Personal Image 7

This is a picture of me and one of my best friends. I posted this picture for one main reason: my friend never writes captions on her pictures. I think it's funny because this generation tends to stress SO much about Instagram captions. People are so concerned with what to write. Even if it's five words, we're all worried about phrasing these five words perfectly. But, if you think about it, they're just words. Why are we so concerned with what other people think of our writing? Because so many people are going to see it. It's one of the lingering effects of social media. 

Digital Reflection 7

I thought this was a perfect picture for my digital reflection this week. On Thursday, we made our posters by figuring out what writing is to us in the 21st century while using Yancey's article to support us. Brittany and I decided that writing has ventured far beyond the historical paper and pen that it's traditionally been thought of. There has been a large digital takeover when it comes to writing. Writing is absolutely everywhere. In fact, I think we probably see it more in technology than we do outside of technology. Many people don't even get the hard copy of the news delivered to their homes anymore because they use their devices to read it instead. Yancey argues that these new forms of writing are incredibly effective and helpful when it comes to learning. I would agree with her that they make it so easy to read an article or search information. These devices are giving people opportunities to write, compose, and publish things they may have never previously been able to do.

Writing in the 21st Century

For our poster, we emphasized Yancey’s idea that writing has transformed over the last century. Writing goes far beyond the traditional idea of books, text, and libraries. Writing has become incredibly prominent in our everyday lives through the increasing popularity of digital media. We are constantly writing on our phones, computers, and iPads. In many ways, this strong presence of digital media has allowed this generation to expand our ability to compose. Yancey argued that writing has traditionally been handwriting and testing, however, in the 21^st century, it has become much more knowledge-based. We focused on this idea in our poster and highlighted the importance of technology in relation to writing. Most people are constantly writing – whether they realize it or not. When you send a text message, post an Instagram, or even send a Snapchat, you are writing and publicizing ideas. Most students prefer to write and take notes on their computers, not by hand. However, this shift in forms of writing has proven to be just as powerful, important, and influential as handwriting.

Ong and Didion Walk into a Bar

Walter Ong walks into a bar, sits at a stool where he can talk to the bartender, and orders himself a whisky. He tries to make conversation with the bartender but the bartender is too busy scrambling around making drinks. He's only giving Ong a fraction of the attention that he wants. Ong looks to his right and sees a group of girls - probably in their 20's and asks them how they're doing. They immediately start giggling and texting each other. They're showing each other pictures on social media and stalking a boy they think is cute. Ong murmurs under his breath, "This is why oral culture is fading and losing its prominence." Frustrated, he looks to his left to see if there's anyone else nearby that he can strike up a conversation with - after all - he doesn't have a phone because he doesn't believe in them. He likes to communicate solely through orality and literacy. In simpler terms, he's a talker and a reader. Those are the two most important qualities about him. Unfortunately, the bar stool to his left is empty so it looks like Ong is out of luck.

Five minutes later, Joan Didion walks into the same bar. Conveniently enough, she sits one seat over from Walter Ong. She's alone and she orders herself a glass of wine. While she waits for her drink, she pulls out her phone and starts texting. Naturally, Walter Ong murmurs under his breath, "Of course, another hopeless individual whose biggest concerns lie behind the screen on their cellphone." Ong thought he said it quietly, but Didion heard every word that came out of his mouth.

"Excuse Me? How dare you criticize me. You don't know anything about me and have no right to make any of those assumptions. At least keep your thoughts to yourself."

Didion gets up to walk away and as she's leaving, she says to herself, "I have my own issues with society and you don't hear me publicizing those." She takes her drink and moves across the bar to a table by herself. She takes out a notepad and a pen an starts writing.

Ong takes a minute to soak in Didion's last comment. Curiosity gets the best of him and he can't help but wonder what Didion meant. What are her problems with society? He orders another drink while he tries to consider all the options of what Joan Didion, a young woman on her cellphone, could possibly have problems with. Once his drink arrives, he grabs it and ventures toward Didion's table.

"What do you want and why are you following me?" Didion asks in an aggressive tone.

"I'm sorry. I think we got off on the wrong foot. I couldn't help but overhear your last comment about your problems with society. I can't help but wonder what you mean. I have my own issues with society and the incoming generations and I would love to compare opinions. Personally, I believe strongly in oral communication. I think it's critical that we talk about this stuff with our peers and let future generations know how truly important it is."

