Week 15

I think that I've improved my writing process because drafts were required.  Looking at drafts in conferences and discussing them really helped me see what could be improved.  I feel as though I'm still struggling as a researcher to put my subjective position aside so I can write neutrally, not as an insider or an outsider, just as an observer of the subculture.  Surprisingly, I think that all of the assignments were well organized and do not need to be reworked.  While working on them I thought they were difficult but looking back, I've come to the conclusion that they were definitely beneficial for my future in college.  I won't be taking another English course because after this semester I will be finished with the English requirements for BSU's Core Curriculum.  In saying that, I believe I received well rounded instruction from the English department and thoroughly benefited from the two courses I took my freshman year.

Week 14

I believe the best piece I've written is the Research Proposal with Literature Review.  I believe it is the best because I really felt like I knew what I was doing even though I had never written a literature review before.  It was fairly easy to elaborate the subtitles you gave us.  I had already done research to write the Exploring Subcultures paper and Annotated Bibliography therefore, I didn't need to conduct additional research to write this paper.  I only had to review your outline for the literature review to make sure I understood what it was.  I felt like the knowledge I've acquired from research made it extremely easy to write and it simply flowed; I didn't have writers block like I usually have when writing other papers.

Week 13

As I entered the building, I walked into a sea of chattering people.  Smiles, laughter, hand shakes and hugs were seen everywhere.  There was a rope separating the entrance to the auditorium and the lobby.  Once it was pulled back for everyone to enter, the crowd migrated. We were all squeezed tightly together and kept pressing on till we got into the auditorium.  I smiled when I heard the speakers blaring a song of praise.  My friends and I scanned the rows of seats to find enough chairs for several of us.  After we made our way up the stairs and into our seats, I examined the open stage set up with guitars, a drum set, mikes, amps and cords tangled every which way.  I glanced at the large screen above the stage and found that we only had a couple minutes till the meeting began.  My friend turned to me and quickly told me about the great time she had with her discipler sharing the Gospel.  She smiled, as if she won a million dollar jackpot and talked with her hands as if conducting an orchestra.  Even though the girl she talked to wasn't a believer in Jesus Christ she still had hope in sharing the Gospel again.

Week 12

When I hear the word "rhetoric" I think about the word "persuasive" because of my English 103 class.  We learned the elements of rhetoric: ethos, logos, and pathos.  Still after having one semester of English under my belt and soon to have another one, I find the term "rhetoric" confusing.  My definition of rhetoric would be: acknolwedging ethos, logos, and pathos while writing.  In other words, while writing, acknowledge my voice, the reason why I'm writing, and my audience.  I definitely think that the things we say make up a part of rhetoric.  Also, how we say things, for example, sarcastically, as-a-matter-of-factly, sincerely, critically, etc., make up rhetoric.  I don't really think I've heard the term "rhetoric" in American society.  Other than my English classes, I've never heard it.  I do think I've found rhetoric in my subculture.  When I think about the audience Ball State Cru reaches out to, I think of a specific audience, college students.  When I think about voice, not necessarily my voice but the voice of Cru, I recall certain words and "methods" Cru uses to reach out to insiders and outsiders.  Going off of something you said at the beginning of the semester, I'm sure I will use rhetoric in my min-ethnorgraphy without really thinking about it, like it will come naturally.  I won't have to sit down and think, okay this is how I am going to utilize ethos, this is how I'm going to utilize pathos and so on.  I'm sure while writing I will realize that I am incorporating rhetoric into my mini-ethnography.

My Writing Quote

Writing is personal. It's my language, my voice, and my thoughts, just on paper or on a computer. 

