Week 12

I plan on using the headings structure for my final paper. At this point Im choosing that because i think it will be the easiest to seperate things and will be easier for people to read it.

questions for final paper

Im worried about the whole paper in general and meeting the page requirement. I want to know more about how to do it specifically, i mean i got a general idea, just want to finalize it more. I also cant decide on which style to do it from. Im leaning more towards headings but then again im not quite, so i dont know.

WEEK 11

The hardest thing for me during this whole research process was finding a time to do interviews and going back to check out the barn. I could never get a time to work out to get a face to face interview so i had to do my interviews over the net. I just now was able to go to the barn for the first time, i mean wow its week 11. Busy schedules make it hard to do certain things. I dont think anything about this research project was really easy...everything had its own level of difficulty. I would do a few things differently but not much. Doing the blog has helped tremendously and has given a place to go back and look at information that i may have forgotten from the first couple of weeks.

Box 30

I went to the daily news archive and typed in Equestrian Team. It pulled up three articles but only two were really relevant to the Ball State equestrian team. One article is about how the Ball State equestrian team and how they were competing at regionals. The other article i found is titled "Saddle up: Ball State equestrian team members share riding experiences." I believe that these two articles will help me because they are articles written in 2002 and 2003 therefor they talk about past events of my group. It gives me a look at what the team did and who all was in and who held offices during those years.

reflection on week 10

Posting- Its a form of riding and sitting when you are riding a horse that is trotting.
Unless someone has been around horses or has taken horse riding lessons then they wouldn't know what posting is.

Hunt Seat - a style of forward seat riding commonly found at American horse shows.
Unless they've been competing with horses then there is absolutely no way to know what Hunt Seat is because i didn't even know before i researched it.

crop- a stick of leather used to encourage a horse to move.
Some people may be able to get what a crop is but then again unless they've been around horses or ridden a stubborn horse that wont budge, then they wont really know what it is or used for.

Tree of a saddle- the middle underside of a saddle
Again, unless your a person with a horse and/or you ride frequently, you wouldn't know that a tree is the middle underside of a saddle.

"hands" -unit of measurement used to determine the height of horses and ponies.
It would be very hard to understand what "hands" are unless you work with horses. But people who own horses or vets have to know how to measure a horse using "hands".

Week 10

Posting

Hunt Seat

Crop

Tree

"Hands"

BOX 25!!!!

Posting- Its a form of riding and sitting when you are riding a horse that is trotting.

Hunt Seat - a style of forward seat riding commonly found at American horse shows.

crop- a stick of leather used to encourage a horse to move.

Tree of a saddle- the middle underside of a saddle

"hands" -unit of measurement used to determine the height of horses and ponies

WEEK 9!!!

I believe that through researching the Ball State equestrian team i can give insight to other people on campus, or whoever reads my paper, that we have one and what they do. There are several people on campus that i have just asked randomly if they knew we had an equestrian team and most of them said that they didnt know or never heard of it if we in fact had one. I believe that this is because they dont really advertise for their events because its a small group and they possibly believe that others dont really care. By doing this, i will help advertise for them, which could possibly increase the number in their group.

week 8

The theme that i think thats running through my research is relaxed and easy going. Everyone on the equestrian team is pretty laid back, easy to talk to, and just want to have fun and ride horses.

I believe that my place in the culture is about the same. I know more of the people and have talked to more members but i am still an outsider because i really dont hang out with any of the members outside of the equestrian things. So i believe that i am still somewhat of an outsider but hopefully that will change by the end of the semester.

Version 2

The diagram describes the barn, where the horse stalls are located. Where the aisles of horses are located, the indoor ring, and the wash stall area is located at. The diagram also shows where the outdoor riding ring is located in proximity to the barn.

Version 1

My diagram is of the English barn in which the Ball State Equestrian Team rides. The barn is called Black Dog Enterprises. The road in front of the barn is 550 N, and there is a long, gravel drive way that you turn onto to come up to the bar opening. The barn in which the indoor ring and the horses are kept is white. The stalls inside are made of wood. The door that keeps the horses in their stall is like a gate to a fence, it has holes in it. There are two parallel aisles with rows of horse stalls on each side. There is another aisle that runs perpendicular to the others on the wash stall end of the bar. On one end of the barn there is a wash stall and on the other there is an indoor riding ring. Outside catty-corner to the barn is the outdoor riding ring. It is oval in shape and made up of sand and dirt with several jumps and boxes set up to jump over.

Box 18

My box 18 is more of an "expected focal point" since i have not actually been to the site yet because of transportation issues. But i expect to visit the western and english barns here very shortly. I have gone to the english barn before because i actually used to take lessons there when i was younger. I know there there are tons of horses, an indoor exercise ring and an outside one, stable hands, the owner is very active in the activities that are going on, there are a few corgi's running around the barn, if they are still alive. I have not visited the western barn yet but i would imagine that i would expect the same things. I dont really see any contradictions happening after i visit because those are the things that i expect and is already true for one barn.

