Week 15

I feel that my biggest improvement would be my writing skills all together. I was never really good at writing, but this course has taught me how to write in a whole new way, a whole new perspective. Another big improvement would have to be my attitude towards writing. I never liked to write because I have always had trouble with it. This class has truly taught me a lot about the writing process. Although my writing has gotten much better I still struggle with one thing; and that would be my choice of words. I have so much to say at times that I can't write it all at once and my words get all jumbled in my mind and that is how they come out on the paper. It's not as bad as it used to be, but I still struggle with it.

I think the class was conducted very well; however, I think I would have benefited from more conferences, or at least a conference for the mini-ethnography. I think the comments in the margins are very helpful, but I feel like I get more information about how my progress is on my paper when there is a conference. I know a lot of people were complaining about the amount of reading, but I actually thought that it helped. The only thing about the reading is that there was a large amount to read, at times, and I also had 5 other classes to do homework for that made it a bit of a hassle to get through. So what I am suggesting is that there be less out of class reading and maybe (if you can fit it in) to have a class time to read a story or a lesson. Like I said before I thought the class was administered very efficiently and it helped me and my writing process so maybe it doesn't need to change.

Penscape

Last night I went to watch graduate student's read poetry, fiction, and creative non fiction aloud. I was extremely excited to go because I write a little bit of poetry myself and I love to read it or hear it. However, I don't think I could ever gather up the courage like those graduate student's did to read their somewhat personal memories with so many people. It was very inspiring and at times reminded me of a few of the things that I have written.

There were few items of writing that stuck with me the most. Cole Ferrell's creative nonfiction piece called "Homecoming" stuck with me the most because I have a friend who is struggling with what he struggled with. I loved his story and it really touched me. Sarah Sandman also had great pieces of poetry. Her poems stuck with me because when she was reading her poems she brought them to life. The last reader Rachel Hartley-Smith read three pieces of creative nonfiction, "The Terminal", "Figuring Diameter", and "Boy and Sun" (I think). Her readings also hit home. Again I have had friends go through what she did in High School and hearing her personal experience made me realize that they were probably feeling the very same way. The last reader that stuck out to me was my very own teacher David DiSarro. Not just because he was my teacher, but because his poems seemed very heartfelt. He talked about how some of his poems were depressing and I think most poets have depressing poems because it's their way of letting things out; I believe it's how they express themselves. I thought his greatest piece was what he called his "hallmark" piece called (correct me if I'm wrong) "For HCD". I felt like there was a lot of emotion put into that piece and it was very inspiring.

I want to thank all of the graduate student's who read their great pieces of writing because I'm sure it takes a lot to get up in front of people (most of whom you don't know) and share personal experiences through writing. It was a great experience and I got a lot out of going.

Week 14

The strategy was to comb through every little piece of information I had and put the most important information in order for my reader to understand what my subculture is all about. My favorite piece of data was actually the story of the "unknown little boy" that I met at my field site when I was trying to be an outsider. Just read below and you will know why.

It was a beautiful early Sunday morning when I had arrived at MCON. I walked in the front doors which is unusual for me because I am so used to parking in the back where the children have their service. As I walked in I was greeted by a very kind old man. He slowly opened the large doors for me and with a big smile on his face he said “Good morning miss Ashlynn.” I couldn't help but to smile back. I felt very welcomed and when I walked in the large foyer I saw 70 to 100 people standing in the lobby talking with one another. I assumed that an outsider would be very intimidated by the amount of people so I stood in the corner hoping none of my friends would find me for it would ruin my plan of being an outsider. As I stood there a young boy with bright blonde hair came up to me with a very concerned face and asked me why I was all by myself. Not recognizing who they boy was I told him that I was trying to watch everyone else to see what they were doing. He simply replied “It’s a church everyone is learning about God.” This very moment made me realize why I go to church every Sunday.

I feel that the best piece of writing I have done is the actual mini-ethnography itself. I think that it is my best piece because I put the most time into it and I think my readers will get the most out of that assignment compared to all the other ones.

