English # 15

I think this semester I have changed in some ways, but there are definitely changes I still need to make. In my opinion, my writing was strong to begin with, but this semester I have learned a new way of writings, so my writing has become stronger. Before this semester most of my writing was either factual or entertainment, and a lot of times I was told to keep them separate (not always but sometimes). With the writing of my mini-ethnography I learned that it is good to show the facts but keep your story interesting and entertaining also. One thing that I know I still struggle with and need to work on is my time management skills. I am the worlds worst procrastinator, but this semester I learned that it is easier to write a head of time and go back and read it and then make changes. I'm still working on it, but I think I am getting better. I enjoyed this semester of English, it was something new and opened my mind in many different ways. I think the conferences were great, the one on one time is good, but the amount was good too. I don't think its necessary to have conferences for each paper. All in all I think my semester went very smoothly.

English # 14

My favorite piece of data that i collected during this semester during my fieldwork is my interview with a close friend and fellow HOBY alumni Scott Walker. Scott and I worked on the HOBY newspaper last year together and have had a great friendship since I met him at HOBY. if you ask anyone that has attended HOBY who they remember the most, Scott is in the top 3. He is a very funny person yet he always has great answers for everything. He is very devoted to what he does, and has a lot of compassion and love for helping people when they are in need. Much like me, volunteering is a lifestyle to Scott, and he did a great job at answering my interview questions. He made sure the answers were thorough yet most of them had some humor and life to them. Scott is a great friend and a great volunteer. I very much enjoyed interviewing him and getting his insights about volunteering.

English # 13

Every Tuesday afternoon, the little buddies and big buddies of College Mentors meet in TC112, and begin their activity for the week. As I sit with Jack, I notice that he is a very observant child. He always looks around and is watching what everyone else is doing. This week is the first week that I started coming to CMFK as not only a mentor but also as an observer for my mini ethnography project. I notice the other kids talking to their big buddies, all with a lot of excitement and enthusiasm. Jack is always talkative, but he is also always observant. This is important in the setting we're in at College Mentors, because Jack is here to learn about College, in hopes that one day he will choose to attend. Although this experience isn't one in which I've interviewed someone or necessarily researched something, it is very important to me, because it reminds me why I am writing my ethnography and why it is important. My research and writing for this ethnography is important because volunteering is rewarding not only for the person receiving the volunteer work, but also for the person volunteering. Jack in this case is learning about college, and will hopefully remember his experience when he's deciding weather he wants to attend college or not. The experience is very rewarding and important to me because as a future educator, I enjoy seeing children like Jack engaged in thinking and curious about his surroundings.

Short Story

Friends and Family are my air.


The best reward without being paid.

English # 12

My definition of Rhetoric is the effective use of language. I understand it or interpret it as the way we or a person uses a language and how effective their use actually is. I believe each and every individual person has their own rhetoric and they get it by being taught and by the way they grow up, the things they say, and possibly the way they act. When i hear the word rhetoric i automatically think of english class. I dont hear the word very often, really only in an academic setting, or around very high scholarly and high educated people. I feel like not many people know what it means, or use the word in every day speech. I dont think there is a specific rhetoric that is associated with my subculture, therefore i wont be able to use rhetoric by talking about a specific rhetoric that surrounds my speech.

Writing quotes

"Writing is all I can remember."

- I remember writing ever since elementary school. It is one thing that we have used since the very beginning of our educational career, and will continue to use for the rest of our lives. We didn't use computers every day in kindergarden and first grade like we did in high school and college. We have always depended on Writing, and thats what I know, and will always remember.

