Saturday, December 5, 2009

Writing About the Media

       'Semiotic guerilla warfare' is, according to Inglis, "reinterpreting televised texts to their own liking and often in a way that is oppositional to the interests of programmers and, more broadly, the capitalist system." It is a study of how people react and live their lives under the constant influence of the media (television, music, movies newspapers, the internet, etc.) Semiotic guerilla warfare also speculates which thoughts and ideas are totally original and which thoughts are influenced by an unauthentic external source.

         The assignment is to interview five people about a provocative popular culture item- I chose the ABC television series, LOST. Lost is a television series about a group of people who crash-land on a seemingly deserted island. Over time they discover that the island is not so normal (i.e. the Smoke Monster). They also find out that the island is not really deserted; that there are 'others.' Seasons three through five consist of the characters interacting with the 'others,' trying to figure out how to get off the island, and figuring out how to get past personal and group dilemmas. It is filled with mysteries, affairs, battles, psychological confusion, and a lot of metaphorical connotations. Many people consider its confusion, thriller endings, and viscous love triangles to come off a little provocative. It's 'rough around the edges' approach give it a raw, realistic approach dispute it's obviously fictional script. I have personally seen every episode thus far, and look forward to the final season premiering in January.

             I asked random people on my college campus two questions- "Have you seen, read about, or heard about the show, LOST?" "What do you like or not like about the show? If you have ever seen the show, metaphorically, does it mean anything to you?" Unfortunately, I would consider my interviews rather unsuccessful. Even though three out of the five people I interviewed had see the show, none of them really gave any brilliant metaphorical incite relative to the show. In my hypothesis and personal experience I thought the contrary. In relation to the topic though, maybe LOST is so complex and 'mind boggling' that people have a hard time metaphorically applying it to their lives. Could this concentration on confusion and lack of understanding of the underlying premise of the show be a result of pop culture reviews? I believe so. In my own experience of reading and hearing reviews of the show I rarely here about how the character's issue's in LOST transcend into our daily life. Person 5 said, "It doesn't really have any metaphorical application to my life. It is kind of another world." But if people think it has no personal application into their own life, then why are they so intrigued by it? Again, the issue doesn't lie in the reason for watching the show.

            The issue lies in the amount of external influence we allow by media and the people around who sway our opinion and knowledge. Maybe I personally find a lot of metaphors in the show because I have watched every episode by myself- with no one else around. This way I have been able to form my own opinions and thoughts about the show, without relying on the dramatic cues based on the facial expressions of people watching the show with me. Inglis makes a very interesting observation with this idea of 'semiotic guerilla warfare' in that, American society has been so skewed by media and the ultimate desire of hyper-individuality that we are slowly becoming less original and less innovative in our own thoughts, thus being the very antithesis of capitalism.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Local Pride



            ‘Local culture’ according to David Inglis is not so simply defined by a local event or group that is completely exterior of larger global forces and trends; i.e. going to a local night club and hearing songs that are played on the radio or featured in the “Rolling Stones Billboard Top 100”.  However, smaller populations can maintain some sort of rooted activity as long as it stays local, not spreading to far out of it’s borders, even if they do use commercial products in the actual event itself. An example of this would be a local bluegrass festival with local artists who use factory made instruments like Yamaha or Taylor. For this assignment I explored in my own hometown, Eureka, MO, to find something that was very locally founded and maintained. There is a small ski resort that has been locally owned in the back roads of my hometown called Hidden Valley.
            Hidden Valley was started over 20 years ago. The original owner is still alive and still running it. Working along side of her is her two daughters and a friend of daughters. They also seasonally employ many local high schoolers looking for a winter job and a discount on skiing. During the winter the few small snow covered hills (albeit fake snow) are filled with people from around town enjoying the holidays are having some after school fun, Because the hills aren’t mountains, most non-locals would rather spend the extra money to go to a resort that is more challenging. A few years ago, when the economy drastically declined Hidden Valley almost closed down. St. Louis city officials wanted to buy the land and use it to build expensive houses. When this news was made public to the people of Wildwood and Eureka, many were infuriated and raised heavy support to keep Hidden Valley in business. A large reason for this underground support’s success was because of local high schoolers who took a stand in the town by making Facebook groups and passing out flyers. In no way is Hidden Valley secluded from the outside world. They sell commercial foods like hot dogs, hot chocolate, Red Bull, and popcorn. They rent out factory made skis and snowboards. They use fake snow to keep the slopes full, since it doesn’t snow consistently in the winter. Skiing and snowboarding itself is not at all a local invention, but seen as a nation-wide vacation or leisure type activity. However, none of these things define what Hidden Valley is all about. Hidden Valley is a local phenomenon that strives to entertain locals of all ages (even though more targeted toward children and young adults) and provide a sporting activity that is not provided anywhere else in the St. Louis region. It remains one of the pride businesses of the Eureka-Wildwood area.