Week 11

I think my writing process has improved tremendously.  I continue to revise and edit while I write the paper instead of  just writing a "shitty first draft" but having a draft due and then a final draft due has helped me a lot.  As I begin to revise and edit my final draft I consider all the mistakes, errors, and things that just plain didn't look or sound right in the first draft.  I definitely like the requirement of having two drafts due because it made me change my writing process.  The annotated bib gave me the most trouble because of the need to find relevant sources and having difficulty finding them as well as the citations.  Citations are so confusing!  I liked the Research Proposal and Literature Review a lot more that expected.  It was extremely easy to write because of all the research we've already done.  We just had to put it in different words!  I write because it gives me more knowledge of a certain topic, in the instance of our class, Cru; in the instance of my Eng 103 class, global warming.  Writing is personal. It's my language and my voice just on paper or on a computer.  Writing has already played a role in my future, for example I had to write a support letter asking people to support me with monetary or prayerful gifts so that I would be able to go on a mission trip this summer.  I think writing will continue to play a role in my life if I want to pursue mission trips, as well as my career in Social Work.

In Class - Family Story

I like to brag about my grandpa.  Although, he is never really brought up at family get-togethers, his history is interesting to me.  He was the mayor of a town called Richfield in North Carolina.  He is the owner of the Carolinas Aviation Museum (http://www.carolinasaviation.org/), has an enormous house, including a two story garage.  In his garage he has an old ambulance from a war (I know, it's funny I don't know which war) that is army green and has real bullet holes in it.  He always drives it for the 4th of July parade.  His house is just as much a museum as one you would go to and pay to see artifacts.  He has autographs of pilots, including a picture of the Enola Gay (plane that dropped the first a-bomb on Japan) with the pilots signature.  He has an old scuba diver helmet (the huge metal helmet).  I loved history in high school, I think that is why I find my grandpa and his history so fascinating. 

Week 10

 I've had some difficulty in putting aside my beliefs and perceptions with my past papers. With that being said, I hope to structure my mini-ethnography using my voice and beliefs but not impose on other beliefs.  I don't want to be biased.  I would like to start the paper by addressing who I am in the subculture.  As anyone who has read my blogs know, I am an insider.  I want my readers to see why I chose this subculture by explaining my place then going in depth on what Cru is all about.  Again, I do not want to be biased and I want to respect others beliefs.  I plan on writing the paper chronologically but I don't want it to be like this is what I did first and here is what I did second, and third, etc.  I definitely would like the paper to flow and just transition paragraph to paragraph but I'm leaning towards using sections. For example: "History," "Rituals," and maybe something like "Cru Today."  I think a great way to conclude the piece would be writing the section "Cru Today."  I think the structure I am leaning towards would be the best way for me to keep my research in order and organized.

Glossary of Terms

• Cru - short for Campus Crusade for Christ
  
• The Gospel - The life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His death was the payment for the sins of the world. Only through his death could the world have a relationship with God and forgiveness of sins.
• Evangelize - spreading, sharing, telling The Gospel to the world
• Christians - people who believe in Jesus Christ, have accepted him as their personal savior, and live by the teachings in the Bible 
• Believers - people who believe in Jesus Christ and have accepted him as their personal savior
• Non-believers - people who do not believe in Jesus Christ and have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior
• Savior - Jesus Christ (He died to save the world from their sins. He is Christians Savior.)
• KGP - Would You Like To Know God Personally? booklet. This booklet is an evangelism tool.
• Fellowship 

In Class: American Tongues Docementary

Answer to Question 1: If I were to do this documentary now I would have interviewed more people. For example, I was born in North Carolina and had an accent when I moved to Indiana at the age of 5. When I moved back to Indiana at 16 I was thrown into NC's culture. Since I lived in Indiana most of my life my background was "northern" and my accent was as well. I compared the people I met in NC to the people I interacted with IN and came to the conclusion that the people I encountered in NC were more rude than people in IN. As many people hear the South is supposed to have "Southern Hospitality" and I found "Southern Hospitality" rarely until I moved to Georgia. I lived about 20 miles east of Atlanta and met many African Americans. From growing up in Indiana and seeing crimes in Indiana, I developed a stereotype that most African Americans were bad but some were good. While living in Georgia for just a very short time, less than 3 months, I came to the conclusion that the African Americans that I met there were more hospitable than white people.

Answer to Question 2: There should have been a lot more diversity in this study. They should have went to more regions and interviewed different ethnicities. White people were definitely over-represented. 