Week 13

The most significant experience I had while exploring my fieldsite was when I was trying to look at my church through an outsiders perspective. A new family had come to our church. The young couple had two children probably around the ages of 5 and 6 and they all looked confused and lost, like they had never stepped foot in a church before. So I decided to approach them, mostly because I work in the children's ministry so I thought I could leur the kids with me and let the parents mingle with the rest of the congregation. Well I finally persuaded the boys to come with me, but only because we were having an easter egg hunt (Easter Sunday). Leaving the parents behind I took the young boys to where the children have their service. I sat them together with a few boys I thought they would get along with. When I left them alone to see how they would react alone nothing big really happened so I waited and watched them during the service. It was time for the songs so I got on stage to sing and I saw the boys cheering me on when I walked up. This was the only time they had said anything.
The rest of the service went on and afterwards I took the boys back to their parents. On the way to the foyer the boys were talking to eachother and asked me "Can we have your autograph?" Now I know I'm not the best singer and actually I was having a pretty rough Easter morning. And when they asked me that I told them that I would, but it won't do them any good in the future (jokingly) and one boy said to me "I think you have the most beautiful voice I have ever heard." This made me tear up a little, but I sucked it up and went to find their parents.
After leaving the kids with their mom and dad, I heard them say "Mom... Dad... can we come back next week?" The mom asked why and the boy said "because I met this teacher and she is something special." And for those words to come out of a boy who is probably only 6 years old made my Easter morning extra special. I cried for a while after I heard this, but these weren't tears of sorrow, they were tears of joy! I can't wait to go back next Sunday to see the little boys again.

Week 12

My understanding of the word rhetoric is that it was used in the 19th century and it's one of the three ancient arts of communication. When I hear the word rhetoric I think persuasion. I believe that our values and deep seeded thoughts are what constitutes rhetoric. I think that the way we dress and act also constitute rhetoric, but we mostly use our values to persuade others to believe the same things we do. I honestly don't hear the word very much outside of the classroom. I have heard it a few times on the news stations, but only two or three times. I think rhetoric is meant to be positive, but depending on how they view the subject it could very well be negative.
Rhetoric is a big part of any religion, including Christianity. The most common role of rhetoric in Christianity is to influence the thoughts, attitudes, and beliefs of those who are listening to who is speaking. Since rhetoric is a big part of religion I am sure I will use it frequently in my mini-ethnography.

Phrase

"Why wait... Procrastinate!"
This is a phrase that my Dad used to use when we were doing our homework. He would always try to put it off till the last minute and every time we did he would say the satirical phrase "Why wait... Procrastinate". I was never quite sure what he meant by that until college came around. I was never the procrastinating type in middle school and high school, although my siblings were and I never understood why they would wait till the last minute. Now, that I am in college I don't think I do a project without procrastinating on it.

Week 11

From reading my "Week 1" blog I can definitely see some changes in my writing. It might not be a good thing, but it seems I have done a lot more procrastinating than I use to do. I have a large load this semester so I guess it's not that I am putting off my work I just have a lot more to do, therefore, things get pushed to the deadline and I have to rush to get it done. Another change that I noticed is I don't have my sister to help me revise my paper; mostly because she has been taking courses at Ivy Tech and she has a child so she is very busy and I don't want to bombard her with things to do.
I didn't really have that much trouble writing the papers. It just seemed like they took a lot of time to write each one and being a nursing major I feel like I don't have much time outside those classes. I thought the literature review would be my hardest paper to write, but surprisingly it turned out to be the easiest one.
Writing plays a large role in my life. I have written many poems and I also keep a journal or diary. I write to calm myself and to relieve the stresses in my life. I believe writing is a great way to express yourself. I think that writing will definitely help me in the future, but I'm not too sure how, I just know it will. Maybe my journal will be kept as an artifact for our family in the future, or maybe it will help me with medical school when I attend. Hopefully all my writings will come in handy one way or another.

Family History

I am sure many of you have heard of the town of Fortville. Well Fortville plays a big part in the Scott family. It turns out that my Grandpa Scott's Grandmother (so my Great Great Grandma Fort) founded the town of Fortville. It doesn't always come up when our family gets together but that is because we don't really know all that much about it. So if it does come up the conversation is short.
Some more fun facts about my family is that my Great Great Great Grandmother is full blooded Delaware Indian, my Great Great Uncle Reese founded the Reese Trailer Hitch that is still used today, and my Great Great Great Uncle is Harry S. Truman!
I have a lot of history in my family, but I was never told any personal stories of how they lived.

