Week 3

I have started on a little of my research for my fieldwork. I have not interviewed anyone yet, nor have I definitely decided on the people I will choose to interview. One person I intend to interview is a classmate and fellow volunteer at the Special Olympics. She and I attend the same events and often go together. I intend on asking her about her observations and her take on how she views the same events that I see in a different way. I want to ask her why she began to volunteer and if she has always had an interest in exceptional communities.  I plan on asking her the negative things that she has noticed within the environment or the organization as a whole. I am still working on creating a list of questions to be sure to bring up in my interviews. 

I have already visited my cultural site in the past before I knew I was going to use it for my fieldsite. My general observations showed me that it was going to be a warm environment to do my research in. It is a community that relies on the kindness and goodness of the members and volunteers. Some questions have developed though visiting my fieldsite. One question would be to find the problems or aspects of the group that are not all "pretty, fluffy and good." I also wondered about my ability to interview the actual athletes, who seem to be the most in-depth members of my subculture.  I also wonder how the special athletes view athletes who are typically developing and participate in the Olympics.  I have not yet attempted to do any academic research. The major difference between academic research and non-academic research is that academic research has been published and peer-reviewed. Some examples of this may be in journals or online journals. Non-academic research can be my own personal research, observations, interviews, etc. 

Week 2

The culture/subculture that I picked is the Special Olympics. A potential fieldsite may be at Northview Middle School, the YMCA, or a local bowling alley. If the fieldsite is at Northview Middle School, it will be familiar to me, as I have already been there. The school is about a fifteen minute walk from my dorm. The grass is not fresh and green. Most of it is dying. The track is a bouncy black walking surface. The breeze feels refreshing in your hair and on your face, although I imagine that in the dead of winter, it would not feel so liberating. If it takes place in a bowling alley, I expect it to smell like feet and grease, be swelteringly hot, and like most of the other bowling alleys I have visited. However, the sports the athletes compete in vary with the season, so although it may be one of these locations, it could also be one that I am not informed about. Regardless of the fieldsite, I expect to enjoy immersing myself in the culture that I love.

Since I am already an insider, I feel as though I know what to expect when visiting the Special Olympics in Delaware County. However, I do hope to gain some new knowledge that I do not have now. For example, I hope to talk to the athletes about their personal experiences with the team and see how it has changed their lives. I also hope to find out about the origins of the group, especially in the county, and what the leaders feel are some of the problems within the larger organization. 

Box 11

I chose the subculture of the Special Olympics. I chose this subculture because of the impact it has had on my life. I really enjoy volunteering my time there and I would like to share it's way of thinking and outlook on human life with others. My "fixed positions" of being eighteen and person who has no disabilities may affect what I see. Also, I was raised in a small, rural community where there were no people in my school district with special needs. This may color how I view the things that I see. My "subjective positions" may also affect my experience with the Special Olympics. I have been involved with the organization for almost six months now and have a personal relationship with most of the athletes there. This may make it more difficult for me to see things as an outsider, or find flaws with the program that I love. However, being involved with it for so long may make the members more willing to talk and share information or their feelings with me. 

Box 2, Page 15

Tiny tools emit a loud noise. It sounds like screeching tires, banging of metals and yelling. Soon after the sound begins, it takes control of those listening to it. They begin to lose control of their bodies as they sway from side to side. Some being to jump, although there is no reason to. The people lose control of their heads, causing them to bow. Then, the people begin to become more aggressive, as their bodily swaying turns into bumping and pushing. They are soon forcefully shoving one another and banging into each other. The noise seems to possess them. They lift chose people above their heads and support them as they are passed over the crowd of people. Meanwhile, people are being thrown and trampled. When the noise ends, all the people yell and scream. It is a very frightening experience. It seems as though the noise has controlled them and possessed their thoughts. 

Week 1

The main paper that I wrote last semester was a rhetoric paper. We had to find a topic relating to the 2008 election, take a side and write about it. When writing the paper, I wrote many "mini-papers" according to various sources and topics I planned to use in the final paper. I typically just sat down and began to write. I cannot write with noisy distractions around, like the television or music, so I wrote most of the paper outside of my room. I do not like to procrastinate, so I always stayed on top of my assignments. I do not like having to worry about not having enough time to finish my writing. I like to be proud of my final paper and by maintaining my schedule, I was able to do that. 

The difference between editing and revising is simple to me. Revising my papers consists of reading it to myself and others to perfect the clarity of my writing. I like to improve on my papers and find better ways of stating the information during the revising process. Editing my papers is when I comb it for grammar errors, punctuation errors, and citation errors. I also reaffirm that my facts are accurate and current in the editing stage.