The End

So this is my last blog for this DSP class. I am now a pro at blogging. I never thought that this day would come... Well this class was interesting to say the least. I genuinely loved meeting all of the people in our class. We were a very diverse class, and everyone brought something to the table, even the people that dropped it... I liked working together on all of the projects, we were able to create strong friendships, like "The Back Line", and the tripod! This class was nice to be a part of because I felt like our class was really a cosmopolitan canopy. We had a very open and friendly atmosphere. This class also made me more computer savvy. I was totally unaware of SL before this class. I do not think that I will continue exploring SL, but it was definitely an interesting experience. Exploring SL Amsterdam was fun. People in SL are very outgoing and friendly. I feel like pretty much everywhere in SL is a cosmopolitan canopy. 

The other activities that we did like BAFA BAFA, the video about Barbies, were really interesting.  It was nice to hear everyones opinions during class, because since our class was so diverse we were able to have several different views. 

The UK Field project made me realize how oblivious I was to implicit rules of society. I never really payed attention, but after discussing them in class I was surprised to realize how many there are. For example; don't talk while on the elevator, don't talk in the bathroom(for guys)- girls don't follow this rule at all... which is also somewhat strange to me. While working on my UK field project I realized some implicit rules of the Library, like adults don't study on the third floor at one of the large study tables, or that you don't dress up to go to the library. 

Overall I think this class was a good class. I'm not going to lie, I was not expecting the work load... it was a lot of work. I think that the work load was tolerable because of the people in the class, I made some really good friends (tripod and back line). 

Have a great break, and good luck everyone! Stay in touch!

DSP Showcase

The group that I am in for the DSP Showcase is "Team SL; Guiding You Through Your Virtual Reincarnation". 

The people in our group are: Landre, Reecie, Elle, Raito, Phoolendu, Maekeo, Azriquel, Rasay, and myself. We are a large group but we have combined all of our SL projects into a nice slideshow presentation for the Showcase. We are going to have two computers and two projectors. One computer and projector will have Second Life open so people can come and play around in there, and someone can explain to them what SL is all about and help them explore. Hopefully people will want to play on Second Life, I guess we will just make it look as exciting as possible.... Then on the other computer we will have a continuous slideshow going on that will give people a general overview of SL. Then the people working by the powerpoint can tell people about SL projects that we did in class. I think this is a good group, we have several different places represented. This will give our visitors a more well rounded view of Second Life. We represent Amsterdam, Mexico, Bogart's Jazz Club, and Atlantic Wave.  These areas are all completely different and we are all familiar with the University of Kentucky Second Life site, so we can tell them whatever about any of those sites.

Paper for Field Site

Writing this paper is turning out to be a little bit more challenging than I had anticipated. I think I can cram everything in there, but I am nervous about turning in my final paper. 

There are several resources on campus to use, the key is to actually use them.  So far the only resource that I have tried to use are the librarians- I emailed them to find out more about the history of the library. I am now just waiting for a response. Otherwise I rely on other people in the class to help me out, we talk about how each other's projects are going. 

Well I think that Landre is working on a similar type of place, we both are working on a place that is centered around academics, but there tends to be a significant amount of socializing in each place. Reecie and Walugo also have similar places to mine, people go to their sites to study too.  While they are both studying lounges, they are both studying places where people often go to study as well.

The people that I am working with for the DSP Showcase are everyone that wanted to work on showcasing Second Life at the showcase. This includes the members of "The International Back Line",  members of "ECSL", a lone member from "The Cholos". We are a large group, but I think that we will all work well together.

UK Communities Presentation

I am not sure what type of visuals I will end up with for my presentation of the third floor of the William t. Young Library. I think I will probably end up using a poster. Everyone in the class knows about the library so this would just help them pay attention a little bit more. My poster will mostly be pictures. I think that everyone knows about the library but some people do not actually utilize it. I use the library all the time, but do not always use all of my resources that I should until the last minute. I think my project will also help people come to the library.... maybe. 

I think it will be easy for me to talk for a while. There are lots of things that I did not realize about the library that I do know after being in there so much. Maybe I will make people feel more comfortable going to the library if they know what it's all about! After seeing my presentation they will know what they edict is like on the third floor. They will know that it changes depending on the time of day. I think this is the case for many places that the change from day to evening causes a change in peoples attitudes.  