Week 10

I'm not quite sure what the structure of my mini-ethnography is right now, but honestly I'm not quite sure what is meant by the word "structure". I have, however, thought about how I should organize my mini-ethnography. I plan on starting by telling my reader how I am involved in my subculture and how my informants are involved. After I talk about my informants and myself I will probably start on the rituals and behaviors of my subculture so they can get a feel of what Christianity is all about. One major thing I want to talk about in my mini-ethnography is stereotypes. I think the stereotypical thoughts of my subculture is what most people think of when they hear the word Christianity. I plan on concluding my mini-ethnography with the main points of my paper and what I want people to take away from it. Like I said before I'm not sure what structure means so I haven't decided on it and why I think it's the best, but as soon as I find out what it means I think it will be good.

Subculture Glossary

Baptism- a ceremonial immersion in water symbolizing purification
Communion- eating and drinking of bread and wine symbolizing the body of Christ and the blood He shed
Ten Commandments- guidelines for a Christians life
MCON- Middletown Church of the Nazarene
Gospel- first four books of the Bible

American tongues

question 1: One thing I would have done differently is ask different questions and maybe find out more about where the accent came from.
They also interviewed a lot of older people. I think it would have been better to get a variety of ages to see if the accents carried on throughout the generations.
I think it would have also been a good idea to interview different types of people in the same area or who have a more diversity in their language.
The different words such as “pau hana” –work is finished or “jumbalaya” –spicy rice stew or “antigogglin” –crooked or “snickelfritz” –rowdy child or “schlep” –to carry is one thing I would do the same because it is fun to see the way other people use of certain words.

question 2: There were several flaws with this study. The elderly was over-represented and the men were also over-represented. The young people were under-represented and so were the women. When the younger crowd was exposed it showed them as very immature and fake. Antoher thing I would change visually is put subtitles on some parts of the video because I had a hard time understanding some of the informants. Another group of people who were under-represented were the African American people. There wasn't very much racial diversity.

question 3:There were a lot of prejudice opinions in the clip that we watched which proves that language is a very important aspect in American language. The way people speak might make individuals think that they aren't very intelligent.

"Revisiting Your Stories"

1. In the Church I am usually in the gym which is where the children have their services. Usually I am on the stage singing or performing a silly skit with my friends that are also involved in the Children's Ministry. There are many informants in this area of the Church; most of whom are little kids between the ages of six and twelve. There are only a few adults who are in the Children's Ministry. One of the informants who I have set up an interview time with is the Children's Pastor, Jill. We are very close, considering she has taught me every Sunday morning since I was five or six and now I work with her.
2. Usually when we talk it is about the children, but there are times when we go out for coffee and just talk casually. I'm not too sure how I influence Jill, but she influences me in a big way. She is my role model and has been a great influence in my life. The relationship between Jill and I is great. She has always been a great teacher and an amazing friend.
3. When I hear Jill speak I hear words of great wisdom and knowledge. I think there are a few gaps, but they aren't very big. Like I said before she is a very knowledgeable woman so she has a lot to say, which is what I love about her. There is always an emphasis on the children that are in the service because that is the most that we have in common.

Week 9

The hardest thing for me so far is trying to set up the interviews. It is really hard to meet with people whose schedules conflict with my own. The easiest thing for me thus far was getting the sources because there is a lot of information on my subculture. If I could start over I honestly don't think I would do anything different; but if I have to think of something then I would say, spending more time on the previous papers. The blog helps me think about my subculture a lot more than I would if we were just given the writing assignment. It also helps me to think through what I have done and what I will be doing on my paper in the future. I think blogging is a great idea for students to partake in if they are in the process of writing any type of ethnography. It really helps with keeping me on track with what I am writing about. Blogging has already helped me tremendously with this project and I know it will continue to help me throughout the rest of it. It will continue to help me organize my ideas and help me keep track of all my information that I have already acquired.