Answer to Question 3: Based on a part of a clip a woman said she connected accents/dialect with hospitality/behavior. They way we talk reveals our personality and they way we live. For example when people talk fast maybe they are used to a fast paced life or if someone talks slower they are used to a laid back life.

In Class: Questions reflecting on interviews

At Pruis, I've talked to several informants. They always were polite and answered every question to the best of their ability. They never were "stand-offish" and always spoke directly to me. Usually these conversations (interviews) took place standing up either before or after the weekly Cru meeting. The informants I have have interviewed are also members of Cru as well as I am and have all been women.

The meaning behind the recorded words is the truth of the subculture. I wanted to get information directly from the subculture which is why I've video recorded as well as voice recorded at Cru. The class of the informant and how long they have been involved in Cru influences their answers to my questions as well as their family and church background, whether or not their family is religious or if they attended church before joining Cru.

When I am listening to an informant I hear their passion, excitement and the impact on their life at BSU being a member of Cru as well as the struggles they've endured being a Christian. Sometimes it is hard for the informant to explain their struggles because it is an emotional experience. Also, a gap that has come to my attention is how careful the informants are of choosing their words.

Week 9: Reflecting on my research

Reflecting on my research, I think the hardest thing has been trying to find valuable, pertinent sources that I approve of.  I've found myself searching hours on end for sources that I like.  I read several sources that I didn't even use for my Annotated Bibliography because I didn't think they were good enough.  The easiest thing has been describing my personal experiences with Cru.  If I could start my research process over, I would have read a lot more of the book I borrowed from Bracken.  I couldn't read it all because another student needed it and I had to return it.  The book I borrowed was pretty much an ethnography about Cru.  What I read of it never stated: "this is an ethnography of Campus Crusade for Christ" but the author did mention that he was an outsider of Cru. 

Having kept a blog I can look back at questions I had and see if those questions were answered for my research.  Also, my blog entries will aid me in writing my mini-ethnography because I can look back at the things I was struggling with, the things I was confident about, etc.  For example, I could compare the amount of information I knew at the beginning of my research process to the information I obtain at the end.  In addition, I could see how difficult I thought the research process would be and what my perception of Cru was then, compared to the time I end my research.

In class -- Considering Audience

1. Why will my readers care about this issue? 

There are two different ways I look at why I believe my readers might care about Cru. I'm sure Christians will care about Cru because it is an organizations that desires to spread the Gospel and is a place for students to have fellowship, learn more about Christ, and grow in the relationship with Him. I might be going out on a limb here by saying I think non-believers might care about Cru because Cru tries to promote morals from the Bible which could create a better environment for campuses.

2. What will my readers want or need to know about Cru? 
I believe that readers might want to know about rituals or behaviors of Cru, as I wrote in my Annotated Bibliography about prayer and worship. Readers might want to know why Cru desires to share the Gospel with not only their campus but the world. 

3. What do my readers already know about Cru?

I'm sure they obviously know it is about Christ, hence the name Campus Crusade for Christ.

4. What do I want my readers to learn about Cru?

I want my readers to know that anyone can be involved in Cru and why Cru desires to reach campuses and the world with the Gospel.

5. If I am trying to persuade my readers of something, how easily will they be persuaded?

Of course readers have their own experiences before reading my writings and may have preconceptions of Cru so those experiences and preconceptions will definitely play a role in persuasion. I think it will be extremely hard to "persuade" someone to join Cru, dispel their stereotype(s) of Cru, or even accept Christ as their personal Savior. 

6. What will my readers use my writings for?

Maybe a reader would use my writing for their research for a class or if they, personally, would like to know more about Cru.