Hopefully my classmates will be willing to comment on my site and project. I think I will just ask if anyone has any questions at the end. 

Another Interview

So I conducted my fourth interview today! It was great because the guy that I interviewed was an Anthropology major! He was great! He was not to excited to be interviewed at first, but I was charming, so he came around.  He does not really come to the library that much, pretty much only when he needs to, but that's ok. He is a senior, and is very academically disciplined, he is not like most kids who come to the library and plan to study but end up spending most of their time on facebook.  He was very nice, and was  the first person I interviewed that was a complete stranger. I was really nervous! I still feel really awkward asking people all of these questions. 

He was also the first person that I interviewed that was not a freshman. This made his situation totally different from everyone else that I have interviewed, because it is a lot more convenient for freshman whole live on campus to come to the library- but he has to make an effort to go to the library to study and work. I think this is why he is so much more productive than most other students that come here, he even said that when he comes here he "comes for a purpose, so I works the whole time." For students who live on campus coming to the library is not as much of a deal because it is a simple couple minute walk from south campus.  So people come to the library to socialize more when they live on campus I think, when they live off campus- I think those are more productive students (this is just a generalization).

revised second interview

So I had an original script and I realized after I did one interview that it was a little to vague. Then I read my script out loud in class and the entire class gave me some really productive feedback. They came up with a lot of other questions that I hadn't really gotten when I was making up my own questions. I had good starter questions, but then I did not really have any follow through questions.

I still feel really shy to go up to a complete stranger and start interviewing them. So for my second interview I interviewed an acquaintance. This I think was a god way to start because I can build up my confidence to making a good interview- so that for my next interview who I promise will be a complete stranger- I will be able to have all the kinks worked out and I will be able to have a smooth conversation with that person.  

After already completing two interviews, I am realizing that this project is going to be a harder than I had originally thought. I still notice that people mostly come with computers, and people think that they are spending their time wisely- but they all usually end up on facebook, or playing some type of game. The computer is really important to have because so many classes put homework, study-guides and your grades online that you really need one to keep up. So my conclusion is that having a computer is essential but also very distracting. 

Interviewing

So I conducted my first interview today. I was shy, so I interviewed a friend. She was willing to help, and this was a good way for me to start out. I was able to build some confidence with the first interview, I am easing my way into this assignment. I am nervous to go up to complete strangers and just start interviewing them. That is just a little weird for me. I do not know, I just feel like a creeper when I am like "Hey I am studying the social environment of this area- can I interview you?".  I know it is not really that weird, but I just feel slightly uncomfortable. So to try to make myself more comfortable I interviewed an acquaintance first.

I do find the results of the interview interesting, besides my previous statements. I think that it is interesting that people do become territorial of their spaces. Some people are more than others. For example I have noticed that some people always come to the third floor to study- but not necessarily in the same spot. Some people need to study in the same spot every time, but others just come to study on the third floor- it does not really matter where. I think it is kind of amusing that people become so territorial over a public place. 

I have also noticed that people stick together and rarely branch out to talk to new people. The only way people talk to others is generally if they have a question and realize that they are both studying the same topic. 

interviewing

So now that I have been at my designated area, I have to begin to form questions for interviews. I am some what nervous for the actual interview. There is a good variety of people for me to interview here, but I am not really sure what to expect out of the interview. I know that they people that I will be interviewing will be working for the most part, and they probably won't mind answering some questions for me, but I am interested to see how people respond- how similar or different their answer will be. I also hope that they don't think I am a creeper for asking them so many questions. I feel like the interview is so thorough, I think I might have to try to focus more on certain topics, not as many personal questions. Personal questions make me as an interviewer feel awkward and I think that they will make the person answering feel awkward. So I think I am going to try to ask a lot of questions, but make it slightly informal, I think that way people will feel more comfortable answering questions, and in return may tell me more because they feel more comfortable. I do not want it to sound like I am not going to ask all the necessary questions because I will, I just want to make the person who is answering my questions feels comfortable so they will tell me more. I also don't want to seem like a creeper, so I will try to be professional and chill, if possible.

Does anyone else feel slightly creepy with this project?