Developing a Research Question

I think since Christianity is such a wide spread religion most people, whether they are an insider or an outsider, would like to know more about what is involved in the Christian lifestyle.
The insiders who will read about this subject will probably want to know more about the lifestyles of other Christians and how they might perceive their own faith. The outsiders who will read about Christianity probably want to know about the rituals and behaviors of Christians. They might even want to know how to become a Christian or how the Christian religion came about.
The people that know the facts about Christianity are most likely to be insiders because so many stereotypes are put out into the media that the outsiders might not really know what’s going on in the Christian subculture.
I want my readers to learn the importance of Christianity in my life and my fellow believers. I think it is a good idea for outsiders to know about the religion and why we practice it.
I think it will be hard to persuade the outsiders who read about Christianity because they might already belong to another religion. It might also be hard to persuade the outsiders because of all of the stereotypical thinking of the American lifestyle.
Other than the fact that this is being used for a grade in my English class I think readers could use my writing for their own research on this subject.

Week 8

The main theme I see as I am doing my research is stereotypical thinking. Stereotypes play a huge role in Christianity and religion in general. As for my field site, I believe that you will find some stereotypical thinkers, but for the most part my field site focuses more on the themes of love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.
I feel like my place in the subculture is similar to what it was in the beginning. I am still having trouble trying to view things as an outsider because once I am in the setting I forget about my research and go about my normal ways. Although, I feel like I am in the same place I was, I also feel that things have changed about my perception of non-Christians. I realized I was doing what I am trying to get rid of. I found that I had many stereotypes against individuals who didn't go to church or wasn't part of some religion. I think that in my paper I am also going to try to rid of all the stereotypes about non-Christians also. I also feel that doing this research I have become a lot more involved as a Christian, which in return has strengthened my faith.

Week 7

I think that there are many advantages to field working. In my case I get to learn a lot more about my own religion by viewing it in many different ways. I also get to know a little more about the people that and preaching to me by setting up interviews and talking with them. I think I can give back to my community ,especially to the outsiders, by showing how and what Christians do on a daily basis to keep our faith alive and that Christianity is not what most stereotypes say it is. The stereotypical thinking goes both ways and by giving the interviews with a few of my non-Christian friends I think it will give the Christian viewers a more open view of the whole situation. I hope to give back to my own subculture what they have given to me; the freedom to stand up for what I believe in and not let others try to persuade me other wise. My contribution to my community would be to show them that Christianity is about love and forgiveness and not just about obeying certain rules or behaving a certain way. My contribution to this class and my education is that I put as much effort into all of the homework assignments and go to all of the classes so that I can do the very best that I can in order to become successful in what I do in the future.

Citing Electronic Sources

Clark, Charles S. "News Media Paying More Attention to Religion." CQ researcher. 25 November 1994: vol.4,44. CQ reasearcher Online. CQ Press. 18 Febuaray 2009 http://library.cqpress.com.proxy.bsu.edu/cqresearcher

This article talks a lot about the negative side of Christianity. The media only tells things like priests who sexually abuse someone or evangelists who missuse donated money. Most of the media news rooms in the 1940's were anti-religion, but now it seems that the newsrooms today are doing what they can to show religion in a negative fashion.

I think this piece will help me show that there are many stereotypes in Christianity, which is one thing I am going to try to get rid of. I also believe that the media is only portraying a very small percentage of Christians when they talk about abusers and misusers. I am not saying that all Christians are perfect because we too are human beings and human beings make mistakes.



Young, William P. The Shack. California: Windblown Media, 2007.

William Young's, Finding God In The Shack, has become very popular among Christians today. In chapter 12 it says "A realization hits Mack, the Great Sadness is gone. He walks up to Jesus and they talk over his past, his present, and what his future might look like. The conversation continues on into the rash judgments that Mack has made concerning a number of issues that we all struggle with - Jesus lovingly corrects and explains His Truth to Mack" and I think these few sentences sums up what the book is about.

This book is an example of how I might talk about Christianity with my interviewees and in my ethnography. Whether they have been inspired, challenged, or even threatened by Young's novel, Finding God In The Shack is an important tool for readers who want to better understand the scriptures truths revealed in the book's message. And hopefully individuals will apply those truths to their own lives. Each chapter of the book concludes with a set of discussion questions, making Finding God In The Shack a great book for small group discussion.

