You should have your "raw" field notes from at least one field site visit, (remember, you need at least five field site visits before Apr. 11th) and now it is time to take the next step and convert those raw field notes into revised narrative form. Using your initial observations and comments/reactions from one field site visit, as a basis to expand and embellish in terms of vividness, scenic description, character development, details, and complexity, write a narrative of 300-800 words.
Directions:
*Convert your raw field notes into a narrative of between 300-800 words.
*Write in present tense--as if the event is happening right now as you are writing it and your audience is reading it.
*This is a first revision, so I am not overly strict about punctuation and grammar unless it impedes reader comprehension.
*Have a title for the revised version--be creative
Sample heading for Revised Field Notes:
Marco McDougal
ENC 1101-0012
TR--9:00am-10:15am
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 18, 2013
7:00P.M., Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Room 206, UCF Student Union
Young Democrats/Republicans
Organizing Meeting for April Debate
They Started Throwing Shoes:
Notes on a Joint Meeting of Young Democrats and Republicans
This is where you actually begin writing your revised notes. Be sure to
use proper formatting as referenced above. Be sure to generate logical
paragraph breaks in your narrative and complete a spell check before
loading your narrative to the blog.
Don't think of this as something you will be sending to The New Yorker. What I want to see is a solidly written narrative (story telling) version of your raw field notes. So long as the sentences are complete, comprehensible, and represent an earnest attempt to recreate accurately your impressions, then you are in the ball park. Sloppy, hasty, and partially complete work will result in commensurate grade compensation for this blog posting.
Andre Diouf
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR- -3pm-4pm
Revised field notes Assignment
March 16, 2014
Rowing practice/dorm
UCF Rowing Team
I did this assignment on the UCF rowing team. While hanging out with them, I notice that they all get along very well. They have a very young team. Most of them are sophomores and freshman. They are telling me about their coaches and how they love two of them but the other one is strongly disliked. They have a race this weekend against northeastern university. I am talking to one of the captains and her position is the coxswain. She is the person who sits at the edge of the boat who yells, motivates and tells everyone what to do and when to push the boat. She says it is all about timing. Everyone has to row at the same time or it the boat goes a lot slower. That her job to make sure everyone is on the same page. I see many rowing trophies and metals from competitions they have won .All the walls are white and I see a poster of all 40 rowers on the wall. I see water and rowing boats everywhere. It is hot out but the water is a little chilly .They row in a lake by UCF. They said this lake has small alligators in it. I also see a couple rowers who are struggling this morning. Most of them are all smiling, happy and ready to go for practice then weights. I live by some of them and now we are all just hanging out. They are very cool people. They are stronger than the average girls because in rowing you have to use your whole body to move the boat. Even in their room I see pictures of them rowing. There are pictures of friends and family on the wall too.
Anna Parry
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR-- 6:00pm-7:00pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 16, 2014
6:00P.M., Thursday, March 13, 2014
Northview Office Conference Room
Northview Area Council
Organizing This Months Events
Annoyed Glares
Notes on a Meeting About This Months Events
I’m awkwardly sitting next to my two friends, the Vice President and treasure of Area Council, as everyone walks through the door at scattered times. The meeting starts at 6:00pm and I wonder why everyone chooses to show up in scattered times after 6:00pm. It is making me wonder if this Council really takes their jobs all that seriously.
When everyone has finally arrived I am looking around and notice that there are groups, almost like little cliques, spread apart at different spots of the table. This Council seems very divided. The annoying looking President begins the meeting and I notice slight aggravation on some of the groups faces. Do they not like him? As others begin to talk different faces show annoyance and responses seem snappy. I get the feeling that a lot of people in here don’t like each other.
A girl starts to speak up in a bossy manner and I ask my friend who she is. She tells me that the girl isn’t on Area Council but shows up to every meeting. She seems to have especially strong negative feelings towards my friends and I make a mental note to ask them why later.
I soon get bored with the conversation and look around the room. People walk past the glass windows and I find it very distracting. When I look back around the room I see that most of the group isn’t paying any attention while a few are actually involved in the conversation.
By the end of the meeting the President is telling everyone what the need to do to prepare for the event and I notice that two girls are burdened with a lot more then everyone else.
As everyone is getting up to leave I walk away thinking about how this group is very unorganized and needs a lot of work to be more successful but keep my mouth shut.
Joseph Cagno
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0012
6:00pm- 6:45pm
Field Notes Assignment
March 15, 2014
Hockey Locker Room
It is approximately six in the afternoon when I get to the locker room of the Palm Beach Blackhawks Hockey Team. They are a U18 team and play out of Palm Beach IceZone. They have a game at six forty five and have already gotten permission to be in the locker room before the game (probably because I was the captain of my U18 team at a different rink). Normally players arrive about one hour before the game, fifteen minutes to warm up and forty five to get dressed and to get pumped up before the game.
I was in the locker room by myself for a couple of minutes before the players started to flood in. This gave me an opportunity to observe and take notes on the setting. The locker room had an awful odor of sweat and old equipment. It was rather dirty and had a shower, toilet, and a sink that was not clean at all. The locker room had several benches along the wall and a shelf above where each player sits. Under these shelves they had hooks to hang up their jerseys or equipment. The floor was slightly damp due to the constant tracking in of ice from the rink on the players skates.
As the players started to come in I wasn't welcomed at all. I explained my purpose of being their and explained my background in hockey. After this the started to warm up to me slowly. For the first fifteen minutes in the locker room there wasn't much talking, (I’m assuming it was still a little weird for me to be in there) but after this time it started to pick up. I listened to the casual locker room talk which is not the most polite conversations. Most of the talk was about girls they had gotten with the day before or just giving each other a hard time in a friendly jokingly manner. This went on for about twenty minutes or so until the mood became tense. This was ten minutes before game time. Every player had a different approach to how they got ready. Some put in headphones, some closed there eyes and sat back trying to get into that mind set, and some just seemed to get really quiet. As I’m observing this the door swings open. The coach walks in and gets everyones attention. He says a few words and walks out. I then see one player in particular stand up and call everyone in to a huddle. He begins yelling and screaming and everybody begins to start jumping and moving around. This player was the captain. As the team is wired and ready to play they gather and do one chant. “Hawks on three! One, two, three, Hawks!” After this they storm out of the locker room and onto the ice.
