Clean Up Post 1

Tried to talk to different friends and co workers about my efforts to clean up ada hayden park and the pits. Not a good turn out it seems that everyone has such a busy life they cant take a half hour out of their day to help clean up a place they probably helped mess up...Lets see what happens tomorrow!

Manifesto and The Making of a Marginal Farm

I thought both these pieces were interesting to read. I never really thought about how some people work so hard to create something for years and in days it can be destroyed. But, instead of looking at the picture of what you lost; look at the picture at what you gained.

Berry's intent for both of these pieces is that he wants people not to think about the losses in ones life but look at the experience that was gained doing it. Like in the marginal farm he took land that wasn't great for farming and turned it into a great farm land that produced food and wealth for the family. It took years for him to create such a great farm, but not long for a flood to destroy it. He didn't look at the picture and think all the years lost building a farm. He instead looked at the picture and thought i created a great farm when nobody thought it was possible on this land. He looked at it in a different light and saw the experience gained. In Manifesto,gives the same type of moral at the end of the poem.

Making a Change

Our group thought that we would like to do something on being green. We thought the best thing we could do as students was to focus peoples attention to the issue. So, we decided that we would set up a booth during VEISHEA supporting being green. Then, we would go to different places around Ames such as Earl May, Reimen Gardens, and Country Landscapes and ask for plant donations and hand them out to be planted at our booth. We felt that it would gain peoples attention and having during VEISHEA would be the best time because that is where the most people will be, so we can gain the attention of many.

My Participation: Free Write

I am a member of the Dubuque Jaycees. This is basically a community involvement of a group of young people ages 21 to 41. We basically do a bunch of different thing in our community to help people out. We do different fund raiser type thing like sandbox dig where families pay us ten dollars and we put fresh sand in their kids sandbox. The money we raise goes to another event we hold called toys for tots. This is where families in need can come to our local salvation army and get brand new toys for their kids for Christmas. We also sponsor a few different families during the Christmas season selectively and raise money for Christmas and food for the family.

Being in landscape architecture we like to push for being green. So i project about 5 of us decided to do was set up a huge hydroponic garden on the back elevator in the college of design. This is created by all recycled products. This was to show people that they can grow their own veg. and spices in their window by creating this window "Garden." And, they would be able to do this at low cost and be green sustainable. This is a really good resource to have especially in a large city. Or one can hang one in their dorm room window. Green sustainability is the way to go!

Mission Statement

I believe in the quality of life and enjoying the quality of life the best I can. I tend to constantly enjoy it and hopefully improve other peoples quality life. And, hopefully as I continue through this journey of improving peoples life quality, I will find growth in myself. I realize it may be a struggle to get this accomplished, but i believe if i can do something about my own quality of life other people will see my actions. Hopefully people will learn from what they see and improve their life quality. Because life can't get much better than loving your own quality of life.

Sociology and Social Change

I found it really interesting that we can help make a social change happen. I never really realized what kinda of things would make that type of change. Little thing like making more time by not watching as much television. And, with that spare time I could join our colleges ONE campaign. Or, even littler thing like being green and setting up a budget. Social change can happen and needs to happen a the little thing that several individuals do can lead to big social change. Its interesting to learn the choices we make in our own lives is choices were making in the live of others, too.

Silent Spring

Carson's piece on DDT had a lot of pathos, logos, and ethos. I felt that she was well educated in the field of DDT beings that she brings up a lot of numbers and details. I also thought that she did a good job at making us have feelings for the environment because of the large numbers she uses. I felt she did a great job of making the piece interesting and well informative with the use a great transitions.

Industrial Tourism and the National Parks

What are the major themes in this piece? Are there any minor themes as well?

The major theme in Abbey's piece was the idea of industrial tourism that takes place in our national parks. This is done by him discussing with us the idea of placing paved roads in our national parks and a lot of other details of his personal connections through work. I dont think there really are any small themes. If there were they would be the small details that lead to the main theme of Abbey's piece.

A First American Views His Land

Look at the transitions between paragraphs or between sections. How does he or she make these transitions? What effect do they have on the forward momentum of the piece?

I feel like the transition in this piece were done o.k.. I felt in some places that I would have no idea where she was coming from and how she got there. I dont think they were effective enough in the transitions. I dont think it good to be as choppy as this piece may be. I think Momaday could have done a better job but it wasnt horrible.

