Reflection on Writing Process for Project #1

When we were first assigned this project, I thought that it was pretty awesome. Professor Linthicum told us that we had to pick a place and study it. At that moment so many places came to my mind. I thought of Mill Avenue, Old Main, Tempe Marketplace, and many other places. Then I hear that we had to choose a place on the Arizona State campus, and most of my ideas didn't necessarily fit that category. I also found out that our paper had to be at least four pages, then I was stressed. I needed to find a place that had a lot of information to give and also a place that I would find interesting. Coming to Arizona State I always found the busy stairs of Hayden library to be kind of interesting. I have seen people trip and run on those stairs. There is also a bunch of tables around and I figured I could observe those people too. When it came time to do the notes, it was raining! Later that night it had stopped raining, so I went back to Hayden and there was really no one outside. I was panicing a little. As I was walking back to my dorm I saw a lot of people at the SRC fields. The SRC fields would have been my first choice except I thought that a lot of other people would pick the SRC fields too. When I was taking notes on the SRC I realized that there was a lot to it. I felt confident about filling those 4 pages up. I sat down at my computer and started typing. That is how I started my rough draft. Looking back, I should have made an outline and I should have thought of some key points to put in my essay. When I was sitting at my desk typing the paper, I also found it difficult to get the paper to be four pages. I started to talk about pointless things that didn't belong in my paper to try to fill it up, but I only wrote two and a half pages. Another difficulty I found was incorporating a lens yet also putting my own opinions in the paper at the same time. For my final draft I am going to make an outline before writing and I am going to study the readings that we need to use as a reference in our paper so that its easier to use them. I think that my analysis and ideas were good, but just not fully developed. If I just dig deeper into my points, then I think that it can be a great analysis. I think that a way to incorporate this project to the real world is to use analysis while looking for a house or an apartment. I would want to know the ins and outs of a place that I would be planning on living in for a while. 

Analyzing a Place Worksheet: The SRC Fields

What are the intended functions of the place?

- The intended functions of this place is to give the public a large space where athletes can practice or play their sports, people can exercise, and spectators can watch their favorite game be played.

What overt messages does the place send (i.e., openly communicated through signs)?

- An overt message that this place sends is that it is open to anyone and it can be used for pretty much anything and isn't restricted to just sports.

What covert messages does the place send (i.e., hidden messages)?

- A covert message that this place sends is that it is also a good meeting place because it is kind of in the middle of everything and there are people constantly walking by it. Another covert message is that it is a place where many people grow relationships and bond. 

Have previous users left traces behind in the place?

- There is a little dirt track that wraps around the field and people leave there shoe prints on that. People also leave their footprints in the sand of the volleyball courts. 

Has the place been re-appropriated (i.e., beyond its original functions)?

- This place has also been used for social events like the freshman luau and other activties like that one.

What social or cultural customs did you observe (i.e., rules governing appropriate behavior)?

- Some social customs that I notices was teamwork, curtesy, and communication. There are also rules that each individual sport has.

Who has access to the place?  Are there insiders and outsiders?

- Anyone can have access to this place. For me it seems like the athletes that use the SRC fields pretty much daily are the insiders and the outsiders could be anyone new to the fields.

Who owns the place?

-Arizona State owns the SRC fields I believe.

What is the place’s value (i.e., monetary or otherwise)?

- It doesn't cost anything to use the SRC fields. I find that the people really value this place thought because it is the only open space outdoors for people to use and do something they love.

Are there official representations of the place (i.e., online, in promotional materials)?  Do they accurately capture the place as you experienced it?

- There is a sign that says "Sun Devil Recreational Complex." Online they don't really go into depth about the fields besides that there is a running track and that intramural sports are played there.

Is the place in transition, a changing place?

- This place is not in transition.

What conflicts or tensions are there in the place?

- There aren't any conflicts or tensions with the place. The only conflicts that I can think of would be finding a space to play during the evening when it is pretty busy or maybe a conflict with yourself working out or the sport being played.

What is the place’s history?  Do you see evidence of the past there in the present?

- This place's history is that is has always been used for recreational activities, but besides that there really isn't any evidence of the past in the present besides the footprints.

How does this place differentiate itself from other places?  What other places is it similar to, but how is it different from those places?

- This place is different from other places at ASU because it is the only free space where people can do pretty much whatever they want. It is the only large place where you can do outside sports and activities. Some places that are similar to the SRC fields is the SRC gym, the Wells Fargo arena, and the stadium. The fields are different from these places because you can use it whenever you want.

What questions do you have about your place?

- Is there going to be any improvements or additions that will be added to the SRC fields?

Key Features / Profiles (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 165-166)

An interesting subject.  What is unusual about your place?  Alternatively, is there something ordinary about it that you can show in an intriguing way?

