Time to wrap up the community project and delve into the mid-term portfolio

*Sigh of relief* The community project is drawing to a close. I went to see Professor Williams today for a 15 minute conference that proved to be worth the time. Her input was very valuable and I was able to wrap up my community essay. I have now changed the title from something generic to something creative and fun. I have also revised my thesis to include (directly mention) the name of my community. Now it is time for me to focus on my mid-term portfolio. I have so far collected my 2 blog entries, 2 in-class writings, and the drafts with comments and finals of my two essays (the essay that went with my identity collage and my community project essay). Now it is time to delve into the process of working on the introduction for my portfolio. Writing this introduction should not present to much of a problem as long as it sounds well-thought out and follows the criteria. I am looking forward to Wednesday to storm through the project and get some advice from Professor Williams. 

Update on Group Project

This project has definitely allowed us all to work on the different roles that each person can play in a group and/or community setting. It has allowed us the opportunity to take turns listening to and leading others. We have met three times, and each time we meet, we think of something unique to integrate into our project. We plan to power through our class time tomorrow and possibly get together later on in the day to finalize the project. 

Is it a "White Lie"?

I have recently been thinking about the readings from our textbook. The reading that spoke the most to me was probably the one about "avatars". When I see the word "avatar" the movie Avatar comes to mind and it is easy for me to forget the negative usage of avatars. In today's society it is not uncommon for someone to want to present themselves as someone who they believe would be more accepted. Perhaps the most common utilization of avatars is through social-networking venues. Young people of today's generation often use cartoon characters as a means to identify and protect themselves. This type of behavior is acceptable for this age group, however, it can lead to continued misrepresentation later on in life.  Oftentimes older people deceive others by using cleverly altered pictures and captions to convey what they want people to see. I believe that this is dishonest and inappropriate unless used for protection. People should not worry about the perceptions of others, they should just be content with who they are. 

Update on Project Number 2

Yes, I have changed my topic to the "Barbershop Chorus Community".I have now observed another barbershop chorus rehearsal and have learned more about what ties these men (and two teenagers) of diverse backgrounds together. In addition to a love of music, most of these men are connected in some way to one another because of their past. In general, the older men like to socialize and tell one another stories about how they served in wars or their past military experience. I was rather amazed to see how many of these men were veterans and talked with extreme ease about their experiences (even if the experiences themselves were emotionally disturbing). Also, many of these men who attended armed forces' academies (such as the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, etc.) were active participants in barbershop quartets :). So far I have interviewed two of the members of the chorus and each one told me what he loves so much about the chorus (primarily the camaraderie). The other thing that the younger told me was that he just loves to sing. 


To be updated more later :)

Assignment 2 Brainstorm

For this project I am considering writing about a senior center community or the catholic community here at BSU. I have always been intrigued by the philosophies behind specific religions and how each belief system corresponds to others. I have also been intrigued by the senior center community (not so much how they dress or what ties them together) but rather how they interact among themselves, what belief system they convey through their body language, and what their background is. Furthermore, also what shaped their lives. This topic could be a bit difficult to write about considering that they do not have a similar dress code, however it may present an interesting twist to a universal topic.


(I will update and/or edit this post when I have more ideas).


This topic has changed...