Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 August 26, 2015 Writing Prompt #1 ‘The earliest memory I have of how I leaned to read or write was before I started a kindergarten at the age of S)pr4)Since I started kindergarten when I was‘4 Jears old, my mom ‘would read me stories and teach me how to write my name so I could start kindergarten early and be able to make pictures and tshirts for my family members. Books that were significant in my sak Hes one italicized carly life were The Cat in the Hat, all the Dr. Seuss books, Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, Curious George, and as I got older I read the Junie B. Jones series and the Magic Tree House |, bobks that they have read and I would be interested in the books covers’ so I would read them \ \dfter that. I never liked reading or writing but I would go through phases where I would sit and read a whole book series because I was so interested in it. If found a book series that I liked, I would read the whole series and when I was a child, many of the books I read were part of a popular book series. Tam an only child in my household so my parents would help me read and write if | was having trouble or had a difficult project. I have to step sisters and they are much older than me but they would help me with a book project or something that I needed to do if Thad a difficulty with it. Ihave been the youngest person in my class every year since I started in kindergarten.Demanoxt 2 Because of this, I had to mature quicker and read what my classmates were reading even if | ‘didn’t understand it completely. For the most part, I was able to understand what the book was about and was able to write about it if I had too. I feel like 1 wasn’t behind in my reading even though I was younger than all of my friends. My personal experience has helped me grow as a reader and writer. pt at Ex n-Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 September 2, 2015 Writing Prompt #2 > An important event that happened in my life that helped shape me as the literate person I am today is when my dad brought me to my first NASCAR race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware in September 2009 when I was in the 7" grade. Before this race, I had no idea what NASCAR even was or what I was supposed to know about it. After the race, I became hooked on NASCAR and would follow every race. I choose my major of mechanical engineering because I want to work for NASCAR and build the engines or the cars. NASCAR corists of a lot of moving parts and difficult to figure out situations. I can figure out most - ituations in NASCAR and can tell why something happened and how to fix it. NASCAR is not aan easy sport to comprehend and be able to read articles about NASCAR that aren’t generalized. Knowing a lot about NASCAR teaches you to think in a different way and figure out why something happened when all you know is one little detail about it. ‘This event influenced my literacy learning by allowing me to read about things Tnever knew were possible before and now I feel like [can read difficult things better because of all the research and time I have put into NASCAR and all the technicalities that go along with it. am now able to think ahead ofa situation and be able to choose what is ight and what will make something more difficult and could be wrong, NASCAR is a major part of my life and since this event happened, I feel that Ihave become a belter reader and writer. ¢Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 September 4, 2015 Technological challenges ‘There have been many challenges, recently and in the past, that have affected my literacy narrative. Some of these challenges include social media networks such as Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, e-mail and my cell phone. When I write things on Twitter, itis hard for me to find the right words to get the message across since you are only allowed to use one hundred and forty characters including spaces and punctuation. Using less characters to get a detailed message across is hago do on Twitter but I somehow make it work without the proper use of grammar and spellig. On Instagram and Twitter alike, I use a lot of emoji’s to express how I feel about a picture Ar a post so it doesn’t let my writing skills improve. On Instagram, I usually use fall sentefices to describe the picture I post and I always try to use correct grammar and spelling because it is easier fo do and you don’t have a character limit on Instagram. On Snapchat, after I mY od phone doa n't Waue Chen Ah take a picture or video I usually use emoji’s to describe how I’m feeling or try to write a complete sentence but since Snapchat only lets you write a certain amount I usually have to text the rest of what I wanted to write on the picture so the person receiving it understands what I am trying to say. Social media has played a big role in my literacy narrative and I believe that it will continue to play a big role since I use it on a daily basis. ‘The use of the computer and e-mail has helped me gain experience in writing a professional e-mail to my professors and to my family and friends. I always use full sentences Ww. YeDemarest 2 when I write an e-mail and I make sure that what I am writing makes sense so that the person receiving it understands what I want them to know. The e-mail used to play a big part in my life when I was in elementary and middle school since none of my friends, including myself, had cell phones at the time so the only way to communicate quickly with each other and in a group message was using e-mail. I believe that the e-mail will be used less in the future as technology is advancing. The computer also helped me gain experience writing essays and writing in different styles and being able to research the different styles to know what I like best. My cell phone has played a big role in my life since I use it daily and for hours. I usually use full sentences when I text somebody unless it’s my best friend and I can abbreviate things and she will know what I mean. Text messaging has helped me lear to write a little better but it has also had disadvantages to it that make my writing become worse. By not having a cell phone when I was very young like kids today have, I had to lear to communicate through a telephone, computer (e-mail), and writing letters and cards to send to people who lived far away. I learned. that since I have had a cell phone, I can just send someone a text message who lives far away and they will usually give me and answer quickly instead of waiting for a reply a week later. The advancements that technology has made so far has helped improve life and the way I write and communicate with people.Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 September 27, 2015 ‘The Spaces between Us Keep Getting Deeper 1am very close with my grandmother, which I call Mim, who lives in New York. Her name is Martha Demarest and she was born in August of 1936 in Stillwater, New York. She grew up in Waterford and Green Island, New York and still lives in Green Island. My Mim is, about 59”, has glasses, and short gray hair. My Mim is my father’s mother and has had four children, one boy and three girls, including my dad. I am very interested in my Mim’s family My Mim’s father, Maurice Collins, came over to America from Ireland to find work and to let his family have a better life. His job when he came over was to fix organs. Her father was in the Navy and her brother was in the Marines. Since my Mim’s father and brother weren’t around she had to clean her house, babysit her kids and she would listen to the radio because she had no T.V... During the time my Mim was growing up, the economy was bed and her family was poor. My Mim never got to finish school because her mother pulled her out of school so she Leould work at the age of £6, The school that my Mim went to was a great private school except “for the fact that there was no kindergarten. The school’s name was Saint Joseph’s in Green Island, New York. The school was a one room schoolhouse with different classrooms for ). different grades. The grades were from 1-8" grade and 9-12" grade, My Mim had to walk toDemarest 2 school every day which was two blocks from her house. In addition to my Mim’s family history, +her family had many traditions. Some of these family traditions were at Christmas her grandmother would make a dress for her doll every year. At Easter, her and her family would look for eggs and would go get ice cream and get some for her dog named Bum, who was a German Sheppard. My Mim also had a purple chicken and her brothers and sisters would get to pick a colored chick for Easter and my grandmother chose a purple one. None of these traditions are kept today. Interesting facts about my Mim when she was growing up was that she loves air raids, she lived by the railroad, she ‘would go ice fishing in the Hudson River and she never graduated from school. Also during my Mim’s childhood, Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were the presidents. Political leaders during that time were also Churchill, Stalin, and Adolf Hitler. There were many interesting things about my grandmother and these were only a few of them,‘Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 October 5, 2015 ‘What is the Meaning behind Names? Names have many different meanings and are very important in some cultures. Some cultures around the world use first names as a way of identifying someone’s personality or just have a first name and not a last name. Middle names are usually the grandparents name, ot parents name depending on the culture and how important that person is to their parents or if the person influenced their life in any way. Last names are usually passed down from the father through generations and are lost when the daughter gets married. Many kids are named after someone who was important in their parents” life or someone who has passed away and they want to remember them through the child. Families are impacted a lot by having certain names ¢ child’s names. An agreement might not be reached between family members but this is a ig challenge in many cultures. ‘2 ute My family doesn’t have a naming practice that I know of. I know that my parents had chosen a few names for me but when T was bom, my mom named me a name they never talked about. My name isn’t a combination of any family member’s name it was just a name my mom thought of once I was born and has no idea where it came. My name also has many different spellings so my parents had to decide how to spell my name. I know that my first name, Melissa, means honeybee and was originated from Greece. My family just names kids with names that they like and sound good. There is no real tradition with names in my family.Melissa Demarest / Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 October 19, 2015 France ‘The country I choose to research was from my dad’s side of the family and that country is France. The flag of France has three vertical stripes of blue, white and red. The flag was created in 1790 and was in reverse of what they are today, red, white, and blue. The flag was changed in 1794, The fag \was not in use during Napoléon I’s defeat at Waterloo and it was brought back by Lafayette in 1830. The colors of the flag were the colors of the coat of arms the militia used. The color blue isthe color of Saint Martin and is @ symbol of care. The color white if the color of Virgin Mary and Joan of Are and is a symbol of Royaltf. The color re if the color of Saint Denil: Op(Febmuary 15, 1794, The French National Convention adopted this flag with the three colors of \ i Morand plu, white and red!The flag of France has been used since and has not been changed, F100XC France allows for people of a different nationality to become citizens but there are requirements that need to be completed. If wanted to become a citizen of France, I would have to choose between having a French citizenship or a French permanent residence afier I have lived in France for five years prior. A permanent residence permit in France allows you to stay in France for ten years, is renewable and allows you to have the same rights as French citizens except for the fact that you cannot vote in elections or hold public office. By becoming a French citizen, you also become a citizen of the EU and would be allowed to move throughout the Union without giving up your own nationality. You would have a dual citizenship. If you are joining a family memberwho already has permanent residence, your requirement is