Wednesday, January 14, 2009 Blog #1

This past semester, I had to write a reflection paper. There were no requirements on the paper except the length, so I wrote without outlining. The first part of the process was to turn in a rough draft. This rough draft was edited in class by some of my peers and then immediately returned. The second step was to revise our first draft. The purpose of revising is to correct the editing or corrections that were made. After revising, I had to set up a conference with my professor. Conferencing is very beneficial to me because I can have one on one time with my teacher about my paper and ask any questions that I may have. After conferencing, I revised my paper for a second time and turned it into a final draft. Once graded and returned back I could revise it again in order to get a better grade. Granted, I know not all teachers are like this, but it was very helpful to be able to revise a third time to improve my grade.

When writing a paper, I typically procrastinate until the last possible night in a quiet room where I can focus on getting it done. I struggle with writing papers especially when getting started. Once I get going it gets easier to me, but when it comes to actually picking a topic and getting started I struggle.

Monday, January 19, 2009 Blog #2

For hours at a time, I communicate and message people back and forth without even seeing them and it is all for free. Even if they are all the way across the country, I can still talk to them as long as they are on my list of friends. All I have to do is type a message and press post on the screen and it automatically posts on the other person’s screen aka wall. Not only can that person see what I write, but their friends as well. In order to consider someone to be my friend I have to ask them. It is then up to them if they want to accept or deny my friendship. Once becoming friends, I have access to all that they do. I can see who is writing to them, who they are writing to, all of their friends and what friends we have in common, when their birthday is, their relationship status, email address, photos that they might have added, where they are from, etc. Also, if they happen to be online while I am, we can send messages back and forth to each other without anyone seeing what we write to each other. Facebook is a great way to communicate with others, and it is also a way of stalking others without anyone else knowing. 

Wednesday, January 21, 2009 Blog #3

I plan on exploring the Lafollette employees who work in the buffet. The buffet is open Sunday through Friday morning, and it is all you can eat $3.95 for breakfast and $7.30 for dinner. I have been to the buffet many times this school year to eat breakfast and dinner. I find myself going to the buffet more now during the winter time because of the cold weather outside, laziness and its convenience of being right downstairs from where I live. I have actually become more familiar with Lafollette buffet not only from eating there, but because I have started to work there. In doing this, I have come to understand all the hard work that is put in daily. Since I go to the buffet a lot throughout the week I notice all of the food preparations, cooking, baking and cleaning that goes on while I am there. Now, that I have begun to work there I expect to develop more of a relationship with the employees. Developing these relationships will help me get a better understanding of what they do on a daily basis when I am not there. My age, race, and gender will not affect what I see because at the buffet the employees are of all different ages, race and gender. Knowing that there aren’t any restrictions will only better my exploration of the buffet employees. Being an insider now, I hope to discover what goes on behind the scenes.


Tuesday, January 27, 2009 Blog #4

I have already been to Lafollette buffet many times because I work there three nights a week and I eat there on a daily basis, so I am very familiar with my cultural site already. However, I have not begun to interview any of the workers or customers. I have only begun to observe from what I see on the job as an insider not as an outsider looking in. When I do begin the interviewing process though, I plan on asking very general questions at first like how did you get the job, what is a typical day like on the job, how long have you been working at the buffet, etc. I believe these questions to be important in order to get to know the employees better and get a better understanding of what they do on a daily basis. Some observations that I did notice about the employees is how they are all about routine. Every single day they do the same thing, at the exact same time, the same way.

I have not attempted some basic “academic research,” but I should start doing that to help gain a better understanding. However, I am not to sure where to start with my “academic research.” I believe “academic” research is conducting research using outside sources like the internet, library books, pamphlets, brochures, etc. “Non-academic” is conducting research by observing and interviewing.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009 Blog #5

As of now, I have a pretty good idea of what to expect from my subculture and what it is like. I can conclude that the workers at the buffet are always preparing and getting food ready for the next day. They like to plan ahead of schedule, so they are not behind, and like I said before it is all about routine. Other conclusions I have made are that on a daily basis they are busy. Whether it is seven in the morning or seven at night there is always something to do. Also, I became aware of some of the workers’ personalities and how some of the workers are very open and will say whatever is on their mind. I find that the more I work the more I pick up on little observations and details about the employees themselves. I have not actually been to my site as an outsider yet, but I plan to in the near future.

I think that this subculture would be different compared to other food places. I know that from being to the different food places on campus there are a wide variety of employees of different age, race and gender just like Lafollette. However, in each location there are different rules, rituals and behaviors that go on. What makes Lafollette so different from every other buffet are the employees and how it is run. Also, location plays a role because Lafollette is a freshmen dorm, so mainly freshmen go to Lafollette compared to Noyer or Woodworth.