Whitney Barnes
ReplyDeleteThere is a Book for Everything
March 2, 2014
7:15am
Christ Episcopal Church (Bradenton, FL)
Before service began I determined the three factors I wanted to pay special attention to as the service progressed that would be: overall organizational structure, worship style, and offering collection. As I enter the church I am greeted by one of the ushers and then directed towards a sit. I informed him that I wanted to be placed towards the back because I would be taking notes on the observations I would be seeing. After I explained the purpose of the assignment he seated me towards the back of the sanctuary. My mother’s family is an Episcopalian so I knew that I must show reverence by kneeling before I enter the row and sat down. It is five minutes before service begins and people are formally engaging in prayer meaning, that they are knelt down on the bench provided, most with head down and eyes closed. The atmosphere is quiet and there is a sense of reverence. The priest, bishops, and all others who serve on the alter team are formally dressed in the attire that one would expect to see if they traveled back in time. This attire was used from the birth of religion and will continue to be used. It is approaching 7:30 and the service begins on time. The service begins with the sound of the organ, which is being played by live. I noticed the dress code right away of the members in the congregation the women are fully covered and most of the men are in a suit or dress shirt with tie, and slacks. Before the leaders (priest, bishop, alter team) enter the sanctuary they pray over the holy water, which is placed at the front door for easy access to those entering the service. They then enter with the starting hymn everyone is joined in singing and facing inward towards the leaders; one bows as the priest passes them, and then continues to turn inward once the priest has passed their row. While watching this takes place I note that it feels rehearsed, everyone seems to know what to do at what time. Once the hymn is completed the actual service begins staring with the Kyrie: a short repeated invocation given at the beginning of each mass read from the book of common prayer by the priest over the people. There is a book for everything ranging from prayers to hymns it establishes order and consistency. People come with a set idea of what to expect, in other words the pattern is static in nature. The structure has a ‘1,2,3’ feeling it follows along as ‘now, then, after’. Each member of the team has a specific role within the mass whether it is presenting a verse, telling the congregation which hymn will come next, or leading the people in prayer. The priest gives gratitude or thanks after each prayer or exaltation to the people. This can be accredited to the Bible’s constant theme of being thankful and content with what the Lord is doing and patient for what he will do. The formal teaching is beginning it is now 7:45. The priest gives the teaching and this is the least formal part of the mass. The message was spoken in today’s vernacular he inserts jokes to keep the congregation intrigued.
Whitney Barnes (Part 2)
DeleteI notice that the people’s faces are fixed in a way that illustrates an eagerness to hear the word being spoken to them. The message incorporates word (The Bible) with modern day interpretation and personal experiences of the priest. I find this to be an excellent approach because, it portrays to old and new members that the Bible is not static and can still be used today. The congregation is a mix of middle age and older members. After speaking with a member I was informed that the more contemporary service attracts a younger crowd and takes place at 11am. The content of the message includes the true meaning of God and stressed that he would one day return. The sermon was being based on two passages of scripture Matthew 17 and Luke 9. He talks about metamorphosing as a Christian that it is our duty to grow as our walk (relationship) continues with God and that it should mature as time progresses. We ask for forgiveness or repentance throughout the service. There is a break in the service called ‘peace with you’ where everyone goes around shaking hands and hugging one another. The atmosphere is friendly, warm, and everyone is smiling. I enjoy this part of the mass because it feels as if I’m home with my family. This is just a pause in the service; it is not to be confused for the ending. After the message concludes a member of the congregation gives announcements. It is now time to address the financial breakdown of the church they are giving an in-depth detailed analysis of where each dollar and cent that has been given to the church is being spent ranging from children ministry to the mission field. This is fascinating to me especially with all the investigation coming to the forefront of large churches misappropriating funds. This showed me that they had nothing to hide they wanted their members to trust that their money was being used for God’s work and his work alone. We then took communion, which is a representation of God’s body and blood being sacrificed for our sins on the cross. The bread is symbolic of his body being broken and the blood is for the blood that was shed. The service was exactly 55 minutes with five minutes left for fellowship amongst one another.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJade Hetzer
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR—7:30pm-8:39pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 16, 2014
4:27pm, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Room 218 D, UCF Student Union
UCF Circle K International
Weekly Meeting/Officer Elections
This is my fourth CKI meeting that I have attended and I still find myself a little bit out of place. As usual I arrive a few minutes before the meeting starts and the room is arranged as it usually is with six rows of seats. I find my two of my friends, Brandon and Levi, who are already sitting, but not in our usual seats. Instead of sitting at the end of the third row they are sitting in the middle of the fourth row which I find unusual. I ask them about their choice of seats as soon as I sit down. They tell me that because elections are happening, they thought we should sit farther back since we aren’t members and therefore cannot vote.
Before the meeting is called to order I notice that there seem to be groups of people, mostly members, scattered around the room which is not unusual. I can hear a few conversations and most people are talking about what they did over spring break. Non-members, including my friends and me are sitting down in chairs waiting for the meeting to start, while most of the members are standing around in groups.
Its 4:32 and Michelle OCampo, the President of CKI, calls the meeting to order, causing everyone to finish their conversations and find their seats. The first order of business that is addressed is pen pal letters. A member hands out letters from an elementary school class to people who wrote letters. I don’t remember this service project so I think that it must have been started before I began attending meetings or during a meeting that I missed. As the letters are being passed out everyone starts to talk and it reminds me of high school when the teacher would hand back graded papers which always meant a free pass to start talking to those around you. Throughout the meeting I notice that the conversations begin whenever an officer is not speaking, which occurs frequently at this meeting because of the officer elections.
Another thing that I noticed was people getting up and moving around the room during the meeting. This may not be strange but it seems to be happening frequently at this meeting and that may be because of the officer elections. Whatever the reason, I find this slightly distracting, especially when someone running for an officer position is speaking.