reduced down to two years and if you have been married to a French national for more than three years, you can apply for permeant residence immediately. In order to live in France, you must be 18 years old or older and must have (PA fysido rp Treva the required documents such as passport and birth certificateyBecoming @ cit long process but is not a hard one. Inthe years 1337-1453, France defeated England during the Hundred Years’ War. Between 1643-1715, Louis XIV ruled France and had absolute authority and in 1792 the First Republic was established. Napoleon seized control of France in 1799 and in 1815, Napoleon was defeated at Waterloo and Louis XVII came to power. During World War I, France fought on the Allied side until they were defeated by Genmanif Hance had alot of events that happened but these were some of the most important in France’s history. ]Works Citied "France." France. Web. 3 Oct. 2015. "A Guide to French Citizenship and Permanent Residence." A Guide to French Citizenship and Permanent Residence. Web. 3 Oct. 2015. ("A Guidet@-Fignch Citizenship and Permanent Residence." 4. Guide to French Citizenship-and ~<¢ Permanent Residence-Web. ¥ Oct. 2015=Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-201 October 28, 2015 Investigating Information ‘There have been many writing projects I have completed in the past weeks. One project that pushed me to find out more information was the family tree project. The information I wanted to know wasn’t required for the project but pushed me to find out because I became curious of what outcome was. I have always been curious about my family history so this project Curious of what outeome was was good for me to do because it answered many of the questions I have always been asking my parents about. My semester long project has allowed me to investigate one of my favorite types of ‘music further apd‘to find more information that I did not know. I am very into country music and know whe, music has changed dramatically through the years and has also combined with other denres of music along the way. Knowing about the changes in a genre of music allows me ‘understand the beat and type of music that was created during that time. It also lets me V understand the true meaning of a song that was written during a certain period of time and if any events in history have affected the genre in any way. I have done some research on my topic so T just need to investigate the websites further to get more information that is fully related to my topic for the semester long project. I have an idea about the changes in country music but am not certain about the specific changes and how it has affected country music today. Many historical events have happened in the past year and I am curious if any have affected country musie.Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 November 4, 2015 Semester Long Presentation Visuals One visual I will use during my digital presentation is music and music videos. By using songs, I will be able to explain how the changes in country music have affected how the artist creates a song and how the music style has changed throughout the years. Using music videos, will allow me to explain what the true meaning of a song is about through the artists’ eyes and how artists from different decades have similar songs but with opposite meanings. By breaking down a song or music video, I am able to help my audience see the changes throughout the years of country music and how the artists have changed throughout the decades that country music has been popular. It will allow me to explain how country music has combined with other genres and how the songs sound when combined together. An example is using a music video called “Fly” by Maddie and Tae to show how today’s artist use music videos to tell a story about the song, I can compare it to Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line.” It compares a song from 1958 to a song from 2015 and how the beat in the music is different and the way the artists sing. Another visual I will use is photographs. Using photographs will allow me to explain how albums looked and how the artists dressed for occasions. I will be able to compare the photographs and explain wiy the change is so significant to country music. Photographs are a very important part to my presentation because I will be able to compare photographs to determine how each artist from different decades made their music and how it impacted societyDemarest 2 if at all. Explaining the photographs with comments by the pictures will help me tell why I am using photographs. Two examples of album covers I used are Carrie Underwood's 2012 album, Blown Away and Kenny Rogers’s 1980 album Lady. I can compare these by showing that Carrie Underwood tells the meaning of her album by using a dark background with a tomado showing that her album is going to be heartbreaking and sad songs. Kenny Rogers doesn’t tell us much about what his album is going to be. His album cover says what the track list is but doesn’t give us any clue about the meaning of his album. Another visual I will use is line graphs and maps. I can use line graphs to show the popularity of country music through the years and how many people listen to country music regularly. Using a map, will allow me to show and explain where country music is popular and how the geography of that location has affected the type of country music that has been invented through the decades. Also, I will be able to find out if any important events have taken place in that location to affect the way country music was created and if the songs created had any ‘meaning to understanding why that event happened and how it was significant. Captioning the graphs and maps will help my audience be able to keep track of where I am when I am. explaining how the location has affected country music. An example is a map that shows America’s preference in music genre across the country. The map shows that the opposite of the stereotype that country music is popular in the south,11/9/2015 “Carrie Underwood: 2012 album cover ‘Genny Rogers: 1980 album cover Shows her album vl be about heartache and Does show anything about the meaning disast of is album Shows meaning of album on cover and Uses track is ‘on * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfDr_7LN-Ew + Maddie and Tae’s “Fly” 2015: about growing up and how times change and to cherish the moment even if it is bad that it will get better and push through it * https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=Lq0fUavW_ * Johnny Cash’s “I Walk the Line” 1956: about loving someone so much and no matter what they do you will always be there for them and will do anything for them11/9/2015 Legend: Rec-most popular Green- least popular Hgu ‘This map shows how popular country music is across the world in todays generation. Popular belief is that allthe southern states love country music but this ‘map shows that around Tennessee and in Arizona ‘and Nevada are states that country musics very populWorks Cited Maddie&TaeVevo. "Maddie & Tae - Fly." YouTube. YouTube, 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. Mare, White. "Johnny Cash I Walk the Line." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. Scali, Anne Marie. "Carrie Underwood Wears Irina Shabayeva for New Blown Away Album Cover." Brides. Conde Nast, 2 Apr. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. "Kenny Rogers Likes To Throw Things At His Audience." 945 KOOL FM. CBS Local Media, 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 30 Oct. 2015. Crane, Matt. “This map shows America’s music preference by genre.” Alternative Press. Alternative Press, 16 Apr. 2015, Web. 30 Oct. 2015Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 November 9, 2015 Different Perspective of Country Music Theld a conversation about country music with some of my friends at lunch on campus. This conversation was not really helpful to my project but I was able to get different perspectives on country music from different people. Nothing really shocked me during this conversation because I had a good idea going into the conversation that my friends didn’t really listen to country music as it wasn’t their type of music to listen to. I started/off the conversation by asking my friends, “Do you guys like to listen to country music?” Mog! of my friends answered by saying that listening to country music isn’t their thing but fority of them said that there is one person that they like to listen to and that’s the only country Music they listen to, if at all. [know that most people do not like country music because it’s too slow or the beat is weird and they just don’t like it. This didn’t surprise me when they answered what they did. Some of my friends answered that they like to listen to Taylor Swift. Even though she is pop singer now, she was a country singer and that’s how see was noticed and got her career started. I asked them if they listened to Taylor Swift when she first came out and they said yes because they heard a few of her songs on the pop radio station they were listening to. That tells me that Taylor Swift made songs that were considered pop-country in her beginnings and that many people liked her sound and wanted to hear more from her. This led meDemarest 2 to investigate how pop-country songs have affected our society today and how it has changed the music industry as a whole. Another one of the questions I asked was, “Did you ever listen to country music that was from the 20" century?” Most of the answers I got where yes but not from way back in the carly 20 century, more from the 1980"s-1990’s. I have noticed through my personal experience of listening to older country music that the music style was a lot different than it was now and that kids in my generation aren’t interested in that type of music. Kids these days are more interested in pop type music and want to have upbeat songs that don’t sound weird and aren’t really country. A lot of kids have listened to songs from the end of the 20" century because county music was more like it is today and has appealed to many kids. Kids who have lived in the South their whole life, didn’t even listen to the real country-hick music. Kids are more interested in the pop-country music if they are even into country music. One of my friends loves listening to country music and loves the meaning behind every country music song. Most of the questions I asked I already had an idea of what the answer was going to be and I asked them to see if the answers were different than what I thought, This conversation allowed me to see the different views kids my age have on country music and if it has affected their taste of music any.Demarest 1 Melissa Demarest Professor Raymond UWRT 1103-E01 November 16, 2015 Proposal Thave taken a detour from the original ideas in my semester long proposal by narrowing down my research ideas so that it would create a good presentation of specific topics instead of doing a whole presentation on the general topic of country music. By doing this, I was able to cut my research time in half and still present the same amount of information but just on certain topics instead of on the genre of country music in general. We are still using a PowerPoint for our presentation especially since our genre research has been cut in half. We will be able to explaifi our genres clearly without having to crowd information on slides. Having half of the {formation allows for our genres to be combined in a neat a clear way so that our audience \ f / understands the message we are trying to get across. \/ I was led to many different research directions. Once I figured out the main important information of the country music genre, I was able to go in depth in finding where country music ‘was popular and how many people actually like to listen to country music. I was not expecting to g0 into this research topic, but once I had collected my main research, I was interested in finding this new information out. As I was researching, I did go off the topic of just country music but I did research how pop music has affected the country music genre and the pop-country genre. I did research the pop-country genre because in today’s music industry, it seems that pop-country songs are very popular and appeal to a bigger audience than just regular country music. ThisDemarest 2 research allowed me to find information that I did not know about country music and it allowed me to become knowledgeable as to how country music has changed throughout the decades. 2 LONE