Blog 15

In this final blog posting of the semester, I'd like you to reflect on your progress throughout the course. What do you feel you have really improved on within the fifteen weeks? What do you still struggle with? Explain. (Consequently, the answers to these questions can pertain to your writing process, the way you conduct research, organizational skills, critical reading skills, or whatever else you can think of). Lastly, provide a suggestion or several suggestions for how the class could be conducted more efficiently in the future. Is there an assignment you think could be reworked? Would you have benefited from more conferences? Less conferences? Etc. etc.

I think that I definitely benefited from this class! In the beginning I had no idea how I would be able to write a 15 page paper but through the class I was well prepared. I have improved in a lot of different ways. My biggest improvement is learning how to research and prepare and pre-write for my writings. I can better prepare myself for large research projects and longer papers that need more content and support. Compared to the other 104 classes I think that this class was much better. I liked that we had one focus we worked with the entire semester. Even though it might sound boring, I really enjoyed having so much time to research and learn things more in detail. I also really liked that we had conferences. I don't think that we had too many or too little. I think the two conferences were helpful because as we got more into the semester we had more in-depth questions rather than in the beginning when we just got started and were not sure exactly what direction we were going in our research.

Blog 14

My favorite piece of data that I have managed to find through all my searching was a Thesis/Essay done by Nicole Steward titled "Religion and Undergraduates" She was a student at Ball State and was curious about the same question I was determined to answer, "Does religion, mainly Christianity, have an effect on students throughout college, or is it just another club?" She came to a conclusion through many hours of online research, flipping through books, long interviews, and many days spent at various christian groups observing. She came to the conclusion that yes, Christianity has a big effect on those who chose to take part in college. Effects related to social, physical, intellectual and emotional well-being. She based her conclusions on the wellness model that describes how to get ultimate health. She described the ways in which youth group members had less alcohol related diseases, felt less lonely having a "higher power" along with many other things. I enjoyed reading this because just like everyone else Im curious how to get that ultimate happiness, all the time, if at all possible. Reading through her research and explanations of worship and religion I realized maybe I had found an answer. Believing in a higher power and believing that there is life after earth was enough to change someone on various levels.

Penscape [Ex Credit Blog]

I walked into room 225 expecting to hear rhymes and rhythms, stories of childhood memories and long lost love. Only after 5 minutes did I realize I had fooled myself. All my life, since I knew how to make words with a pencil, I liked to express myself through art, mainly through writing. When I had a heart and mind full of strong emotions I would instantly grab a pen a pad to write the first words that came to mind. As I finished getting my first words of anger, love, or sadness out I started thinking about what I was writing. "Well, like 2 has to rhyme with line 4, and line 3 needs to rhyme with lines 1 and 5. Ok so...love, dove, above..." I would spend more time thinking of words to rhyme rather than what I was feeling. Listening to you [D.Disarro] showed me that good poetry does need a rhyming pattern. In a sense, yes I always knew that, but I never really understood how to do it. Listening to his piece gave me a bit more hope in my future poetry experiences. As the speakers progressed I saw a common theme. Sexuality. I understand that creative writing and poetry is a form of emotional expression, but honestly...I was a little taken back. One man began talking about the muffin purchased at Starbucks, ending with the quote "I was neutered, and left with a detached dick." Other people would be talking about a normal everyday topic and somehow relate it to sex or their sexuality. Personally, I don't think that's necessary in EVERY poem. Although the writing was obviously good I didn't like how they were all based around sex, their sexuality, and areas of the body. Besides the comments about sex, I liked how so many other metaphors were used. I really enjoy listening to peoples writings when their is such descriptive metaphors only a very talented individual can create in their mind.I really enjoyed listening to some of the works presented at the Penscape, it inspired me to revisit that stored pen and pad.

Cut Up

Every Tuesday afternoon, the little buddies and big buddies of College Mentors meet in TC112, and begin their activity for the week. / The chapter starts and all the girls simultaneously recite the opening ceremony rituals. / After the girls were done stretching I noticed some of the looks of their faces as if they wanted to just run and hide and not go through with this experience, possibly because of their nerves, I was not too sure./ The environment was one that was loud and intense. / Those people who had been through this type of thing before offered words of comfort and optimism. For the first time in two weeks, it was evident just how far we had come as a group.

Blog 13

Before entering college I was already an insider to bible groups, however not an insider to a college level bible group. I had no idea what to expect. Being in a bible group in high school was something you didn't tell everyone, unless you wanted to hear some type of comment making fun of people who enjoy the environment in a bible group. Coming to college I wasn't sure if I should expect the same thing, or with so many varieties of people at Ball State, my hobbies wouldn't matter. I obviously hoped for the second choice. Going to my first meeting was exciting yet nerve racking. I was excited to see what all the hype was about CRU, I was excited to worship, and I was excited to meet new people! But in contrast, I was nervous that I would say something wrong or not be "christian enough" for someone I met. By going to CRU I realized that no one is not christian enough, everyone has their own journey and their own story to tell, and to write. I overhear so many conversations in the giant lecture hall at Pruis. I hear "are you going to the big party friday night?" and I look at the reactions of her friends. Some react with excitement, some simply say no, and others are disappointed in her choice of "fun" for her Friday night. I asked a member of CRU her opinion on people partying and still coming to CRU and calling themselves Christians. She replied with, "So many people outside of CRU get mad that our members do drink and party and call them selves a Christian, and that's where being a hypocrite comes from. But everyone is on a different page in their Christian life, that's one thing I wish outsiders could understand." Listening to her say that really clicked with me and it helped put things together. Because I as well get frustrated with the people named as hypocrites. After leaving CRU the one thing I hoped wouldn't happen, did. I was put under so much pressure to return to the meetings. If I didn't return, and I ran into someone at lunch they would immediately ask where I have been, and I would always in return disappoint them no matter what my excuse. That is something I have always felt being in youth groups before college. I feel a lot of pressure. Once I join a meeting it seems its a strict rule that I must go to every single event they hold. In the end a lot of my opinions have stayed the same but I also have been able to look at things from a different light.

Subculture: In the Sanctuary: Watch your words.

Personal: Keeps me grounded; always in line.

Blog 12

My understanding of the word rhetoric is it is a way of speaking well, being persuasive, and using symbols and ideas in your writing. rhetoric can be used in both a positive and negative way. In a positive way it can be used if someone were to address a classroom about a specific topic and listen to their opinions making connections between the argument and the audience. He never attacked his audience. A negative way of being rhetoric is to attack the audience's opinion demanding that you are right and they are wrong. I think there is a lot of negative rhetoric in my subculture. Religion is a very touchy topic and when people have a specific religion they believe in, the majority of the time they are very strong in believing their views are right and everyone else's views are wrong. In most cases, on the topic of religion, people are attacked for believing the "wrong" thing, rather than understanding the others views. That is definitely something I could bring up in my mini-ethnography because it is something dealt with almost every time you ever question someones faith in being a Christian. I am going to assume that Christianity is the most popular religion in America. When questioning someones faith, or saying that you think it's ridiculous and you don't believe you are immediately attacked and looked down upon. At least I think that is usually the case, but not always. This is definitely something new I can think about for my project!