Project Reflection

For us as a group our biggest struggle obviously came from losing all the work that we had put into the first video. It was mentally hard knowing everything that was first completed was for nothing. Personally it was hard to get a lot of the footage that was used. What made this hard was the fact that it was awkward for a lot of it. Standing close to the Starbucks line for thirty minutes at a time, on numerous occasions was not easy. Especially with every other person looking and wondering what we were doing. To make that worse on two of these occasions Starbucks workers confronted us asking what we were doing and asked us to stop, even though we explained it was for a school project. I am most proud of overcoming my nerves to get the footage that we could. Secondly I am happy we were able to convince one of the nicer workers to give us a shot of her closing one of the shops, and turning off the lights for just a few seconds. The main aspect of our project that I would change is the repetitiveness of the film. I feel like most of our video was interviews that went along with people standing in line. If we had more time to work on this project we might have been able to find a student that would go into depth on whether or not Starbucks was a trend or fad, rather than giving yes or no responses. My role in the project was to get the video and perform the interviews. I feel our group got along great until the deadline got closer and we all became a little nervous. I had originally felt that the work load had been split evenly however; I would have volunteered to help any of the group members with their tasks if asked. Instead of working individually or in pairs and sending each other our work I feel it would have been better if we all could have worked together at specified times and worked all at once.

Documentaries

The three short documentaries that we recently watched used differing methods to stress certain topics to their audience. The two documentaries we watched in class were very different than the third one. This is mostly because at the beginning of Royce White's documentary and the archive the audiences were made to feel sympathy for them. However, in Korean Netiquette it felt more like a news reporting, that you would hear on the evening news. For example in the archive the director was able to capture the emotion of Mawhinney when he was explaining that everyone saw the records as junk. The directors used certain techniques to further make the audience feel this way. In the first two documentaries the directors chose to use sound effects as a background noise during most of the documentaries. Like in Royce White's during the draft party you could hear a heart beating. However, in Korean Netiquette there was a narrator explaining parts of the documentary. Another technique I noticed was the lighting that was used. In The Archive a yellowish light was used to give its subject an almost nostalgic look. Then in Korean Netiquette plain daylight was used to make the audience feel like it was just a regular day for the Korean students.

Johnson Student Center

            When I first came to the University of Kentucky I paid no attention to the building that is surrounded by a hospital on one side and the dorm towers on another. So if you are not from around here it would be easy to make this mistake as well. It was not until I got curious as to what it was when I was making the long trips back and forth from the Common Wealth Stadium and our dorm that I began to wonder what it was. What could the Johnson Center be if it is so far away from all the other class rooms? Thankfully this is not a place to study, but rather a place of recreation.

From the outside the Johnson center looks as if it could be just another building here in Lexington. However, from the back one can see what attracts so many students to this one place. The first thing that catches your eye is the field. This huge rectangular bed of grass is perfect for almost any kind of activity. First year students understand what makes this field so great since many of the “K Week” events are held on it. During this week thousands of freshmen gathered here to meet new people, and more importantly a record breaking water balloon fight. Even now in winter when the grass has browned and weather is almost unbearable, students continue to kick around a ball and enjoy other activities. The basketball courts are another story. The outside of the J.C. offers even more on the outside with basketball and tennis courts. If you are still unsure as to what is inside the building, just look up to the second floor through the row of enormous floor to ceiling windows. Here on the second level of the building one will see row after row of treadmills, bikes, and other various elliptical machines. Most of which will be occupied by students who are trying to reach mile long journeys.

                Just looking is not enough, being inside gives the real experience. Walking into the lobby is easy at night, when during the day a small line of people stand waiting to slide their cards. Once inside the sounds seem to surround you. Bouncing off the walls in every direction it can almost seem endless. Then listening to one particular noise at a time then begins to tell its own story. The first recognizable sound comes directly to the left off the lobby, as sneakers squeak from groups of people race up and down the wooden floor.  The second noise to be noticed is the loud thud as people run overhead. Shortly after determining what the thud where the thud is coming from there are loud crashes as metal hits metal. Straight ahead from the entrance, the crash comes as people lift weights and then drop them back to the floor.

                As people check in at the front desk they already have an idea of which of these areas they will occupy during their time at the Johnson center. While talking to Ian and his friends I learned they came to the center to play basketball with other kids, and since it is too cold outside they come inside. Their idea was shared with many others as games were already started on each of the four courts. As Ian waited for an open spot I could see general behaviors that they all seemed to share. Along the walls and out of the way were lines of different hoodies and sweat pants that had been taken off as new people began to play. Before someone else joined, they would stop playing and introduce themselves and explain who was on each team. It was almost necessary to do so since there was no way of telling each apart. Each team had five to six guys, all of whom were wearing regular t-shirts and shorts.  They would begin to play only communicating for the ball with their hands. Then as grew more comfortable they would call out to one another by name and helping when they could. Each member of the team would match up with someone on the other team based on their height and skill. While the taller guys waited for a pass under the basket, the shorter kids would shoot when open around the painted arch. This was repeated multiple times as people left and more people came in. If a person was not already on a team they would stand off to the side waiting for the opportunity to jump in. In the mean time they gathered one of the loose balls scattered on floor and took the opportunity to shoot while the teams were at the opposite end of the court.

                Upstairs was much different from the basketball courts where the majority of the people were talking to one another. Here machines or treadmills were set apart from one another with one person using it. Since only one person could use the machine at a time, and they were left alone by everyone else as they tried to find their own. Most of them found ways to occupy their time alone. As they ran over half had headphones in listening to music. One of the girls had even found a way to read on book as she sat on the seat of one of the bicycles. Unlike the other places in the J.C. once they started they typically stayed in that one spot for almost an hour. There was no communication between the people but they too had similarities. The majority of the people on the second floor were girls, who chose to run on one of the many treadmills or stationary bikes. They also chose to wear t-shirts like the guys who were playing basketball. However, instead of shorts that reached the knee they seemed to prefer yoga pants or shorts that only reached mid-thigh. I finally asked a girl named Taylor why she liked to come to the J.C. She told me she likes to get away from all the studying and what better way to forget about it and that running gets her mind off of it.