Week 6

The focal point I have observed in the Christian field is the foyer in the Middletown Church of the Nazarene. The foyer is where these individuals meet usually before and after service. It is a large area with some tables and chairs. There is also a cafe area where you can treat yourself to coffee and doughnuts. My perspective on the foyer is definitely a positive one. When I am in the foyer, I feel that is where Christians (like myself) are the most comfortable; considering we are around friends and family who share the same interests. And even if your interests are different it is still a welcoming place where the people are friendly and loving.

Week 5

I think that I will need more time to research my field site and also look into the history of it. I plan to get as much information as possible on my subculture by going to the library to check out books on Christianity. I also plan on interviewing a few people from my church and a friend that is a non-Christian. I plan on interviewing these individuals after a church service or if at all possible in there own home, so I can see how other Christians and/or non-Christians live their life. I also would like to join in on some bible studies that take place at the homes of my fellow Christians. To finish up my mini ethnography I plan on giving a survey at my church to individuals ranging from the youth to the elderly in order broaden views of my subculture and to learn a little more about who is involved in the church. So far I do not have any questions about the upcoming assignments.

Box #15

I've spent every summer for the past fourteen years in a softball field. I played on the tee ball, minors, majors, seniors, and high school leagues. Softball was my way of showing who I was while growing up. My Dad taught me everything there was to know about softball. Softball was my life. As I played the game of softball I saw, heard, felt, tasted, and smelled many things.

The view of softball was my favorite even from when I was in tee ball; although, the imagery was a little different. While in tee ball I can remember seeing the old rusty fence, the soft green grass in the outfield, and the dirty sandbox look of the infield that had five white spongy shapes. It all looked so fun to play in. While in the outfield my main focus was the bright yellow dandelions and while in the infield sand castles were the only thing on my mind. The view of the softball field held most of my attention, but the sounds were also very intimidating. The sound of all of the other kids yelling "we want a pitcher not a belly itcher" or "we want a batter not a broken ladder" made me very nervous, but the sound of the coaches telling me that I WILL hit the ball or I WILL get an out was a great confidence booster.

High school softball was very different as to what I saw, heard, felt, tasted, or smelled. The sight of the field was amazing. The green grass was always cut to perfection, rarely seeing any dandelions which didn't really matter all too much because the main focus was always the game. The redbrick dust was the biggest difference from tee ball to high school softball. The red brick dust always stained our softball clothes a brown dirt color. Another thing that stained our clothes was blood. There was always someone who had a bloody red mess on their knee, leg, or elbow from sliding or falling or getting hit with the ball. It never seemed to fail that one girl would show up to school the next day with a bright purple and black bruise or a scab that covered her entire knee.

While some of the sights could be very disturbing the sounds could be even worse. There are always a few games every summer where a girl would get hurt so bad that she wouldn't be able to get up or move. Her screeching cry would send chills down my spine.This situation was the worst to see and to hear. On a lighter note the sound of the ball hitting the bat and the words coming out of the umpires mouth always brought us girls to attention. The feel of the bat when it hit the ball or the ball landing in the palm of the glove were some of the best feelings that I had while playing softball. Yeah, the perfect cut grass and the gravel feel of the brick dust was very intriguing, but it never beat the feel of hitting the ball and getting on base or catching the ball knowing that you were in control of the situation.

To me the smell of a softball field is the best smell out of all the other sports I have played. The fresh cut grass and just the smell of the outdoors has always been better than being in a gym full of sweaty basketball or volleyball players.
The taste of softball can be a good or bad taste. The bad tastes of softball would include sliding with your mouth open getting a mouth full of brick dust which dries out the mouth tremendously. The only thing that can fix that is the good taste of a fresh cold bottle of water or the fruity taste of Gatorade on my tongue.

Like I said before softball has been a part of my life for a long time and hopefully in reading this you can get a little taste of how it has made my life a great adventure.

Dogtown and Z-Boys: The Birth of Extreme.