Week 8 Posting

I find that in my research I keep wanting to share with outsiders of this subculture that Cru is an organization with people who really care and are welcoming. I guess the theme of my research is disbanding the stereotypes outsiders have of Cru. In conducting surveys and interacting with outsiders of Cru I've found that most individuals are stand-offish. They don't want to know about Cru or allow themselves to look at Cru in a different perspective, such as ignoring their stereotypes. I haven't necessarily found that the theme runs through the fieldsite but this question definitely makes me want to find out. I know that some outsiders do not even want to go to Pruis because the Cru meetings get out rather late, between 10:30 and 11 pm. I'm not sure if that bit of information connects with the fieldsite but I feel like it does in some way, which is why I decided to write it. Honestly, I can say that the research I've conducted has been rather difficult to swallow, since I was an insider coming into this and still am, it's hard to hear outsiders talk about their stereotypes. Even walking around campus and hearing outsiders talk about Cru effects me negatively but shows me that I have to put aside my biases, perceptions, and beliefs to conduct fieldwork.

Week 7

I know that just conducting interviews and surveys contribute to the community because it gets people thinking about Cru, whether or not they like it or not, they are thinking about it.  If they do become interested in Cru during the interview or survey, they might decide to attend a meeting.  There is a 50/50 chance here. The person will either like or dislike the meeting. If they like it, Cru has a new member. If they don't like it, at least they tried it out. I think by conducting interviews and surveys gives back not only to Cru but to the entire campus. If students become interested in Cru, attend Cru, then tell their friends who do not attend BSU or their family members, in turn they share their faith in Christ. Sharing their faith contributes not only to the Cru subculture but the Christian culture. And if one believes in Christ, they know that they are contributing to the Lord's will and plan by fulfilling his requests to inform people of the gospel. 

In addition, conducting fieldwork allows me to gain more knowledge of Cru. If I encounter someone who has questions about Cru, I will be better equipped to answer questions because of the research I've done. Relating this to my above example, if a student attends a Cru meeting, even if they do not like it, they come out of the meeting having more knowledge of Cru and will be also be able to inform others about Cru.

Survey: What are your opinions of Cru?

http://FreeOnlineSurveys.com/rendersurvey.asp?sid=jk3qasiks93se0k550024

Groundwork Activity

First impression: When I first went into Pruis Hall at Cru's first meeting of the 2008-2009 school year I was very nervous because I had no idea what to expect.  I went by myself because I didn't know anyone at Ball State.  When I went into auditorium there were a lot of people.  I saw seats empty and walked up to people sitting beside them and asked if they were taken, yes they were.  So I started to feel a little apprehensive about being there.  I was afraid that no one would be willing to let me sit beside them.  The next girl I asked was extremely welcoming.  She let me sit beside her, introduced me to the other girls sitting beside her and asked me where I came from, why I decided to come to Cru and what class I was.

Second: I became unexpectedly comfortable after sitting there for only five minutes.  I realized I shouldn't have judged the space because of one person.  She had friends and they already reserved seats for one another, I should have taken that into consideration instead of immediately becoming timid and judgmental.  During the meeting several students and staff members introduced themselves and shared their experiences at Cru.  I became very interested in this space because these students weren't students who had been Christians all their lives and were scared of coming to a new place (college) just like I was.  At the end of the meeting they announced that there would be bible studies in each dorm in order for newcomers to get better acquainted with the community of Cru.  I eagerly wanted to be in a bible study because of the experience I had there that night.

Third: Of course a lot of the students there had been Christians all their lives, grew up in the church, have a strong Christian family who encourages them, have been on missions trips, engaged in youth groups in high school, and have a great amount of Christian friends.  I had none of those things but I felt like my testimony (story) was very unique and the girls in my bible study wanted to hear it. Since "becoming a member" of Cru, I found that many older members of Cru are there to help, encouragement, and answer questions for newcomers of Cru. For example, bible study leaders are not freshman, staff members are graduates, not necessarily graduates from Ball State, but I've found that it is not difficult to get in contact with staff members.  They willingly give out their email addresses and cell phone numbers and will meet with you to discuss whatever questions you may have.

Week 6

“Campus Crusade for Christ International Overview.” Demossnewspond.com. 18 Feb 2009 .

This page provides a brief history and background of Campus Crusade for Christ International.  Bill Bright and his wife Jill founded CCCI, at UCLA in 1951.  The president of CCCI is Steve Douglass who was appointed by Bill Bright as his successor.  CCCI’s mission seeks “to help people truly follow Jesus Christ” (par. 5).  CCCI has ministries that reach out to students, athletes, business leaders, and pastors (par. 8).  In addition more than 25,000 staff members serve the organization in 191 countries.