English # 11

I think that my writing process is pretty much the same as it was in week one. I have a way of writing that i pretty much have always had, and i think i will have the same process throughout my life. I dont think i've had any specific assignment that was especially easy or especially hard. Writing has always came easy to me, i wrote for my school newspaper, and i was always in advanced english/reading/writing classes. I am not trying to say i'm the greatest writer, but i wouldn't say it is a hard thing for me to do. I think that writing is very important. We complain about it when we have writing assignments and have to write papers, but in all reality, i wouldn't be where i am today without writing. Writing is a great way to express yourself, your beliefs, and a great way of thinking. When you write something you are able to say it in a way that maybe you couldn't say it if you were being verbal. Writing is more private, and most people are more comfortable writing stuff down than they are saying it out loud. I believe writing is a very important form of communication, and in some ways can define a person as much as their speech does. Writing gives us our media, our education, our entertainment, and many things else in this world. Writing is a huge role in my life. The time i spent writing for my school newspaper was a time that i will never forget. Writing is intriguing, especially when you are able to choose your topic and write about anything you want. I want to be an elementary school teacher when i finish school, therefore writing will always be a large part of my life. I always say there is one part of high school that i miss and will always miss, and that part is my Newspaper staff experience. Writing is huge in my life and i believe it always will be.

Family Story

My Uncle Steve is the oldest child on my dad's side of the family. I can't remember much from my younger years, but I know who and how he is now, and it amazes me to hear stories of when he was younger. My uncle Steve is a manic depressant schizophrenic. Ever since I can remember he's lived by himself but always had a case worker with him. His case worker is there to make sure he takes his medicine, gets his groceries, has good hygiene, etc. Uncle Steve has been in and out of Wabash Hospital more times that I can count. Although he is considered crazy now, my dad always tells me of when they were younger, and what Steve had accomplished. When my uncle was younger, he was a good student, very smart. He eventually went on with his schooling and became a pilot, this being his first major accomplishment. Secondly, my Uncle Steve was a certified EMT, working on an ambulance. His third major talent was that he could play the guitar and was a great singer. Last but not least, Uncle Steve was once married and had a son. Today my Uncle has a hard time remembering if he ate during the day, and can hardly communicate with anyone. He is known around the towns he's lived in by the crazy man that walks around and sings. It simply amazes me to look at Steve and see who he is today, and think about where he could be in life if schizophrenia had never stepped in to ruin his life. I love to hear about stories of Uncle Steve's past, and live on the stories of today. They are polar opposite when they come to types of stories, but either time, my Uncle Steve is one interesting man.

English # 10

Looking forward to my mini ethnography i'm not exactly sure the structure that i'm going to use, but i have ideas in mind. the best way that i can see my ethnography being written is by showing my readers what the definition of volunteering is. I also think it will be important to lead my readers through my experiences of volunteering, and how i came to the position i am in today. I will be sure to add my interviews in with each of my experiences. I think my mini ethnography will be split up in to sections, such as HOBY, CMFK, other volunteers, people against volunteering/or opposing views... etc. I think this is the best way for my ethnography to be written because it will make it flow and be put together correctly according to structure. If it isn't sectioned up, the piece will not make sense and will seem like it is just thrown together, nothing in the correct place.

Subculture glossary

HOBY - Hugh O'brian Youth Leadership
- HOBY is the organization I started most of my volunteer work with, it is one of my field sites.

CMFK- College Mentors For Kids
- CMFK is my current volunteer organization and it is also a field site.

Big Buddy
- Big buddies in CMFK are the college students that are volunteering their time to mentor elementary students

Little Buddy
- Little buddies in CMFK are the elementary students that come and are being mentored

Activity
- Each day there is an activity, its the hands on, or "lesson" for the day.

GM- General Manager
-General Managers are in charge of the "class" of each grade level.

Ambassadors-
- Ambassadors are first year members of HOBY. They have never experienced HOBY before. They are all Sophomore's in high school.

JuCo - Junior Counselor
-Junior Counselor's at HOBY are 2nd year members that come back to volunteer their time. JuCo's are the leaders of cheers for the ambassadors, and they are also directly involved with one specific group.

Special Assistant
- These are members of HOBY that have been there for 3 or more years, until they turn 21.

Facilitators
- Leaders of groups of ambassadors. Members of HOBY over 21 that can lead a group.

WLC- World Leadership Conference
- A Large HOBY, with ambassadors from each state, and all around the world.

American Tongues

1. Right off the bat, i can see that i agree with the way they do one thing. I like that they go many different places to look at the dialect of the people all over the United States. If i were to redo this today, i would revisit the places they went, but i would go to different places, for instances, they went to the farm in texas, so maybe i would go a business man instead. I would also try to get some new "insider terms".