Field Project

So I have been working on this project for a while now. I am studying the 3rd floor in the W. T. Young Library in between the cores. I have noticed that the more people come the later the night goes on. I have also noticed that people generally come in at least pairs to study. Most people also bring computers, and the work varies from groups of individuals working together to groups of individuals working separately. This place is suppose to be an area to work quietly but the later the night goes on the more noisy it becomes. People also in general basically stick to their table unless they see someone they know then they leave there table to talk then come beck to their original table to study. I haven't really noticed any regulars. I have noticed that people generally come in comfy clothes. These are most of my first general observations of the area. 

I think that people feel safe here but they do not really consider it a cosmopolitan canopy. In a cosmopolitan canopy there is a variety of people (which the library has), but the area is generally more inviting (the library is somewhat secular). Most people stay at there respective tables and generally do not move to meet new faces. I think that each study table is in its own little world.  

The Handmaid's Tail

This book was a little hard for me to start. I was having a little trouble following the plot and keeping focus, but the more I read the more I was able to understand. I also found Margaret Atwood's writing style interesting.  She has very bold and strong statements. A small passage that I found interesting was: 

"But a chair, sunlight, flowers: these are not to be dismissed. I am alive, I live, I breathe, I put my hand out, unfolded, into the sunlight. Where I am is not a prison but a privilege, as Aunt Lydia said, who was in love with either/or."

This passage stuck out blatantly to me because of her use of very powerful verbs and strong visuals. I think this passage is great! I especially love when she says that "Where I am is not a prison but a privilege".  This statement has more of an impact because of the alliteration between prison and privilege. It is also a more powerful statement because those two words have completely different meanings, and very negative and positive connotations. 

In the beginning of this statement she states objects that people often take for granted. However the only object that doesn't really correlate to life is the chair. The other two (sunlight and flower) are both very related to survival on earth.  The sunlight is vital for the flower to grow, and for life to continue where a chair can just help someone when they need a break from life I guess.

I just love her use of vocabulary with words like love, privilege, prison, alive and live.  She creates nice visuals that provoke thought throughout the reading.

"Cosmopolitan Canopy" and Cosmopolitanism

I feel like Appiah and Anderson share several similar views on being a "cosmopolitan", and what it takes to fully understand another person's culture. Both discuss how there must be a sense of trust created between the two different people so that they can feel comfortable with one another, and be able to share concepts. While under the "cosmopolitan canopy" a person can feel comfortable acting as a cosmopolitan, where if they were outside the canopy, they would not feel as comfortable. 

Appiah also talked about the idea of "imaginary strangers", I feel like Anderson touches this topic in his article as well. Anderson talks about the different types of interactions that people have and I think that the "impersonal/ threatening" type of interaction between strangers is a direct correlation to Appiah's idea of "imaginary strangers".  Imaginary strangers are people who act differently than you had initially thought that they would act. This relates to Anderson's interaction because with the threatening interaction, one generally makes a judgement on how they think a person is by the way they carry themselves and the way they look- and then decide if they appear to be threatening or not. When a person makes an immediate judgement without getting to know a person for who they really are, then they are not being a very good cosmopolitan.  

I think that the best cosmopolitains are the people who constantly feel like they are under a canopy, they always feel comfortable interacting. We need to work on making cosmopolitan canopies much larger as a whole- people should be able to interact constructively with people from pretty much any culture and be able to feel like it is ok to ask questions.

Cosmopolitan Canopy

I agree with Anderson's "cosmopolitan canopy" idea of being important. We discussed several of these ideas and concepts in class today. I agree because I think that to truly understand a culture you have to be comfortable to ask the important questions about the culture. Also in a "cosmopolitan canopy" a person will observe in three different ways, as impersonal or threatening, neutral or intimate.  While observing a culture a person will probably deal with all of these scenarios.  

In Anderson's conclusion he is very careful about his use of vocabulary, as we discussed in class. Our professor brought up that in Anderson's conclusion he says "This kind of  exposure to a multitude of people engaging in everyday behavior often humanizes abstract strangers in the minds of these observers." from the article "Cosmopolitan Canopy".  During class we discussed the word "exposed". I brought up the idea of how the word exposed has a connotation of being vulnerable. I think that the idea of being vulnerable is key to learning about other cultures. To truly understand a culture you have to open yourself up others to create a level of trust so that they will open up to you. Also the place where you would be vulnerable is under the "cosmopolitan canopy". 