Week 7

As of right now, I really do not have a specific plan to finish this mini-ethonography. I do know that i need to visit the barns in which the Equestrian team rides before i finish this assignment. I intend to get more interviews from members as well as the owners of the barns. Since i am not an actual member, im just observing what they do i cannot participate in any of their activities but i can be there to watch what they do. I need to also collect some pictures of some horses, the barns, the people so that i can incorporate them into my portfolio. I, in general, just need to gather some more information and do a little more research.

box 16

I walk into the library, and immediately take the stairs up to the second floor. People all around me doing what they need to do in the library such as reading, writing, researching, yet i am there for a meeting. I find the room and i walk into the room and there is a long table with chairs all around. There are only two walls that dont have windows and those are the east and west walls. The south is a huge window that if you look out you can see the front of braken library. The north is windows that you can see out into the second floor of the library. There really isnt any privacy during the meeting. Yet the Equestrian team holds there meetings here. There is a smell of new books mixed with the smells of the barn as members come into the room. With two of the walls being windows it is almost impossible to stay focused because you can easily become distracted.

Week 6

I havent really spent much time with my site other than the one meeting i have been to because they have had shows and are really busy. I wasnt able to attend those horse shows. I can however, draw the conclusion that my site is a group of students here at ball state that like the country life, like horses, and love to ride them in competitions or for fun. I think that if i were to go to another campus and they had an equestrian team, i believe they would be very similar in what they do and how things are done. I will hopefully be conducting some interviews here soon to get some more information and a better conclusion of the site.

box 12

Some priviledges that I consider enjoyable are being female, the level of education, the scholarships i received because of my high school grades, being semi-wealthy, having a loving/supportive family, the right to believe and practice what i wish. These are some of the priviledges that i have but i sometimes take for granted. I believe that these things will affect my research because I am one of a kind. No one else has the exact same priviledges that i do, but they may be similar in some areas. Having these priviledges may help me get closer to the people in my subculture or it may set us apart and make it hard for me to connect with some.

week 5 blog question

I have gathered a few articles that pertain to other equestrian teams but none that directly related to the bsu equestrian team. These articles arent directly about bsu but they do give some insight into similar activities that it does. I have collected a schedule of shows that the bsu equestrian team is going to be performing in and in the near future i will be setting up interviews with some of the people from the culture. I guess something that i havent found that im kind of looking for is an article related specifically towards the BSU equestrian team but i may not really find an article about that.

Box 9

After reading and rereading Mama Day i found it very confusing to read the first time. After rereading it a second time i found it way easier to read. Its written in the voice of what seems to be an illiterate southern person. The sentences aren't coherent and i had to read each sentence very carefully and possibly twice to fully understand it. It was hard to pick up on the story the first time i read through it. The narrator seems like a very interesting person because he knows alot about the culture and the things that are going on. It leads me to believe that the narrator was a really good observer or researcher or that the narrator was in fact part of the culture itself.

Week 4 Question

Some Academic sources i believe are sources that have a very good credibility. I think so many instructors and professors insist that you have academic sources is because they want the research you are doing to be real. They dont want you to get information that is false or only half way true. Another reason professors want students to use academic sources is because they can check out the source for themselves to make sure that the student isn't plagerizing. You can use a non-academic source anytime, anywhere. You could use non-academic sources in some papers it just depends on what your professor wants. You can use non-academic sources in these weekly blogs that we have to write. I consider non-academic sources things that really cant be traced back but are not necessarily unreliable.

The link

http://www.theapp.appstate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3154&Itemid=39

Response to Fieldworking notes 1

I went and observed an Equestrian Team meeting last Tuesday in Braken Library. When i arrived to the meeting there were only a few girls and one boy. As it got closer to time for the mtg. to start there ended up being 23 girls and only 2 boys. During their mtg. they discussed how they had lost their treasurer and that they were in need of a new one. They elected a temporary one and then decided to open the floor up to people that were interested in being the permanent replacement. They would have to serve for two years. The girls and two boys that showed up to the meeting dressed similar but a few of them dressed differently. The most common attire was old clothes, boots, carhart jackets, and carhart overalls, i was to presume they just came from the barns. The other few girls that came in wore more dressier clothes like they would normally dress on a regular day. I talked to the President, Dana, and found out that they have two barns in which they ride. Their English barn (where they ride English style) is located in Marion, Indiana at a stable called Black Dog Enterprises. The second barn is a Western barn (where they ride western style). It is located in Hartford City, Indiana. Both barns aren't far from my home town. The team appeared to be really friendly and all interacted with each other as if they had known them several years. These were the things i learned and observed during my first encounter with my field site.

Week 3 Question

I have picked the Ball State Equestrian team as my subculture. I will be attending their meetings, and visiting the stables in which they ride. They have two stables and it just so happens that they are really close to where i live back home. So when i go home on the weekend i can go visit the site, as well as during the week if i get a chance. If I were to ask someone walking down the street what they think of the Equestrian Team i would just ask them that. Most people have probably heard of them but they arent sure what all they do, and where they meet since there are obviously no stables on campus. There are a variety of people that belong to this subculture. Boys, girls, freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors of Ball State. From observing them once already i can tell you that mainly the people involved in the subculture are country girls and boys who love horses.

what search terms and where would i go?