Hidden Valley



Low Culture


          ‘Low culture’, according to Inglis, is both the antithesis of ‘high culture’ and exuding many of the same principles. A second, more boxed-in way of defining ‘low culture’ is a collection of ‘creative energies’ represented by people of lower financial and social hierarchy. In this short essay I will reiterate some of the examples Inglis brought forth and add a few of my own.
            One big common theme among low culture art revolves around an underlying ‘stick to the man’ mentality. This subconscious (and sometimes conscious) mentality takes many different forms, including Inglis’ example of the industrial worker who slyly uses the company’s time, materials, and tools to work on his on his own personal project. This is an example of an overworked, oppressed working class man using ‘the system’ to his advantage- one of the characteristics Inglis pinpoints. Another example (not written by Inglis), is my friends going to The Plaza in Kansas City after Thanksgiving (when the lights go up) to play music and collect donations on the streets. They use the rich’s charity money to buy food for the homeless (like Robin Hood).
            Inglis also says “A third way of seeing low culture is as values and activities which not only break the norms of ‘high culture’ but do so willingly and proactively.” Inglis uses the example of Brendan Behan, an Irish writer, making fun of the prison guards to their face while serving time in a juvenile prison. An example (not written by Inglis), is people at the low culture simplistic church I have attended (Wayfare Church) poking fun of the mega-church worship service style of churches like First Baptist Church.
            A final example that Inglis writes about roots in schools, relating to a study of Paul Willis. Willis grew up in as a ‘working class lad’ and describes the different pranks and humors he and his friends did in school- “plans are continually made to play jokes on individuals who are not there: ‘Let’s send him to Coventry when he comes’, ‘Let’s laugh at everything he says’…”. Amongst each other they played many practical jokes, but kept it to a certain limit. If you were an outsider, “the unsmiling, overly serious, ‘posh speaking’ and inflexible regime”, you were not treated with respect, thus resulting in more harsh verbal and physical ridicule. Some symptoms of Willis’ study of ‘low culture’ are “very pronounced xenophobic, racist, and misogynistic attitudes.”
            Obviously ‘low culture’ in largely defined by the social status that defines you, because ‘low culture’ is largely defined by personal perception. In these examples Inglis provides some imagery of what can be clearly considered ‘low culture’ or ‘low art’ in any social spectrum. Like Inglis, one should attempt to take an unbiased approach to defining something as ‘low culture’, and celebrating it or looking down on it in any way. Low culture, just like high culture, “contains its own ambivalences, hypocrisies and evils too.”

Did you grow up listening to Tchaikovsky?

  The definition of high culture, as stated by the nineteenth century English author Matthew Arnold and discussed in David Inglis’ “Culture and Everyday Life”, involves two key aspects: it is “the ‘best’ works of art that have ever been produced” and the effects that these works have on people who are exposed to them on a regular basis. For the purpose of personally experiencing high culture I listened and meditated on one of my all-time favorite classical pieces, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite (Part 8) “Waltz of the Flowers”. Tchaikovsky wrote the Nutcracker Suite to coincide with a ballet to the story of “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”. For its first performance, the composer made a selection of eight sections from the ballet before the ballet's December 1892 premiere, forming The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a, intended for concert performance. The suite was first performed on March 19th, 1892 at an assembly of the St. Petersburg branch of the Musical Society. The suite became instantly popular, but the complete ballet did not begin to achieve its world-wide popularity until around the mid-1950s. My mother, being a professional musician, would always put on the Nutcracker Suite around Christmas time. The “Waltz of the Flowers” is my favorite section of the suite, because the ending moves me to unexplainable ends.
The “Waltz of the Flowers” starts of very methodical and sweet. The way the wind ensemble introduce the piece and the way the harp beautifully and articulately moves up and down scales cause me to visualize the opening of a book, the start of something new and pure. As the waltz continues it picks up tempo and intensity, yet still keeps its intricacy and its ‘sweet and light’ (p 77) nature. After a short venture into something different and a key change there is a final return to the main melody. At this point the orchestra just starts going nuts; increasing intensity, difficulty, and complexity until a final climax and a ‘big bang’ ending.
When I truly try to just experience this music and allow it to move my emotions I find that I stop trying to musically analyze every intricate part, but merely take the piece as a whole and allow it to spark visualizations and inspiration. If I were truly honest I’d have to say that I did feel a “higher” experience intellectually than if I were to listen to something more mainstream like Lady Gaga. Enjoying the art of classical music, such as the Nutcracker Suite, is truly a blessing passed down by my mother. Without her I can’t say that I would even appreciate this type of art. That probably has a lot to do with why I still love listening to classical music to this day.  I would say this may be the same for other people as well. Children who grow up being exposed to “high culture” often have more of a tendency to enjoy it as adults. I would argue that someone who grows up only listening to the country tunes of Tim McGraw or boy band sensations like the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC, can’t get a equivalent ‘high’ or appreciation from the creations of musical studios to that of an imaginative child listening to a recording of a live orchestra playing the Nutcracker Suite.