I think that the film was both an ethnography study and a work of entertainment because it had a historical aspect and it had many interviews with individuals that were insiders and a few that were outsiders showing their views on surfing or skateboarding. It also had a lot of footage of surfers and skateboarders that made it very entertaining.
The interviewees were mostly from a skate team called Z-boys or a surf team called Zephyr. The interviewers played a huge role in telling the viewers what skateboarding or surfing was all about. I believe that it moved the story along and showed a great perspective on how these individuals lived their lives.
Some of the attitude and beliefs were that not everyone could skate and you had to have a good style of skating in order to be part of the Z-boys. Some lingo that I heard was "cockroach style" which meant that you had no style.
This piece was organized like a story. It tells the story of how skateboarding came from surfing. This really helped me understand how skateboarding arose and became so big.
Some stereotypes I had for skateboarders was the longer hair, tough guy attitude, and mostly males. The stereotypes I mentioned were mostly correct. I think that is because I have a lot of friends that are skateboarders so I guess I am kind of an insider; although, I have no skills on a skateboard.

Week 4

I can not make any conclusions on my subculture yet because I still have so much to do. I need to interview at least three people and get a better outsiders view on the subculture. I think that Christianity differs in other towns or churches and I want to go to other churches to see if this holds true. I think that the people could be not as friendly or maybe even friendlier. I am sure most of the practices or rituals will be the same but the behaviors could be different coming from another church or town.
Obviously religious positions influence this particular subculture since it is it's own religion, but I also think that political positions influence Christians. Many Christians have different political views. It is stereotypical to think that all Christians have the same "conservative" view on politics; well I am here to tell you there are many liberal extremists in the Christian community. I know it may be hard to believe, but not all Christians are the same.

Box #12

Privileges:
19, American citizen (many freedoms), Female, White, Christian, Freshman at BSU, Living in the dorms, Financial help

These are just a few of the many things that influence my research. Being a 19 year old, American female says a lot. In order for me to be doing this research, I have to rely upon many of these influences. Being an American is probably the biggest influence because I am researching the Christian lifestyle and in many countries it is illegal to even talk about. Freedom of religion is huge and I believe that I was blessed to be born in a country that offers freedom of religion and speech. Another big one would definitely be the financial help that I receive. If I didn’t have the financial help I wouldn’t be sitting here conducting my own ethnography or have the luxury of living on campus. The things that I have listed above are all privileges that I cannot imagine living without.

Week #3

I've started some research, but not too much. I haven't had much time to get started because I have a few tests this week that I am trying to get ready for. However, since I am involved in the subculture I am researching I have been able to look at the subculture and try to view it from an outsider's prospective. While there I thought about some possible questions for my interviews. Some possible questions for the pastor could be "Why did you choose to be a pastor and why did you choose this church?" Possible questions for the individual who attends church could be "What are your views on Christians vs non Christians" or "Did anyone influence you to become a Christian and if so then who?" Possible questions for the outsider could be "What are your views on Christianity?" or "Is there a reason as to why you chose not to be a Christian?"

While viewing the congregation from an outsider's prospective I imagine an outsider would see how the church loves and welcomes everyone in, even if they are new to the church. I also think that an outsider would probably feel a little uncomfortable if they saw this because that is not considered the "norm". Being able to walk in and be loved without any knowledge of who anyone is would be a little weird.

I think that you will always find differences in academic research vs. non academic research. It's hard to find out what outsider's think about Christianity while searching through books. o it is best to do an interview with an outsider to get their reactions to certain questions and to hopefully get true answers.

Week #2

Well I think I have finally chosen the subculture that I want to know more about. I am going to do my fieldwork at MCON, Middletown Church of the Nazarene. I am going to be working in the subculture of Christianity. MCON is rather large and consists of about five hundred people; even though, the town of Middletown has only about 2,200 people.

While researching in a field I am very familiar in, I hope to find out what different parts of the Church are involved in. I also want to find out about rituals or behaviors that reside in Christians other than myself. Working with this subculture will be difficult since I have been raised as a Christian and in this Church, but I am going to try my best to keep my eyes open and look inside the Church as if I were an outsider. Hopefully by doing this study will help strengthen my faith and help me get closer to the congregation.

box 11

So I am torn between two fieldworks here it goes...

