Blog 15

Out of all the things I have learned this semester, I would have to say I have grown most in my ability to research a topic. Before this class started, I tended to just google my topic and pick the first thing that came up. This mini-ethnography has taught me many other techniques of research other than the simple googling such as interviews, observing the field site, and taking notes on the different interactions that occur with what is being researched.
I believe the class worked very efficiently throughout the year. I have never had a class that was structured to work on one big project through the entire semester and at first, I had doubts on whether I would learn anything if I was just doing one project but I was definitely proved wrong. Each many project had its own point in teaching one thing or another and it was a gradual learning process as each project built up to the final ethnography. The only thing I had a problem with was the repetition. In my eyes, I had felt many of the project had common similarities that ran through each assignment. Some of them felt like I was just doing another rough draft with just a little bit different of a spin. Other than that, I believe the class was very educational. I don't think that you can go wrong with the student-teacher conferences. I believe the more the better and would probably recommend one after each rough draft has been completely to ensure the student fully understands what they did right and wrong with the assignment.

Blog 14

We have done more writing in this class then I think I have ever done. I believe this class has definitely helped my writing overall and will prepare me for the next three years in college. I believe that my Mini-Ethnography will be my best piece of writing for the year. One of the problems I have had throughout the year is writing about just a particular section of the sub-culture instead of just writing everything in general about it. I believe that with the Mini-Ethnography I will be able to tie up all of the loose ends and put it all together. This whole semester has basically just been building up for the final project and I believe that I will be more than ready for it.

CUTOUT

We still do the old tradition of personally handing out each bid./Hands shaking, thoughts flying through my mind, I felt as if I were on a trial for murder, so scared and anxious and deeply desiring knowing my future fate. My hands clenched the small white, folded piece of paper and I slowly opened it, with eyes closed before I was prepared enough to open them to peer onto the three sororities I was going to see that night for preference rounds./I was nervous, afterwards Tyler said he was too, but he sure didn't show it. /There is a feeling in our lives that we are the only ones who are living as one person and we have to fight to get noticed as individuals.

3 titles

The Real Greek Way of Life:

The Greek Experience:

The Day in the Life of a "Frat Boy"

Blog 13

Probably one of the best experiences that has occured while doing my reasearch has been after rush week when we give out the bids to the rushees. We still do the old tradition of personally handing out each bid. After conversating with each pledge before and after they got their bid it was exciting to see their face and how surprised each one was. Also, as I just went through this this past fall, it was interesting to be on the other side of things. Pledgeship is a period full of twists that can keep you on your heels and its generally called "the best time that you never want to do again."

6 words.

In America, Everyone should speak English.

My Theta Chi is for life.

Blog 12

I have a decent amount of understanding for rhetoric. It is the use of language with the purpose to persuade someone one way or another. I think the way we act and our body language can describe our position on the topic. If we are trying to persuade someone we most likely have a confident body position because you have to know a lot about your topic in order to effectively persuade someone. I hear rhetoric mostly on the television and mostly during elections. It is generally in a positive index. My subculture definitely uses rhetoric to influences potential new members to join the fraternity. I can include this in my mini-ethnography by explaining and showing examples of how we recruit.

writing quote.

"Anyone can just describe what they see but it takes some balls to actually get the point across in what you believe in. "


This best describes how I feel about writing. Over your many years of education, you are asked to write about various topics. It takes some practice and patience to be able to put on paper how you really feel about a specific topic.

Blog 11

I would say my writing has changed a little over this past semester. I seem to research my topic more now than before where I would just start writing with no true direction where I was going. I have never been one to brainstorm and do the diagrams before I write because I just do not see the significance of it. My toughest assignment this year would have to be the annotated bibliography. I could not come up with things to write about in describing how the different sources would be useful. I wouldn't say any of the assignments were but the rough draft was probably the easiest to come up with information for. I believe we write as a form of communication that we can keep. It is a hard copy of what we want to be discussed and considered. It is also a way of easily spreading your word to many different places. It is also more reliable then communication through the word of mouth. I believe writing will become more and more prevalent in my life as my career unfolds especially while I am in college.