Extra Credit

What you did? What you learned? Why others should do the activity?

Week 1: Go to http://www.freerice.com/ and donate 1000 grains of rice.
Freerice.com is a website which serves a dual purpose: to donate food to those in need, and to help build people's vocabulary. On it, I went through probably about twenty words which helped to donate rice. From it, I learned some new words like deglutition (swallowing). Others should do the activity to challenge their brain, and to do good for the world.

Week 2: Go to http://www.smithmag.net/sixwords/ and post your six-word memoir
On this website, I posted my six-word memoir. It was an interesting activity, because it really makes you think about your life. Defining and summarizing your life in six words is so difficult. It's just a really good way to think about the past, and to analyze the way you live your life.

Week 3: Go to http://www.npr.org/ and search for the StoryCorps. Listen to one "story."
I listened to the "story" A Blind Date That Turned Into 60 Years. It was really interesting, because I could not imagine being married for that long. It was really cute to see how the couple related. This was an interesting assignment for extra credit and I would recommend this site to other people because you can learn a lot from others' experiences.

Week 4: Go to Web of Language- and select one story that interests you.
I read the story What to name the baby? Forget grandma, hire a consultant. This story was interesting, but kind of depressing at the same time. People should not hire someone else to come up with a name for their kid. It was just bizarre. Others should do this, because there is a lot that you can learn from the most random happenings in the world. Even if these stories do not come in handy in school, they can sure come in handy during conversations. These stories can serve as evidentiary support during arguments, or just to make your own point more interesting.

Week 5: Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3XxOfjntFA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EP2fBWrH46M. Watch the two links.
The first video was just too much for me, but I really liked the second one. I thought it was really informative about the use of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in movies. It also helped me to understand Ethos, Pathos, and Logos better because it used a media that I am familiar with and like.

Week 6: Go to www.actsofkindness.org and read the stories. Then decide on a random act of kindness that you can do.
It was kind of funny to read these stories, because you can tell some teacher had her class write their own act of kindness stories, so some of the stories were ridiculous. I like the concept of this website, but I do not think that it really does any good. Acts of kindness are not supposed to be bragged about. Maybe the stories should not be written by the person who did the act, but rather by the person who reaped the reward. I am not going to write about what I can do, but about an act of kindness that I received instead. This past summer I parked my car in a store's parking lot and went inside, when I came back out I realized that I had locked my keys inside my car. This was not atypical for more, I did it all the time. Luckily for me there was a auto parts store near where I parked, so I went in and bought a Slim Jim. Unfortunately for me, It was harder to use than I thought. So, I asked these two guys to help me and they gave it the good ole college try for about an hour, but they could not get it either (1st Act of Kindness right there). After they left, I called my brother because he works at a car dealership and knows what to do, but he could not come help me because he had to work. Luckily for me, he called his friend C-saw who came and popped the lock for me. When I asked him if there was anything I could in return, he simply said "pass it on." It was such a nice thing for him to do, and he did not even ask anything in return.

Week 7: Locate three youtube links that deal with your project two area for inquiry. Post these links on your blog.

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=female%20gangs&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#q=girl%20gangs&emb=0

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=girl%20gangs%20scissor&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#q=gangs&emb=0

http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=girl%20gangs%20scissor&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=N&tab=wv#q=gangs%20police&emb=0&start=10

Week 8: Locate the email address for the author of one of your sources. Construct an email to that author, and mention the research you are doing. Ask a question, or give a perspective on his or her research. BCC me on the email.
~~Get out of jail free card.~~

Week 9: For Halloween, dress in a costume which reflects a topic or character discussed in class. Take a photo of your "self" and post it on your blog.
~~Get out of jail free card.~~

Week 10: Vote or if you are not old enough to vote, go to http://www.rockthevote.org and locate your polling place.
I VOTED! I don't have much to say about it, but I feel proud that I was able to participate in such a historical election.

Week 11: Submit a piece of your writing to the Eckerd Review. www.eckerd.edu/ecreview.
~~Get out of jail free card.~~

Week 12: If you have received a "get out of jail free" card, then that can be redeemed for three extra credit opportunities.