All the members who are running for an officer position are nicely dressed and have speeches prepared. Those who are running are permitted to speak for three minutes, which includes time for their speech as well as time for questions. The voting occurs after all those running for a position have spoken and answered questions. The voting system seems somewhat disorganized in my opinion. There are several current officers handing out small slips of paper with names on them. Everyone is instructed to circle one name and then fold the paper and pass it to the end of the rows. Of course like everything there are people who are unable to listen to and follow instructions. There are people who crumple the slip of paper, making it harder for Michelle to tally the votes. The votes for executive vice president are collected but they have to take a revote because someone circled both names. I understand that the members are all very close, like a family but I find it strange and slightly juvenile that someone would circle both names. The officers don’t seem to be pleased that someone circled both names either.
Brandon and I have to leave the meeting early because we have a class at six o’clock. I find that this meeting seemed to be more disorganized than other meetings that I have attended. I attribute this to the officer elections though.
Daniel Healy
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M06
Monday & Tuesday—3:30pm-4:20pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 17, 2013
5:50P.M., Thursday, March 13, 2014
TR# 541, UCF Campus
Interactor Simulated Systems
Spec Night
Spec Night:
Notes on Interactive Simulation Systems
Tonight’s the night, the one spec night there will be for a couple of months. I’m going tonight to see what Interactive Simulation Systems is all about. I might go in as a spec actor, but I am not sure. Maybe it’s not for me.
Garage H. Right turn in, go straight, left turn, then another, and up to level two. Right turn, then another, and up to level three. Right turn, then go straight, then right turn, straight, left turn, then another, straight, park by the stair case straight ahead.
Why do I always park here? Does this make me bland?
Sitting in my car and the sun is protruding in and causing me to warmup.
Do I even want to go? I suppose.
Time?
Looking down at watch.
5:45
I am early but I’ll go in anyway to get a feel for the place.
Walking to room TR# 541 on the UCF Campus. The sun is pleasantly warm and will be gone within the next hour or two. Not a cloud in sight.
There, TR# 541. A portable? What can they do in a portable building? It looks too small.
Walking up the stairs I calm myself not really wanting to be noticed as I enter the building. But also hoping it is the right building.
I open the glass door. Step into the building and look forward, there is nothing but a hallway, then looking to the left I see commotion and the assembly of some object. I knew this had to be it.
People are draping black curtains onto the outer edges of some kind of scaffolding system.
I ask the closest person if this was ISS (Interactive Simulation Systems) and they confirm that it is.
At least I am in the right place.
People then move to the corners of the scaffolding, a single man counts saying “one, two, one, two, one, two” and etc. On each one and two command everyone cranked a wheel causing the scaffold to rise one bit at a time simultaneously.
Walking around slowly on the black tiled floor around the scaffold and out of the way of people setting up I watched as the scaffold transformed into a black curtained room that you could walk into with plenty of space above your head.
Once done I asked someone if I could walk under the scaffolding. They allowed me to.
Splitting the black curtain with my hands, like a stage opens its curtains, I duck down and step into the curtain room. Inside were lights and microphones fastened to the scaffold. The lights seemed fixed and the microphones hanging, stretching, to catch every last bit of audio. Gray foamy cubes took the roles as props and mainly sitting areas for the actors.
Suddenly the lights were turned out and it was pitch black. Then, the lights above me attached to the scaffolding flicked on. Before I could see outside of the curtained box, but now with the only lights being the ones inside of the box I couldn’t see anything outside even though I knew that people were walking around on the outside.
About ready to exit a man entered the curtained room and introduces himself has Kenneth, the president of ISS.
I reply that I am here to watch and possibly act as a spec actor tonight.
Thrilled, he starts to tell that the room I am currently in is called the Story Box and that this is where the interactions between interactors and spec actors occur. He points to each corner of the Story Box and reveals a total of four cameras that record the interactions and are controlled in the back room called “the Box” by a crew of individuals called the Capture Department.
He tells me to head back the “the Box” and that I don’t have to be a spec actor, but if I want to go into the Story Box just to let him know.
[Continued in the reply section.]
Daniel Healy (Part 2)
DeleteI slip out of the Story Box, walk through the blackened room and to a double door in the back of the room. Opening it I can hear talking and joking to the left of me. I walk towards the commotion and join the Capture Department team.
We all introduce ourselves and apparently most of them are UCF Film students and are volunteering for ISS.
I decide to stay in “the Box” for the first interaction and observe. Haven’t made up my mind yet of weather I will enter into the Story Box and take part.
On the television screen the interactors are doing warm up exercises. I ask the man in front of me what they are doing.
He explains, “They are doing exercises that opens their mind so they can make decisions on the fly according to reactions the spec actors make in the Story Box.”
Can I do that? Warmup. I’m about to explode with nervousness. I mean I haven’t even made up my mind if I want to go in yet.
Around another corner to the left of me I hear people talking. I walk over silently and quietly listen in. A woman is instructing the spec actor about to enter the Story Box.
“Remember just relax. Get a feel for it. You’ll see scene changes, but don’t look for them, just go with your gut in the end. Have fun!” says the woman.
She leads him into the room containing the Story Box, and the simulation begins.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMario Mathis
ReplyDeleteENC 1101=0M06
MW 3:30 - 4:20
Revised Field Note Assignment
7:30 - 8:30 AM, Monday, March 3, 2014
Lower Boston Road, Monticello, Fla
Fletcher Construction Job Site
The Silence Is Heavenly
Everyone arrives at the same time, 7:30 on the dot. Two of the four men have coffee, including the bossman, Mr. Fletcher. The coffee is laid on top of anything off the ground while about ten heavy extension cords are carefully laid out all across the job site. There are two men giving instructions, but mostly each person knows what to do to start the day. It takes only 10 minutes and then the buzz of electric tools is heard. The coffee gets finished. There is some trash laying around, but not much. The job area is pretty well cleaned uo. The two coffee drinkers take their paper cups to the large trash dumpster. The seemingly second in charge, Chris, takes the youngest of the four, Robby, and they go around to the back side of the large home that is being constructed in what appears at this time to be the middle of the woods. There is a large area cleared for the home, but the surrounding area is heavily wooded and extremely quiet. The power tools wake up the morning. Robby is choosing boards from a pile while Chris calls out board lengths to him. Those boards are laid out parallel to each other on the floor of the beginning of the home.
