

Subculture
Athletes play hard. Band plays loud.

Week 12

When I think of rhetoric I first think of the basics of rhetoric that I learned in my English 103 class. I look at is as a means of persuasion involving logos, ethos, and pathos. This would be both my understanding and my definition of the word. I believe everything we do involves rhetoric in some way. Although it may not be intentional, the clothes we wear, the way we talk, and the things we do are all persuasive to the people around us. Honestly, the only time I have heard the word rhetoric used in America is in my English classes. I'm probably just not reading enough or watching enough television to hear it but it isn't something commonly used from what I've heard. However, I do believe it is used mostly in advertising if anything. I believe it can be both positive and negative. It is always persuasive but depending on what is being persuaded effects what kind of rhetoric it is. Rhetoric could be a very useful thing when putting together my final mini-ethnography. I can use all aspects of it to persuade my viewers exactly what I want from them

Writing Quote

"Writing is hard, but it isn't until you read what you've written that it becomes truly difficult."

I said this because a lot of times a might struggle to write something, but it isn't until I start reading my paper over for mistakes that I realize how bad it might be. A lot of times I have to change a lot in my paper when I go back and read it.

Week 11

I feel as though in many ways my writing style has honestly not changed at all. I know that it is supposed to change and advance, but for the most part when in a class I just try to do what the teacher tells me because my main concern is the grade. Despite the fact that the way I organize papers has been different, my writing style itself has not changed. One assignment I ended up having a lot of trouble with was the annotated bibliography. It gave me trouble not only because of the organization, but I was confused as to what to write about my sources. I wouldn't say that any of the assignments came across as unexpectedly easy. Everything we have done has been for the most part very different than anything I've done before. I had trouble with a lot of the writing assignments mainly because of how different they were and how different the class itself is. As far as reasons I write, there is mainly one. I actually enjoy writing but basically in a creative way. I have always enjoyed creative writing but never wanted to be an English major only because I don't like writing anything else. It is very hard for me to get into anything but that. I do enjoy reading some random things but nothing in particular. For the rest of my life I could see me writing creative stories just for fun. It would be slim and few and far between but I would never write anything else. I am afraid to pursue a career or major in writing though because I don't want to lose the part of me that enjoys it.