End of semester

I was first confused by this course because I have never taken a writing course that explores one topic, "communities," throughout the whole semester. However, I have found this course to be very practical because I had never written a project proposal or attempted to "initiate action." I didn't understand why we needed to explore these modes of discourse until I thought of the universal applications associated with these forms. For example, as a biology major, I will probably need to write a project proposal or grant proposal versus a literary analysis essay. I didn't understand how we could learn to write without extensive reading as examples of "good writing"; however, considering the types of writing we have been doing, the examples Mrs. Scott provided for us were effective models/ descriptions of how we should write. 

Conventions of my Genre

For my initiating action project, I want to write a letter to dining services. I found a couple of examples online of various letters written to promote change or awareness. The first letter was written by a disabled restaurant patron who had difficulty maneuvering around the restaurant. He wrote to the owner asking for improved accessibility in the restaurant for all wheelchair users. He introduced his argument by starting with a narrative of his own experience at the Westside Diner. The second letter I found was written by a citizen addressing a newspaper editor about the harmful affects of chemicals in perfumes. Her argument was supported by facts about the Clean Air Act of 1980 and scientific research about the health effects of these chemicals. I think my letter addressed to dining services would be more like hers because I must compel my audience to act via fact, and not anecdote. From just looking at these two samples,  I see that there is much freedom in how I can write this letter; however, I must emphasize the exigence of what I am asking and it must be supported by undeniable fact. 

Pitts, C.M. The Environmental Health Network of California Files Petition with the FDA. June 16, 1999. 

White, G.W. & Thompson, R. & Nary, D.E., The Action Letter Portfolio: Writing Letters that Work! 1998 

Initiating Action

For my initiating action project, I will write a letter to dinning services urging them to charge $.50 per Styrofoam container in order to discourage unnecessary use of styrofoam. I will write about the malfeasant effects of styrofoam on the enviromnent and Virginia Tech's massive ecological footprint due to the excessive use of styrofoam products from dinning halls. I will also point out how students who are eating in the dinning room use styrofoam products despite the small posters that have been put up stating the anti-green effects of styrofoam. Taking action that will directly affect students, in this case their budget, which most students cannot ignore, is the only way to promote a greener campus. I will also suggest large posters or signs be put up in the dinning halls stating this new charge and how it will affect student budgets. 

Essay Feedback

When re-reading my essay before it was due, I had the same concerns about my piece that Grete brought up in her feedback. I didn't fix the problems I saw in my essay because I wasn't sure how to revise the piece without losing what I liked about my essay. Now that I have more time to revise and second opinion that reasserted what I had worried about, I think I can go back an effectively rework parts of my essay without losing the integrity of my thoughts. 

I was glad to hear that Grete thought the I was funny and reflective because that was exactly how I wanted to portray the author. The largest concerns with my essay pertain to unexpanded ideas and curt reflections after some of the anecdotes. I think her comments will greatly facilitate revising this essay. 

Initiating Action

Through observation, I have come by two examples of "Initiating Action" which I think fit this assignment. Unfortunately, they are not samples I can bring to class, so I will discuss them on my blog. The first is a petition I was looking at in Bollo's last week. The petition was asking Blacksburg residents to sign if they wished for more bike lanes to be incorporated during new construction in the town. They argued that many Blacksburg residents bike as their main form of transportation and that the new plans for Blacksburg did not include adding bike lanes. 

The second example of "Initiating Action" is the Obama rally today on the Drillfield. Students were screen printing red t-shirts with Obama's face, and the band "Hope Hop" performed songs promoting change, peace, and love. Also, students had made signs urging students to vote on Tuesday for the democratic party. 

What is an essay?

From our readings, I have concluded that en essay revolves  around the author and his ideas. The purpose of an essay is to provide a forum of communication between the author and his readers and the subject of this discussion is anything the author wishes to discuss. From this, we see a need for a personal presence from the author. A good essay will allow the reader to participate in a journey alongside the author. In addition to the abstract values of a good essay, it needs to be accurate relative to the subject and the writer's perspective. 

My essay is intended to be a personal narrative, but I have yet to include a strong personal aspect to my piece. I will be including more anecdotes about my self, things I have observed, and their relatedness to my topic. I want to work off the idea of an essay as a journey and invite my reader on a trip through my topic. 

Research Proposal Comments

Grete's note was helpful since I don't really know how to write a research proposal. I think I will still have trouble editing my proposal because I am so unfamiliar with this mode of discourse. My main problem was that I didn't include a real plan of action regarding research and how I will get it. 

