Rbailey14's Blog

CWOW field notes

Cowhill open mic night

This was definitely an eye opener for me. The literacy of the town is a lot more than what I thought previously and it was definitely an enlightening experience being able to observe it from a researcher perspective.  The one thing that immediately came to my attention was the unrelentless support of the community, the constant applause, the appreciation. This event depicted a lot of what small towns represent. I noticed the laid back feel of the room at all times, there was room for messing up, there was no image of perfection to attain for any of the performers, it was very subjective and nevertheless supported by all who attended. Many of the audience members who attended regularly would speak to those on stage as if they were the only two people in the room. I thought this was very interesting and perhaps something to take note of. The fact that they spoke directly to one another as if in conversation across the room can attest to the fact that they were comfortable in the environment. The embracing of talent and hard work is never-ceasing at cowhill events and can say something about the venue as a whole. The baristas and owner are always very welcoming, adding to the hometown vibe. Cowhill is truly a gem. It holds a lot of the evolving culture that exists in Commerce.

Three graduate Students

It is unbearably apparent that these three graduate students approached the same topic in highly different manners. I was most intrigued by the second essay. This could be because I am a sap for sad stories and feel emotion vicariously or it could be because many of us can relate to the ideas of what the story represented. The manner in which each of the presenters delivered their story mirrored what their story was about. The man of the Mormon Church, trained in speaking delivery stood tall in front of the podium with no guards. His bouldering voice resounded smoothly across the room for all to hear. The second essayist stood guarded behind a podium that protected him from the harsh and critical eyes of his viewers. This could be because of the sensitive subject of the essay or because of his guarded nature in general. The last essayist, unfortunately rushed by time, delivered in a happy medium, leaning comfortably against the never-failing podium and smiling contently while humming a less abrupt but sufficiently loud essay about her experiences both emotionally and professionally.

Chapter 7 Box 30

Analyzing artifacts and history of a particular field site is crucial regardless of its pertinence to history. Knowing the background of your research site is pivotal and can ultimately make or break the outcome of the project as a whole. Knowing how the honors college has evolved can better help me to evaluate the stresses of students involved with this organization over time. This is ultimately what ethnography represents, the history of a place and how it shapes the present day conditions of the field site. Letters from college students writing home about stress could definitely be of use and reference for my final project. Knowing that this is a commonality over the course of time is beneficial to substantializing the different aspects of the study. Simple artifacts can be key elements in a research project and if we observe them as an outside party there can often be much learned from a simple blanket, photo, or letter.