Week 13: If you have perfect attendance for the course, you may use that for two extra credit opportunities.
~~Get out of jail free card.~~

Week 14: Go to www.1000000monkeys.com. Post the beginning to your own story. Post the link to your story on your blog.
~~Get out of jail free card.~~

Final Vogler Reading

Summary:

For the first potion of this reading, Vogler talked about how letters, words, and stories are magical. First, he mentioned how amazing the simple concept of writing is; that pen strokes can combine to create letters, then words, then sentences, and eventually whole stories which millions of people can understand. Not to mention, all of the various meanings that one word can carry and all of the intricacies that come with forming sentences (i.e., sentence structure, metaphors, etc.). From there, Vogler went on to talk about how his skeletal structure relates to real life: 1.) his structure is malleable enough that all sorts of life-stories can be told using it, 2.) every living human has at least one experience that can be tweaked to fit Vogler’s structure, and 3.) that stories are alive, in their own right, and deserve to be structured carefully. It is through such effort, to create a well-developed story, that an author can bring a tale to life; from reasonably small aspects, like word choice, to make-or-break aspects, like story development. When those stories come alive, they speak a kind of truth that the audience can identify with. Consequently, audience members become invested in the progression of the story and are emotionally affected by the final outcome; it is with that kind of spectator involvement that stories gain the power to heal and hurt.

Often times, the Hero starts out as superficial; wishing for things instead of being content with what they have, which often times serves as a catalyst for the journey. After all, the journey is meant to help the Hero grow as a person; to learn a moral or emotional lesson which will help them correct their superficial ways, flaws, personality, or their understanding of the world. Like the audience identifies with the truths of the story, they also identify with the characters that have traits universal to all people: common drives, desires, and weaknesses. It is due to that commonality that people go and watch movies; they want to experience danger without getting hurt, have their wishes come true, and experience other situations which will never happen to them. Although going to the movies is an easy way to have our wishes temporarily granted, the audience still has to endure all of the struggles and obstacles that the Hero has to overcome in order to achieve their wishes. When the audience struggles alongside the Hero, the story becomes more realistic and obtaining the wish, in the end, becomes more rewarding.

According to Vogler, there are several steps of human emotional development that can be applied to help further develop his skeletal structure, however, he chose to focus on three. The first, which has already been mentioned, was wishing. In that stage, both the Hero and the audience establish that they need change in their life. However, if they want results, they need to do more than just wish. The second step adds action to the equation; instead of sitting idly by, the Hero has to chase his dreams. It is the transition between wishing and the third step – willing. The third step is where the Hero takes responsibility for his/her actions. In this stage, the Hero has developed enough will power to seek change for themselves and no longer rely on others. It is in this stage, that Heroes show how much they have grown; they have learned lessons along their journey which have caused them to be less idealistic (wishing) and more resolute in the life goals.


Reaction:

I speak, read, and write every day, which has made the novelty of communication wear off; especially, in this age of cell phones and the internet. I liked the first part of this reading, because Vogler reminded me how incredible language truly is. It is nice to take a moment and appreciate it. However, I feel as though Vogler took it too far by saying that writing is magical. I also think that he was a little harsh on the concept of wishing. Yes, it is great to make your wishes reality, but with that comes maturity. I think that we all need some wishes and some will in our life; having a balance between the two helps keep life from getting too serious.


Questions:

1.) Is it possible for an individual, who relates with the Hero, to grow and learn as the Hero does?

2.) Do Disney movies show the three steps: wishing, doing, and willing?

3.) Do any characters, other than the Hero, go through those three stages?

4.) After reading all of The Writer's Journey, can you see ways in which Vogler's skeletal structure can be applied to other modes of communication than writing and movies? Can it help people become more persuasive speakers?

Stage 9 of the Journey: The Epilogue

Vogler, Christopher. Vogler, Christopher. “Epilogue: Looking Back on the Journey.” The Writer's Journey. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 231 – 290.

Summary:

As Vogler brings his book, The Writer’s Journey, to a close, he lists several famous movies which exemplify the use of his structure, including Titanic, Pulp Fiction, The Lion King, and The Full Monty. Vogler goes on to analyze the character archetypes and the plot development of those movies in order to help synthesize the ideas that he has presented. Vogler was careful to note that the 12-step structure, which he has presented, is purely a guideline to start from; writers are meant to create unique and interesting stories that branch off from his skeletal structure. Do not expect to use his format and come away with an award winning story or movie.