2. I think that the flaws of the study are they only seemed to interview certain types of people. It seemed to me that they only interviewed the "farm boys" or the country folk of the different places. Only a few times were there professionals interviewed. While i think it is important for the "everyday" people to be interviewed, i also think it is important to have a variety of people in the study. This would show us the different people in the same area, along with different people in different areas. I think if i were to do this again i would make sure i got a well rounded amount of people from each area.

3. i think language is very important in the way we perceive others. This video shows us that people in different areas think highly of themselves and less of those who speak differently. We are all americans, just because our accent is different doesn't mean that we are bad people, or less educated, etc. The people in the video says that when we talk, our education is revealed, and our values, and our beliefs. Basically everything is revealed about us just by the way we talk. It is obvious that there are people that only look at the outside, and the way we speak to judge who we are as people.

Revisiting your stories

1. I specifically remember one instance that sticks out to me the most. I was at CMFK and I was there doing my volunteer work as i do every tuesday. My little buddy was asking me about college, he wanted to know where i lived. Granted, he's a first grader, but he really is clueless about college and the world. I then realized that when i was a first grader, i was probably the same way, and what i was doing was a great thing. In the scene i am an insider of my organization and i am a "big buddy" or a mentor. My relationship with this particular informant is that i am his mentor.

2. The meaning behind this particular instance is that my volunteer work here as a mentor, might mean that one day, this child will go to college. One day he will look back and remember that he visited a college campus in first grade, and that will help him understand what college is and how important it is in his future. My fixed position is influenced by the college that i chose to come to, and the volunteer organization i decided to be a part of. My informants fixed position is influenced by the place he lives (close to ball state) and the choices his parents made.

3. When my informant speaks, i hear confusion, excitement, and curiousness. He is very confused about some things when we learn about college, but he is always eager to learn new things. My little buddy is very loud when he speaks, and he is usually confident. Since he is a first grader, he isn't a great speaker, he has gaps when he talks, trying to piece together the sentences he makes.

English # 9

So far i think the hardest part of my research project is getting a variety of information. I can find multiple things to use for my ethnography, but a lot of it has the same view on my topic. The easiest part of this project has been deciding who to contact and deciding on my field sites. I knew who would give me the best and most interesting feedback, and also i knew that i would use HOBY and CMFK as my field sites because they are the most interesting (to me anyways!). If i could start over again i think i would make myself more motivated and have better time management from the beginning. I am caught up with myself now, but in the beginning i had very poor time management. keeping this blog has helped me keep track of my project because it helps me look at where i am, and what i need to do. also it helps me by making me think about different questions and angles of my project. I think the blog will help me in preparing my mini ethnography because it will be yet another thing that i can look back on and see my progress. also i can look at it and see what i've written and take bits and pieces of my blog to put into my ethnography. its a good way to document your progress and be able to go back and look over the research process.

Online Reading answers..

1. The readers of my mini ethnography will care about what i am writing about because it is an important issue, and there are many people who fall under the category of a volunteer. I think people will care about my writing on volunteering because it will connect with their life in some way shape or form. Almost everyone has either volunteered for something or been the one receiving volunteer help.

2. I think my readers will want to know about volunteering because people don't realize how easy it is, and how beneficial it is. They will need to know how to get involved and what types of activities they can do. Also readers need to understand that volunteers are not getting paid, but they still get intrinsic rewards from they work they contribute.

3. My readers will already know what a volunteer is, at least roughly. They will also know that there are many volunteers in this world. I want to help them understand that they can help in the smallest ways, and still be considered a volunteer.

4. I want my readers to learn about volunteering and learn how easy it is. I want them to realize that volunteering is fun, and it is a great way to give back, and make yourself feel great. Volunteering is easy and very beneficial in many ways.

5. I hope that when my readers get done reading my mini ethnography, they will want to help and volunteer also. I hope they will be persuaded very easily. If I can reach one person and persuade them into being a volunteer, or volunteering more of their time i will feel like i've reached my goal.