Didion stares at him for a second with a confused expression on her face. She sits there in silence for a minute before she responds. Then, a slight smirk emerges on her face. "I'm Joan Didion. Why don't you have a seat so we can talk."

Lacrosse Revised

Lacrosse is not just a sport, but a lifestyle. It requires athleticism, coordination, and most importantly - passion. When you're young, it's so innocent and fun. The coaches hand you a stick and teach you how to throw and catch. You probably suck at first but you learn fast. They take you to the high school games and you watch in awe just hoping that you'll be that good one day. When you're young, the rules are simplified, the coaches tell you good job (even after you mess up), and it's all fun and games. 

...until you get older

You get to high school and you think you're the big shot on campus because you're good at your sport, your high school team won the state championship, and you're going off to play in college. But everyday isn't this charming. When I was in high school, I got my first concussion. Meanwhile, I didn't want to sit out so I never told my coach. One week later, I got hit in the head again. I remember trying to sit through pre-calc with a throbbing headache and absolutely no focus. In fact, my teacher pulled me aside after class because he was worried about me. It took rest, sleep, and sitting in dark rooms...but my head healed and I obviously kept playing. 

Fast forward to your college career....


You get to college and realize that the pace of the game has drastically changed since high school. Everyone is good and if you're not moving the ball fast enough, you might as well get out of the drill. Your alarm goes off in the morning and the last thing you want to do is get up and go train. You would do anything for 30 more minutes of sleep. Half the mornings you wake up and wonder what you're doing with your life. 

Wake up. Eat breakfast. Go practice for four hours. Run until you're legs don't want to move. Get yelled at by your coach. Go to class for a couple hours. Sit in class starving because you don't have time to eat lunch. Go home. Eat dinner. Try to stay awake while you attempt to do your homework. Go to bed. Wake up. Repeat.

It's a constant cycle of sleep deprivation, stress, being sore, and being ridiculously hungry ALL the time. It's no longer that thing in your life that you do on the weekends for fun and to stay active. It's a full time job. You're here to play lacrosse (and do your schoolwork if you have time). Some days (if you're lucky), you'll even get a good night of sleep. You'll learn to appreciate those nights where you get 6 or 7 hours. Sleeping in? Oh, please. You won't even remember what that's like anymore. You don't get to sleep in. You have to wake up ready to go with full force every morning. Coffee will be your new best friend. Don't feel like working out today? Too bad. You have to do it anyways. You're stick work isn't looking good today? Get on the line. That's a sprint.

Sometimes, I forget I'm at school to actually go to school. This sport will take over your life.

But then you get to season. You're hard work starts to pay off and some days, it becomes that magical sport again. Just like it was growing up. That feeling of winning a game, scoring a goal, looking over and knowing that all those people are here to watch you play - to succeed. On those days, it's worth the stress, the tears, the mental and physical breakdowns. Each player is their own artist on the field with their own crazy thoughts screaming in their head.

It's like an addiction. You hate it some days but you can't imagine your life without it. There's no turning back. I've been playing lacrosse since third grade. It's a defining part of who I am. I love being pushed to get better everyday. I  remember road trips to Maryland with my team when I was younger. My dad would always be brutally honest with me so I always knew immediately if I played well or if I was having a bad day. But then he would follow up with advice on how to improve for the next game. At the time, I never wanted to hear it. Looking back, I'm so appreciative that I had his support. We would have big team dinners and hydrate through perfectly red watermelon in between games. 10 years later and none of that has changed. My dad still gives me advice on how to become a better athlete (but now the advice is usually given through the phone). We still have team dinners and tailgates. I still love watermelon just as much as I did when I was younger. But most importantly, my team is still my family. I look around on the field, and I see an entire team of girls that are not only my best friends, but my family. Every single one of them will have my back, stand up for me, and pick me up if I'm down. They're here to support you both on and off the field. They hate the sport with you and they love the sport with you. 

Digital Reflection #6

As I said in my last post, creative nonfiction has allowed me to expand my writing through truth. I think all of the authors we have read would agree that this is an essential writing tool for every writer.

Personal Image #6

Often times, I like to read in the comfort of my own bed. Usually, it's a perfect way to end the day and ease my way to sleep. These three books in particular have had a large influence on my writing this quarter. They've pushed me to leave my comfort zone and expand my general knowledge of writing. Writing goes for beyond the typical essays and papers that I've historically associated it with. Writing is incorporated in our everyday lives, whether we realize it or not. These books have allowed me to reflect and create a whole new meaning for writing; they've pushed my writing into becoming  truthful and open.