SL vs. RL (Second Life vs. Real Life)

I feel like when meeting strangers there are several routes to take. A person can be openly friendly, and very outgoing and charming; or a person can be very closed off and appear to be cold; or a person could react in a very shy but polite way. There are several ways to respond while meeting someone for the first time. It also depends on who your meeting. If you are meeting some average joe next door you might not get excited or be as open to meeting that guy and getting to know him. On the other hand if you were to meet someone who you find very attractive, the friendliness will probably sway the other way, and you would probably be much more open to getting to know that person. This seems a little ridiculous, but it is true, people still judge other people by the way they look on the outside. You would think that since we have come so far with our own evolution that we could be able to move past appearances and look past that into peoples hearts. No matter how hard we try I feel like it is almost impossible to actually be able to not judge someone by the way they look or act, simply because it is our nature to associate certain characteristics with certain ideals in our mind. You may not judge someone solely on there appearance, but as soon as you meet that person you probably associate that person with a certain memory or maybe even another person from your life. I believe that this act is done sub-consciencely. You can't help you experiences and memories nor should you ever. You are able to remember people that you can immediately find a bond with easier, so that is how people work, we remember by association, it's not always bad. 

I think that people in real life are much more quicker to judge completely based on appearance. People in SL have a much more different take on the world because you can choose to look like whatever you want in SL, whereas in real life you are slightly limited. I have also found that people in SL are generally much more welcoming than the average stranger.  I feel like as a SL community, they very supportive of one another, and generally want the best for people and the community. I think people in real life are to fixed on helping themselves get better without much thought for the community growing as a whole. I feel like that is the main difference between SL and real life.  

SL compared to BAFA BAFA

SL was a much more different situation than situation that I experienced in SL.  While we did the SL the interaction with strangers was much more inviting and when there was a conflict in different languages. When we were in SL we were able to talk to people of many different countries, which then had different languages. There was a translator available when necessary. Whereas in the BAFA BAFA game there was no translator to serve as a crutch to aid in the new environment. The BAFA BAFA game an outsider was left alone to try to win over the new people of the new culture without and aid. In SL I think that there are many more people there who are willing to help, in comparison the BAFA BAFA game were much more hostile. There are plenty of friendly people to help you learn more about SL in SL. SL has a friendly vibe, but that is just where I went, some people had other experiences. Some people experienced the same response from the BAFA BAFA game as in SL. I feel like that is a more rare case, most of the groups that presented the place that they went to seemed to have a similar experience to me. I think that the BAFA BAFA game and SL situations can be taken like going anywhere new in real life, you just never really know how people are going to react. I think all three scenarios are very relatable because they are all dealing with human contact, even though your on the computer in SL you are still talking to real people.

Compare SL islands

So we have gone through a couple presentations in class on other SL Islands and cultures. I feel like they all share several similarities and differences no matter which place you travel to. No matter where you go there is a sense of belonging to each community after you have put some time into exploring that island. Now even though I am not part of the SL Amsterdam group, I still feel like I am part of the SL Amsterdam culture. I have experienced trying to make money in Amsterdam by being a "camper", and even helping someone who was new to SL try to learn their way around the island.  

However the people that are on the island severely differ. The most people in SL Amsterdam are pretty forward with their conversations, and actions. As an observer you can tell just by the way that they are dressed that they are very outgoing and sometimes overly friendly. Also they differ completely from other islands who are less forward like SL Mexico (according to the group that explored the island). I was never insulted in Amsterdam, but my friend who explored Mexico tell a much different story with his experiences interacting with people from Mexico. I find this interesting because the people that are on these islands are not all from a certain area, they come from all over the world, so there is no way to really group the person who is insulting someone to a type of person. Even though avatars represent who you are, you can choose to be anyone you want. This brings up another point of how can you insult someone on how they dress in SL? This makes no sense to me, how can you be o materialistic on SL? SL is a place for people to explore, this should be an inviting place, but this also brings up the dress code that is on another island. 

SL is full of rules, just like real life. You can either go some place with a lot of rules or somewhere with very little rules.  The possibilities are endless in SL.