6. I think my readers will use my writing to show that there are many ways to volunteer, and that volunteer opportunities are all around the world. I also hope my readers will use my writing to show others that volunteering is fun and easy, and beneficial.

English # 8

The main theme I see in my research is that volunteers love what they do, and they always try to make the best of it. I think that this theme runs through my fieledsites very much. Everyone seems to enjoy what they do, and we always have fun at what we do. Although we are 8 weeks into this research, i am in the same position in my subculture that i was when we started. I was an insider 8 weeks ago, and I'm an insider today also. The only thing that has changed is the way i am looking at some things. I make sure to look at more than my volunteer side, but also all of the other sides of the subculture. Other than the way i look at my subculture, to find new things, i am in the same position that i was in the beginning.

English # 7

My subculture is all about giving back, and helping people. I think by doing my fieldwork about volunteers, I am giving back, by giving my subculture some publicity. By teaching other people ways to volunteer and about the volunteering community, it will hopefully show them how much fun and how rewarding volunteering can actually be. I think that getting the word out, and getting more volunteers, for any site, is the best thing to give back to the volunteering community. It is hard to give to the volunteering community because they are always the ones giving to everyone else.

HOBY/Volunteer survey

http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=if6jprphg39cnj5550030

English Groundwork

The first impression that I got as I arrived to HOBY was, oh my lanta, get me outta here, these people are nuts. When you first arrive at HOBY, there are people running at you and your car, screaming and welcoming you. This was a little much for me at 8:00 a.m. I soon then realized that this place could be fun. No one knew me, I could break out of my shell, not worry about what anyone knew about me, or thought about me, because they didn't know! HOBY is a place where students come to be themselves. There is only one student from each school in Indiana, so they may know someone from another school, but it is unlikely. I then learned about volunteering at HOBY and I was in love. Volunteering made me feel so great, it was like I was high on volunteering, and nothing was bringing me down. The people around me were passionate about what they were doing, and it made me want to be more passionate.

As I entered HOBY, I felt overwhelmed. People running and screaming, being so enthusiastic, I wasn't sure what to expect for the weekend. As I got settled in my room I realized that I could make this place great, so all of a sudden I wasn't overwhelmed anymore, i was excited. I was excited to see what the weekend had a head of me, of the people i would meet, and of what i would find out about myself. Once we started our volunteer projects and heard panels about volunteering, I was anxious to start my volunteer work, and keep at it for a while.

I am an insider at HOBY and as a volunteer, now but I wasn't before i went to HOBY. If you have never been to HOBY, you are automatically an outsider, it is something that you must experience before you can become an insider, and really understand what HOBY is all about. I am still an outsider in some ways, but not as I was before. I would say that I am an "outsider" to the "administration" of HOBY. The adult staff and executive board are basically the administration of HOBY, and I have not had inside access to either one of those. As a volunteer, you are either an outsider or insider, either a volunteer or not a volunteer. I would say that many people are insiders without even realizing it, some people are just more passionate about it than others.

English # 6 - Annotations

1. Dowshen, Steven. "Volunteering." Kids Health.org. 2008. 18 Feb 2009. .

This website and this particular article talks about the benefits of volunteering, and how to start. It talks about how you need to find what volunteer activity fits you, your needs, and your interests. You should volunteer somewhere that has to do with your interests, so that your passionate about the time you give. It also talks about how you have to make sure that your volunteer time must fit your schedule. You must find the right volunteer group or place, but also make sure that you're schedule allows you to take that time and spend it volunteering. You also must open up your mind and thoughts to your volunteer project. Lastly, the article talks about how you must feel good and look good, and how volunteering looks good to other people. You must feel good about what you are doing, you're helping someone else, and you're also helping yourself grow as a person. When you volunteer you must look good, and also it looks good on applications and in other peoples eye's.

I will be able to use this article in my mini ethnography because it tells you the basics of volunteering, and how to get started. This is helpful because it is a background on volunteering everywhere, not only in my sites. Volunteers are important to our world, and this article helps our teens and kids get started and gets them informed about how to volunteer and what the important parts are to it.