Research proposal comments

Response to Essays

The three essays we read, "Ali in Havana," "The Stunt Pilot," and "Silent Dancer," represent cohesive essays and not just short stories. These pieces provide more than plot accounts of an event, but also incorporate the narrator's, or the author's, feelings towards and analysis of what is happening in the story. For example, Judith Ortiz in her story "Silent Dancer" describes her father's uncle's face and portrays it as a symbol of the family, "I realize that in his features I can see my whole family. If you were to stretch that rubbery flesh, you could find my father's face and deep within that face- mine." The narrator of a short story, would have only described his face relative to physical features; whereas, in this essay, the narrator provides her own perspective on the significance of his face. An essay uses details and facts to lend greater meaning to an event and allows the narrator or author to influence the reader of this meaning. Both short stories and essays have clear start and endpoints: an event starts and ends within the confines of the piece. However, short stories authorize readers to interpret the story any way he or she wishes; whereas, essays have already analyzed the event or components of the event and allow the reader to simply understand the interpretations.   

Page 99 questions

1. I want to portray the vegetarian lifestyle as accurately as possible in a way that would allow anyone to understand. 

2. My draft provides a list of sources, themes, and research that I will acquire from these sources.  3. When I discuss reasons for vegetarianism, I can also present some counter-arguments that critics use to discredit the movement.

4. I will use the research I have along with my own ideas to prepare conclusions about what I have read and observed. 

Literature Review

All vegetarians abstain from eating meat; however, a more obscure aspect of vegetarianism is the associated lifestyle that many authors have attempted to explain with historical evidence, self-testimony, and observation. Vegetarians forgo meat for varied reasons including animal rights, health reasons, and environmental sustainability. Animal rights activists shun the exploitation of animals kept in captivity and slaughterhouses. People concerned with their health cut out meat to avoid the heart problems associated with heavy meat consumption. Although many critics claim that vegetarians have deficient diets, Dudley Giehl, in his book, Vegetarianism,  A Way of Life, claims "flesh foods contain no nutrients that cannot be obtained from non-flesh-food sources." Many people choose vegetarianism for its eco-friendly and sustainability aspects. Cattle raising requires large areas of land which, if used for crop production, would provide more food for the world. According to Jon Wynne-Tyson's Food For A Future, "About four-fifths of the world's agricultural land is used for feeding animals, and only about one-fifth for feeding man directly." A massive reduction of world-wide meat consumption would lead to less meat production, therefore, allowing for more land to be used as crop land. 

The vegetarian movement started long before the hippie-uprisings of the 1960s, but, however, vegetarianism, first called as "the Pythagorean diet" in the west, is a deep-rooted part of American history, stemming from the arrival of the first settlers. The "father of vegetarianism" is considered to be Sylvester Graham who believed that abstaining from meat could prevent the spread of disease. Although vegetarianism has existed throughout American history, there is much debate on whether or not it is a continuous movement or simply a trend. Donna Maurer's Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment not only asserts the longevity of vegetarianism as a sustained movement, but she also explores demography and socio-economic aspects of the movement. She found that white, middle class women are most likely to be vegetarians and that "people with higher socioeconomic status...may adopt vegetarian diets in part to differentiate themselves from other social groups." Through research and observation, author's attempt to explain vegetarianism while exploring vegetarian lifestyles.

Giehl, Dudley. Vegetarianism, A Way of Life. New York, New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, Inc., 1979.

Iacobbo, Karen. Vegetarian America. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Publishers, 2004.

Maurer, Donna. Vegetarianism: Movement or Moment. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press, 2002.

Wynne-Tyson, Jon. Food for A Future. New York, New York: Universe Books, 1979. 

 

Site Visit

I have been to Gillie's many times to eat with my parents, but going back and meeting the people who work there felt a little different. I learned that among the many decorations in the restaurant, there is an old milkshake maker from the 70s. It's a restaurant, so obviously there's a kitchen, a bar, tables, and food. Most of the tables are big and round and there are some small tables outside within a gated area. When I went in for the interview with the head chef, all the coworkers excitedly contributed to the visit. When I asked Noah what the most embarrassing thing was to ever happen to him at the restaurant, one of the coworkers blurted out, "No one gets embarrassed here" - a great example of the nonchalant, "old-hippie" atmosphere at Gillie's.  

Interview

So, I went to Gillie's and had an interview with head chef, Noah Gillie. Many of the coworkers enhanced the conversation by bringing up stories. I'm only going to share a few of his answers because censoring them for a class blog would ruin them.

Noah said that he's been working at the restaurant basically all his life and started out washing dishes. He was born a vegetarian and has never tasted red meat. His best friend is "not even close" to being a vegetarian. His favorite coworkers are his brother or Eddy, who will "always make you laugh." His favorite food is "Mom's pizza" and his favorite item on the menu is the Kung Pao Tofu. The restaurant was originally an ice cream shop and then expanded. His favorite quote would be anything from the movie, The Big Lebowski. Growing up he had a black teddy bear which is still at his mother's house. When I asked about the funniest thing that had ever happened to him at the restaurant he told me about the time they called the refrigerator repair-man because they thought it was broken. Turns out, there was nothing wrong with the refrigerator except that it wasn't plugged in.  