 Sunday, February 8, 2009 Blog #6

 I have been to New York City four times and I will never forget the great experiences I’ve had. Every time I go to New York City it reminds me of my Aunt Sue because she used to live in New Jersey and when ever I would visit her in the summer we would go to New York for a day. We would always take the train into the city because driving around trying to find a parking spot was too hectic due to all the traffic. While in the city, I can remember the different tastes, smells, sights and sounds. Every where you go there is something to look at. I always liked to just sit down and watch the different people converse and walk around. There are so many different styles and looks. Not only the people, but I loved looking at the skyscrapers and the city view from the Brooklyn Bridge. Being in New York City is definitely a culture shock. You are constantly hearing the sounds of people speaking different languages, the honking of people’s horns, music, sirens, street entertainers, etc. On top of that there is the fresh smell of food from the restaurants near by and vendors on the street. I will never forget the taste of the Italian food from Little Italy at Pellegrino’s.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 Blog #7

To finish this mini-ethnography, I plan on scheduling specific days to work on it, so I don’t wait until the last minute. Right now, I feel like I am behind schedule. I have not interviewed, surveyed, or observed my field site yet. I have done research on the Internet and that is about all. I must say I got quite frustrated in doing this because of how little information I found. Ever since then, I haven’t worked on it. My topic is so specific and I am starting to feel like I should have gone another approach to my topic, but I am not exactly sure what that would be or how I would go about that. Right now, I just think that my procrastination is getting to the best of me. I am hoping after I visit my field site this weekend I will have plenty of observations and reflections to go off of to start my mini-ethnography. Once I observe the buffet this weekend, my next step is to conduct a survey for some of the employees to fill out. After that, comes the interviewing of some of the employees. I am very aware of the schedule and what is going to be due in the near future. The only problem I have is with the annotated bibliography coming up. We are suppose to find at least eight to ten sources plus some more, but honestly I can’t even find one!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Blog #8

Last class, we talked about mapping out the space of our field site and learning how to read that space. I didn’t think this would help me or apply to me, but after mapping out the Lafollette buffet, I discovered things that I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise by merely observing. Lafollette dining is set up where there is a u-shaped dining area for people to eat and in the middle of that area is where the serving line is. Behind the serving line is where all the behind the scene stuff works. There is the salad room, dish-room, bakery room, cook room and the super visor’s offices surrounding the rooms.

My point is that by mapping out the layout of the buffet helped me to develop a sense for the place and what goes on among the workers. Each room is divided by walls, so it separates one room from the other. What I realized is that depending on where you are working you are constantly competing with the other rooms. Everyone within their area is friends with one another, but when outside of their room it is a whole different story. As I began to talk with some of the workers I questioned them about their job and they went into greater detail and talked about other workers from the other areas and how they weren’t doing their job. This showed me how divided they really are and how the layout of the buffet really puts a barrier between each group of employees.


Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Blog #9

"Chefs, Cooks, and Food Preparation Workers." Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition. 2007. United States Department of Labor. 18 Feb 2009 <http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos161.htm.>

The Occupational Outlook Handbook is constructed so you can look up certain occupations that you are interested in and want more information for. In my case, I looked up preparation workers and it gave me more information regarding chefs, cooks and food preparation workers. Basically, it gave me an overview of what a food preparation worker does, how much they get paid, training that need in order to become a food preparation worker, and job opportunities that are available.

This source is really going to help me with finding out more in depth information of some of the employees that work in Lafollette. Knowing more of their background information will help me get to know them on a more personal level. Also, when interviewing, I will be able to ask them more questions relating to their job and what they do.

Student Employee Handbook: Residence Halls Dining Service. Muncie, IN: Ball State University, 2008.

I am an employee at Lafollette Buffet and in order to work there you have to go through a training session and in that training session you get a Student Employee Handbook. This handbook consists of the different rules regarding sanitation procedures, appearance requirements, training, absences, etc. It also talks about behaviors on the job, roles of the employees and residence hall dining services mission and values.

I never would of thought of using my employee handbook as a reference, but now that I have looked through it and actually read it I think this source will be of some importance. This handbook is what is expected out of each employee and being an employee I know that some of these rules, behaviors and values are not met. Using this source has already provided me with a new approach that I can take with my research and observations.


Thursday, February 26, 2009 Blog #10

Before this project I had no idea what fieldwork even was, but now after reading and actually doing some field work of my own I have learned the importance and need of field work. Field work is very beneficial because it stresses the significance of researching, observing, and reflecting. By doing some academic research and conducting interviews, I have developed a better understanding for the food dining subculture here on campus. From my interviews and surveys I was able to obtain perspectives from both an insider’s point of view and outsiders. All together from my research, observations, reflections and interviews, I hope the community develops a better understanding of what goes on within the dining halls and eventually venture out and try some of the different dining services on campus. Not only venture out and try the different food, but maybe develop an interest in working at one of the dining facilities here on campus. I also hope that all the stereotypes and misconceptions that people have will no longer exist and that they will be able to see a different side of Ball State dining that they didn’t know before.