I plan to use this information to show how big Campus Crusade for Christ is.  I hope providing the data from this source to my readers will demonstrate how important sharing the gospel of Christ is to this subculture.  I know that sharing the gospel is apart of their practice.

Wheeler, Jennifer. “Campus Crusade for Christ strives for respectful dialogue.” Daily Illini 17 Feb. 2009: 1-1. 18 Feb. 2009 . 

            This article is about Cru putting on meetings with other organizations such as, the Muslim Students Association, Atheists, and Freethinkers to come together and discuss their organizations ideals.  The organizations draw up five questions each to pose on one another in order to “form relationships with each other” and “learn more about each other,” as Cru member, Steve Elworth, said.  There is an understanding that “hostile situations may occur” but that is a risk they are willing to take in order to talk to one another (par. 12 & 13).

            I want to use this source in my mini-ethnography because I want to reiterate from my “Explain Your Positions, Please?” paper, that Cru welcomes all types of people.  I think this article represents the behavior of Cru members very well.

Box 18 assignment

I hope I understand this assignment right when it asks to look for a focal point of my site.

A focal point of my site would be the stage in Pruis Hall or wherever the "lesson" is conducted.  This focal point also serves as the place where the band performs.  All eyes, at one point or another, are on this focal point.  During a Cru meeting, a speaker or speakers, give a "lesson" in which everyone listens and pays attention to.  Also, during the meeting the band plays, usually at the beginning and end, and everyone has their eyes focused on the band and the screen on which the lyrics are projected.

In class writing: Describing a trip

October 10, 2008, I went to Lake James in Angola, Indiana with Campus Crusade for Christ.  It was our Fall Retreat and we were going to be there until Sunday afternoon, October 12th.  Out of five girls in a car only one of us, our bible study leader, had been to Lake James Christian Academy.  As we pulled into the gravel driveway I got butterflies in my stomach.  When I got out of the car I could smell lake.  Do you know what lake smells like? Fish.  It's sounds extremely unpleasant, I know, but it wasn't.  The buildings around were all fairly old.  The "sanctuary" looked like a pole bar.  If you've been to a camp before, I'm sure you can imagine what a cabin looks like, there were a few sprinkled about on the grounds.  The "main hall" was a white brick building with three stories.  We walked in and you could smell the muskiness.  Through the foyer into the main community area, the back wall was nothing but huge, pane windows, for viewing the lake.  It was gorgeous.  There was a small island in the middle of the lake.  A small two story house sat upon it, the front faced the back of the Christian Academy.  I scanned the shore line around the lake and saw so many different colors of trees.  Different shades of orange, red, green, yellow, and brown.  After scanning the perimeter, the girls headed to the "dorm" rooms in the main hall and the boys went to the cabins outside.  The rooms were dark with tattered wood bunk beds.  Again, the musky smell was evident.  Later we went outside, behind the Academy.  A fire pit surrounded with several wooden benches was the focal point behind the Academy.  The weather was just right.  Warm enough to wear flip flops but cool enough to wear a sweater.  A crisp autumn breeze blew the entire weekend.

Week 5

Part of my plan in finishing my mini-ethnography is to use research from other papers I've written for the class to aid in the writing process.  I know I need to conduct more interviews in order to get perspectives on my subculture, Cru.  I also plan to give out a few surveys and use the results from those in my writing.  I've attended every meeting Cru has had this semester and have observed while attending.  I should definitely do more in depth research rather than just observing and interviewing.  I plan on using a book I've checked-out from the library to assist in my research of the history of Cru.  I'm finding it a little difficult to find articles from databases specifically centered on Cru.  I'm hoping to obtain and find more valuable information from other sources, such as Cru's International website and Cru staff members.

I am curious about the research portfolio we are to create.  We haven't talked much about it and I would like to know if we should begin creating our portfolio's now. 

