It feels so nice to be done with this final paper. These blogs however are a different story. I am proud of the work I have done this semester and think that my final paper really shows that. This last paper was the one I spent the most time and work on (which was a bit of a shock to me because it was an accumulation of all my other papers and not one I had to write everything for the first time). I think I have sufficiently changed the other papers though in this final one to make them different and interesting to read. I used subheadings not only for the reader but also for myself. It was very tedious reading a 17 page paper over and over again. I was very happy to get my peer responses from group members though, they helped a lot. When I first started, I put my three papers together to see the length. Then I added an introduction and conclusion. After that, I read through it, added subheadings and making major adjustments to certain areas. These past few days though, I have just kept reading it and fixing any little thing I see and now it’s turned in and in Ms. Murray’s hands. Thanks all for a great semester!
-Julia St. John
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
page 448 of book (4/21/09)
1. Whose views of this culture am I representing – mine, my informants’, or background information?
I feel as though throughout most of my paper, I am telling the story as to what I have observed and found out about this subculture. While still adding what insiders think and feel, what the true history of Spectrum is, and fun facts about the subgroup, I feel as though my voice is the guiding source throughout the whole paper.
2. How do I organize data?
I am using subheadings. This not only helps my reader stay interested but also helps me think of things/events in terms of what, where, when, who etc. I include interviews to get insider’s views and I feel as though I do this in a sort of neutral manner (instead of taking sides).
3. How am I representing my informants?
I use a lot of information from the internet site that Spectrum actually made. This is because this site is the closest thing I have to being an insider. I have also put in other things from other sources but they are mostly to confirm credibility and site sources the Spectrum students also use.
4. What sense of place am I offering?
I talk about two places in my paper: the meeting place and the place for the drag show. I feel as though these are the two main locations for the group so I treated them as such.
5. What assumptions, positions, and tensions so I bring to my interpretations?
Mostly, these are from outsiders having assumptions, positions, and tensions with insiders of Spectrum. I try my best to again be neutral when relating this information but I admit that sometimes it is hard when it is the outsiders verbally and physically abusing insiders.
6. Would I offer my reader the same information if I presented it a different way?
I feel as though the same information would eventually get across but my reader would get more bored if I presented it in a different way. For example, if I did not use subheadings, I feel as though my reader would often daydream and not really follow what I was saying as well.
I feel as though throughout most of my paper, I am telling the story as to what I have observed and found out about this subculture. While still adding what insiders think and feel, what the true history of Spectrum is, and fun facts about the subgroup, I feel as though my voice is the guiding source throughout the whole paper.
2. How do I organize data?
I am using subheadings. This not only helps my reader stay interested but also helps me think of things/events in terms of what, where, when, who etc. I include interviews to get insider’s views and I feel as though I do this in a sort of neutral manner (instead of taking sides).
3. How am I representing my informants?
I use a lot of information from the internet site that Spectrum actually made. This is because this site is the closest thing I have to being an insider. I have also put in other things from other sources but they are mostly to confirm credibility and site sources the Spectrum students also use.
4. What sense of place am I offering?
I talk about two places in my paper: the meeting place and the place for the drag show. I feel as though these are the two main locations for the group so I treated them as such.
5. What assumptions, positions, and tensions so I bring to my interpretations?
Mostly, these are from outsiders having assumptions, positions, and tensions with insiders of Spectrum. I try my best to again be neutral when relating this information but I admit that sometimes it is hard when it is the outsiders verbally and physically abusing insiders.
6. Would I offer my reader the same information if I presented it a different way?
I feel as though the same information would eventually get across but my reader would get more bored if I presented it in a different way. For example, if I did not use subheadings, I feel as though my reader would often daydream and not really follow what I was saying as well.
-Julia St. John
Thursday, April 16, 2009
analyzing example (4/16/09)
We are group F, and here is what we typed up for Michelle Hanson's Playing in the MUD: A Newbie’s Experience with Online Gaming essay…
What do you think the thesis of the essay is?