- Something unusual about the SRC fields is that there is a small running track that surrounds the fields. Something ordinary about the SRC fields is that people play their sports there, but something intriguing about that is that everyone bonds through the sports that they play.

Any necessary background.  What background information will you need to include about the place in order to situate readers?

- Some background information that I would need to tell my readers is just to give the purpose of the fields and a thorough description to give a visual.

An interesting angle.  Rather than trying to tell readers everything about the place, what angle(s) might you use?

- An angle that I might use for my readers is writing from a spectator's perspective rather than an athlete's perspective of the place.

A firsthand account.  Did you interact with people in the place or participate in some way?  What experiences did you have there that you can write about using “I”?  (Yes, first person point of view is encouraged, especially for this paper.)

- An experience that I have had at the SRC fields was watching my sorority play in the flag football intramural game against another sorority. I cheered on my sisters.

Engaging details.  What specific information must you include in your description of the place?  What potential does your place have for the use of sensory images, figurative language, dialogue, anecdotes, and showing rather than telling?  What do you want the dominant impression to be?

- Some sensory images that I could include in my paper would be the sounds of the whistles from the refs, trees, sweat, breathing, yelling, spit, water, gatorade, and atmosphere of the evening time. I think that anecdotes and figurative language would also be ideal for my paper.

Generating Ideas and Text (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 168-169)

Explore what you already know about your subject.  Why do you find this place interesting?  What did you already know about it?

- What i find interesting about the SRC fields is that it is a place for all different kinds of people to enjoy similar activities. I already know that the SRC fields is a great place to work out and it is available to me whenever I want.

If you’re planning to interview someone, prepare questions.  What would you like to ask someone in the place in order to better understand it?

- What is your favorite thing about the SRC fields?

- What kinds of activities do you do at the SRC fields?

- How often do you use the SRC fields?

Do additional research.  Does your place have an online component?  How else might you gather additional research?

My place has a very brief online component. It talks about the SRC gym mostly. I might to some additional research by joining an intramural sport team..

Analyze your findings.  What patterns, images, or recurring ideas or phrases did you use to describe your place?  What contrasts or discrepancies do you see?

- Some recurring ideas that keep coming to my mind about the SRC fields is that it brings people together and reminds everyone of a little piece of their home towns.

Come up with an angle.  What is most memorable about your subject?  What most interests you?  What will interest your audience?

- What I find most memorable about the SRC fields is the energy and amount of spirit the people have there. What most interests me is the fact that it makes it easier to get involved. Something that will interest my audience is all the opportunities that the SRC fields give.

Observation Notes: The SRC Fields

- It is eight o'clock pm and there are two games of intramural flag football going on with four different sororities that were taking up the right side of the SRC fields.
- Delta Zeta has a mascot cheering on their girls, and their mascot is the turtle.
- The two games were Delta Zeta against Gamma Phi Beta and Alpha Phi against Kappa Alpha Theta
- There was a bunch of girls cheering on all their teams, they were singing and clapping in unison. The girls also had signs for their team and they were wearing shirts that represented their sorority and/or had their sorority colors.
- There were also a few guys watching too.
- There are also two sand volleyball courts, but due to the rain, the sand seemed to be a lot darker and thicker than it would normally be.
- Around the two intramural flag football games there were also a few groups of guys just passing a football around and kicking a soccer ball around.
- There are two huge bright lights between the sand volleyball courts.
- I have noticed that there is always something going on at the SRC fields at night time 
because it is really hot during the day and during the week there are classes going on during the day. On the weekends, however, there seems to always be people there during the day as well. But there is always the most people there at night time when its cooler.
- I can tell that the recent rainfall has helped the grass with its color, looking much greener and not so much brown as there was when I was at the Luau my first week of being at Arizona State. 
- There are also many events that could take place at the SRC fields because of its size and how large it is (i.e. Luau, Slip 'n' Slide).
- On the left side of the SRC fields I saw two different soccer practices going on for the intramural teams that are held by the SRC. They were all male players and they had no uniform on.
- In the right corner by the bike racks, I noticed two girls on a yoga mat. I assume that they were doing partner yoga. It is questionable though. One girl was laying on her back with her feet in the air and the other girl was on top of her feet being held up in the air. Parter yoga? I do not know.
- When I walk to class around 4 I see the Arizona State rugby team getting together for practice. They practice in their uniforms. Their uniforms are maroon jerseys and white short shorts. I have never seen a game of rugby or an actual practice but when I was walking by I just saw them passing around a rather large ball.
- There isn't really any seating at the SRC fields except a couple benches that are usually always taken. Or you could bring your own chairs or sit on the ground.
- Just looking at all of the people on the SRC fields you notice the types of athletic gear everyone is wearing. The volleyball players were wearing shorts and tanks or T-shirts, but no shoes because they were playing in the sand. The soccer players were wearing shin guards and cleats. Some of the football players that were playing in their intramural games had cleats or athletic shoes, and mouth guards.
- I notice that many college students come to the SRC fields to relieve stress, and the intramurals are also a great way to bring people together.
- There is a shorter brick wall that surrounds the SRC fields as a whole. I noticed that many people don't want to take the time to walk around the brick wall to get into the fields, instead of going around people hop over the wall.
- The SRC fields is also a great meeting place because it is where a lot people pass by to get to class or to get back to the dorms.

