Project 1 Reflection: Too Long?!

I thought the first paper that we had to write was fun. I did not expect my paper to be fun because I hate nature. I do not enjoy observing things and then writing about them. I love writing about sports and while this was different, it was fun. I liked this because I found a subject that I felt strongly about. The subject of race and equality really affects me. Being an Asian American is difficult and I have had to deal with being called “Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee” for most of my life. I finally had the chance to talk about a place that is past stereotypes and racial profiling.

I thought I did well in talking about race and how Devil’s Den breaks barriers. I liked how I structured my essay and referred it to Frank Vanclay. I liked how I talked about race more than how it feels like home in my first essay. I thought the first essay I wrote was bland but I felt like my finished work was much more refined. I actually felt proud of my work (which does not usually happen) and showed it to my friends. I did not do this essay alone however. I had the other english teacher help me (I forgot his name but he likes the Packers, who lost today!) and I went to the writing center. The writing center really helped me organize my essay and I think I’ll go back there when my next project is due. 

I learned that I can write long essays. Usually when I write, it’s short. It isn’t long and I usually have to throw things in to make it fit the required limit. This essay however, was long. I actually tried to make it shorter, which I have never done before. My essay was probably too long and I had a lot of trouble cutting things. I felt attached to some of the things I wrote and I did not want to just get rid of it. I struggled with editing and organizing when and where things should go in my essay. This was not an easy essay to write and formulating my thoughts was difficult. Changing my paper was very difficult. I was scared of changing my essay and even if I did, I had doubts. I thought my first essay was good but was not very passionate about it. At the time I was lazy and did not want to change it but am glad I did. 

I felt like i reached the depth of analysis that was asked. I probably provided too much analysis and could have included more observation. I thought my essay was too long but struggled with changing it. In the future, I think I should cut more things and be more comfortable with changing my essay. I think I need to write things that I am passionate about and things that I enjoy writing about other than sports.

Project #1 Worksheet

Your Place: ___Devil’s Den_________________________________________________________

What are the intended functions of the place?

To provide a place for students where they can be comfortable. A place where people can be themselves and meet new people. Devil’s Den is a place where people can connect with their past when they play the arcade. They can play games like pool or ping pong and meet people with similar interests. 

What overt messages does the place send (i.e., openly communicated through signs)?

The MU displays many signs and posters that make Devil’s Den seem like a wonderful place. There are signs like “See you at the MU” and many pictures of Sparky doing things like bowling. The many signs of ASU make students feel school pride when they are attending Sparky’s Den. 

What covert messages does the place send (i.e., hidden messages)?

The covert messages that Devil’s Den sends are the propaganda signs that indirectly make kids want to come to the MU. Signs that stress the importance of coming to home football games will make kids want to spend money to go to games. Signs like the “See you at the MU” will make kids want to come and spend money on things like pool and ping pong. 

Have previous users left traces behind in the place?

Yes there have been stickers that have been placed of ASU. I saw some marker writing that said ASU and some inappropriate things. Some people have left traces behind the place but that is because they did not want to clean up their mess. I saw empty cans. Empty coke bottles. Ice cream was left at the bowling tables.

Has the place been re-appropriated (i.e., beyond its original functions)?

I believe the Devil’s Diner was always supposed to be a place for students to relax and hangout. 

What social or cultural customs did you observe (i.e., rules governing appropriate behavior)?

I saw a lot of social customs when I observed the Devil’s Den. I saw a lot of Chinese kids playing ping pong. I believe that is a result of the influence of ping pong in China. I saw a lot of social aspect at the Devil’s Den. People were all talking laughing and having a good time. I saw a lot of people smiling and joking around. 

Who has access to the place?  Are there insiders and outsiders?

Everyone has access to this place. Adults can come and play but mostly students. I saw a lot of kids playing pool and playing ping pong. I played with two adults two on two ping pong who had their kids with them. Everybody can play but everyone must play.

Who owns the place?

Arizona State University owns this place. 

What is the place’s value (i.e., monetary or otherwise)?

It is a very good place to make straight cash (homey) because all of the events cost money. Ping pong, pool, bowling, arcade and even air hockey cost money per hour.