Passage #2

The second passage from Cosmopolitanism is 

"The conclusion is obvious enough: the points of entry to cross-cultural conversations are things that are shared by those who are in the conversation. They do not need to be universal; all they need to be is what these particular people have in common. Once we have found enough we share, there is the further possibility that we will be able to enjoy discovering things we do not yet share." (pg. 97)

This quote embodies what I feel is how people become friends- until you find a common ground with a stranger, it is kind of hard to become closer. Finding a similarity between two strangers creates a link, that two people can then build a relationship out of. It is a building block, if you will. As a freshman at UK I have found that the people that I can make an immediate connection with are the ones that I have become the closest to. However the people that I have found immediate common ground with are also very culturally different. I have met people who come from other states, divorced parents, married parents, gays, whoever, but since we made that first connection we have been able to explore our differences and have become closer friends for it. I feel like the quote above speaks for pretty much every person, not just freshmen, it is easier to become friends with someone once you find common ground then you begin to feel more comfortable and a level of trust is created, then you can discuss each other's differences with respect. 

Plus if everyone was the same that would be really lame and no one would really have anything good to talk about.  Then everyone would become "universal", which would be the worst thing to become, it would be like just having a bunch of little clones around with no personality! eww! But the world is not like that (thank god!), so people have plenty to talk about and discus.  

Talking to people from different cultures also makes you appreciate all the little things from home that aren't at college. For example: my family is pretty big and we are all really close, and we would pretty much have a family get together every month, and being away at school I miss the family interaction. I love it here, and I am so glad that I am here, but I do miss that great food, and of course the family! It is interesting to find out other people's family traditions.

SL Discovering

So the International Back Line is exploring the SL version of Amsterdam! It is a very exciting place to explore. There are several places to go and interesting people to meet.  We discovered how closely the real Amsterdam is to the SL Amsterdam, and I was slightly disappointed. Amsterdam is a very cultural place both in real life and in SL, but I thought that the SL version lacked key components that Real Amsterdam has. I personally was responsible for finding some general background information on the real Amsterdam, and contrary to stereotypes of it being an outgoing culture (which it is) they have much more to offer to tourists than just alcohol, sex and drugs. I personally was ignorant to real Amsterdam culture and I thought that everyone there and everyone that went there just went there to get high and drunk (I was ridiculously ignorant, and apologize). They have many festivals and coffee shops that draw a significant amount of people there. Their festivals cover several aspects too, they have ones for films, paintings, photography, music and I am sure they have more to offer. Now that I know what the real Amsterdam has to offer I would be very excited to maybe one day travel there. 

In SL Amsterdam, we found that most of the island revolved around the sexual (red light district) and the loose drug policies of their culture. There were coffee shops there and traces of what may become a festival, but that festival and coffee shop aspect was pretty much nonexistent. I found that unfortunate, but that is the beauty in having a person design the island, they focus on what they want to, that maybe the best aspect of Amsterdam in the eyes of the creator of SL Amsterdam. There is also one museum in Amsterdam, but you can only get into it at certain times. While we were investigating we did not really keep this in mind, but when we were exploring at a different time we found that it was open. So while exploring SL keep in mind the time difference, it probably would have helped us research that museum more. Overall, there are several things to do in SL and real Amsterdam.

Passage #1

The first passage that I chose was "The Shallow Pond" (pg.158-162).  This passage is relatable to life as a UK freshman. There are people here that will go well beyond out of there way to help you - but there are some people here that won't really give you the time of day.  Although the magnitude of the situation may be much less than the situations described in the book; the concept is still the same. For example Professors and TAs go the extra mile to help out students by having study sessions, and office hours. While this is much less of a "sacrifice" for the TAs and Professors, they are still spending their valuable time helping others out. What the TAs and Professors do seems to be more like an act of kindness in comparison to the intense example of "The Shallow Pond" passage.

This passage also mentions the point of helping others but not to the point where your assets become practically non-existent. The concept is that you need help others but only to the extent that you can give without putting yourself into a bad situation. The best friends that you make in college will do this for you, it is generally you scratch your back you scratch mine. However there are people here that will do anything for you, and they are your true friends, I think I have already made some true friends here. 