                The final area that caught my attention was the one where the weights were being used. Like the upstairs each work bench or seat was slightly separated from one another. The difference here was that it contained racks that were used to hold numerous sized weights. Also, along the wall that separated it from the basketball courts are mirrors that are bigger than the people around them. Like the basketball court this area was mostly guys. The atmosphere that surrounded them was different than that of the courts. Instead of the competitive mood the players had, there was an intense feeling surrounding the weights. Although a lot of the guys were about the same height as me, I could not help but feel so much smaller.

The great thing is that the J.C. is open for anyone, allowing a wide range of people to come in most of which are students, but others enjoy the center as well. The first time I went to the Johnson Center there was an elderly man, at least in his fifties doing sit-ups with a forty-five pound weight. What really set him apart from everyone else was what he was wearing. He looked as if he could be another professor who had just gotten done with a lecture. He was wearing dress pants, with a nice shirt tucked in at his waist just without a tie. The only thing he wore that others around him had on were his sneakers. Although no one is restricted to the J.C., it is funny to see how each area can be generalized to a certain group of people. On the basketball courts, there are tall skinny guys fighting to get a rebound as the ball bounces off the backboard. Then in the area containing free weights, there are more guys but different from the ones on the basketball courts. These guys are massive, flexing their muscles as they compete with one another to see who can lift the most weight. Finally on the second floor groups of girls are scattered using the different weight machines and treadmills.

The Johnson Center is a place for anyone. Whether you are looking to have fun, need a minute away from the books, or just looking to find new people that enjoy some of the thing you do. If you are thinking you do not have the time to go just know that people find time before their first class, and typically does not close until late at night.

After Peer Review

When we began our peer reviews we chose to have the readers begin without giving a brief summary. I feel this worked fine because they were focused on reading it themselves, rather than giving them an idea of what we were trying to describe to them. This benefited us because if there was something unclear we would have to ask one another. In return it would give us an idea of what we need to go back and fix.

Based on the way we started our reviews, when we began reading with an open mind to what they were writing about. This gave us an edge when offering suggestions. For example, the introduction of one of the papers had some details that were not particularly relevant to his scene. I then discussed with him on a better way to describe what he first saw when attending his event.Overall the peer review went well. I received some advice to better my paper and I was able to help out a couple classmates with theirs.

Peer Review

Really the only goal you can have when doing a peer review is to help a person by giving them comments to improve their paper, as they do the same for you. Peer reviews are only helpful if other people are taking them seriously. With a good peer review the author will see a different person’s opinion. This is helpful because when we are writing we tend to lose focus. When this happens we will write something that makes sense in our own minds but may not appear as clearly to another person. If someone were to review my paper I would rather they be a dick and comment on everything, rather than go through and check for spelling errors. To be honest I probably will not change everything that they say to, but I will look at each comment when going over my paper. Another important thing to consider when doing a peer review is the group. I think a group of three people works the best. This way you see multiple opinions and everything is not biased. There really is not a good way to select a group, as long as you receive helpful comments it makes no difference if we select them ourselves or leave it up to the teacher.

Mini Scene Depiction

I selected this clip from the Book of Eli. While watching this section the characters come across a house in what looks to be the middle of a desert. From the outside the house looks abandoned. The paint has all but peeled away from the wooden sidings, and portions of the wood itself look to be falling apart. The inside of the house is just as pleasing to see however, it reflects the elderly couple who live there. The drapes and couch have that faded flower pattern that makes them appear older than they probably are.
Once you get past how the interior of the house appears the small details begin to stand out. The China set the elderly lady brings out has enough cracks in it to mirror Humpty  Dumpty. At the same time this is her first concern when the bandits drive by, showing that this is the best they have. Secondly they have the walls lined with antique nick-knacks that seemingly cannot be thrown away due to some hidden sentimental value. Finally sitting in front of the couch, similar to that of a TV is their old record player. When she tells her husband to turn this on one would almost expect some ancient, unrecognizable song to play. Surprisingly, when the music begins a retro tune is played about ringing someones bell (ironically). What makes this better is seeing the elderly lady sing the chorus and move in her seat as if this were her favorite song.

Speech Review

When I took WRD 110 I found out that we would be giving speeches, and was not to happy about it. These  were the first speeches I have ever given for school and I will not lie, they sucked. When I gave them I was nervous and had a hard time staying on my points. However, after watching my last speech I feel I have overcome these nerves and can focus on other things I can change to give an excellent speech. When I watched my speech I noticed I still had trouble staying focused on my points. This time though, it was not due to being nervous but instead it was because I was trying to rush myself. During my speech I tried to think ahead to what I was going to say next, when I should have focused on what I was talking about. It might not make sense but I had practiced giving sentences a certain way, but while I was thinking ahead it caused me to loose track of what I already said and had to go back to fix what I was saying. Another thing I can work on improving is what I am doing during my speeches. When I watched this speech I noticed I stayed in pretty much one spot the entire time, and it looked like I was not sure what I should be doing with my hands. If you were thinking this that is because you are correct. It is hard for me to tell what kind of body language would make a speech better, so I just leave that part out. Finally, I realized I need to incorporate my power point in a better way. If I would have explained the pictures better it would have been more clear as to why I chose them. All in all I was happy with my speech and they will only continue to get better.