Scots and Darth Vador



Inglis indentifies some interesting issues in the modern Western pursuit of authenticity. Specifically in one section, he discusses the recent tendency for Westerners to seek out their historical nationality (i.e. Scottish) (pg 66). The problem with this is that the idea of being Scottish is a politically fabricated idea that evolved from a revolution against the United Kingdom 200 years ago- having little to do with how we view the Scottish today (bagpipes, plad quilts, Welch accent, etc.). In my own world, I found an attempt at authenticity similar in principle. At the University of Central Missouri Annual Homecoming Parade, I spotted a group of people dressed as characters from Star Wars. Now, Star Wars is in no way a nationality, but it has formed into a culture of its own- similar in concept to Scottish nationality. The pursuit of knowing as many details as possible about the ground-breaking films, and replicating the characters accurately in appropriate settings, exemplify a similar pursuit of authenticity to that of modern Western Scottish imitators.  
This clan of Star Wars characters in the parade looked like they had come straight out of the movie studio. Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Bounty Hunter, a Storm Trooper, a Tusken Raider, and the Dark Lord of the Sith where all represented in as accurate of imitations as I’ve ever seen in real life. The costumes were seemingly flawless. Later at the football game, I spotted Darth Vader  again, and took advantage of the photo opportunity. After the picture I asked where he got his costume and how much it cost. He said he had ordered it online for about $1,500. To the average person, that is a lot of money to spend on a costume of any kind, regardless of the occasion. Yet according to Inglis, that is how modern Westerners work. They will go to great extents to immolate something real and authentic because the common view is that our everyday life has so become significantly less authentic, that we must cling to or identify ourselves with something more ‘real’.
Just like modern Scottish imitators, most Star Wars fanatics fail to accurately depict the originally intended nature of the character personas. Just like Scottish imitators, most Star Wars fanatics dress, accessorize, and even attempt to act like their favorite character, yet fail to be truly devoted and loyal to this culture in their everyday life. And just like the idea of being ‘Scottish’, the idea of being ‘Star Wars’ was fabricated to address an underlying issue from the perspective of outside sources. In the Scottish case, it was the political revolutions of Germany and Italy that sparked the interest of people residing in the region of Scotland inside the United Kingdom (pg 66). In Star Wars, the outside sources are Hollywood-influenced American ideals and a mixture of eastern and western religion. Neither are an attempt to create an original culture or way of life. So like Inglis, my point is: even though the Darth Vader depicted in the photo is pretty accurate in its physical authenticity, the rooted subject is not authentic in itself, canceling out any attempts of originality.

Visual Me


Our assignment was to use a box and decorate with images that describe ourselves. I flatted out a box, covered it with butcher block paper and used images from magazines. When I finished and saw my classmate's projects I realized there was no clear-cut theme to mine. It was quite random. Which actually in itself made quite a statement about my personality and it's post-modern undertones.


The Name Game

“Schoolchildren obey (or are expected to obey) the schoolteacher, not just because he or she has a certain sort of personal character, but because he or she has a role of schoolteacher (pg.42).” According to Weber, in modern Western society, bureaucracy reigns everywhere. Even in the classroom, students are expected to give an unspoken respect to their teachers because of their educational credentials and their expected expertise in their subject. Yet despite our underlying expectation of a purely professional professor, there is something to be said about professors who educate their pupils in a more personable manner. Specifically in college, professors are not expected to take much interest in the personal lives of their students as secondary or elementary teachers might. An example of a college professor who seems to take more personal interest in students is a professor who learns students’ names. Should a professor be expected to learn the names of their students? Are students deceived in thinking a professor really cares about them personally merely because the professor memorizes their name?