Are there official representations of the place (i.e., online, in promotional materials)?  Do they accurately capture the place as you experienced it?

The promotion of Sparky’s Den is a little exaggerated but is still a great place. I don’t think Sparky’s Den is a perfect place as they make it seem but its place to be.  

Is the place in transition, a changing place?

This place will probably not change. I believe Sparky’s Den will be Sparky’s Den for a long, long time

What conflicts or tensions are there in the place?

There are some conflicts because it can be a very competitive place. People can argue about a ping pong rule or fight over the score. When people want to win, they will argue. 

What is the place’s history?  Do you see evidence of the past there in the present?

I do not know this places history but the MU itself has a long history dating back to 1956. The MU was built when theyre was only 6,000 students so I see a lot of changes. The MU is huge. Things like Sparky’s Den have been added.

How does this place differentiate itself from other places?  What other places is it similar to, but how is it different from those places? Sparky’s Den is different because it lets students be themselves and have fun. It lets students play games and get to know people. This place is different than places like my lounge because it is a place to relax and hangout but isn’t nearly as fun. My lounge does not have a bowling alley and doesn’t have a great atmosphere like Sparky’s Den has.

What questions do you have about your place?

I want to know who owns this place. Is it ASU or someone else? How much do the people get paid? 

Key Features / Profiles (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 165-166)

An interesting subject.  What is unusual about your place?  Alternatively, is there something ordinary about it that you can show in an intriguing way? Devil’s Den is unusual because I feel lucky that I have a bowling alley and a ping pong table but I have to pay for it. Usually if I had to pay for something I’d wish it was free. But I’m happy to give them my money. The only thing ordinary would be the chairs. They aren’t great or special but they’re chairs.

Any necessary background.  What background information will you need to include about the place in order to situate readers? They would probably need to know that you need to pay for everything. They would need to know that they can’t beat me at ping pong. Other than that, they could enter Devil’s Den without any previous knowledge.

An interesting angle.  Rather than trying to tell readers everything about the place, what angle(s) might you use? 

I would probably use the atmosphere and the past that Devil’s Den connects kids with by the use of arcades.

A firsthand account.  Did you interact with people in the place or participate in some way?  What experiences did you have there that you can write about using “I”?  (Yes, first person point of view is encouraged, especially for this paper.) I had experiences with many people when I play ping pong. I’ve played ping pong with a Chinese boy who didn’t speak any English but we connected. I made friends with a group of Korean students who came to study here. 

Engaging details.  What specific information must you include in your description of the place?  What potential does your place have for the use of sensory images, figurative language, dialogue, anecdotes, and showing rather than telling?  What do you want the dominant impression to be? I must include information about why the descriptions are important and why they mean something. I think images are very important because it gives the reader something to see. I think figurative language is important so people can interpret things. Anecdotes are important because it gives the reader stories to relate to and think about.

Generating Ideas and Text (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 168-169)

Explore what you already know about your subject.  Why do you find this place interesting?  What did you already know about it? I find this place interesting because it was the first place that I felt comfortable. This place really let me be happy. The ping pong made me think about my dad since we played together all the time. I’m asian but I’m adopted so it isn’t what you think!

If you’re planning to interview someone, prepare questions.  What would you like to ask someone in the place in order to better understand it? I would ask them what they think of the place? Why they think that? If they like playing ping pong? Pools? Air Hockey? I would ask if they had a place to hangout? 

Do additional research.  Does your place have an online component?  How else might you gather additional research?

This place does not have an online component. I could ask others for additional research to find out more about this place.

Analyze your findings.  What patterns, images, or recurring ideas or phrases did you use to describe your place?  What contrasts or discrepancies do you see?

The recurring ideas or images are the pictures that I find or the Sparky images. The propaganda is what I think about when thinking about Sparky’s Den. A recurring idea is that everybody is happy and being social. I think I saw people being happy and spending money which is great for ASU.

Come up with an angle.  What is most memorable about your subject?  What most interests you?  What will interest your audience?

The most memorable thing about my place is the relationships I’ve built with people. I bonded with my friend Austin because of ping pong. We’re now great friends. This also led me to have the courage to join the ping pong tournament. I think the atmosphere will interest my audience and a place for people to hangout and have fun is appealing.