2. HOBY.org. 2009. Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership. 18 Feb 2009.

This website in its entirety talks about HOBY and what the organization is and what the organization stands for. The specific page that I am writing about is the "about" page. This page talks about how HOBY was established and what it essentially is. HOBY is a seminar put on each year in every state, showing students how to lead, volunteer, and be bright. Each adult that works with HOBY is a volunteer, and there are over 4,000 adults volunteering for HOBY each year. HOBY has strong values and has many alumni to spread the beliefs and values of HOBY.

This website will help me tremendously with my ethnography because HOBY is one of my sites that I am writing about. HOBY is where I started my volunteering, and it is a very important organization to me. The website will help me find facts about HOBY and about volunteering.

English Box # 18

The particular focal point I find in my setting, is the point of being a volunteer and even a mentor to others. At both of the places i volunteer, there are volunteers that are mentors to others. I have been in both positions. At one time i was one of the people with a mentor at HOBY and I also have been the mentor at HOBY and CMFK. I also have mentors at CMFK. I do however think that my perspective has a role in how i see what i see at my sites. It would be a completely different view to be one of the little buddies at CMFK, they are in an unfamiliar environment, learning about unfamiliar things. I however also think that being in the position of having mentors at HOBY, i can understand what the kids that i have mentored are going through. I think that no matter what situation you're in, your perspective has a role in how you see everything that you see.

English travel journal

As I climb in the car I am unusually comfortable. Not because the car seat is comfortable, but because I'm with someone that is very comfortable. Although she's not my true family, she's very much like family to me. Suzanne is the driver, and we're going to see Chelsea, to surprise her to be exact! The car ride to Chicago is about two to two and a half hours from home, and I know that means I'm two and a half hours away from seeing my best friend. The ride there was very smooth, a lot of conversation between Suzanne and I, as there usually is. We see mostly flat land around us and smell the fresh crisp air. As we head into Chicago I can see the city skyline and my stomach starts to get butterflies. We're almost there, and Chelsea still has no clue I'm coming! Chicago is a beautiful city. As you drive along Lake Shore Drive, you see the lake on one side, and the cite on the other. On this particular day in Chicago, there were a lot of people running and jogging on the sidewalks, almost like they are training for a marathon of some kind. As we enter Loyola's parking garage, I look around and see the buildings Chelsea's school, and think about how alike they are, but mostly different from Ball State. There are only a few main buildings, maybe 4, and there is hardly any open field area, thats when I realized, duh, we're in Chicago! As we get out of the car to go get Chelsea, I can smell the city air. The city has a different smell than what I am used to, living in the country. Going inside Chelsea's dorm, you hear many different things, but mostly people talking, in many different accents and languages. As our day went on I noticed one thing most about the city of Chicago, and that was the noise of the streets. There is so much honking, screeching, yelling, and sounds of motors, it's hard to hear anything else. The trip was a wonderful one, full of sights, sounds, and smells, and yet the best part wasn't the enjoyment of the city, but being able to see my Best Friend! :)

English # 5

My plan to finish my mini-ethnography is to finish my interviews, and to do some book/internet based research. I think that more research needs to be done in the book work and internet based research, more educational research. I think I have spent an adequate amount of time in my field site, but i think i might need to spend more time as an observer than a participant in my site.