Coaching as an Art

As the lights come on and the scoreboard powers on, it's clear that it's game time. The players get excited for the first whistle to blow. They go through their warm up like any other game. When there's two minutes left in warm-up, they meet their coach in the corner. They know exactly when and where to go because they have it down to a science. They know it's time for their coach to make her pre-game speech and relay her expectations onto the players. Starting line-up and then the motivational speech. The order never changes. But the words that comes out of their coach's mouth changes every single time. She is the queen of pre-game speeches. She knows exactly what to say and how to say it to get her players pumped up. The message she sends inspires, motivates, and gives her players the will to want to win. Her name is Liza and she's not only a coach, but a leader and a role model.

Liza played lacrosse at the University of Delaware where she earned All American Honors before playing for the U.S. National Team. She then went on to coach at the University of Denver. This is her eleventh season as head coach for the pioneers and she has undoubtedly made her mark. She has acted as a leader and a role model since she stepped foot on the field in college. She knows how to push players to make them better both on and off the field. She encourages her players to maintain a strong academic performance while also being successful on the field.

Coaches are a truly fascinating subject because there are so many directions that they can go. Coaches have the ability to make or break a player's experience on the field. They have the ability to lead a player to success or strip someone of their passion for the sport. Coaching is like an art. You have to master it, but it does indeed take time. They need to learn when to be sympathetic and when to be harsh and demanding. However, they can't just be one or the other. There is a time and place for both and part of the art is figuring out when and where that time and place is.

Liza's background has allowed her to thrive in this position. Yes, some days we hate her and we all want to quit our sport. But on the days when we win and the score board flashes that final winning score, the long hours of training and the constant yelling all prove to be worth it.

The Good Teammate

When you're little, sports are supposed to be that fun thing you do to exert energy and be a part of a team. Your parents drop you off at practice (probably excited to get you out of the house for a little) and you're excited to run around for two hours. It's like a giant play-date with twenty other girls. But...there's always the one girl who takes everything too seriously and is constantly trying to show off. This girl is otherwise known as the "ball hog." Her parents are probably overbearing and there's a good chance they're not only watching every practice, but yelling from the sidelines and encouraging this "ball hog" behavior. It's like the crazy soccer mom...but for lacrosse.

A few years later, you grow out of rec sports and you get too high school. It gets a little more intense but there's always still those one or two ball hogs that you can't stand. They start to learn their lesson but they really don't care about anyone but themselves.

Then, you get to college. There is no longer such thing as a ball hog. It's just not possible at the collegiate level. In Division I Women's Lacrosse, if you were to try to be the only superstar on the field, you would get demolished. Your coach would yell at you and probably sit you on the bench. It's critical to work as a team and act as a unit. Whether it's one pass, one defensive stop, or even cheering on the sidelines, every individual has their role and each role is as important as the next. I know you've all heard it a thousand times, but it's true when they say, "You win as a team and you lose as a team." When our sideline is quiet, our field players don't play as well. When there is no leadership on the field, we don't play as well. There are so many little things that contribute towards a team's success. Last year, my team decided that we were going to have fun on the sidelines and do celebrations after every goal. Well, we soon began getting recognized by teams all over the country for these celebrations. Coaches would warn their players about our sideline when they were coming to play us. Our sideline celebrations never failed to bring energy to our games. In fact, our team started winning more. People wanted to score because they wanted to see what their celebration would be. I say this to emphasize how important it is for each team member to understand that their role is incredibly important to the rest of the team, whether they realize it or not. Attitude, positive energy, and a hard work ethic goes a very long way in sports.

Personal Image 5

This weekend, I was traveling back east with my lacrosse team. I decided to pick this picture because this past weekend made me realize how writing goes far beyond pens, paper, and computers. Yes, I did homework and read on all of our flights. However, this whole weekend of travel and games would not have been possible without writing. We had itineraries, boarding passes, room assignments, lacrosse games which had rules, etc....and all of these things required writing in some form. Someone had to write our itineraries and room assignments, print our boarding passes, type up the lacrosse rule book. Writing is at the center of every little thing we do.