• Notes 
• Red Colored Chairs 
• The “Memorial Union” Sign is hung on the wall.
• The sign has a maroon back round and has white letters.
• There is a couch like thing that are next to the chairs.
• People are sitting studying
• People are socializing and laughing
• People are sleeping in chairs
• Picture of Sparky Bowling
• A giant Sparky sign in hung
• Bowling Alley is dark
• A disco Ball is on
• There are strobe lights on in the Alley
• There are empty glasses that had drinks on the table stand
• There are three Asians bowling
• One of the Asians in dancing
• The other two Asians are dancing laughing and talking in a different language
• There is group of two who are quietly bowling
• A group of 8 are having a good time laughing and socializing
• A painted Sparky is on the wall
• The lockers are painted Red and Yellow for ASU
• The bowling balls are all different colors.
• Yellow, Blue, Red, Pink Etc.
• There are Christmas styled lights in the back of the alley
• The seats are hard and are circle shaped
• Someone left their brownie sundae inside of the alley
• a root beer liter is left unclaimed
• Ball machine is constantly spitting out bowling balls
• The 6 Fans are all on 
• it is a little chilly
• A huge flag of Sparky is hung on the wall
• The Asian has danced to every song
• A guy bowls a gutter ball
• a girl bowls a strike and dances and yells in excitement
• a Sticker “Fear the Fork” is placed on the stand
• A man is sipping on his soda loudly
• a women is drinking water because she is sweating from bowling
• The Green strobe lights have been constantly going off
• The floor cracks when you walk on it
• The fooseball table is available and has Black and yellow players
• a Poster of the sun devil football schedule is hung
• Propaganda is hung stressing the importance of coming to home games
• A poster of the Sun Devil Sparky’s Den hours are listed
• Monday-Thursday 10-11pm
• Friday 10-12:30 am
• Saturday 12 PM-11PM
• Sunday- open for reservations
• A token machine is located next to the sparky den front desk.
• the machine accepts 1,5,10,20 and dollar coins
• the word TOKENS is in large print
• the Pool tables are crowded
• There are easily 40 people playing
• some people are playing seriously and others joking around
• a coke bottle is left alone
• They are showing college football highlights on the screen
• a person is skateboarding watching others play
• Loud music is playing
• Tokens are used for the game machine
• A Mrs. Pac Man and Galaga machine are the first arcade games on the left
• There is a simpsons pinball machine that cost 50c
• To get “Super Value” a dollar is three plays
• Two racing game machines are next to each other so people can race against one another
• A fighting game called Tekkon 5 is labeled “Life-like violence mild”
• Another fighting game called SVC CHAOS.
• Moths Wings by Passion Pit is playing
• A person with a British Shirt is playing another with brown shorts and sandles
• The two are having a good game and are enjoying themselves
• Two girls are playing ping pong
• The girls lose the ball under a game machine
• Everybody in the room is smiling
• There is a dance dance revolution game
• The Air hockey puck flys out of the rink and onto a chair.
• A game prize machine in next to the fighting games
• Everybody is laughing
• The kids are having fun playing air hockey
• A shuffle Board game is next to the claw machine
• It is named GAME TIME by Richard Hills, Texas
• An old Fashioned Juke Box is placed at the end of the room
• A star is the symbol of the machine
• the Jukebox is called the “Real Wurlitzer”
• IT has Red buttons
• Louis Armstrong is playing in the backround
• The Machine is brown and Red
• The toys in the claw machine include a wolverine lunchbox a puzzle and many fish toys
• The boy is playing pinball and hits the machine when he loses
• The girl that was watching the girls play ping pong is now playing a racing game
• A group of five walks in
• Two boys and three girls
• There is one man standing behind the desk
• The other two workers are playing pool
• The man behind the desk is eating potato chips

Analyses of Magazine Cover

  The cover I chose to analyze is the July issue of Sports Illustrated in 1999. This picture is taken after Brandi Chastain scored the game winning penalty shot against China in the 1999 Fifa World Cup. In the picture, Chastain holds her jersey in her right hand with her sports bra showing. The picture is blurred behind Chastain as she is the only one in the picture. 