There is not much conversation, each member of the team seems to know exactly what to do. Chris and Robby are doing what is called “laying out the walls” and David (bossman) is working with Dennis “ripping plywood” to cover the “floor system”. This home is being built off-grade - this I have come to understand means that you will be able to later crawl under the house, unlike a house that is built on concrete floor. Most of the conversation between the pairs of workers involves math, it seems. There is ripping and cutting going on, as well as angle measurements that seem relevant to each cut or rip. Robby is instructed to trade two of the boards for the walls for ones without so many knots. Chris reminds him that “we are building straight walls, Robby,” in a sort of sarcastic tone it seems. Robby traded two of the boards.
After about forty-five minutes, Chris calls to the bossman that he is ready to pick up the wall. Dennis and David come right away. David and Chris get on the ends of the wall, the part that will be the top of the wall when it is raised, and Robby and Dennis stand sort of in the middle, looks like they are in the wall. David says “Go” and they all push and pull together. The wall comes right up. David and Chris keep their position, Dennis gets a power tool, a nail gun, and begins to nail the wall. David directs him to a few more places to nail after Dennis is done. He goes back and puts about five more nails. David asks Chris if he has blocks ready for the wall and he replies that Robby is going to get him some to cut. He lets David know that many of the boards sent for the walls were too knotty to use and asks if he can cut them up for blocks or does he want to return them. David goes to the lumber pile and pulls a few and tells them to use them. He gets on his phone to the lumber yard. He begins to give them an order for more lumber and the order sounds like a math problem. He informs the person on the other end of the line that he will be returning X number of boards and says that they can be credited to the customers account. He speaks to his workers and to the person on the phone with authority and respect. Contrary to what may be the norm on some construction sites, there is no curse words being said by any one of the four men. It is a pleasant and quiet morning.
Allison Kula
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0012
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 11, 2014
7:20 A.M., Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Lake Mary High School/Band room
Wind Ensemble (Upper band)
Reviewing Judges’ Tapes From Assessment
Once again I found myself dragging my feet as I walk into the band room in the way- to- early hours of the morning, but I am most definitely not alone in this group of 50 or so half-asleep teenagers. Walking into the band room feels like I’m coming home. After spending four long years in that room every day, it became a second home to me. I’m getting hugs from those who know me, and odd stares from those that don’t. I grab a seat in the back as the warning bell rings and the last few stragglers are hustling through the door to avoid detention. Everyone gets comfortable without instruments because the plan for today is to go over the judges’ tapes from MPA (Music Performance Assessment.) MPA is what the band works for all concert season, and as usual our band had brought home Straight Superiors, which is the highest ranking you could achieve.
Mr. Mitchell, the band director, walked out of his office and to the front of the room to start the day. “Everybody welcome Ms. Kula back, she’ll be here a couple of times over the next month to observe us for a paper she is writing.” If I had been anywhere else my face would have turned tomato-red, but I was relaxed as everyone turned around to glimpse at the random person in the back. Mr. Mitchell went over a few things before pulling out the tapes. I remember listening to those tapes so intently over the years, scared to hear something bad about your part said over the loud speakers for everyone to hear. I watched everyone’s reactions when the tapes were playing, you could see some put their heads down hearing a negative, as others sat straighter and smiled when they heard they had down something right. As one of the judges began to say something about the clarinets I focused all of my attention on my little sister, Anna. It was her first year in Wind Ensemble and I knew she was nervous, I saw her smile as the comment was a very positive one. It was a very proud sister moment for me, recognizing not only does she succeed here in band, but as well as the varsity softball team and with her 4.3 GPA.
The tapes finish up and everyone starts to chat about what they heard, whether they agree with the judges or not. Then other everyday conversations arise, the “Where was everyone going for senior lunch?” talk, or the famous “I’m going to take a nap after school” speech. I start packing up, excited knowing I’m going home to grab a quick nap before my 1:30 class.
Stephanie Jones
ReplyDeleteENC1101
TR- 2pm-3pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 16, 2014
1:00pm Friday March 14, 2013
Paul Mitchell Beauty School
Normal School Day
Shocking Arrival
I arrive at the school with my friend Hannah White, who is a student at Paul Mitchell’s Beauty School. Getting out of the car I start to realize how many students actually go to this school. I originally thought that this was a very small school but I was surprised when I saw how many students were around the campus. I am very intrigued looking at all the different types of people that are walking around the campus. A girl with bright pink hair catches my attention and I notice how different she looks. I catch myself staring at her because her style is just something I had not seen before. She is wearing these 5 in’ cheetah heels accompanied by comic printed leggings. She has a simple black tank top on that is under a bright blue blazer. Lastly I notice that she has a hat on backwards that says “whatever” on the front bill. I start thinking about what she was thinking when she put this outfit together this morning. As I was looking at her outfit I shift my view to some of the other students walking around. To my surprise it looks like everyone has on crazy outfits like that. I did see a few people with “normal” outfits on but mostly all the outfits were meant to catch someone’s attention. I ask my friend Hannah about why everyone dresses so crazy and she explains to me that basically everyone who goes to this school is extremely creative and their main goal is to stand out from everyone.
I take my attention off the people and start to notice the beautiful campus around me. The campus looked very different from the usual college campuses that I am use to. I notice that the school looks very modern and looks fairly brand new. I do not go into any of the buildings because Hannah explains to me that class is going on in most of them and that we can’t disrupt the students. I glance in the windows and don’t see the typical type of classrooms. The first building I look into looks like an actual beauty salon. Mirrors and chairs are placed everywhere and it looks like the students in there are practice on other students. We walk by what looks like a gift shop that has all sorts of shampoo and hair products in it. I see a sign that says “Tool Bar” and underneath the sign are all the possible types of brushes and utensils that could be used to do makeup. I am amazed at the selection they have but I continue to walk. We enter this building and walk down the hall towards what looks like semi normal looking classrooms. The class is still unique and different then the normal college class that I am use to but they look similar. I notice the white longs desks with students sitting at them taking notes. On the walls I see posters of people with very edgy looking hairstyles. The room was very bright with all white walls but not in a boring way, I think the all white everything looked very cool.