First I’d like to focus on the ethical implications of learning a student’s name. Is it something a professor should do? When I asked a fellow student he stated, “In a small class, I expect them to know my name. In a large class I don’t.” Class size seems to play a significant role in whether it is to be expected of a professor or not. Regardless of the fact that the professor probably has many other classes and students that they teach, the students might be subconsciously mislead to think that a small classroom size will output more individual attention and care. In a large classroom setting it is easier to visualize that the professor probably teaches a lot more students, because the individual’s class size already seems large. So should a professor learn students’ names? I think that decision should be left up to the professor: as an individual extracurricular goal, not necessarily an expectation of their colleagues.

Another topic to be examined is the effect of a professor knowing a student’s name on the student’s interest and learning success. I asked another college student if they value a professor who knows their name and why. “Yes. It engages me in the class. It makes me feel like the subject is more important. For example, at KU (University of Kansas) there are like 600 kids in a class and everybody is only there to get a grade.” Even in everyday life we realize that memorizing someone’s name doesn’t mean you necessarily ‘know’ that person as more than a casual acquaintance. Yet, somehow this illusion that a teacher is taking personal interest in a student merely because they know their name, affects the way a student behaves in a class. From my own experience and in observing other students, when a teacher knows a student’s name, the student attends class more consistently, they become more interested in the subject matter, they engage in more class discussion, and they seem to respect the teacher on a more personal level. So, maintaining an illusion that they ‘know’ you, albeit artificial, may be educationally beneficial.

The text states (pg 45) “we can see all sorts of particular facet of modern life as rationalized and bureaucratized, even those which seem the most emotionally charged or expressive of free and unfettered individual expression.” Inglis states that even the professional situations that are emotionally driven are rooted out of bureaucratic rules (examples used: doctors and flight attendants). In contrast, most college professors use their undergraduate and graduate courses to study their field, not to study how to educate (like an elementary, middle school, or high school teacher might). In light of this it becomes quite clear that professors should not be expected to memorize student’s names. However, it should be individually taken into consideration based on the fact that it has a direct correlation with students’ success level in class.

Writing Cultured Bodies


How should men present themselves according to what American society genderly prescribes to them? For the most part American Men are expected to walk with a moderately long stride, look strong, appear confident, and remain loose and relaxed in their posture and mannerisms (pgs 34-36). American Women on the contrast are generally expected to walk more straight-postured and with a short stride, cross their legs while sitting down, and remain elegant and respectable (pg 33) Where did all this come from? It is certainly not natural as we so often advertise. It is culturally learned. However for this assignment’s sake, I’m not particularly interested in men or women who ‘follow all the rules.’ I went out and observed people who challenged the traditional gender models to see how myself and others react to their uncustomary behavior.
            Construct this imagine in you mind: baggy pants, baggy shirts, clean cut buzzed hair, fitted straight-billed ball caps, and shiny new basketball shoes  (all color coordinated), ‘swagger’ filled walking stride, and an open relaxed sitting posture. Most people might have thought of this person as a young African-American male from a highly urban area. Some might also even attach on the pretense of this person being a lazy, uninterested student. This person I just described is one of the most hard working, studious, kind-hearted, African-American females I know. In every class I’ve had with her she sits on the front row rigorously taking notes and constantly asking and answering questions. Her choice of avatar may largely differ from most females, but that doesn’t stop her from gaining much respect and love from her peers (male and female alike).
            Here is another image: short spiked hair, sunglasses, iPod ear buds in the ears, loose fitted jeans, loose fitted sports t-shirt, tennis shoes, walking stride proportionate to their body size, and a quite, easy going approach to most things.  Did you think of an adolescent Caucasian male? If you read the last paragraph hopefully you’ve learned your lesson. This individual is one of the top female leaders on campus- being a third year Community Advisor for University Housing and maintaining a strictly organized studious academic approach. Although her outward appearance may seem a bit masculine and relaxed by our culture’s standards, her conversational mannerisms  give reason to believe that she is still culturally feminine. This female is another good example of someone who crosses the boundaries of gender roles, yet still maintains a respectable lifestyle.
            Here is one more example: very fashionable, clean cut, straight posture, short stride, good cook,  and good with kids.  This individual is a republican, highly-religious, heterosexual, white male.  Only being a freshman in college, this young man already has a great number of tools to be a successful business man. He remains confident in his personality, has the skill set to be a great marketer,  and already has excellent money managing skills. Are you surprised?
            In the three examples listed I wanted to make a statement- that gender roles and expectations may exist, but they don’t necessarily prohibit one from being a successful and respectable individual. This is evidence that modern urban-American society is slowly making it more acceptable for a person to cross gender rules and also be considered a respectable individual. The habitus of each of these individuals is very much so influenced by their cultural background, their family, and their individual cultural involvements,  (pg. 34-37) even though their may consider their culture as improper or wrong. Through the sociological lense, it appears that no person’s cultured behavior, beliefs, and physical appearance are inherently natural, but in-fact learned over the course of their life.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Fecal Matters