Digital Reflection 5

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/29/books/all-the-light-we-cannot-see-by-anthony-doerr.html

For my digital reflection this week, I picked a New York times article about my new classic literature piece (All the Light We Cannot See). If you skip past the summary of the story in the article, the author moves on to discuss themes and motifs that are present throughout the book. I think these themes and motifs are incredibly relevant to our definition of "classic literature" and the themes we said to look for in our books. I also really enjoyed the paragraph about the title of the book. It said that the idea that your brain can create light in darkness is emphasized throughout the book. I just started reading this book but I'm very excited to finish it.

Centennial Halls

Centennial Halls. Also referred to by the school as "A hub of activity, bordered by the Ritchie Center, and close to Sturm Hall and the light rail station. Student in Halls take full advantage of the cafeteria and lounge area, with its plush seating and large flat screen TV's." It pretty far from the library but who cares because it overlooks that beautiful lacrosse field otherwise known as Peter Barton. Halls is said to be "the place to live" when you're a freshman at DU.

However, they forget to tell you what living in Halls is actually like. There are endless awkward social encounters, especially when you're riding the elevator up to the top floor with someone else.. in dead silence. You have to be on your best behavior when you walk past the front desk at 2 a.m. reeking of alcohol and stumbling around. If not, you'll be sent to detox. Just when people think they got rid of their parents...nope! The RA's are watching you. The rooms in the building kind've resemble prison cells. Get used to a twin sized bed and a roommate that snores. Oh, and don't forget those community bathrooms. Hopefully, you're a sociable person and don't mind talking to people while you're trying to shower...or trying to go to the bathroom.

Let's talk about that great cafeteria. Yeah, that one. They cook extravagant meals during orientation week so your parents think you're being wined and dined. Then orientation week ends. The food becomes sub-par and you end up eating the same thing every night. You will long for home cooked meals.

Ah, but you do have quite the view from Halls. You get to look out the window and see the lacrosse field. You get to hear the lacrosse team every morning while they practice. You get to watch them condition. You get to watch them try to hold their sticks when it's snowing outside and their hand are frozen. Questioning why you didn't play a sport in college?

Key Terms

Lacrosse

That beautiful sport which requires athleticism, coordination, and passion. It's one of the most up and coming sports and has slowly made it's way from the east coast to the west coast. Kids of all ages are playing now. When you're young, it's so innocent and fun. They hand you a stick and teach you how to throw and catch. They take you to the older kids' games and you "ooh" and "ahh" and hope to be as good as them one day. You're not allowed to check when you're young, the coaches tell you good job (even after you mess up), and it's all fun and games.

...until you get older.

You get to high school and you think you're the big shot on campus because you're good at your sport, your high school team won the state championship, and you're going off to play in college.

Fast forward to your college career and you wake up every morning wondering what you're doing with your life.

Wake up. Eat breakfast. Go practice for four hours. Run until you're legs don't want to move. Get yelled at by your coach. Go to class for a couple hours. Sit in class starving because you don't have time to eat lunch. Go home. Eat dinner. Try to stay awake while you attempt to do your homework. Go to bed. Wake up. Repeat.

It's a constant cycle of sleep deprivation, stress, being sore, and being ridiculously hungry ALL the time. It's no longer that thing in your life that you do on the weekends for fun and to stay active. It's a full time job. You're here to play lacrosse (and do your schoolwork if you have time). Some days (if you're lucky), you'll even get a good night of sleep. But don't forget, only if you're lucky. You'll learn to appreciate those nights where you get 6 or 7 hours. Sleeping in? Oh, please. You won't even remember what that's like anymore. You don't get to sleep in. You have to wake up ready to go at your day with full force. Coffee will be your new best friend. Don't feel like working out today? Too bad. You have to do it anyways. You're stick work isn't on today? Get on the line. That's a sprint.

Sometimes, I forget I'm at school to actually go to school. This sport will take over your life.

But then you get to season. You're hard work starts to pay off and some days, it becomes that magical sport again. Just like it was growing up. That feeling of winning a game, scoring a goal, looking over and knowing that all those people are here to watch you play - to succeed. Those days, it's worth the stress, the tears, the mental and physical breakdowns. Each player is their own artist on the field with their own crazy thoughts screaming in their head.

Personal Image 4

I picked this image because in the last two days, I have spent 16 hours in the library. Although this is not the first place I would have liked to be, I spent a lot of these hours writing. However, I did not write a single essay. I wrote math problems, flashcards, short answers. I wrote in so many different forms but each one was so important towards my academic success. I would not have been able to complete any of my work or my studying without writing. 