Mark Stern
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
Tues 7pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 17, 2014
Sun 9-9:30pm Sunday March 17
Young Republicans Club
Sunday Night After Chapter
Interview with a candidate
Abigail Hirn knocks on the side entrance door to my fraternity house to meet with me. I quickly answer and take her to my friend's room where we can begin the interview. She apologizes for making me wait so late because she has been busy preparing for her upcoming election in the Young Republicans club. She says it is a good thing I didn't come to any meetings recently because they have all been elections and they are very boring. The room we are in is very messy. Dirty clothes are everywhere. Dishes haven't been washed. The bar is still sick from what seems to be some spilled drink from the night before. Fortunately, Abby does not seem nervous at all. She is in a sorority and has been around the house before. She is accustomed to all of this.
Abby begins to tell me about the Young Republican Club. She tells me that she is running for secretary in the upcoming elections. I can tell that she is nervous about her elections. She avoids my questions about the other candidate and how her chances are of winning. I ask her what the position entails and why she is running. She says she will handle all the paperwork for the club and approve any community service they will do. She tells me the community service involves working for the campaigns of older politicians. She also tells me that she views the club as a social club, and not a chore like others think it is. She has made many friends there, and it gives her a different group of friends from her sorority sisters. She is the only greek member in the club out of the approximately 180 members. Dues are $20 a year.
Abby tells me she recently went on a trip with the club to Washington DC. It's called CPAC (Conservative Political Actions Conference). It was a great experience for her. She met Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum. She got to sit in on debates and other political exercises. She hopes that an internship my result from her trip. When she speaks of CPAC she shows excitement of her memories of a great four days in DC.
Abby and I rap up the interview. We talk a little about Greek Life and our two houses. We catch up on how we've been since we haven't seen each other in for a few weeks. She tells me she is enjoying the Spring semester but cannot wait for fall and for tailgating season to start again. I laugh and agree with her. I walk her back to the side door, thank her for helping me out with my project, and say goodbye. She reminds me to come to a meeting once elections are over as she is walking out the door.
Victor Berrios
ReplyDeleteField Notes
A trip back to Pre-K
ENC 1101
MW 3:30 - 4:20
Revised Field Note Assignment
Early Tuesday morning on March 4 I woke up and prepared my self to enter a community to which I’m totally foreign to: a preschool. As I walk into the building of the preschool I cant help but notice all the happy sounds of laughter coming from the kids playing inside. It gave such a joyful and comforting atmosphere hearing those cheerful voices. The director of the preschool, Janna, who was more then pleased to show me around the facility, then greeted me. With a good feeling about how my day would turnout to be I was off to start my mission.
As I walked around the preschool I noticed that three sections separated the building; the first section contained the infants, toddlers, and twos. The second section contained the threes and fours and the third section contained the three VPK classes. Another thing that I noticed was that every classroom and outside section of the entire building was monitored by a camera system. Which I soon found out that the parents were able to see their kids on a screen in the office, so they wouldn’t disrupt the classroom setting by going in and watching their child from a far.
After walking around the school for a second time I decided to hangout with the four years olds. This group of children (not sure if they had too much sugar for lunch) was highly active. I noticed one kid in particular that would go from coloring in the art center, to running around tossing Legos at kids, then returning to the art center, then running over to the house keeping area all in a 15 minute time period. I thought to myself how could a child at the age of four be able to have so much energy in the middle of the day? Soon after the teacher started to sing a called “Clean-Up”, it was interesting to me that this one song caught all the children’s attention as the sung along and started to clean up.
As the day came to a close, and I was definitely ready for a nap, I wondered if the next time I would visit end up following the same routine. Or perhaps everyday is different which is why most of the kids are full of energy. Though only time can tell weather or not my theory would be correct I filled with excitement for my next visit.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteCharles Meissner
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
Revised field notes assignment
3/15/14
12:45pm-3:30pm, March 15, 2014
Rollins baseball field
The Atmosphere of a Rollins baseball game
Rollins is playing the number one division two team in the nation, Tampa. I sit over on the Rollins side and notice that everyone seems to know each other. All of the fans are smiling and talking while cheerful up beat music plays and the baseball teams warm up. The Star Spangled Banner plays and everyone stands quietly in respect. The first inning begins and Tampa Bay is up to bat. The crowd seems very excited, yet is quiet so the players can focus. No runs are scored and Rollins is up. A different song plays for each player as they come up to bat. No music plays for the opposing team. The second inning begins, and Tampa is up. Rollins pitcher throws a bad pitch that should be a ball but the umpire calls it a 3rd strike. The Tampa crowd gets very upset, yelling at the umpire. No runs scored, Rollins is up. First good hit all game energizes Rollins crowd. Third inning begins, Tampa is up. The two men behind me are commenting on the entire game. There is a lot of shouting of support to the upcoming batter. Fan conversations seem to vary a lot. From every day talk to angry comments about the game. There is a strong smell of ketchup-covered hot dogs in the air. I hear a lot of fans cracking peanuts. The umpire is very enthusiastic with all of his calls. An older kid walks late into the stands and greets everyone. Tampa hits a line drive and scores two runs. The crowd gets very excited about the hit. No more runs scored, Rollins up. When 3 outs are made, many people get up and move around. People talk faster and more enthusiastically. One man comments on the day. It is perfect outside, blue skies and mid 70s. Rollins scores a run and the fans cheer loud. Almost no one is on his or her phones, I even feel a bit strange doing anything but just watching the game. 4th inning begins, Tampa is up. Two ladies in front of me are talking about memory foam beds to a man. Tampa just got a big hit and now the next batter is getting even more support from the fans. The floors are covered in peanut shells. The man behind me is getting his 3rd hot dog. Rollins up to bat. Sounds if the game are loud, especially the sound of a hit or catch. Everyone looks nervously at foul balls hit in the direction of the parking lot. 5th inning begins. Tampa fans seem more talkative and excited because they are in the lead. The announcer has a “good” announcing voice. Rollins up. I just moved locations to get a different perspective from the back. Rollins is getting more hits and the fans are talking a lot more. A controversial call about a player being safe or out has fans from Rollins cheering and Tampa upset at the ump. 6th inning begins. People really love hot dogs at ball games. A man is reading a novel at the game. Tampa player gets hit by a pitch and falls to the ground. All fans are quiet and cheer when he gets up. Rollins up to bat. Rollins player hits a long shot and the crowd simultaneously goes “ooooooohhhhh” waiting to see if the ball will be caught or go out. Ball gets caught. 7th inning begins, Tampa is up. People talk in lingo that almost links words together. “Hun now babe” means “come on now babe.” Fans get more intense as the game goes on. Tampa is out, Rollins is up. Foul ball hits a car and the fans are nervous. No runs scored. 8th inning begins. Many people are talking a lot now and not even paying attention to the game. Rollins is up. The batter is having s very intense at bat and is getting the crowd into the game. Rollins player drives in 2 runs and ties up the game. The crowd is very enthusiastic and loud. 9th inning begins. Rollins didn’t let up any runs. Rollins is up. Crowd is quiet so the players can concentrate. 10th inning begins. Tampa player drives a run in and the crowd gets loud. Bases loaded and player drives in two runs and the crowd gets crazy while the Rollins fans are silent. Rollins is now up. No runs scored. Game is over.