    Society and culture has proven to affect even the smallest and most daily routines. David Ingles discusses in his book, “Culture and Everyday Life”, about social faux pas and the integration of Freud’s concept of cultivation (superego) battling our animalistic instincts (id). Two topics Ingles pinpoints are sex and toilet culture. I am going to elaborate on toilet culture. This is a topic worth looking into because our American culture says it is crude and inappropriate to discuss in detail and in public, but our animalistic instincts continue on making these feces and urinations occur.  I once had a friend from Mississippi say that he’d convinced himself that girls didn’t actually use the bathroom when they went in there- they just clean the seat, wash their hands, and gossip. Needless to say, he didn’t seem comfortable with the idea of a female defecating or urinating, although it is completely natural and necessary to our body’s survival.  Proof of America’s uncomfortableness is embedded in our business affairs, our dating norms, everyday conversation, and even in some governmental laws.
    Every culture has a norm in what is considered desirable and most comfortable when looking even into the physical bathroom itself. To further study and analyze this topic, I separately interviewed two of my friends Jacob and Katelyn to get a glimpse of their personal incite and views on toilet culture, which were most likely instilled in them by their surrounding culture(s). I just want to compare and contrast some of the interesting things they said from a sociological perspective.
    As far as backgrounds go in relation to toilet culture, Katelyn and Jacob are quite different. Jacob claims that in his home full of guys, it is normal to just leave the door open. One might wonder if being in a male dominated environment would result in an individual is more open-minded and less private about defecation. Katelyn stated that she and her mom were the only two females in her family. However, through listening one might speculate that Katelyn’s mother instilled a dominating standard that it is inappropriate to discuss or publicly display bodily functions in  any way. Katelyn stated, “My mom doesn’t even like the words ‘crap’ or ‘pee’!”. Jacob did not have a motherly figure in his household. According to the results of these two interviews, the presence of a female motherly figure highly affects how bathroom habits are practiced.
    One theme that came up in both interviews was the importance of cleanliness in the bathroom. I asked both interviewees about what disgusts them about bathrooms and their ideal bathroom.  Both went into much detail about specific things that should be clean in the bathroom. For example, both interviewees expressed their dislike of pee on the toilet seat. There were a lot of other interesting and entertaining things said in the interviews, but not enough space to further elaborate, so I suggest you read the interviews which are included at the end.
    So what does all this toilet talk have to do with sociology? How does our culture affect even the most private and ‘natural’. I’ve noticed that even in writing this analysis, my style and word choice suggests that I am not writing totally as a objective third party, but as an active integrated member with similar cultural norms as the interviewees. So, even my attempts to keep my language as appropriate as possible and inoffensive (using words like ‘defecate’ instead of ‘doo-doo’) are affected by my own culture. To refocus though, these interviews definitely exemplify how our different surrounding environments can affect how we view going to the bathroom. Specifically in these interviews, the existence of a motherly figure plays a big role in how one views the restroom and how appropriate it is to publicly discuss toilet matters. When asked at the interview if discussing bodily functions and the habits associated with it was bothering or refreshing Katelyn immediately exclaimed “It’s not refreshing!” whereas Jacob comfortable stated, “Right now it is refreshing. Exponentially refreshing. I would consider it an art- an honor that someone is interested in my art.” Humorously, I think it is important to note that Jacob is the guy who texts people while he is defecating about his ‘doo-doo’.