An Analysis of an Image

Taylor Swift on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Source: BOP and Tiger Beat

I decided to analyze this Rolling Stone cover of country star, Taylor Swift. When I think of Taylor Swift, I think of a sweet, sensitive, and innocent girl. That is also probably what most people think of her as well. In this photo, we see Taylor wearing dark make up. Her hair is kind of all over the place. She is also has a serious, straight face. Taylor is wearing a nude top and is holding an acoustic guitar. The acoustic guitar is something that we would normally see Taylor with, but it is the dark makeup, the messy hair, and the serious look to her face that make this cover different. The reason why Taylor looks so serious is because she and Rolling Stone want to show the world that she isn't just an innocent, good girl. She has a dark side and a side that no one knows. If you listen to Taylor Swift's lyrics, you will notice that she has gone through a lot of heartbreak and she has done a lot of self realization. She has probably gone through a lot of tough times in her life, just like anyone else. The cover also says, "Secrets of a Good Girl," which reminds me of that famous saying, "every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future." Taylor Swift is just like anybody else. Everyone has a little dark side to them. Taylor swift probably also wants to be taken a little bit more seriously. Her music mostly appeals to young girls and women, which leads some people to believe that she is just a pop star that isn't too serious and sings about flowers and rainbows. No. She wants to draw in another audience. She wants people who take her lyrics seriously to listen to her music. And those people who would take her lyrics seriously would take her seriously as an artist. I think that the nude shirt resembles a blank canvas in her life. She is always willing to have a fresh start. The acoustic guitar keeps her close to her home roots and close to her country style. 

Analysis of Writing Situation

In an article from the North County Times newspaper, by Teri Figueroa, I found out about a very strange and sad situation that had happened in my home town, San Marcos, California. Jo Purdy, an 84 year-old woman took her own life and her husband was there by her side the whole time. Her husband, Alan Purdy, was accused of helping his wife commit suicide, and helping someone to commit suicide is considered a felony in the state of California. Alan explained that he never helped her perform the suicide and that he did not touch anything. He was simply there for her through her time of great struggle and suffrage. Jo Purdy had been diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease called Sjogren's syndrome. According to Alan, Jo had made up her mind about taking her own life because of how badly she was suffering, and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. Even Jo's children knew about it and tried to talk her out of it, but there was no getting through to her. Once Jo successfully committed suicide the San Diego Police Department arrived at Alan's front door for questioning. That night he ended up in jail for "helping" his wife commit suicide. August 23rd he found out that there would be no case.

A great view of San Marcos, California. Source:Wikimedia

 I think that there are multiple purposes for Figueroa to write about Alan Purdy's story. First, I think her main purpose of writing this article is to educate the locals of North County of what is going on in their neighborhood. This would be her ultimate goal because of the fact that she writes for a newspaper, and newspaper articles tend to be about shocking happenings in a local area. Lastly, another purpose for Figueroa to write about the tragedy of the Purdy couple is to shine a light on a controversial issue. Alan Purdy believed that it was his wife's right to take her own life, and because he supported her he was put behind bars. People should always know what is going on in their neighborhood. The writer's purpose is mostly shaped by passion, hopefully. I would think that most journalists enjoy their job. But her purpose could also be shaped by her colleagues or editor. Figueroa's intended audience would most likely be the residents of San Marcos and the cities nearby. Anyone who is interested in California state laws also might want to read this article which would make them an intended audience as well. In order for Figueroa to get all the information necessary to write this article she interviewed Alan Purdy and the Sheriff's department. She used many quotes by Alan Purdy and she explained what was said by both Alan and the Sheriff's department. Figueroa used emphatic paragraphs to make the article easier to follow. She also used an image of the Purdy couple to give the audience an idea of what they look like and what their age was. I was interested in this article because I am from San Marcos. I am absolutely shocked that things like this can happen so close to home. It seems like you hear about stories like this one and they happen in random places. San Marcos also seems so boring to me and nothing serious ever really happens. It kind of freaks me out that Alan Purdy would be able to sit and watch his wife take her own life. I definitely think that he might have some psychological issues which probably began once his wife was diagnosed with what seemed to be such an unbearable disease.