English Box # 15 visual

English Box # 15

As I sit on the porch swing at home, many different senses hit my body. I can hear, see, smell and feel many different things. Sitting on the swing I see the river in front of me. Sometimes on the river are people in inner tubes, canoes, and boats. I also see my back yard, and the neighbors yards. All of the land around me is beautiful and full of life. Across the river is a large wooded area that extends up a giant hill. Although I have a large picture of landscape in front of me, I also have the small picture of my back porch around me; the green swing I'm sitting on, the wood of the deck below me, around me, and above me on the roof, and the other patio furniture. Dad's grill is in the corner and in the other corner is my cat, Tigger's, favorite place to nap. I can't sit on the swing without actually swinging. I feel the wind hit my face, and on a nice warm summer day, it feels wonderful, very peaceful. I also can't sit on the swing without my two dogs coming to greet me, and get a back rub along with it. I feel the fur of my dogs, and I think of the undeniable love they have for us. The smell of the river is in the air, and I wouldn't know what to do without it. I have grown up in this house all of my life, and I know that all I have to do is step out the door and I will smell fresh air. Sometimes, after we go fishing however, the smell of fish over rides the smell of fresh air. Often, sitting on the swing, you can also smell dad's dinner cooking on the grill. Last but not least the sounds of my house, of being on the porch swing, are probably my favorite part of being on the swing. Depending on the time of day and time of year you will hear many different things sitting on the swing. In the spring, summer and fall you hear the birds chirp. At night during those seasons you hear the crickets and frogs, and it is the most soothing sound in the world. All through the seasons you hear the river running through its banks, and the dogs barking all around. No matter what, the swing on my porch is one of my favorite places to go and simply relax and read a book, clear my mind, and best of all, it's the most pristine napping place at my house.

Dogtown and Z- Boys Documentary

I believe this was both an ethnographic study and a form of entertainment. It was very entertaining and interesting to watch. The ethnographic part of it was the fact that you were learning about the subculture of skateboarding and surfing.

The interview subjects were the people in the Zephyr club. They are important because they are the insiders of the group, and know the most about what went on. The interviews play a huge role in this documentary. It would have been very boring without the interviews. I feel that the interviews are what brought life to the film.

The attitude that stuck out to me the most about the subculture of skating was "we do what we want, where we want" and also the fact that only locals are allowed. You must make your way into the group and earn your spot, no one just comes in as they please.

The structure was was organized in a chaotic way. I believe this showed a lot about the subculture because it showed that they had fun and were outgoing but knew when they needed to be organized and stable.

The stereotypes that I always had or heard about skaters were that they were punks who thought that no matter what skating was all that mattered. I think this holds true after seeing this film, but in a more positive way. They were by far "punks", but they were also kids that came from rundown families. Also i saw how they made skating (and surfing) the only thing that was important to them, but it showed that they were passionate about their interest.

English # 4

As I think about my subculture, the conclusion I can come up with is that Volunteering is a great thing in life, and each person should experience the feeling of volunteering. I believe that my subculture would be the same almost any where you go. The organization HOBY is a group of people from all over the united states, and even in other countries, and they are all spreading the same word and spirit. Volunteers are pretty much the same all over the place, no matter if you're here, in Muncie or if you're in a different state or country. I know that some subcultures would be different in different geographic places, but i really believe volunteers are the same around the globe!

English # 3

For my cultural paper, I haven't done any interviews thus far, but I have visited my cultural site. My site is one that I visit every week, and am involved in very often. I have observed many things at my site. The first thing that i noticed was that while everyone is volunteering, they don't even think about the fact that they are there to volunteer. The people at College Mentors for Kids are there for the kids, and there for the experience. This made me question wether most volunteers are conscious of their volunteer actions, or if they just automatically do it out of habit. When I interview the people in my culture, i will ask many questions, but some important questions i will ask are: When did you get involved in your volunteer activity? What does volunteering mean to you? How much time do you spend volunteering? and How do you feel after volunteering? These questions are important because it will bring another dynamic to my paper. I haven't researched any basic "academic" research yet. I do believe there are differences in academic and non academic researches. I would consider books, "credible" internet sources, documentaries, and articles academic resources. On the other hand, interviews, movies, and observations i would consider non academic research. Even though they are different, I believe that both sources are important to putting together an interesting and well rounded paper.

English Box # 12

Privileges:
Being an American
Being Female
Being born in a middle class family
Having a home
Having a loving family
Being able to go to school
Being able to go to college
Having freedom
Getting grants and loans for school
Having great friends

These privileges affect my research because I am able to have my freedom and I am able to volunteer my time whenever I want to. Also being from a middle class family and going to school, I was able to learn about volunteerism and able to be submitted into my subculture. I also will be affected because I know my privileges, and I am likely to run into people who don't share the same privileges that I have, therefore I will want to volunteer to help them receive the privileges that I obtain. I don't think any of my privileges listed are going to affect me negatively in my subculture research.