this is the interview (my apologies for any typos or grammatic errors):
Interview
1. Tell me a little bit about yourself. You’re background? Where you come from?
Jacob: This is my 4th year at UCM. My parents have been divorced and married different people. I have 3 step brothers and 1 biologically related brother. I’ve lived with my dad all my life. I’ve always had a male figure in my life but not always a female figure in my life. We never shut the door when we went to the bathroom. That was just the thing. We were used to that. Music education major blah blah blah…that sort of thing. I’m in the UTT building and Hendrix a lot.
Katelyn: I’m from Missouri. Have been all my life. I grew up outside of St. Louis and moved to Independence area later in my life. I’ve always lived in the suburbs I guess- nothing real rural. I have two brothers. My parents have been together for 24 years. I’m a senior Speech Path major. I like sports. I’m pretty physically active. I have really long hair quite obviously- it’d down to my knees.

2.
Do you have some sort of routine when you use the restroom? If so elaborate in detail.
Jacob: Well typically when I have to go the bathroom in a public restroom I take 6 squares and put them on each part of the toilet seat because I do not want my bare bottom on the toilet seat. Sometimes guys tend to pee on the toilet seat so that is more for my own comfort. I always make sure I have my cell phone. I flush the toilet first. At home I don’t poop in my own bathroom because I’m afraid of toilet clogging and it stinking up my apartment so I always use public restrooms. If there is no one around I will use the women’s restroom. That is where I feel most safe, because they don’t typically pee on the seat and the lighting is better in the BSU. As for whipping I’m not incredibly concerned with whipping. I stand up to whip. I stand up. Whip down, not up. I don’t wanna go against the grain. It gets very messy. When I wipe I look at the mess to see how much is there. I always flush before the wipe because I have a tendency to clog the toilet with feces and toilet paper in there at the same time. On average I usually use about 6 squares per wipe. I fold it twice then wipe. I usually just wipe once unless it appears not as clean. If I have to wipe 3 or 4 times I usually take a shower afterwards because they are messy ones. 
Katelyn: Well I go in, pull my hair to the side/ out of the way, pull my pants down,     uses the bathroom, use toilet paper, flush, put the toilet seat down, then wash my     hands. Public restrooms don’t typically bother me. I don’t use a lot of toilet paper.     I prefer my own bathroom, but yah public restrooms don’t bother me.

3. What types of things gross you about a bathroom?

Jacob: I don’t like it when there is stuff all over the toilet seat. Just a clean bathroom in general. Poop smears in the toilet is a bad sign. No pee drops on the floor. That is why I try to avoid going into a bathroom barefooted. I’ve done that before and it was not good. No dead animals. That would be gross and smell pretty bad.

Katelyn: People who leave tampons and stuff on the toilet. I hate it when guys pee on the seat. Tampons should be wrapped back in their wrapper and thrown in the trash. Nobody wants to see a bloody tampon—eeww (shakes head in disgust). I don’t like the sound of people going to the bathroom. On a random note: I’m not that grossed out by peeing in the woods standing up.

4. Is there a certain place(s) or environment(s) that this most often seems to be the case?

Jacob: Gas stations or Truck stops are typically not the greatest places. Restaurants are hit and miss, but mostly good. Sometimes girls bathrooms aren’t the best. If they are on their period that can get pretty gross. Kind of a ‘red light’ per say. (interviewer says “pun!”). Ah dang good one.
Katelyn: Girl’s bathrooms in the dorms. I don’t see nastiness as much in public restrooms. Some of my worst experiences were with female African American suitemates. That is not to say black girls are all like that. Just in my experience they have been less cleanly. I also tend to think low-income housing as not as clean sometimes.

5. What is your ideal bathroom look like?
Jacob: It needs to be well lit. There needs to be a coat hanger on the door to put your bad on, because you don’t want to wear your bag. That would get in the way. I don’t like the automatic flushers. I prefer the hard toilet seats. Not the padded ones. I like a big bowl with plenty of water in it, but not back up. Enough to where it doesn’t splash you from the poop hitting the water. I like the handicap restrooms because it has more space. I would want the crack between the door and the stall eliminated. I hate it when people stare at me. Maybe a shelf for things like my phone. When things get really bad its nice to have something like a bar to hold on to.
Katelyn: Fluffy towels. Probably some scented plug-in or candle- preferably a candle. Things like cleaning solution and plungers put out of sight if possible. Not fluorescent lighting- I like soft lighting. Maybe a CD player. Magazines like Reader’s Digest or humorous literature. Cleanliness! Clean smell, Clean sink, and the toilet seat down.