Reaction:

Looking at the comparisons, it is interesting to see the ways that stories differ and to see that Vogler’s structure applies to all sorts of genres. Also, this section of the book is important to look at because it puts all of Vogler’s ideas together, instead of looking at one single point of a story or movie. The Epilogue is an important piece of the book, because Vogler’s ideas cover a lot and he really needed to reiterate all of those points as a whole. Personally, I feel as though this book has been very repetitive, but in a way that is a good thing; it really emphasizes the concepts that Vogler is trying to make.

Questions:

1.Can Vogler’s skeletal structure be found in television shows, both fictional and reality? What about in documentaries?

2.When looking at comparisons like the ones Vogler made, is it important to notice the variations? Are they what makes the story better?

3.How would you feel about a series of stories or movies that changes perspective in each piece (i.e., the first movie comes from the Hero’s perspective, the second movie comes from the Villains perspective, etc.)? Does that reverse the Hero and Villains roles? How would the audience feel about each movie if they only saw one movie compared to seeing the whole series, or even seeing them out of order.

4 Mediums About Domestic Violence

Song:

Eminem’s, a.k.a Marshall Mathers, song Kim is an especially poignant representation of domestic violence because, for him, it is a very personal issue. He and his wife have received a lot of publicity for their volatile relationship, and that topic has served as inspiration for several of his songs. Although I have not personally experienced domestic violence, nor do I know anyone who has, this song makes it easy to imagine the fear and anger involved in such a situation through the use of a lot of pathos. The song begins with Eminem singing a lullaby to his daughter, but immediately switches to him yelling at Kim, his wife. In the background you can hear her screams. The lyrics show that a lot of this can cause a relationship to go wrong; at one point it can be progressing perfectly and the next it can be completely screwed up, just because of one small incident.

Art:

A Window Between Worlds (AWBW) is an organization which deals with both women and children who have suffered from domestic violence. That organization has created an art exhibition out of drawings and paintings that the children, staying with them, have created. These pieces of artwork are so impactful because they express what the children cannot say, or are not willing to say. What makes this exhibit so interesting is that, for the artist, creating art is a source of release but, for the viewers, looking at the art is a source of a bone-chilling sensation. Under each piece, online, there is a comment from the artist (the artist comments on their artwork years later, when they are grown). Those comments further exemplify the painful experiences that each child went through. On a positive note, some of the stories show growth and healing; that is, after the children got out of the abusive homes.

Book:

Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men by Lundy Bancroft is a good book to look at because my other examples (the song and the art) use a lot of pathos. This book takes a more analytical approach to domestic violence, and brings in personal stories. It takes Bancroft’s personal experience of being a therapist to angry men, who have been abusers, and uses his findings to help advise women how to get out of their abusive relationships. He also goes over the different kinds of angry men, various abusive relationships, and dispels common myths about violent relationships.

Video:

The movie, What’s Love Got to Do with It, is about a woman named Anna Mae, but is really based off of Ike and Tina Turner’s abusive relationship. This is a perfect representation of domestic violence, because it shows how a relationship can start off perfectly loving and then become abusive. It also shows the importance of getting out of such a harmful relationship, and that life goes on; no one should be completely dependent on any one individual person.

Stages 11 & 12 of the Journey

Summary:

The Resurrection –

This stage of the journey is an incredibly important one. It has a moment of death or rebirth, which not only makes the story feel more complete but is also the climax of the story (similar situation to the crisis/Supreme Ordeal, but this situations tests the lessons that the Hero has learned). That death or rebirth inspires the Hero to change, which allows him/her to return to the Ordinary World. Sometimes the climax is not the most dramatic moment in the story (a.k.a quiet climax). Sometimes there is a series of continuous climaxes (a.k.a rolling climaxes). The climax is meant to make the audience have an emotional breakthrough.