I would probably start by interviewing members, then move to the internet to find out more information if its possible, try the library, possibly some old records of past events, the stables where they ride. Use the language that the group uses or a form that is closely related to them. (Equestrian, BSU, Names of individuals in group, the horse's name).

10 Questions

1. Where do you ride?
2. Who holds titles? (ex: President, Treasurer)
3. What are the responsibilities of those who hold titles?
4. What are your rules/regulations?
5. Where do you usually hold meetings?
6. How often do you get together a week? Or is it more individually done?
7. How many are currently in your group?
8. What kind of awards have been previously won?
9. Do you have any rituals or traditional things that happen?
10. Is there anything interesting I should know about the group? That nobody else knows and that is willing to be shared.

ISFJ.....I agree

My personality type is ISFJ.

I would have to agree with that for the most part. There are a few areas where I could possibly be both. Even in some situations i could possibly be considered the opposite. I tend to be shy in some situations, i rely on personal experiences and facts. My feelings play a huge role in my decisions. I really like to have a schedule for the things i need to do for the day but i dont HAVE to have one. So i could also be a perceiving person.

Personality Initials

ISFJ =]

Box 11

The main reason I am considering this subculture is because I have an interest in horses and the people who ride them. The fixed positions that will effect my field-working would be my gender, my age, and my class schedule. For the equestrian teams, I often think of it being more of a female subculture rather than a male. This will effect how I view the subculture because I may be able to get a better view than a male would, therefore giving me more of an opportunity. My age effects this because I'm 18 and most horse riders start out when they are younger. People who have been doing it for years will have a better knowledge and understanding of what is suppose to happen. My class schedule limits me on when I can visit this subculture's activities,which might work against me in the end. I may have to sacrifice some studying time for another class to do this assignment. Subjective positions that will effect my field-working would be personal experiences. I say this because I have had a little experience with horses but not enough to really know the culture of the Equestrian Team here at Ball State. Learning more about this subculture would help me better understand horses and what equestrians do. If I got to actually ride a horse during my researching and observing the culture, that would be absolutely amazing. For the textual position, I will use the language that the people involved in the subculture use. I will try to make it as easy to read to others as I can.

Week Two Blog Question

There are a few factors that are leading into my final decision on a subculture for this project. The first being is it interesting to me. If I am going to be researching this subculture and spending time getting into it then it needs to be interesting so i dont lose interest half way through the semester. The next factor is can i visit the location of this subculture easily. I dont have a car on campus so being accessible is a very key factor. Another factor I am considering is if i can join this subculture when im through with this project. Whether or not it will interest me enough to join or will my attitude towards it change after researching and spending time in it. Also will the subcultures activities and meetings fit into my schedule, will i be able to spend time doing this research between classes.

Box 2

The way I do my hair: brush through with fingers, look in mirror, brush with fingers again. use comb then brush and repeat that a second time. I think it may appear strange to others because i do everything twice. I have a mild case of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder so I like to do things twice.

When I first wake up in the morning, I first brush my hair with my fingers, then I go to the bathroom with brush and comb in hand. I look at my hair and I again brush through it with my fingers to make the second time. I then brush it with a comb and then again with my brush. I repeat that a second time. To someone else this may seem a little odd but I like to do those three things twice. I'm only that way with my hair, nothing else has to be done two times. I then decide whether i want to put my hair up in a pony tail or whether i want to leave it down. If i decide i want to put it up I end up brushing my hair again while putting it up.

cultures and subcultures I'm Interested in

Equestrian Team
Womens club soccer
Nurses Association
Marching Band
Dance
Spectrum

Box 1

Concert Band- Band room, practice cards, instruments, stands, music/scores, performances
Lady of Woodworth - only girls, girly activities, "Crosley three- you know you wanna be us" G.L.O.W
French Club - Melting Pot, speak French, French related activities, outings
Nursing major - BSNA, Anatomy study lab, wear BSU uniforms/scrubs, clinicals, Have to have 3.0 and 30 credit hours to apply.
Ball State Student - Classes, professors, homework, ID swipes, Ball U

Concert Band is a hard class to take. It requires a lot of practice and dedication. As for me I have been in concert band since I was in the 6th grade. In 6th grade you begin your band experience by first selecting the instrument that you would like to play. After doing so, you must then learn how to play it. Depending on the instructor, he or she may have you complete practice cards that prove you are practicing your instrument outside of class time. The next step is to slowly start to learn a piece of music. The band gets copy's of his/her music for their instrument and the instructor/conductor has what is called the score. It is a collection of all the instruments parts for a piece of music. To someone who has never done this before, it is very challenging and takes a lot of practice. After all the practice and learning the music it is finally time for a performance. A performance usually consists of two or more songs that the band has prepared. During this performance, the students/musicians show their audience what they have learned. After a performance is over there is a sense of completion, but the work doesn't stop there because there is always another performance and new music to be learned.

Cultures and Subcultures

Speaks a Foreign Language (what i can remember)
Sang in a Choir
French Club
Students Against Drunk Driving
Concert Band
Nursing Major
Methodist
Ball State Student
Lady of Woodworth