As everyone can see, there is no clear thesis, but our group decided to put a few sentences from the last paragraph together to make one for the author…
I am attempting to compose a piece of substance that readers may enjoy—insiders and outsiders— recording the customs, rituals, language, and traditions of the MUDded society.
Which voices (colors) stood out in this essay? How did the author incorporate secondary sources? Where did they place them in the essay? In your opinion, does the author of this essay strike a good balance between all three? Do the voices of informants stand on their own, or are they overpowered?
We feel that the color green probably most stood out to us as outsiders of the group. Although the author did not exactly go out and find books, websites, and articles, she did include insider words, phrases, and jargon from the actual game and explained them quite nicely. We fell that for the most part the author strikes a good balance between all three but there are a lot of times when e find her to be rather redundant. Although there was really only one informant (besides the Osh guy who talked to her a few times), this boyfriend seems to add good input to the composition.
How is the essay organized? Did the author use a particular method to organize the essay? Is the organization reader friendly?
This essay is primarily organized with subcategories. We would say that this essay is reader friendly. The author uses sarcastic comments, well-informed conversations, and personal experiences to keep the reader’s attention and we would say it works!
In your group's opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this essay?
Strengths: subheadings, sarcastic commentary, interviews,
Weaknesses: repetitive nature, conversations a little hard to follow, getting to personal (loosing style of paper) at the end
-Group F
What do you think the thesis of the essay is?
As everyone can see, there is no clear thesis, but our group decided to put a few sentences from the last paragraph together to make one for the author…
I am attempting to compose a piece of substance that readers may enjoy—insiders and outsiders— recording the customs, rituals, language, and traditions of the MUDded society.
Which voices (colors) stood out in this essay? How did the author incorporate secondary sources? Where did they place them in the essay? In your opinion, does the author of this essay strike a good balance between all three? Do the voices of informants stand on their own, or are they overpowered?
We feel that the color green probably most stood out to us as outsiders of the group. Although the author did not exactly go out and find books, websites, and articles, she did include insider words, phrases, and jargon from the actual game and explained them quite nicely. We fell that for the most part the author strikes a good balance between all three but there are a lot of times when e find her to be rather redundant. Although there was really only one informant (besides the Osh guy who talked to her a few times), this boyfriend seems to add good input to the composition.
How is the essay organized? Did the author use a particular method to organize the essay? Is the organization reader friendly?
This essay is primarily organized with subcategories. We would say that this essay is reader friendly. The author uses sarcastic comments, well-informed conversations, and personal experiences to keep the reader’s attention and we would say it works!
In your group's opinion, what are the strengths and weaknesses of this essay?
Strengths: subheadings, sarcastic commentary, interviews,
Weaknesses: repetitive nature, conversations a little hard to follow, getting to personal (loosing style of paper) at the end
-Group F
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
More Q & A (4/14/09)
1. What's going on here?
My key informants were the leaders of Spectrum. I figured these students would be more informed than other members might be because of the time they spent of the subculture. They not only want to be a part of it, but even on the days they might be tired, they still have to plan meetings, set up fund raisers, help other member with problems, etc. There are a lot of people in Spectrum and their meeting place is subject to change so I always had to be on my toes when setting up an interview or attending a meeting. I have been to two meetings throughout the semester and plan on attending another for this final paper. I have heard stories, seen some sources of aid these students can go to, and thought about how hard it must be to be harassed for just being you. I want to add all of this in my final report and more.
2. Where's the culture?
I have seen this group not only as a group but also as a subculture because of the bond each member has with one another. They talk about anything and everything and I feel they have reached a special bond with one another in order to be able to do that. The true history of this subculture can be found on their website but my library research definitely helped me see that history in a new light. These students are not alone in their struggle for acceptance and I’m glad I am a part of their fight for justice.
3. What's the story?
Outsiders may see Spectrum as just another Ball State group but insiders see Spectrum as a family. I saw this through research that I conducted through interviews, on-site observations, and library research.