Re-writing Box 15

 

Box 15

I can see the water gently flowing over the road as my dad drives down the curvy, shaded hill.  Glimpses of sunlight peek through the treetops at the greenery on the wooded floor.  My attention is captured by a simple waterfall, not the enormous dam it is situated by.  This waterfall is tiny.  The rock formation it flows down is not even 10 feet high.  I can’t even describe its width because the small stream flows down crevices from rock to rock, not creating a single, uniform waterfall.  Water trickling into a pool below and tree branches cracking as small creatures scurry through the woods are the only sounds to be heard.

Every time I visit this waterfall I am reminded of when I was in middle school and my family would go to this waterfall with our black german shepherd, Toby.  He would walk along side the creek as my sisters and I would slide down a rock embankment that ended in a shallow pool of water.  This pool of water was adjacent to where the water flowed over the road.  The shallow pool of water and the water flowing over the road were all connected to this small but picturesque waterfall.

Dogtown and Z-Boys Documentary

I believe the documentary is both an ethnographic study and work of entertainment.  I believe that because the documentary was not a "normal," bland, documentary it was entertaining. The music, pictures, and footage of the skateboarders lent to the entertainment.

The informants were members of the skate teams, including the Zephyr Skate Team, skate champions, the Zephyr Surf Team, and founders of the Jeff Ho Surf Shop.  These informants are important because they were apart of this sport at the time, they were the ones who invented new ways of skating from surfers, making skateboards, and surf boards. The interviews were extremely important because the information comes from those who were in this subculture.

The attitude type was "We don't care what you think, we are going to do what we want to do." They all were surfers and derived most of their style from their surfing experience. They all hung out at Jeff Ho's Surf Shop, skated in pools, at playgrounds, and down steep hills together. They were careful to not let outsiders in because they didn't want their "space" to be imposed on.

Conclusions & Observations of Cru

A few general conclusions I have come to about Ball State's Cru is that it includes both males and females, all races, and other than it's staff members it consists only of Ball State students. In general, I believe that no matter what Cru I observe whether it is Michigan State's Cru or Ball State's Cru, they all strive to spread the word of God and know Jesus. Not generally speaking, every Cru all over the United States and across seas conduct themselves in different, unique ways. Weekly meetings at a smaller college or university may not be held in an auditorium as they are at Ball State. Another scenario could be that smaller Cru's may only have a vocalist and guitarist for worship, unlike Ball State's which has a band consisting of at least six students. I know demographics play a major part in influencing Cru at Ball State. Because Ball State has nearly 20,000 students it would be extremely difficult for Cru members to even try to reach half of the population with the word of God. Cru must be careful in "advertising" the word of God because of limits set on imposing on others rights.

Unlearning my Privileges (In Class 2/2/09)

·       Being able to worship the Lord freely

o    Some cannot worship a deity they want to worship because of their government.

·       Being able to go to school

o    Some cannot go to school because they have to work for their families in order to survive.

·       Being able to take out loans for school

o    Some cannot take out loans because of credit or because they simply cannot afford it.

·       Being able to choose where I want to live

o    Some are forced to live in certain places because of their government.

·       Being able to speak my opinion 

o    Some nations do not have the privilege of freedom of speech.

·       Being able to choose what kind of career I want

o    Some have to accept when job they have just to get by without regard to what they really want to do.

·       Working for at least a minimum wage

o    Some are paid bare minimum or nothing at all.

·       Working in fair conditions

o    Other countries force people to work in sweat factories, while we, in America, have mandatory breaks.