6. Do you tend to distract yourself from the bodily task you have at hand (i.e. reading a magazine, drawing, singing)?  What are some of those things you like to do while defecating or urinating?
Jacob: When I am defecating I usually like to tell people via my cell phone. That is when I like to remind people I am thinking about them. There are a couple ways I do this. In my phone I have a group called “Poop for a Group”. It is a mass texting line. I takes something they are familiar with and contorts it into something that makes them know I am pooping. For example John Denver wrote a song “Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy” but I would change it to “Doodoo on my shoulders makes me happy.” I also use popular phrases like “A doodoo saved is a doodoo earned” or movie quotes like “you want the doodoo? you can’t handle the doodoo” Christmas songs are great for that kind of stuff. It is certainly not limited to texting. Sometimes I’ll take a picture of it (poop) and send it to a select few who wouldn’t be uncomfortable with me sending them a picture of poop. Sometimes I’ll get song ideas and record them on my phone and send them to people- like the “whip it song”. I changed that one up to “Doodoo. Doodoo good..”
Katelyn: I am usually in and out pretty fast, so I don’t really read any magazines or anything like that usually. The only time I might read a magazine is if I’m at home and bored and avoiding something. Reader’s Digest is most preferred.

7. Is it weird to be openly discussing your bodily functions in this way? Does it bother you or is it refreshing?
Jacob: Right now it is refreshing. Exponentially refreshing. I would consider it an art- an honor that someone is interested in my art. Poop in a lot of ways is a dirty thing. It is a vulnerable topic. Knowing that you have the regular ability to produce something that smelly. The fact that someone could walk in on you and be exposed. But I like being exposed. The more I am exposed to a person, the more close I feel to that person. Being open about poop is just an example of me being vulnerable.
Katelyn: It’s not refreshing! It doesn’t bother me either. Where I come from, discussing bodily functions in detail is highly inappropriate. My mom doesn’t even like us to use the words “crap” or “pee” around her.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

We not I

The goal of this essay was to write an autobiography without using the word "I". The purpose is to think of yourself as a "we" in relation to what groups you associate yourself with:

The most important “we” in my life is my relationship with God. The Holy Trinity (God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit) is the one that receives my worship and provides direction in my life. We have gone through a lot together- most of it being my own transgressions, but through everything his love has remained sufficient and real in my life. To my childhood culture- Southern Baptist- a relationship with God is the most important thing one can do with their life. This relationship is usually heavily pushed by each child’s parents or guardians. As we all grow up and experience college and adulthood we tend to find that our faith is something that can not be genealogically passed down, but rather a grace that one has to individually receive and take ownership of. My life right now is going through that transition.


One group that has helped me through this transitional period is the Baptist Student Union (BSU). However do not make any prejudgments because of the Baptist name. These people live their life a little closer to the way Jesus lived his. We do not profess the Baptist name as necessarily the best way. The reason we sport the Baptist name is because the Southern Baptist convention financially supports our endeavors. However, in our community most of us didn’t even grow up Baptist or currently think that it is the best form of Christianity. We at the BSU try to accept all who come; treating them with love and respect, whether or not they have all the exact same beliefs we do. These people have become my close friends, and are eternally instrumental in the direction my life is going in.

My sophomore year in college University Housing hired me to be a Community Advisor in the resident halls. This year, being a junior, is my second year. Turns out, University Housing (the Administrative Assistants, the Graduate Assistants, the Resident Hall Directors, the Community Advisors, and the Office Assistants) have a little culture of their own. Community Advisors do things like create programs for residents, enforce policies, act as a mediator or counselor in their individual halls, and much more. Because we (Community Advisors) all generally have the same responsibilities, we instantly have a big common ground. Among student jobs on campus we have the most responsibility, the most hours, and are the highest paid. That is a huge burden to carry along with classes, our social lives, and extracurricular activities. Because the job takes over such a huge portion of our student life, it shapes our thinking and broadens our horizons. Diversity, open-mindedness, responsibility, accountability, and balance are all values the job as a Community Advisor has taught me.

It would be hard for one to name every single social group they belong to, but these are a few of my most influential ones. Each day the lessons learned from my relationship with God, my experiences at the Baptist Student Union, and my job as a Community Advisor affect which direction my life goes in.