-Julia St. John
textbook questions (4/14/09)
For this blog, I answered these questions in class about my subculture after reading about how some other people answered them in our textbook…
1. What surprised me?
I thought that because I knew so many homosexuals from various aspects of my life (theatre, choir, band, etc.) I would not find that this organization was more in depth than simply a lot of these people getting together to talk every week. Boy was I wrong. This group does a lot of good not only for its members but also for parents of the members and for others who are going through the same things members may be going through. They also raise money by doing charity work, putting on productions, and utilizing talents students may have within Spectrum.
2. What intrigued me?
I always find new people to be very intriguing but the students from this subculture particularly so. It was very nice to also find that they were all happy to talk to me as well. I was mostly intrigued to find out what each person thought Spectrum truly was. I was expecting to find answers like “it’s just a group I go to” or “I find dates here” but what I found was much deeper than that. All of its members talked about how Spectrum is a home with family members in it. They said that one can feel safe talking about any troubles, issues, or problems because the bond between the members was so strong.
3. What disturbed me?
While researching Spectrum, I found more about how most of these kids go through their young lives not wanting to tell people about their sexual identities because they are afraid of how others will take it. Researching this, I found that they have good reason to feel this way. Not only have I found stories about hazing in different communities but also surveys saying even though some people may not have hazed before, they might be willing to if a homosexual crossed their paths.
-Julia St. John
1. What surprised me?
I thought that because I knew so many homosexuals from various aspects of my life (theatre, choir, band, etc.) I would not find that this organization was more in depth than simply a lot of these people getting together to talk every week. Boy was I wrong. This group does a lot of good not only for its members but also for parents of the members and for others who are going through the same things members may be going through. They also raise money by doing charity work, putting on productions, and utilizing talents students may have within Spectrum.
2. What intrigued me?
I always find new people to be very intriguing but the students from this subculture particularly so. It was very nice to also find that they were all happy to talk to me as well. I was mostly intrigued to find out what each person thought Spectrum truly was. I was expecting to find answers like “it’s just a group I go to” or “I find dates here” but what I found was much deeper than that. All of its members talked about how Spectrum is a home with family members in it. They said that one can feel safe talking about any troubles, issues, or problems because the bond between the members was so strong.
3. What disturbed me?
While researching Spectrum, I found more about how most of these kids go through their young lives not wanting to tell people about their sexual identities because they are afraid of how others will take it. Researching this, I found that they have good reason to feel this way. Not only have I found stories about hazing in different communities but also surveys saying even though some people may not have hazed before, they might be willing to if a homosexual crossed their paths.
-Julia St. John
Monday, April 13, 2009
Searching for Sources (4/13/09)
For my fourth paper, this is both my starting and concluding paragraph. What do you think?...
One can spend a lifetime researching any topic they wish and still never come to the perfect conclusion. Studies can only go so far and even though today’s internet has definitely made investigating much easier, one still needs to delve to see which sources are relevant and which prove that anyone can post things online. Therefore, I have sought out what I feel are the best sources to describe, explain, and define Spectrum. “Spectrum exists to provide an anonymous, safe, and friendly place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and their allies to socialize and get information” (Spectrum) and these sources help tell more about that.
While I read the entries on my works cited page, I discovered that my mind raced to so many different questions. I do hope to translate my findings into questions for my final paper and also find myself wanting to learn even more about this subculture in a wider range. I might ask about what exactly has happened in the past to people being discriminated against. Or perhaps, how the sites I found helped. With this new bank of knowledge I have tapped into, I am even surer now than I ever was that Spectrum is doing the right thing trying to help homosexuals on campus. On paper, findings and statistics might tell audiences that change is upon us; but for the people who are going still going through that change, Spectrum is there to lend a helping hand as well.