Week 3

I've begun a little research on my subculture.  I have not interviewed anyone yet but take notes and observe at Cru's weekly meetings.  I am excited to interview because listening to people's opinions will be very interesting and insightful.  I plan to ask why students/staff members believe that Cru is important.  I want to know why outsiders do not want to attend Cru meetings or be apart of Cru.  I would like to ask insiders and outsiders why they have certain opinions about Cru.  I feel like there is an infinite amount of questions I could ask.  I think questions will build upon answers from the informants.  I believe these questions are important to ask because what I believe and others believe could be totally opposite.  It's important for me to hear the opinions of others instead of only using my own opinions or beliefs in my writing.  I have been to my cultural site, Pruis Hall, numerous times.  My observations have not raised questions because I understand why the stage is used and why Cru is held in Pruis.  I have not researched any academic materials.  I am hoping that there will be information to be found in the library but I am not sure quite yet.  I know I will be able to research online because Ball State's Cru has a website and Campus Crusade for Christ International also has one too.  I do believe there is a difference between academic and non-academic research because I know many academic works are peer reviewed and non-academic works may not be.  Prejudices and biases may be extracted from works if it's peer reviewed.  Non-academic materials may be very biased in nature because the author/researcher may write using only their experiences and opinions.  

Where, oh Where Will I Conduct my Fieldwork?

I plan to do fieldwork in the subculture, Campus Crusade for Christ (aka Cru).  One particular fieldsite I will research is Pruis Hall, where Cru meets every Thursday night at 9:15.  I may research at the Atrium, which is where many Cru members gather for lunch everyday or in Botsford Hall, where quite a few Cru women live and conduct bible studies, one of which I am a member of. 

         Every Thursday night in Pruis, hundreds of students are huddled in the lobby, meeting and greeting old and new friends.  It's always likely to see smiles and hugs in this tightly woven atmosphere of people.  As the rope is pulled back for everyone to enter the auditorium, the throng of people migrate toward the entrance.  Walking into the auditorium the speakers blare a song of praise.  The guitars, drum set, mikes, and amps are set up on the stage with cords tangled every which way.  The large screen above the stage displays a countdown of time till the meeting begins. 

         What more can I discover in this subculture that I don't already know?  I'm curious to find and unravel information I've never heard about Cru.  

Box 11

The subculture I plan to research is Ball State's Campus Crusade for Christ, also know as, Cru.  I chose this subculture because I am involved in it and think it would be interesting to write and research it.  I do not think my fixed positions will affect my research because Cru consists of men and women around the same age.  I also believe that my subjective positions will not affect my research either because Cru is a subculture based on truth and love.  I do not think my person experiences in the subculture will distort my research or become biased because I also represent the same aspects as the subculture I am researching.  Therefore, I would not degrade the subculture nor provide false information on the subculture.

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary

Everyday as I wake up, brush my teeth, wash my hands, walk to class, eat, talk to friends, do homework, read a book, and even during the last few moments before I fall asleep, I talk to a person whom I've never met before in my life.  I tell this person I love them dearly, that they are my life and all I want to do is live for them.  I ask this person for their forgiveness of things I've done during the day that are considered "above reproach."  I ask for this person to help me through my daily struggles.  I ask for them to also take care of my family, friends and even people I don't know in this world who have hope in nothing.  I thank this person for loving me in return. Although, I've never seen this person in my entire life and many people do not believe in this person's existence, I love this person more than I will ever love family, friends and even my future husband. 

My Writing Experience

My writing experience is very limited.  In high school I wrote, maybe, three papers.  Most of my experience in writing has been at Ball State, last semester, in English 103.  To be completely honest, I crammed my papers in at the last minute, usually the weekend before it was due and stayed up all hours of the night but received an "A" for the class.  Although I procrastinated, I worked extremely hard on the papers and would not rest until I was satisfied with them.  I wrote a memoir, an annotated bibliography,  and an informative research essay, all in MLA format.  

While writing my memoir, my favorite paper, I faced many challenges.  Although I had an infinite amount of information to write about, it was a very trying experience.  The paper was never pre-written nor did I make an outline.  I immediately began to jot memories down and started the paper over, I don't know how many times!  A major struggle for me was revising and editing while writing the paper.  If the instructor did not require a draft, I did not write one.  What I wrote was the finished product because I revised while writing.  I found it extremely difficult to write while there was background noise.  I did not listen to music, watch the television nor were there friends conversing around me while I wrote.  I had to be completely and utterly focused on the paper without distraction.

It's a little difficult for me to distinguish the difference between revising and editing but I believe that revising is proof reading and fixing errors while editing is changing, removing, rearranging or adding more sentences.