One might ask, “why show only Chastain when there were ten other players that helped USA win the cup?” or "why not show the winning penalty shot?" Sports Illustrated is stressing the fact that while Chastain did something great in scoring the game winning shot, her celebration was the real story. In society, men and women are looked at differently, especially in sports. Men are seen as better athletes than women. Men and women are almost never seen as equals in sports. Women sports aren't supposed to be as interesting as men sports. The fact that Sports Illustrated chose this picture over the winning goal is interesting. The image of Chastain without a shirt off is a bigger deal than USA beating China.   

Sports Illustrated chose to put the picture of Chastain’s celebration because people were more interested in debating the bra incident rather than the game itself. This picture symbolizes women’s equality in the US. Why can men take off their shirt but not women? Recently in the Euro cup, Mario Ballotelli pulled off his shirt and flexed for the camera. He got a yellow card and the game moved on.  

       This picture reveals the difficulties men have with accepting women as equals. In today’s society, women are viewed as sex object. This photo was taken in the same year as Rolling Stones’ Britney Spears picture and while the two have bras on, they are not similar. While Spears epitomizes the men’s view on women, Chastain brings something different with her partial nudity. In this picture, Chastain is not sexy. Her face is not lustful. She shows power. Chastain resembles a warrior with abs and muscles. Men rush to say that Chastain taking off her shirt is wrong because it is in public and Chastain did this to pull a publicity stunt. But Sports Illustrated has also had a swimsuit issue (starting from the 80‘s) that reveals much more than Chastain. What does this say about our view of women in our society? Women that look sexy are more accepted than women who show power? Society has not changed much since 1999. Kim Kardashian is a huge celebrity mainly based on her sex appeal. People are more likely to talk about Kim Kardashian or Miley Cyrus than Hilary Clinton or Michelle Obama.  

Analysis of a Writing Situation

         The article that I read, On The Defensive, debates whether watching football is ethical. Football has been around for decades but new technology has enabled scientists to discover the danger of concussions. Kaminer asks if the evidence of long term and fatal effects of brain injuries in football is enough to say that it is morally wrong to take part in the sport.

         Football is a violent sport and coaches, players and fans know this. The fans go wild if a player is hit hard as big hits are praised. The New Orleans Saints paid their players to hurt their opponents. Football has taken steps to stop concussions with increased fines and suspensions for helmet to helmet hits. However the smaller hits over long periods of time have proven to be just as damaging and are impossible to avoid. 

This is a sensitive topic because football is the most popular sport in America. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest advertising events of the year and even helpin times of crisis (i.e. New Orleans Saints post-Katrina). Football is a moneymaking machine and the economy benefits from bars and restaurants to the thousands of jobs it enables. There are many positives in football but does that make it okay to watch athletes shortening their lives for entertainment? 

Kaminer knows that most people that enjoy football are not the ones going to the games when she asks if watching football on T.V. is ethical. Even if one does not enjoy the violence, by watching at a bar or at home, one is giving in to the sport and indirectly  supporting the violence. 

Kaminer wrote this to try and connect ethics with football. This is an interesting debate because of the new studies. In the 1940s, people thought that cigarettes were healthy and ethical. Nowadays, no one believes that smoking cigarettes are ethical. So can football be the new cigarette? Kaminer does not seem like a big football fan but talks with famous speaker and writer, Malcolm Gladwell who watches football even though he knows that the players will die prematurely. 

The intended readers for this debate are for Americans that enjoy football. This topic would not be suited for Europeans (one could substitute rugby) because they do not enjoy American football. The reader’s relationship with football will shape how one feels about this article. A guy who has never watched a game of football will most likely agree because of the simple fact that athletes get hurt and injured for entertainment. A huge football fan like myself would really have to think because it questions your beliefs. I have been going to Jets games since I was four, I cannot be objective when thinking of football because it is so important to me. 

Kaminer uses sources such as Alan Schwarz and Malcolm Gladwell who have studied the topic before. The sources are used to provide proof for the statements about athletes health. The social aspect of football is interesting because of the popularity of the sport. This would not be as interesting if it were American soccer but football’s influence is everywhere. Tim Tebow is a polarizing figure and the NFL pre-season draws thousands of fans. I enjoyed this article because it really made me think about the game of football.