Social Interactions

So I interacted with a couple people in second life on my own, but several of my conversations were done during our meetings for the SL project. While I was interviewing I met a girl who provided me with a great deal of information not only about Amsterdam but also about other European counties. I learned about how popular SL is in Slovenia, and how cool it is that I live where I do.  When I first met her she even asked me about finding a job in Amsterdam, I got excited because I could answer her question, I knew exactly how she felt because I was lost and confused in SL just a couple weeks ago! Now I am some what SL savvy... barely.  But I was able to tell her where she could go because of our little group sessions, and exploring individually a little bit. We explored a lot as a group, and had a couple interviews as a group.  So I told her that she could just stand under some of the lamp posts, or at the end she could sit down in the box in Sin Alley. Then I realized that she could only stand under the post if she was in the VIP group, which I found very interesting. Amsterdam is a place full of individuals yet there is still unity on the island. This is really interesting to me because the people that I talked to didn't really no many other people on the island, yet everyone who makes money under the lamp post is automatically put into a group of people. 

The girl above was really helpful in our understanding of SL Amsterdam too because she told us about how she felt that SL Amsterdam was a poor representation of the real Amsterdam. She told us about how she liked the coffee shops, and how disappointed she was for their lack of them. However, like I said in an earlier post, the red light district is very popular and we talked to a couple of people who involved with those activities. There was a man that we talked to during one of our group meetings that was all about having intimate relations with a woman there (but he was talking to us while he was making money), and then one of my individual conversations was with a female dancer who was a little too friendly. She gave me a hug, and I accepted. She also asked if she could dance for me, and I politely said no thanks. So the aspects of the Red Light District are still very prevalent. 

The biggest reason why people go to SL Amsterdam is to make money to spend in SL. In SL Amsterdam, there are several ways to make money for basically doing nothing, and there are also several free things to get. For example you can stand under a lamppost and make money at a pretty respectable rate for just standing there, and you can also just sit down on a cardboard box and make money. There is a catch, to make money standing under the lampposts  you have to be a member in the VIP group.

No one in our entire group was able to find a person that was actually from Amsterdam. This was really odd to me, then I thought about it, if you were going to have the opportunity to go explore places all over the world and talk to people from all over the world why would you stay in your home country? Plus going to other unknown places is way more exciting and adventurous!

Cosmo Ch10

The concept of the "basic human rights" are clearly stated in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. The rights that I will discuss support very strongly the idea of "Cosmopolitanism". 

Cosmopolitanism begins at the start of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, in the Preamble." Preamble: Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations."* This is clear evidence that we need to work together to succeed in life. The way to create and keep relationships is to be open like a cosmopolitan.

"Article 1 All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."* A true cosmopolitan believes this, they believe that no one is above or below them- they are just accepted the way they are. 

"Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty."* This correlates with the above statement, however a cosmopolitan would embrace the different cultural background and would want to explore it. They would be very interested in their origin.

"Article 29.(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible."* Everyone has their own job to help the community grow and develop. This is also similar to the passage I pointed out in the Preamble. A cosmopolitan would explore the idea of what type of jobs  are being done, what is everyone's role in society? How much does each person contribute?

I feel like there are several people at UK who are cosmopolitans. There is a good mix, many people keep to them-self but there are plenty of people who are very willing to get to know you, and learn about you experiences in life. I feel like pretty much everyone in our class could be considered a cosmopolitan, everyone is open to hear everyone's opinions and most are willing to accept other's. I feel like everyone in class is very respectful.

*all quotes come from: http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html 

Cosmo continued...

1. A "counter- cosmopolitan" is someone who is a little hard to narrow to a single look. Generally the person is introverted, probably a loner. A person who keeps to themselves and rarely goes out of their way to meet new people. I don't think that they have a distinct look, other than their general personality.  I have met a couple people that were "counter- cosmopolitans" here, but they just acted that way for the most part because they were shy. To really experience UK I feel that you have no choice but to put yourself out there.  They are generally not as open to new experiences or personalities.