Course Goals

Throughout this course I want to acquire stronger analytical capabilities (1) while refining my non-fictional writing skills (2). I also want to become BFFs with the people who work at Gillie's (3)- the community I am researching this semester.  

Some of My Interview Questions

How long have you worked here?
Are you a vegetarian? How long?
Is your best friend a vegetarian?

If Gillie’s was burning down, is there an item you would save as you run out?

Who’s your favorite coworker?

What’s your favorite food?
What’s your favorite item on the menu?

How old were you when your parents opened the restaurant?

What’s your favorite quote?
Do you have a daily routine? What is it?

If you’re not at the restaurant, where are you?

Do you cook at home? Do you cook the same foods?

Do your friends want you to cook for them all the time?

When you were a child, did you have a favorite stuffed animal? Do you still have it where you live?

Why do you think your parents opened this place?

What is the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten?

When you were a child, did your parents push it on you or was a conscious decision to become a vegetarian?

If you could make a slogan for the restaurant, what would it be?

Karaoke- Assignment 2

Today, I watched people karaoke-ing for about an hour. I didn't consciously choose this as a response to our assignment, but after standing on the grass watching a guy with a faux-hawk singing Barenaked Ladies, I knew that I should observe this more closely. You know that saying "you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to"? Well, you can find out a lot more by paying attention to what they choose to sing in front of a small group of people. It seems like there are always the same people in any social situation. There are the small groups of friends, 3 girls or 3 guys, never mixed, who choose pop songs from the '90s like any Backstreet Boys hit or TLC's "No Scrub." Or there are the two goofy guys, both wearing brown shirts and one with a faux-hawk, who sing Johnny Cash's "Desperado" or "One Week". There are the black girls who confidently jam to Jenifer Lopez's "Waiting for Tonight" with accompanying choreography. But with any social activity, there are always those who don't participate. The first group of people who don't participate are those who are too shy, and the second group are the people who are "too cool," or at least they think they are. Either way, the shy girl in khaki shorts and the athletic "dude" in a black muscle-tee stand in close proximity as other people choose boy band love songs. The shy girl watches as a feeling of insecurity sinks into her stomach, and the "dude" watches as false sense of superiority rises to his ego. Any social occasion you observe, there will always be the people who moderate, the people who participate, the people who don't care about what others think, the people who stand at the side out of self-consciousness, and the people who think they're too cool for it.  

How We Know What We Know

Most people know something is true because an expert has deemed it a fact or an inarguable truth based on science and calculation. However, often what we know isn't really a truth or fact, but simply a strong belief. For example, you never really contend what Grandma says, so eating fish actually does make you a faster swimmer (or at least that's what my grandma told me when I was six so I would eat fish). In addition to Grandma's well-intentioned lies, the media pours out thousands of "truths" on every commercial, billboard, package, and any other advertisement. Since we live in the most capitalistic nation of the world, product advertisers dole out ample amounts of time, resources, and money to get as many consumers to believe that what they are selling actually works. MeSoThin Pills really will take you from a size 14 to a size 00 in 45 minutes, right? Why would anyone buy the pill if the commercial didn't prove that it worked by featuring a once plus-sized, now ano-looking, ex-playmate dancing on the red carpet fondling a bottle of the advertised product? "Truth" becomes anything we have seen enough times for it to be ingrained or heard incontestably from someone who knows better than us. What we know is the same as what we believe, and our realities are simply manifestations of these beliefs.    

The most traumatic and sh**ity (sorry for expletives, but you'll understand by the end of this) thing happened to me this morning. So it's 11 A.M. and I've taken a shower, done my hair, and put on my favorite pair shoes (this is important too, getting the plot yet?), and I decide to check the mail to see if a package from Mommy has arrived yet. The mail room smells like s**t. No joke, I am holding my breath 'cause the smell is too strong. I check the mail and there's no pink slip that proves Mommy loves me, so I do a restrained fast-walk out of the mail room (my favorite shoes aren't actually made for walking). Right at the threshold of the mailroom and the hall, I look down and what did I almost step in (with my favorite shoes)? Yeah, you should've guessed it with all the insinuations in this paragraph, S**T! There's crap on the mailroom tile. I guess that's someone's idea of a fun night. 

So I've officially decided to research the vegetarian community on our little main street. I'm talking about Gillie's and Bollo's. Even if you're not a vegetarian/vegan, they have really good food.  If you've never been to either, I really recommend Gillie's pancakes or French toast- it's the best french toast I've ever had. 

First Entry

Hi, this is my blog. Enjoy....i realize there is nothing to enjoy yet, but more is to come.