Digital Reflection 4

Technology plays an incredibly prominent role in my literate life. In fact, I rarely ever use a pencil and paper to write anymore. Yes, I still take notes in some classes. However, most of my schoolwork cannot be done without some form of technology. I complete majority of my assignments on my computer. In fact, I submit majority of my assignments on my computer as well. If I need to get in touch with someone, it's usually through emails or text messages which again, is through technology. As I've gotten older, I've been steered towards technology. Many professors don't want a hard copy of something. Many employers want to see that you know how to use excel, word, and can just straight up type quickly. I've been exposed to computers and phones since I was in middle school. Now, kids are exposed to phones, computers, and iPads before they can even walk. Technology is the newest form of learning. Many people don't even buy hard copies of textbooks anymore because they download the book online. I remember when I was little, I would read a book before bed. If I was lucky, I could watch TV or play on the computer. Now, whenever I babysit kids, they entertain themselves through their phones or their iPads. Even when they have friends over, they're still playing on their phones and their iPads. Technology has indeed taken over in almost every aspect of my literate life and it's only continuing to do so for the future generations. 

For my image, I attached a screenshot of my canvas page because this goes to show how prominent technology is in my everyday life, especially my academics.

10/6 Notes

What is writing? This is a question in which my answer has gradually changed over the course of this class. 4 weeks ago, writing was papers, journals, important emails. Today, writing goes far beyond that. Writing is so simple yet so complex. Yes, it's still papers, journals, and emails, but it's also expression, knowledge, and culture. Writing is a way to journal history and get your thoughts onto paper. It's a form of release, a method of expression, and it's incredibly relevant in our everyday lives. Whether people are acknowledging it or not, writing is so prominent everywhere we look. It's in our phones, our emails, our classrooms, and our own history. I can't imagine my childhood without childhood stories, or 10-page books. Like I mentioned in the first week of class, The Little Engine that could left quite the mark on me. In fact, it's still a huge motivator for me to this day. Writing has been such a critical aspect of our lives since we were born. In many ways, it's helped define and is continuing to define who we are today. It has the power to motivate and influence in an incredibly unique and important way - a way completely unique to oral words. 

Writing in the DU Community

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PpKeJ2f18fh5bC80a59xNEYS8fU-qNjzKUUIXRbvT2o/edit?ts=57f417f6#slide=id.p

What is Writing?

My name is Katy Miele. I'm 20 years old and I'm a student at the University of Denver. I usually study in the library but I decided to mix it up on this Saturday. I'm writing this at a table in Stella's Coffee Shop with my coffee on one side of the computer and my water on the other. I like to mix up the scenery every once in a while. It allows me to maintain focus and get a breath of fresh air. It's a beautiful day outside and it actually pains me to have to sit inside while the sun is shining. Now that October is here, these beautiful, 80 degree days are going to begin coming to a close awfully soon. Fortunately, I am in the perfect setting to write. The music is faint in the background, just as I like it. There are people around me working quietly. I'm in a place that's comfortable to let my words flow onto my piece of paper (or computer). Any and all forms of writing can be accomplished here - emails, papers, texts. It's kind've acts as an escape from reality. There are distractions everywhere but none of them are distracting me. This is exactly the way I need it to be when I'm writing. I need my music, my coffee, no distractions, and time. To some, this may not be the time and the place. But to me, this setting is perfect. I like to write on Fridays and Saturdays. I don't like to save my work for Sunday's. Sometimes Sunday depression kicks in and I'm too exhausted to do anything productive. My dad is constantly stressing to me to never write when I'm tired. I know he's right. I do my worst work when I'm tired because I'm never fully invested. I end up spitting out words that don't make sense half of the time.

Often times, when it comes to writing, I have a hard time phrasing what I'm trying to say. I have it perfectly played out in my head and then I go to write and my mind goes blank. This is especially common when it comes to personal writings. It's never as easy as you think it's going to be. However, the beauty of writing is that it doesn't have to be flawless and it doesn't all have to be done in one sitting. You can let it sit, let it soak, and then go back to it once your mind is fresh again. There is beauty in the little imperfections. The act of writing doesn't and shouldn't be a chore. In fact, it's sad that's how my generation thinks about it. Writing should be a way to get your thoughts out of your head and to relieve stress. You will not begin to see its beauty until you begin to take the time to appreciate it.