2. This idea that"the belief that [people] don't matter very much" (pg. 153) seems to me to be a complete contradiction to the essence of cosmopolitanism. I agree with the idea that people feel obligated to be kind to strangers, but to believe that they don't matter is a little harsh. Contrary to my previous statement, people tend to be careless, but I think that the idea is that people are just ignorant. Some people are just ignorant to how other people fit into society. I also agree with Appiah when he says that it is easier to think of an animal as something that doe not matter, rather than a human.

Appiah Blog

1. I agree with Appiah that we must make known of the "stranger". I feel like people are too afraid to step out of their comfort zone. Also I believe that the "imaginary stranger" makes it harder for shy people to approach strangers and try to find a common ground. The concept basically means that they have created a stereotype, and judged the stranger before they even met the stranger, which is terrible.  This is easier said than done though. It is hard to meet new people when you feel like you already know how they are going to act. Also when you meet a stranger and they look are have some of the same gestures of a person you have met in your past- then the stranger that you just met may already have a positive or negative vibe. I feel like you can't be afraid to go up to someone, who knows they may just turn out to be some one completely unexpected and wonderful, and if you could have missed out on their great qualities if you would have assumed that they were going to have a different personality.

2. My first day at UK was a little overwhelming. I came here not really knowing anyone, and was a little intimidated. So I just put myself out there an introduced myself to a random group of girls and they are now my best friends! I am so glad that I went up them because they are great people! I just kind of went up to the first group of people that I saw, and it worked out. I let my guard down, and made no judgements because I was a little desperate to make friends. I m glad that I did it! I think that to meet people you have to have a small sense of vulnerability, and a sense of openness. I feel that if I keep having an open mind, then I will make many friends at UK in the future. Also keeping an open mind will allow me to really get to know people and understand where they are coming from on different topics, so that I can become a more well rounded person.

CH. 5

"Shared horizons of meaning" to me is being open to people from different backgrounds, and open to new people with different personalities than your used to.  As a first year student I have met so many people from different backgrounds with completely different personalities because I have an open mind. The best way to meet people is to let your guard down and just be open to new personalities. This is completely different from high school where most people judge the facade and rarely take the time to find out what the inside is like.  Anyways the shared horizons of meaning are that these different people can meet and start relationships.  This means that people who may not necessarily agree on certain topics can still be friends. 

Your ethnic background, hometown culture, and gender are a direct correlation to how you feel about certain values. The way that you were brought up determines how you feel about moral values.  The people that you grew up around will probably have similar views to you.  However there are exceptions; for example I grew up in a pretty  rural area with several republicans, and I am pretty liberal.  So people can stray away from the exact values of the people they grew up with. 

"Cosmopolitanism"

Appiah's book is full of great concepts and issues. The ideas throughout the text revolve around ideas of culture and how people react, relate, and observe culture. I found it particularly interesting when Appiah in the introduction writes "Unfortunately, we could also send, through negligence as easily as malice, things that will cause harm: a virus, an airborne pollutant, a bad idea." ("Cosmopolitanism", 2006, pg. xii) Appiah brings several topics like this up- about how we do several actions subconsciously. We may hurt someone, without any intention. This is a direct correlation to how someone can be offensive to someone else without knowing it because of the way they were brought up. When someone goes into a new environment and they are ignorant to their surroundings they can become highly offensive without even trying. Unintentional pain put on others is seen in society today as not offensive- because it was an accident- but can often cause as much harm as intentional pain forced on someone. 

Appiah also has several similarities to Berry in his writing.  They both are ridiculously aware of their surroundings. This statement may seem blatantly obvious but it's true. Each person that Appiah introduces he gives a full background of their history, where they have been, what they have learned, and their personality. While Appiah is very descriptive about the characters hat he introduces; Berry is very, very descriptive about his environment, and setting. 

So far in Second Life I have mostly met people from the area that I am in. However, I have met some people who are either very well versed or they have figured out how to use a descent translator. The people I have met have been really friendly, almost a little too outgoing, but nice so far. 

SL Community

The name of our group is "The International Back Line". We are a solid team! 

My personal role is as a recorder. As a recorder I plan on mostly keeping track of our progress by blogging (I think that is what I am suppose to do...) I also plan on participating with the rest of my group while we explore Amsterdam, I am not one to just sit back and watch things happen. I have plenty of gumption, but I know when to use it and when not to. While recording what happens while we explore I will also attempt to keep track of who does what. I think that these are basically all of my obligations as the recorder. If anyone else knows if I am suppose to be doing something else please let me know. Also if I said that I was going to do something that I'm not suppose to feel free to let me know. We have decided who will have direct interaction, observer, and team planner. We are starting off on the right foot.