-Julia St. John
One can spend a lifetime researching any topic they wish and still never come to the perfect conclusion. Studies can only go so far and even though today’s internet has definitely made investigating much easier, one still needs to delve to see which sources are relevant and which prove that anyone can post things online. Therefore, I have sought out what I feel are the best sources to describe, explain, and define Spectrum. “Spectrum exists to provide an anonymous, safe, and friendly place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and their allies to socialize and get information” (Spectrum) and these sources help tell more about that.
While I read the entries on my works cited page, I discovered that my mind raced to so many different questions. I do hope to translate my findings into questions for my final paper and also find myself wanting to learn even more about this subculture in a wider range. I might ask about what exactly has happened in the past to people being discriminated against. Or perhaps, how the sites I found helped. With this new bank of knowledge I have tapped into, I am even surer now than I ever was that Spectrum is doing the right thing trying to help homosexuals on campus. On paper, findings and statistics might tell audiences that change is upon us; but for the people who are going still going through that change, Spectrum is there to lend a helping hand as well.
-Julia St. John
mini report (4/13/09)
My fourth paper was my annotative bibliography but along with writing the paper, I also had to think about the mini presentation I had to present to my English class the day the paper was due. This is what I talked about for my presentation…
Spectrum’s website was the only source that I found that the subculture had actually written. On it they say that “Spectrum exists to provide an anonymous, safe, and friendly place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and their allies to socialize and get information.” So I tried to look for this when researching sources along with sources that were recent, relevant, and were about this particular location. My other web sources were all links to home pages off Spectrum’s site. The journal entries I found were, however, very different. The first was over the current blockbuster “Milk” and different people’s reactions to it. The second talked about gay rights in the US. The third took surveys in Florida that asked how people felt about gays getting married, joining the military, and having kids. The fourth took surveys to find out how homophobic different people were. The last talked about the consequences kids may face if they are raised by same-sex parents.
-Julia St. John
Spectrum’s website was the only source that I found that the subculture had actually written. On it they say that “Spectrum exists to provide an anonymous, safe, and friendly place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students and their allies to socialize and get information.” So I tried to look for this when researching sources along with sources that were recent, relevant, and were about this particular location. My other web sources were all links to home pages off Spectrum’s site. The journal entries I found were, however, very different. The first was over the current blockbuster “Milk” and different people’s reactions to it. The second talked about gay rights in the US. The third took surveys in Florida that asked how people felt about gays getting married, joining the military, and having kids. The fourth took surveys to find out how homophobic different people were. The last talked about the consequences kids may face if they are raised by same-sex parents.
-Julia St. John
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
thoughts on final paper (4/7/09)
Ok, so now that we’re in class talking about this final paper, I’m trying to think of ways to organize it and what I want to include in it. 15-20 pages sounds like a lot to me, but our teacher says it shouldn’t be because we have already done that much and now simply have to combine them coherently. I have learned so much about this subculture from not only on-site observations but also through interviews and I most certainly want to include those. I would love to use sub-headings to organize this last paper but am not sure yet of what each one will be labeled or as to how much space (paragraphs or pages) I will allow each one to go on for. The reason I would like to separate my paper in this way (even though I have never used subheadings before) is because of its length. Whether one is writing or reading that long of an essay, it is easy to get bored. However, I find that is much easier to keep focused when there are tiny separations within the essay. Almost all of my text books have these and I have come to appreciate them very much now that I’m in college and the number of pictures in the books has greatly decreased. -Julia St. John
answers (4/7/09)
Here are answers to some of the questions we (in my English class) were asked to answer in our fourth paper (the annotative bibliography)...
Which sources were the most valuable or the most authoritative?
I feel like any source that was made/produced by the actual subculture I am trying to research would have to me the most valuable. Therefore, I feel that Spectrum’s website tells the most about them as they truly are. The other websites are attached to theirs by links and are places that students within the subculture can turn to for assistance.
If you found sources produced by members of your subculture, what do they reveal about your subculture? What insider information does the source have?