I have already done quite a bit of academic research and to be honest it wasn’t easy. However, I have gained a lot more knowledge and insight on my subculture. From here on, I plan on spending more time making observations and conducting interviews within my subculture to develop that insight even more.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009 Blog #11

Eight weeks ago, I was looking at my subculture from an outsider’s point of view. I had many stereotypes and preconceptions towards Lafollette dining, but once I actually started working at the Buffet, I became to see the Buffet from a different perspective. I found that the more I worked the more I became part of the subculture. Up till now, I have been able to develop personal relationships with most of the employees and I have developed a good idea of how things work. Not only from working there, but also from the interviews I have conducted with some of the employees, surveys that I have sent out, and many of observations.

The main theme that I have noticed based on my research is that many of the food service workers who work at a particular college started working in the food industry because of its convenience, benefits, hours, etc. After, surveying forty of Lafollette’s employees, I have found the same results. No one responded that they were doing the job because they were considering working as a food service employee for their future career. Even after one of my interviews, the main reason for working at Ball State was because of its benefits and free tuition. This was the most common theme I have found, but it is certainly not one I plan on using for my mini-ethnography.

Wednesday, March 18, 2009 Blog #12

Initially, the hardest thing for me was finding academic research. It seemed like the more I researched the farther away I got from my original search. But then after going to the library, I found lots of success in finding articles on my subculture. The easiest part so far would have to be interviewing and observing my subculture. My subculture is right downstairs from my room, so I have an easy access to get there. Also, being an insider has been a huge factor because it makes it easier for me to interview the employees because I know them on a personal level. If I could start over, I would have picked a different topic because I am at the point now where I don’t know which direction I want to head. I feel like I have lost sense of why my readers should even care about my subculture, which makes it even harder to develop a research question. Other than changing topics, I wish at this point in time I would have observed more of my subculture from an outsider’s point of view. Most of this is due to lack of planning ahead of time, which I wish I would have done more of. Having to write blogs has definitely helped me track my research process along the way because it has kept me organize. It also allows me to look back and see the progress I have made so far and possible directions I can take, which in the end will help me with my mini-ethnography. The blogs will only make it easier to piece everything together and stay organized in the end because it has kept track of my progress since the beginning.

Friday, March 27, 2009 Blog #13

I plan on structuring my mini-ethnography by categories and within each category I plan on organizing my information chronologically by time period. In doing that, it will help others to track my process from beginning to end. I plan to begin my mini-ethnography with an overview of who I am and give a little information on my subculture. I don’t plan on starting off with a specific informant because I plan on grouping all my informants together with the observations and reflections that I made throughout the whole process. I think it is important to include my interest in the subculture, as well as, my place in the subculture. This will help my readers’ develop a better understanding as to why they should be interested in the subculture and get a better understanding of how I became apart of the subculture. I am going to proceed through the paper chronologically based on when certain things happened. My research will be used to guide my paper along. I will not include my actual sources chronologically, but I will take the reader chronologically through my research process and how I found more information as time went on. I plan on incorporating and creating sections based on themes because in the end it will all add up to one major theme. I plan on concluding my mini-ethnography by summarizing the whole process and clear up any misconceptions that were made of the subculture. I think the structure that I have chosen will be the best for what I want to do because it will help my readers see the subculture from an outsider’s point of view to an insider’s perspective from beginning to end.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Blog #14

Throughout this semester, my actual writing process has not changed. I still wait until the last possible minute to write a blog or paper, and I still don’t outline before I start writing. However, since starting this course I have been opened to different types of writing. The Research Proposal was probably the assignment that gave me the most trouble. I was aware of how to do it, but I had trouble actually writing it and determining my research question. Also, I felt like throughout this assignment I was very repetitive and that I was saying the same thing over and over again. On the other hand, I found that the annotated bibliography was one assignment that I had the least trouble on. I expected it to be very difficult, but in the end it was just a matter of summarizing eight sources and explaining how those sources could be used in our mini-ethnography.

I write because it is a great way for me to communicate to others and to stay in contact with people that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I do this by emailing and going on facebook. There is not a day where I am not on the computer checking my email or going on facebook. I also write daily in my journal to reflect and pray about things going on in my life, and believe it or not, I have to write papers in my other classes too.

As much as I am excited to get done with my English credits, writing will still be apart of my life in the future. I will have to fill out job applications, write papers for other classes, and I know I will have to create a portfolio at the end of my dietetic internship.