Shelly Rivas
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
10 A.M.-11:15 A.M.
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 13, 2014
H&M Restaurant/ Sanford, FL
Busy as a Bee
It is around 10 in the morning and as soon as I walk in through the door I can hear the voices of many chattering about their daily events and making small irrelevant talk. I quickly scan the room in search of an empty seat, preferably a small corner in the back where I am able to see more of the events happening in front of me without looking so creepy. Ah, someone just got up from the perfect table; its located to the left of the front entrance and without thinking twice, I place myself to sit against this window where the view of the whole diner is in sight. The table is dirty since I sat down right after this last person got up. It looks like they ate eggs with pancakes since all that’s left are the smears of yolk and syrup. That sounds really good so maybe I’ll order that. Anyways, an older lady is on her way over to greet me and clean up the table; as she is approaching me I can tell that from her aged wrinkles and manner of speaking to me that she has been doing this for a while. She has short ultra-blonde hair that looks dyed and she seems tired and agitated but at the same time is managing to pull off a smile and keep her voice at a soft tone. She says to me “Good morning! How are you doing on this wonderful day?” She briefly pauses to let me talk and I respond “I am doing fantastic, what about yourself?” I know she’s lying when she says “I’m wonderful”. No one likes to serve people especially this early in the morning, nonetheless, she makes small talk with me to keep the light atmosphere they have going on in the diner. I order pancakes, eggs and hash browns and she walks away with my order. The walls are covered in black and white portraits and they are all aligned evenly; one in particular catches my eye. It is of an older man and a young boy sitting at a bar and it looks like don’t know each other yet they are engaged in a conversation as if they were father and son. I find it so intriguing because it’s from the 70’s and it makes me think of how much things have changed since that time. I can see that most of the people that come here are regulars because they say hello to each other and catch up from their previous day’s interaction and when the waitresses see them they acknowledge them with their names. “Good morning Steve!” or Johnny or Ms. Cora.
An older woman takes a seat a table to the right of me. She’s wearing black leggings—I think a risky move for an older woman to make—and she is also wearing just a regular black t-shirt and white sneakers. She says good morning to me and is greeted by the same waitress that took care of me. I notice all the wrinkles around her lips so I assume that she smokes cigarettes regularly and my assumption is confirmed when she gets up to go outside and smoke right after her order is taken. When she gets back inside, I take my chance to get to know her a little more and make her a candidate of my studies. She is very friendly and accepts to participate in my observations and she doesn’t mind me taking notes on what we’re talking about. She tells me about her family and how they recently when on vacation to St. Augustine; they took a camper up there and the most money she spent was on gas. I ask her a few questions about the restaurant and she lets me know that she comes here almost every day. She usually orders cottage cheese and tomatoes because she is trying to lose weight which makes me admire her for dedication at her age of nearly 60. It’s not long before my food comes out and hers as well. As I’m eating, I’m still watching; watching the hustle of the waitress under all the pressure of serving so many people. It fascinates me how they keep their cool in a time of such haste. I’m also watching the guests, how they act towards their waitresses; it says a lot about a person because it shows how much or how little they respect others. I’m learning a lot from just watching and it makes me appreciate this type of business more than before.
DeleteAshley Cook
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR—3:30-4:20
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 17, 2014
5:04, Sunday, March 16, 2014
Parking Lot, Pursuit Church
KYX Christian Fraternity
“Pie A Kappa Chi” Philanthropy Event
Pie In the Face
Notes on KYX Christian Fraternity’s “Pie A Kappa Chi” Philanthropy Event
I pulled up to the church on Sunday afternoon to go to “Pie A Kappa Chi” event put on by the KYX Christian fraternity. I was invited by one of the members because they were not having their weekly chapter meeting due to this event. “Pie A Kappa Chi” is one of KYX’s philanthropy events to raise money for the Fern Creek Festival. At the event, members of the fraternity are pied in the face with vanilla pies that can be bought for $3.
Walking up, I was nervous because I didn’t really know anyone. My friends would be there and I knew a few members in KYX but it was still nerve racking having to walk in alone. As I walked around to the back of the Church parking lot, I saw all the KYX guys socializing with one another or making pies. I also noticed members from their sister sorority, Theta Alpha, and my sorority, Sigma Phi Lambda, however, none of them were socializing with each other. Theta Alphas were socializing with Theta Alphas, Phi Lambs were socializing with Phi Lambs and KYX guys were socializing with each other. It seemed very segregated. I knew it was because none of the organizations really knew each other. Still, we all got together for this one event.
At this time, one of the KYX guys I did know came to greet me. Thankfully this happened because it broke the ice and made me a lot more comfortable. I noticed a few of my sisters standing in the corner and walked over to them so I could comfortably observe the event with people I actually knew. Socializing went on for a few more minutes until enough pies were made to start the event.
The Vice President, Alex, started the event by announcing what the event was about, who it was supporting, and more details. I wondered why the President wasn’t doing this but then thought of it in the perspective of my sorority. The Vice President of the organization is the one who puts on and plans the events so that would explain why Alex was doing it and not Pedro, KYX’s President.