Spectrum’s website reveals a lot of information about them. It tells outsiders (and reminds insiders) of meeting times, people who are the leaders of this subculture, some of the activities they participate in, and more. Most of the insider information is readily accessible to outsiders but outsiders might not understand at first why this information is necessary. For example, the “resources” page might be looked at by outsiders as simply links to other GLBT sites. And even though this is somewhat true, the sites on there (as shown at the bottom of this post) are mostly used to help these students fit in and help their families understand what the students might be going through.
IYG, Indiana Youth Group
NOW, The National Organization for Women
Which sources were the most valuable or the most authoritative?
I feel like any source that was made/produced by the actual subculture I am trying to research would have to me the most valuable. Therefore, I feel that Spectrum’s website tells the most about them as they truly are. The other websites are attached to theirs by links and are places that students within the subculture can turn to for assistance.
If you found sources produced by members of your subculture, what do they reveal about your subculture? What insider information does the source have?
Spectrum’s website reveals a lot of information about them. It tells outsiders (and reminds insiders) of meeting times, people who are the leaders of this subculture, some of the activities they participate in, and more. Most of the insider information is readily accessible to outsiders but outsiders might not understand at first why this information is necessary. For example, the “resources” page might be looked at by outsiders as simply links to other GLBT sites. And even though this is somewhat true, the sites on there (as shown at the bottom of this post) are mostly used to help these students fit in and help their families understand what the students might be going through.
PFLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays
Human Rights Campaign
IYG, Indiana Youth Group
NOW, The National Organization for Women
INTRAA, The Indiana Transgender Rights Advocacy Alliance
-Julia St. John
Sunday, April 5, 2009
paper 4 (4/5/09)
I am now sitting down to write paper four, my annotated bibliography. It’s coming pretty slowly so I decided to write this short blog for a little while. MLA is a lot easier with our textbook by my side (even if most of my websites don’t have editors). I have all my websites and the library sources were found on Ball State’s “article’s and databases.” I am so happy to have these resources at my fingertips. I feel as though I have discovered a lot more about this group from reading articles about homosexuals around the globe. I have looked at the questions that we, in my English class, have to keep in mind for this paper and find that I feel most of the questions are asking us to combine most of the papers. I won’t start my mini-report until later. Well, actually, I never start them until after I am done with the entire paper.
-Julia St. John
-Julia St. John
a few entries (4/5/09)
Here is one of my entries in my works cited page for paper four (the annotative bibliography). When we were told the stipulations for this page, I knew that one of my required web entries would have to be Spectrum’s website. It is not very long and that makes me wonder if I should add some stuff. I would love to hear what you all think about that…
Spectrum.com. 31 Mar. 2009. < http://bsu.edu/web/spectrum/drag04.html>.
This is Spectrum’s main website. Their meetings are posted on here, contact information, and tons of other fun information about the group in general are up for everyone to see.
Here is the first entry in my works cited page, hope you all like it…
Brewer, Paul R.. “The Shifting Foundations of Public Opinion about Gay Rights.” The Journal of Politics 65.4 (2003): 1208-1220
This study is to test possible explanation for the recent fascination within America about gay rights. It talks about how, in the span from 1992-2000, people came increasingly more favorable towards gay rights. I see this article as showing a positive change towards one of Spectrum’s top goals: equality.
-Julia St. John
Spectrum.com. 31 Mar. 2009. < http://bsu.edu/web/spectrum/drag04.html>.
This is Spectrum’s main website. Their meetings are posted on here, contact information, and tons of other fun information about the group in general are up for everyone to see.
Here is the first entry in my works cited page, hope you all like it…
Brewer, Paul R.. “The Shifting Foundations of Public Opinion about Gay Rights.” The Journal of Politics 65.4 (2003): 1208-1220
This study is to test possible explanation for the recent fascination within America about gay rights. It talks about how, in the span from 1992-2000, people came increasingly more favorable towards gay rights. I see this article as showing a positive change towards one of Spectrum’s top goals: equality.
-Julia St. John
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