Return with the Elixir –

The “elixir” is what the Hero brings back to the Ordinary World; it is an adaptation of the lessons that the Hero has learned. It is during this stage of the journey that the story’s loose ends are tied up. Sometimes, however, the story is left open-ended in order to leave the audience with a sense of ambiguity. Sometimes an epilogue is needed to complete the story. Like the Reward, the Return follows a moment of death and rebirth, and both show the consequences of surviving death. The journey not only causes the Hero to change, but also the Hero’s Ordinary World.

Reaction:

I think this reading was interesting, but kind of boring. I think the most important part of the story is when the Hero shares the elixir, because the only way you can know that you truly understand something is to explain it to others.


Questions:

Is repetition important in creating an appealing story?

Are open-ended stories ever as successful as neatly wrapped up stories?

Can a Hero not learn anything? Can he/she not share his/her knowledge?

What happens if a Hero is too stressed out? Can he/she just give up?

Project 3: Domestic Violence

Organizations:

• CASA
• Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
  

Videos:

• http://www.ywcabham.org/Video/cathystory.wmv
• http://www.webmd.com/video/domestic-violence-batterer

Books:

• Surviving Domestic Violence: Voices of Women Who Broke Free

• Abuesed Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence by Philip W. Cook

• Domestic Violence: The 12 Things You Aren't Supposed to Know by Thomas B. James
  

Journey Makers

Through A Child's Eyes By Dawn Dulaney
No Holds Barred By Rosemary Rothwell

Silence and Shadows By Anonymous

Night Terrors By Betty Haskell

From Pain to Promise By Dianne Susag

AWBW - "The Monster In Me"

Why Daddy? By Stephanie



















I Am Sorry For Being A Monster By Maria


















I Will Bite Your Head By Anonymous

















Broken By Maria

Stages 9 & 10 of the Journey

Vogler, Christopher. Vogler, Christopher. “Book Two: Stages of the Journey.” The Writer's Journey. Third. Studio City, CA: Michael Wiese Productions, 1998. 175 – 194.

Summary:
Reward –

At this point, the Hero has gotten past the hardest part of his/her journey, the Ordeal, and now it is time for him/her to reap the reward for his/her labor; i.e., collect what he/she came for (seizing the sword). The only problem is that sometimes the Hero goes through all that trouble just to not be given his reward; he/she has to steal it (which is more trouble for the Hero to go through). This is also the opportune time for the Hero to recap what has happened up until this point, celebrate, and make love.

Considering that the Hero has gone through the greatest of ordeals, it is almost certain that he/she has changed or is seen in a different light by others. That change in perception by himself and by others allows him/her to look at the world differently (new perceptions, seeing through deception, clairvoyance, self realization, epiphany) or others to initiate him/her, respectively.


The Road Back –

In this stage, the Hero, usually, returns to the Ordinary World; In order to do that, the Hero has to put into use all of the lessons that he/she has learned throughout his/her journey. Sometimes it is hard for the Hero to return, because that means starting another adventure; however, some sort of external force, inner resolve, or reminder of the Hero’s ultimate goal appears and reminds the Hero that he/she cannot stay in the Special World.

• Enemies:
o At this stage, the Hero still has to worry about his/her enemies. Just because he/she thought he killed them, does not mean he/she actually did. This is a popular time in the story for chase scenes (chase the Hero, the Villain, or by an admirer), magic flights, and setbacks (could be the Delayed Crisis).

The Road Back is the stage that shows the Hero’s determination to finish the journey, in spite of the allure of the Special World and any tests that are lurking ahead for the Hero.


Reaction:

Personally, I feel as though The Road Back is a very important stage in the journey, because it brings reality to the Hero’s situation. If the story ended with the Hero getting his Reward without any repercussions, then the story would be too perfect. It is nice to see that despite all the trials that the Hero has faced, he/she is still determined to complete his/her journey.


Questions:

• We see that, during the Reward stage, the Hero’s perspective of the world has changed due to his/her trials and triumphs. Is it still possible for him/her to return to the Ordinary World and be content?

• Is it possible for the Hero to stay in the Special World forever?
o What is the importance of the Hero returning to the Ordinary World?

• Is the Villain’s escape just an excuse to create a sequel?

• How does death change the Hero?

• Are all Heroes fearless after going through their journey?