The event started with one KYX member sitting on a black stool atop a tarp. He was in the center of a half circle of people waiting to be pied. People began lining up with money to pie this person. I began to notice a pattern of who was pieing who. As new members, approached the stool to get pied, it was their friends who were pieing them. Best friends, roommates, bigs, and girlfriends were among the people pieing the members. There was a lot of laughing and smiling among the crowd of people as each member was pied. The whole atmosphere changed as the event was going on. Compared to when I walked in, I no longer felt like an outsider. I felt comfortable and even found myself laughing as members were getting pied, even if I did not know them.
I got to talk to some members about their experience. I asked one guy, Ian, how it felt to be pied. He simply responded, “Mushy.” I also was able to talk to Alex and he was in very high spirits considering he was just pied the most. He was telling me how it’s considered a good thing to be pied a lot because he was able raise more money for Fern Creek that way. “It was worth it,” He said. It seemed like it by the way I was observing the event. The guys were having so much fun with it. They were even eating pie off themselves and each other. It seemed like a bonding experience for them.
As the event came to an end and the crowd was dwindling down to mainly KYX members, they all began rinsing away the pie from themselves with a hose. But the fun didn’t stop there. Water fights soon broke out and left over milk from the pie making was being used to dump on each other. The continued mess just created more chaos and laughter.
DeleteAfter nothing was left to attack each other with, the guys began to clean up and the event was over. I was thanked for coming with wet and pie filled hugs from people I did and did not know. Though I was a mess now, I felt welcomed and closer to these guys and left with a smile on my face. It was a privilege to see how they act in their own environment and get to know them better. I could easy tell by just watching them interact with each other at this chaotic event that they are a close group of guys that also have a passion for helping others.
Grant Ismach
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
6:45 P.M.-7:45 P.M.
Revised Field Notes
March 11, 2014
UCF Gym courts 1 and 2 for UCF IM Basketball 3 vs. 3
As I sit here watching the numerous UCF 3 vs.3 intramural basketball games writing my notes at 6:45 on Tuesday, March 11, I notice a lot of different actions surrounding me. On the near half court, I see an intense game of basketball in progress. In the middle of the court, I see the UCF Intramural Sports employees screaming out teams names so that each team will check in prior to the game so that the rules will be explained and start at the appropriate time. As I look towards center court, I see at the far half court, two teams of UCF students are warming up for their next game by shooting around and loosening up. Since all of these events are happening simultaneously, including checking my team in and making sure they are loosening up, it is difficult to actively take notes. I realize that I would not be able to write everything down and will not be able to fully comprehend all that is surrounding me. Here are my takeaways from my surroundings
“Team the Ragin' Caucasians and Team Free Agent, please come check in for your game!” The UCF Intramural Sports employee is yelling for all of the players to hear. As both teams check in, she starts explaining the rules of the game to the team captains so they are able to start on time. As she is explaining the rules, the game on court two just ended as a player hit a game winning shot.
Each team has one assigned player to shoot a three pointer for the two teams to decide who starts with the ball first. The first team shoots and misses. The second team shots and makes the shot. The game starts by the two teams checking the ball in after each missed shot or if the ball goes out of bounds. These two teams had a long, hard battle in what was a very close game the entire way. Team Free Agent’s was able to secure the victory by the center of the team setting a pick for the point guard. The point guard was able to get just enough room to get an open look from three and he was able to swish it in for the victory. It was a good game for both teams, but ultimately, one team has to win and one team has to lose. While the winning team was not necessarily the better team, a few extra hustle plays made the difference, and they were able to beat the better team.
Grant Ismach
DeleteENC 1101
6:45 P.M.-7:45 P.M.
Revised Field Notes
March 11, 2014
UCF Gym courts 1 and 2 for UCF IM Basketball 3 vs. 3
The Great Sound of Basketball
As I sit here watching the numerous UCF 3 vs.3 intramural basketball games writing my notes at 6:45 on Tuesday, March 11, I notice a lot of different actions surrounding me. On the near half court, I see an intense game of basketball in progress. In the middle of the court, I see the UCF Intramural Sports employees screaming out teams names so that each team will check in prior to the game so that the rules will be explained and start at the appropriate time. As I look towards center court, I see at the far half court, two teams of UCF students are warming up for their next game by shooting around and loosening up. Since all of these events are happening simultaneously, including checking my team in and making sure they are loosening up, it is difficult to actively take notes. I realize that I would not be able to write everything down and will not be able to fully comprehend all that is surrounding me. Here are my takeaways from my surroundings
“Team the Ragin' Caucasians and Team Free Agent, please come check in for your game!” The UCF Intramural Sports employee is yelling for all of the players to hear. As both teams check in, she starts explaining the rules of the game to the team captains so they are able to start on time. As she is explaining the rules, the game on court two just ended as a player hit a game winning shot.
Each team has one assigned player to shoot a three pointer for the two teams to decide who starts with the ball first. The first team shoots and misses. The second team shots and makes the shot. The game starts by the two teams checking the ball in after each missed shot or if the ball goes out of bounds. These two teams had a long, hard battle in what was a very close game the entire way. Team Free Agent’s was able to secure the victory by the center of the team setting a pick for the point guard. The point guard was able to get just enough room to get an open look from three and he was able to swish it in for the victory. It was a good game for both teams, but ultimately, one team has to win and one team has to lose. While the winning team was not necessarily the better team, a few extra hustle plays made the difference, and they were able to beat the better team.
Blakley Wilcocks
ReplyDeleteENC-1101.0M06
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 17, 2014
8 p.m. Thursday, March 13, 2014
Pegasus Ballroom, Student Union
UCF Gaming Knights
The Speech That Rocked The House
As I sit there waiting patiently for the Gaming Knights meeting to start. I engage in mindless chit-chat with my fellow Gamers whom I sit next to at the moment. I begin to really pay attention when my friend Jacob begins talking about the Intel Extreme Masters League of Legends Tournament that recently just begun. We were making our core projections on who was going to make it to the finals and who would come out victorious. Jacob told me that he thought that the North American team Cloud 9 would make to the finals against one of the Asian teams and the Asian team would come out as the victor. I presume to say that me being a big Fnatic fan, European team, would go all the way and the runner up would be some Asian team. Let’s be honest, Asian teams that take part in e-sports (electronic sports) are normally very good. Mine and Jacob’s conversation soon died down to the start of the meeting. It seemed like that many people didn’t cared too much about the information at the meeting but rather than just wanting to be with people apart of the community. I say this because as I scan around the room, I notice very small conversations sparking between gamers and also people bringing their gaming laptops to take part in videogames during the majority of the meeting. They stop playing for one part of the meeting and one party only….. Campaign speeches for next year available officer spot: Co-Tournament Coordinator. I’m completely not prepared for this at all. If I was I would totally have a speech ready to run for a position but sadly I don’t. Jacob, who was sitting next to was in the same predicament, but he got up and looked at me and said “ I got this S***!” At that I moment I knew he was able to pull off an amazing speech and an amazing speech is what he did. The Speech was emotional by grabbing all the feels of gamers all around the room and made everyone feel like one unstoppable force. That force was actually the force to hold back tears. Needless to say he is filling that spot coming next fall. After Jacob was nominated for his officer position, the meeting came to a close and all the gamers slowly departed.