There are many factors that could interfere with studying online poker. Here are a few that may affect my view of things during my field study: my gender, my age, and my schedule. When most people think of online poker, they think that it is predominantly older males and the individual must have some sort of gambling problem. So being a younger female who is trying to become an insider might have a different impact than if an older male were conducting this research. I also have never had a problem with gambling nor do I think that studying this subculture will change that. I have, however, found that online poker consumes an enormous amount of time. Since I am a college student I fear that studying this subculture will cut into my schedule, but it is a field in which I have always wanted to find more about.
From a subjective position, I would like to study this subculture in order to better understand this time consuming obsession. I want to know what the fun is in just sitting at a computer for hours at a time playing poker. Having a friend who plays and is only 16 has always made me wonder about his obsession he has with poker. I also want to know what drives a person, who is not legally able to play, become so obsessed that he does not care what the consequences may be. Could it be the money? Could it be that he is just being a rebelling teenager? Or could it be that he actually has a gambling problem? These are some of the questions I am bound to find out.

The field of study I am also interested in finding more about is one in which I belong to. I plan on studying the Nazarene Christian. I can’t even think of any fixed positions that might affect my study because everyone is welcome in a Church. So being a 19 year old white female really has no toll as to where I might stand in the Church. I am already involved in the Church; therefore, it will not interfere with my schedule. From a subjective point of view, I would like to study this subculture to see what other individuals have to say about their own faith. I have been going to the same church since I was born and I have always been involved with the children’s ministry; which is why I want to venture away from the children and interact with the elders or the youth ministries. My biggest difficulty in writing about Christians would be the fact that I am already a Christian and I need to look at Christianity from a whole different view.

Box #2

I spend hours upon hours every week on machines that end up making my entire body sore. I get the privilege of staying up so late that my eyes start to burn. I hurriedly get ready by putting on clothes that most women would not dare wear in public, and tying my hair behind my head keeping it from surrounding my face - another thing most women try to prevent. I then expose myself to cute men who most likely would not care for my style. I jump up on the machine, where I plan to get drenched in sweat, making my appearance worse than before. My face becomes red and I begin to dream of a nice warm shower, but I force myself to stay on the machines for at least an hour longer. I have my reasons for performing this dreadful event; although, many individuals try to stay away from these machines. I have been doing this for many years now and I don't plan on quitting any time soon.

Nazarene Christians

Church

Groups- Christians, Catholics, etc
Rituals – praying , going to church on Sunday, getting baptized, communion, reading the Bible
Positions- Senior pastor, youth pastor, children’s pastor, Sunday school teachers, congregation
Rules- Ten commandments, Bible
Behaviors- Obeying, Accepting, Believeing, Faithfulness etc.
Location- Church

Nazarene Christians

I belong to a subculture of which many people belong to. I am a Nazarene Christian and a strong believer in God. Being a Christian I get to see in person what it’s all about. The place of meeting for Christians is usually a church on a Sunday morning, although some groups may meet at someone else’s house to talk about scripture on various nights of the week. One ritual that we perform, and is probably one of the most important things to join in on is communion. Communion consists of the eating and drinking of bread and wine. Now I know you are thinking that something doesn’t sound right here so I’ll explain. The bread symbolizes Christ’s body being broken for us and the wine is a symbol of the blood He shed for us. Going to church on Sunday, praying, and getting baptized are also common rituals of the Christian subculture. Nazarene Christians also behave in a certain way, or at least we are supposed to. We have a set of rules that are called The Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are found in the Bible. The Bible is pretty much the Christian guideline for life.

Week #1

My favorite and probably one of the best papers I have ever written was a literacy narrative. It was suppose to be a story from a childhood memory about a personal experience I had with reading or writing. I don’t normally wait until the last minute to write a paper, but this paper was given to us during finals and we only had a couple days to write it so I procrastinated a bit, but usually when I write I give myself a few days to work on it before it’s due. I also like to organize my thoughts before I start writing. If I don’t my paper usually gets all jumbled with what I am trying to say and it just turns into a big mess. I always have on some music to help calm me down; well not all music just certain genres.
When I’m finished writing the rough draft I normally have my sister, who is always a big help when it comes to English, revise or read over the entire paper to see if I need to rework any ideas or add any new information to spice it up. When she is done revising it we both edit or pick apart each individual sentence to see if there are any grammatical or spelling errors.