Thoreau and McCandless Difference and Similarity

Thoreau and McCandless are quite similar. They do both enjoy nature and the aspects that come along with it. They enjoy the idea of being able to create a life with what is around them utilizing everything they can. Thoreau is a bit different he does use man-made products such as hinges and nails. McCandless uses whatever he can find in the wild, without having to use man-made products. Basically, they both are will to give their lives to live in nature with using as little to no help from man.

A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf

What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?

When Muir talks about why we feel that these alligators are so evil, stuck in my mind the most. This stuck the most in my mind because he describes the fact that why do we feel that this animal are so evil. What make them so evil? Because they are enemies of man make them devil creature. This becomes bigger as he describes the fact that some animals only live in certain areas else they will die of the cold/ hot area. They then bring up the point that when we go to an unknown area and become sick we blame it on some evil. What is the difference? Why is the world created for man and no others? Aren't alligators children of God too?

Imitation Poem

walking through the density
of trees,

the emptiness I find here
is full,

I will stay among them
for trust

the nature
the hope

Blood Dazzler part 1

Break the piece down section by section. How does each piece act as a “BUILDING BLOCK”? How does the writer create dramatic tension or interest through these building blocks?

Smith discusses in series of different poetry Hurricane Katrina. The way she uses her building blocks is by telling you the day by day agony these people were put through. She makes you feel like you are truly there going through this pain with them step by step. Each poem you read further and further into the book the more tension you feel. The agony and interest makes you keep reading the next poem. Smith does an excellent job using building blocks.

The Summer Day

What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?

The way Oliver describes the grasshopper and then moves into her kneeling down in the grass sticks out in my mind. I found this sequence very interesting because it describes how this grasshopper is just like her. The grasshopper is no better than her at this point and these small details basically tell us that Oliver feels that she needs to do more. What a precious life this grasshopper lives in? How very short that life is? Oliver is telling us that life is too short and precious so go out there and accomplish big things else you’re nothing more than a grasshopper in the grass.

The Nine Mile Wolves

Are there any moments that seem weak of clichéd to you? If so why? If this were your essay how would you change these moments?

I don’t feel that any moment was cliché to me. I feel that he wrote the essay with language that was descriptive without being overly boring. Bass interested me to read further on into the prose. The realism he placed in our hearts about these wolves, gives us the opportunity to see the good in them. I don’t at all consider that being a cliché but more like realism. A cliché would have been written in away showing us how we fear this creature. Telling us how bad the wolves are in the wild. I wouldn’t change any moment in this writing. Bass does a wonderful job giving the wolves a voice and opening the curtains that have been shading our eyes.

The Medicine Wheel

As I hike to the top of the mountain, I think to myself what kind of place would be waiting for me? I reach the top of my designation to find a medicine wheel created by the Native Americans. I stand in the cold weather watching the medicine wheel and the colorful gifts that were offered waving in the wind. I recollect my thoughts; I stand and watch the closing of the day with a mixture of a pink, orange, and yellow sky fading through the tall dark green spruce.

Moonlight of the Elk

Night falls, I start to climb a hill. Sitting upon this hill, I can see the moonlight casting a golden yellow upon the hot springs. Enchanted by the glorious scenery, I am distracted by the calls of elk that stand fifty yards beside me. I witness the habitat of the bull elk with his cows. I feel like I’m invisible as they walk pass me into the forest beyond.

Serenity of a Forest

I walk into this forest, secluded from the corruption of the city. I sit and pay attention to the noises around me. The stream is trickling by me and the leaves of the aspens are fluttering in the wind. These leaves wave in the wind; as if they are saying hello to me. I stop, take a seat, and start to sketch.

100 Word Photograph

The photograph from Albert Bierstadt has qualities that give the audience a feeling of tranquility. This feeling comes from the sun setting projecting a golden orange tone across the sky highlighting the foliage of the vegetation of the area. The composition of the trees on an eroded hillside and the canyon wall frames a couple of elk grazing in the “prairie” space between the two locations. Having the framing of the elk grazing and the quality of the sun setting reflecting a different tranquil feeling against the whippy rolling clouds make a more “naturalistic” feeling to the space.