Ethan's Log

We opened class by receiving index cards on which we wrote our names, the class title and section, as well as something on the course policy sheet that confused us.

Then we listened to Carmen Gimenez Smith read her poem Photo of a Girl on a Beach.

Next we talked about scheduling times for the three presentations that we have to make over the duration of the semester. Sheets were passed around the class for everybody to sign up for presentation times.

Then the Non-traditional Text Presentation was introduced. We learned that anything conveying a message is considered a text. We discussed how a painting, an artifact, and even a t-shirt could be considered texts. It was then explained that the meaning of “Non-traditional” in this context is something that not everybody has seen or knows about. Other students then took turns reading the bulleted requirements for the presentation, which can be found at http://matwenzel.wixsite.com/2135/single-post/2016/12/22/TextSub-genreGenre-Presentation. We then watched a video called “Shit Miami Girls Say” which was a parody of the mannerisms of women from Miami. Mat then used the video as his text in order to model a Non-traditional Text Presentation. As a class, we discussed the problems with videos such as “Shit Miami Girls Say” dredge up.

Next we listened to a Podcast about how a small town in Alaska called Homer was pulled apart over the argument involving illegal immigration in the United States.

The transcript of the podcast can be found here https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/621/transcript.

#Fall17