English Box #8

The music "subculture" is actually a subculture that was in my list of "What subcultures to write about" for my final project. That being said, I was interested in what was brought into class today, to be used as an example.

What Surprised me? : I was surprised to find a journal that was nearly empty. Judging by the 'guitar strap' and the guitar pick, I assumed there was some guitar playing going on, therefore I assumed someone would be writing music, or at least notes to help with the guitar. I was also a little surprised to see the John Mayer CD next to the book, I assumed they would be the same artist.

What intrigued me?: The burnt CD is the thing that intrigued me the most. Looking at a blank CD with nothing written on it, makes you wonder what is on the CD. What type of music, how much music, etc. The CD also pulls the question of wether it is music that is downloaded, ripped to the computer, 'stolen', or even borrowed from a friend.

What disturbed me?: The thing that disturbed me the most is when people look at the music subculture, I think they expect for people to have one certain type or band that is their favorite type of music. This is not true, and certainly doesn't have to be true. The perfect example was that there was a John Mayer CD, a Beastie Boys book, and a burnt CD. Although the burnt CD is still a mystery, it could be Rap, or Punk rock, and it would be completely okay!

English # 2

The subculture I have chosen is HOBY, or volunteers. HOBY stands for Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership. My fieldsite is the HOBY program and other volunteer activities that I am involved in. I am already an insider in my subculture, therefore I know what to expect. The details that come with HOBY include noise, and lots of it, kindness, laughter, nerves, excitement, and many many more emotions. I hope to discover more volunteer activities and other responsibilities that positions over me hold. HOBY always has new things to offer, and I hope to learn and discover them.

English Box #11

The subculture that I have tentatively chosen is HOBY. HOBY stands for Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership. HOBY is a leadership camp, that focuses on teaching young people leadership skills and volunteering.  I chose this subculture because it is one that I am very familiar with, and have had a passion for. I am confident that I will be able to collect the right information to be able to convey my subculture. In this subculture, my fixed positions won't affect much of what I am able to see or do. The only fixed position that might affect my research would be my age. Being female or my race and beliefs, will not be a problem, because at HOBY we welcome anyone and everyone. As to subjective positions, I may be partial because I've been involved in HOBY for almost 4 years now, so I may have a hard time getting the "outsiders" view on the organization. I also carry the subjective position of knowing how much I enjoy HOBY and volunteering.

English Box #2

Each day I wake up, and I turn on the television. I don't like to depend on getting my entertainment from the box sitting on my dresser, but my television is an important start to my day. A morning routine is important to each person's day, and each person had a different routine. Ever since the start of my freshman year of high school, my routine has included watching the news in the morning while going through the rest of the motions of my morning routine. When I turn the TV on, I automatically turn the channel to NBC to watch The Today Show. Matt Lauer and Merideth Vieira hook my attention with the nation's most recent and "important" news. Without the news in the morning, my morning routine seems incomplete. Being up to date with the news and the events in the world is something I was taught was the right thing to do. Growing up my parents always watched the news, and therefore I was subjected to watch it also. Without turning on the television in the morning, I would feel incomplete throughout the day. 

English #1

One of my favorite papers that I’ve written, I actually wrote last semester. It was a personal narrative paper. All through high school I would procrastinate on my major papers and end up doing them the night before it was due. During the fall semester as I wrote my personal narrative paper, I decided I would take some more time on it, and I found out it worked well for me.  I made a list of events that happened during my specific topic, and started with the first event.  When I write a paper I prefer silence, or close to it so that I can concentrate. For my personal narrative paper I worked in class a lot, which gave me quiet time, and also at night, while I was in my room.  When I was finished I had my brother, a person familiar of the narrative event, read my paper and also an unfamiliar friend read it. Each of them helped me with what needed fixed, and I revised my paper.

The difference between editing and revising is a fine line. I believe editing a paper means going through and finding the errors, whether it is spelling, grammatical, or even formatting errors. On the other hand, I believe revising is fixing those mistakes, and also making the paper or piece of writing more “readable”, or making it flow better.  Although they are different tasks, I believe both are important in writing.