Thursday, April 9, 2009 Blog #15

The first time I ever heard or learned about rhetoric was in my English 103 class first semester. We learned that rhetoric was the usage and shaping of language in the art of persuasion. To do this, we talked about incorporating ethos, logos and pathos, which are all important elements of rhetoric. My teacher explained ethos having more of an ethical appeal, logos being more about logical appeal, and pathos having emotional appeal. It is hard for me to formulate my own definition other than it is simply being able to communicate effectively. It is a term that is very confusing to me and I don’t think it is commonly used in society other than in English classes. I think rhetoric can include our appearance, the way we dress, the things we say and how we act because they are all ways of shaping language for different purposes and audiences. Generally, I think rhetoric can be used in a positive or negative context because of the fact it allows us to incorporate our own voice, purpose and audience into our usage of language.

I believe that there is a rhetoric that coincides with my subculture because of the fact that my subculture is very diverse and how you communicate with one person is not how you would communicate with someone else. When constructing my mini-ethnography, I plan on utilizing rhetoric to shape all my interviews and observations so that my voice is being heard in an effective way.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009 Blog #16

Every Monday night, from four to eight, I am scheduled to work at America’s Buffet in Lafollette. On Mondays, I am in charge of the appearance of the Buffet. I make sure that the salad bar is clean, as well as, all the tables. The good thing about my job is that it is very laid back. When it is not busy, I am able to converse and observe other employees and customers. March 30, was one of those nights. The Buffet was very empty with only a few students eating. I took advantage of the situation and started talking to one of my co-workers, Brena, about how she became a cashier and what she likes and dislikes about working at the Buffet. Just to give you some background about Brena, she is someone who loves to talk and talk. She is so outgoing and if you need any information about anyone or what is going on, you go to her. After talking with Brena for a period of time, I didn’t have to ask as many questions because she just kept going. I could sense that she enjoyed our conversation because she started focusing her attention more on me rather than the customers coming in. When we got on the topic of student workers and non-student workers, she commented that non-student employees “treat students like crap.” She also mentioned that most employees have been working at the Buffet for many years, which makes them feel like they can have authority over others. Brena also said how hard it is to get a job in Lafollette as a non-student employee because they are starting to rely more on student employees. My research has shown that there has been an increase in student employees here at Ball State and one of those reasons is because of the increase in pay. Working for dining services pays more than any other job on campus.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Blog #17

I emailed a survey out to 37 Ball State students on campus who live in Lafollette and 23 of those students responded. Most of the questions I asked regarded their stereotypes and preconceptions of Lafollette dining, where they ate the most, what they thought of the employees, etc. I found that most of their answers were similar to many of the student employees that I surveyed. Majority of the students felt that Lafollette Dining isn’t healthy and that it isn’t sanitary.

The point of this survey was to get an outsider’s point of view looking in of what they thought about Lafollette’s food and employees. This survey only confirmed that there are many stereotypes out there towards Lafollette Dining. This is my favorite piece of data because statistically I can use this survey to prove that there are many stereotypes and misconceptions towards Lafollette dining. Also, one of my themes that I want to address in my mini-ethnography are the misconceptions and stereotypes that many outsiders believe, and I plan on using my observations and interviews to help clear some of those up. I plan on explaining my story of how, at one time, I was an outsider with many misconceptions towards Lafollette dining. But once I started working more for Lafollette, I was able to see and realize what really goes on and many of those misconceptions no longer existed.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 Blog #18

Throughout the fifteen weeks, I think I have really improved on my research and organizational skills. At the beginning, my research consisted of just going on Google and typing in a key term. But now, after going to the library, I have learned more on how to use Ball State’s databases and resources that I didn’t know how to use before. My organizational skills have also improved and I think that is all because of the blog postings. Doing the blog postings throughout the year have helped me to keep track of all my information from beginning to end.

I have to say that I still struggle with the writing process. I still wait until the last minute to write a paper and I think it reflects in my writing. All the papers we have done this year have been very new to me, so that has definitely had an effect on my writing. I think the main thing that I still need to work on is conducting a better rough draft. I think at times, I turned in a very rough draft, which didn’t help me because there was less to work with and in the end it hurt me because I had more work to do for myself.

Overall, I was really happy with this class. The only suggestion I would make is not having the blog postings due the same day as a paper. I felt like it was a little overwhelming with the two being due at the same time because I wanted to focus more on my paper, but at the same time I didn’t want to miss out on the blog points. I could have avoided that problem by not procrastinating, but I think it would be helpful if you did have the blog postings due on a different day.

I wouldn’t rework any of the assignments. I think they were very beneficial for our final mini-ethnography. However, I would have benefitted from more conferences. Conferences are very helpful to me because it gives me a chance to look over any comments that were made and allows me to ask any questions that I have. I would have really liked to conference with my mini-ethnography paper, but for lack of time I know we couldn’t.