Joe Amico
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR - 3-4pm
Revised Fields Notes
March 16, 2014
UCF Women’s Volleyball Practice
I chose to do this assignment on our UCF Volleyball team. At first glance, I noticed they were very tall. I was definitely a little bit intimidated at first, feeling so small to women. My first study of their “clique” was at Knightros Café. They all sat around the same two tables, kind of close. Now when I say these girls eat, I mean they EAT. I finished my first burger and noticed some of them had already ate two, and moved on to the next. Their conversations were filled with laughter and some yelling. I also observed that they spent a lot of time talking about boys, and the “turn up” that probably took place in their spare time. I liked these girls. It’s always cool to see others laugh and have fun just as much as I do. The lingo used within the team seemed pretty familiar to mine, I did hear the term “or nah” a good bit, as it is gaining popularity around campus. After everyone was done eating, they all said bye to me, grabbed their bags and took the plates and cups used to the wash rack.
The next place I did a study on the volleyball team was at the beginning of their practice. They seemed to be really excited as warm-ups started. They ran up and down the court a few times, laughing loudly about something I could not make out. The coaches were sitting down, talking with each other quietly. This made me sort of curious, wondering if it had to do with one of the players, or even me. I only was able to stay for the warm ups of their practice due to class, but found it cool how relaxed and happy everyone was during pre-practice. I’m looking forward to performing my next observations as they start to actually play volleyball, and practice
Christopher Parker
ReplyDeleteENC 1101
TR— 8:00pm-9pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 16, 2014
8:00pm, Thursday, March 13, 2014
Pegasus Ballroom, UCF Student Union
UCF Gaming Knights Club Meeting
It is roughly 7:55pm, there seems to be decent attendance for the meeting. Everyone in attendance seems to be in high spirits; they’re mingling and talking with one another. Most of the conversation is about what they have done recently since the last meeting, the games they’re playing, or just casual joking around with each other. Some people brought their laptops and are playing games before the meeting. The large Pegasus ballroom is an impressive meeting place for a relatively new club to the school. As the time hits 8pm, the meeting begins and everyone is told that the club president was not present for the meeting. The main goal for the meeting was stated as selecting officers and information on a convention coming to Orlando called Megacon. When they said that they were going to be selecting officers, it was curious to me that the club’s president wasn’t there for selections impacting the future of the club.
As the meeting progressed, many side conversations occurred around me, mainly the same as before the meeting started. I’ve been to one of the club’s LAN events, which is also in the Student Union, and found that the conversation from there and here is relatively the same. Speeches by hopeful officers are being given, many of them appealing to the crowd, obviously popular members of the club. As each potential officer comes and goes giving their speech, people seem to be getting a little restless. The side conversations are becoming more prominent, some people were fidgety. The last speech finishes and the people around me seemed to be focused back on the rest of the meeting. Votes are taken for the potential officers, and roles are decided. Everyone present is refocused and they discuss Megacon; who is going, what groups, and ride situations. Their planning is very organized; they obviously have been planning it for a while. The meeting comes to a close; some people still hang out and talk while others file out of the ballroom. The club as a whole seems fairly tight knit.
Lee Orlinsky
ReplyDeleteENC 1101-0M06
Monday & Tuesday—3:30pm-4:20pm
Revised Field Notes Assignment
March 17, 2013
11:00A.M., Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Temple Kol Ami Emmanu-el
KAFTY
Election Day
I get up, I get dressed, and I get ready to enter my childhood temple. I have been to this place so many times but I was always here as a part of the community, never as a visitor. Today is election day for KAFTY, The Kol-Ami For Temple Youth, an organization I took great part in throughout my high school years. KAFTY's purpose is to connect Jewish Youth through different cultural and religious activities. As I look around me I see the various faces of juniors and seniors in high school, looking nervous, as they prepare to take the stage and inform their fellow peers about how they could improve the community. It is an interesting event to study the community at because in an election, a community's morals and values are exposed. The first candidate takes the stage, then the second. While they are running on separate platforms, one message that is communicated over and over again is the message of togetherness. Every single person is talking about in what way they can bring the people closer, all in order to work together better as a team. In this discourse community, the people have a collectivist focus rather than the individualistic focus that is often present in people in our Western World. One girl goes up, her campaign slogan is "Building together to build forever". Her speech inspires the crowd to the point that she gets a standing ovation at the end. While I am not sure if she is going to win, I do believe that she was able to effectively communicate the values of her community through her slogan and speech. The candidates step out and everyone fills out paper ballots. Sounds of pencils squeaking and erasers erasing fill the room. After the ballots are counted it turns out that an unexpected candidate won. The boy who wins is a shy boy that I have never heard about. After the induction ceremony, I ask around the temple about the winning candidate and new president of KAFTY. Turns out ever since Day 1 he has been a very hard worker. He always wears his Jewish head garment, the yarmulke and never skips a shabbat. Through these different conversations I further understand what is important to the people in this discourse community. I walk up to the new president and shake his hand to congratulate him. He gives me a huge and genuine smile. It is nice to see someone so excited to do his job, rather than just to hold the title for the prestige of being the "president". It was cool to be able to deepen my perspective on the community that I always enjoyed being a part of in my past. This collectivist organization that focuses on togetherness, hard work, and the further preservation of Hebrew tradition, really taught me a lot in only a couple of hours at such an important and ritual event. I can't wait to further analyze these experiences and create new ones when I visit them next.