We have decided to explore Amsterdam.  It seems like a pretty cool place! This was also a place where we found several people to interact with each time we went there. We wanted to pic a place where we could walk around and discover objects and places and people in their culture. 

We have all agreed on our positions and are comfortable with them, for the most part. We are good at working together, and we have been polite towards each other so far (haha lets hope that lasts, just kidding yeah Back Line!).  I think that we will be able to work together nicely. We have a people with a strong technology background, charm, and people who can take charge when necessary. We have agreed to listen to each other and respect each other.

Go "The International Back Line!"

Geo-Biography

Hey everyone!

The place I set for home is the first place that I went to at Second Life. I feel the safest there and have several friends in the community. There I can talk freely with my friends and grow as a Second Life character. This is a place where I test out my skills, like flying, dancing, creating groups, and initiating conversations. I work out all the kinks there, that way when I teleport to other islands I can work smoothly, and hopefully not offend anyone. However I have learned several new skills in other places, like accepting gifts, and talking to people from other places. 

I joined "The International Back Line" group! I am really excited about it! We have a solid group, full of different people who each bring another asset to the table. We come from a couple different places, which naturally come with different experiences which will help our group be able to look at the situations from several angles. I feel like our backgrounds combined will allow us to really explore different islands in Second Life. We are truly a team and I think that we will work together very well. 

I am interested in getting more involved with this project, but I feel like we might need a little bit more structure to continue, we seem to be a little lost. We have plenty of enthusiasm, but are a little fuzzy on the direct task at hand.

Why Rupert?

Well I wanted to be Rupert because, well lets face it Rupert is an awesome name. Before I was known as Lu Sporg, but my identity was compromised and I was forced to create this character Rupert. Though creating the Rupert character was some sort of an accident, I think it was a good choice. Some may refer to the switch as a blessing in disguise. 

Rupert is a laid back, chill kinda guy. He likes to rock out to whatever is playing on WRFL these days. He even likes to break it down with his buddies; Ratio and Charlie in second life! They all have some pretty ridiculously good moves! along with his super dance moves are super flying skills! After a couple crash landings he was able to land like a pro. Rupert travels through the island and even takes a ride in the hot air balloon when he has some extra time. 

Rupert's physical identity is in a process. He is a free spirit, so his look tends to vary from time to time. He likes to keep his image fresh, and current with his state of being. Some days he may rock the hat, or maybe a new haircut. Some days he may feel a little bit more bloated (don't we all) and it may show a little bit. Some days he likes to rock tight jeans, or on the bloated days maybe the looser jeans. 

So that was Rupert in a nutshell. Add him as a friend, then you guys can rock out to some WRFL together!

"A Native Hill", and "That Distant Land"

Both of these stories were written by Wendell Berry, and share commonality. 

1. In the beginning of "The Native Hill" the Literary community that he is in (NY) is very aggressive. His colleague desperately tries to inform Wendell that where he is at now is immensely better than where he came from. According to the literary community "there simply could be nothing worth going back to" (pg. 6, "A Native Hill", Berry). 

however when he does go back home there is a much different atmosphere that awaits him. He goes back to his residence of a family farm, and is isolated from part of the community because his property is so large. He explores the property to realize that we are creatures of habit; he finds many foot trails. This shows that once we get into a routine, it generally becomes second nature. Also he realizes that the farm needs a significant amount of work, so much that he needs help. He also discovers in the history of the town that the people were very violent, to people and to nature. People abuse the wonder of nature and cut down excessive amounts of trees for firewood, instead of just cutting what they need.

2. In "That Distant Land" the characters are different but share some similarities. While in "A Native Hill",  Wendall seems isolated, in "That Distant Land" he is anything but. He is surrounded by family, and friends to help him work on the farm. The tone in "That Distant Land" is more positive even through sad moments. However the violence mentioned in "A Native Hill" correlates with an image created in "That Distant Land"; when he said, "the field changed, behind them, was maybe like watching Homeric soldiers going to battle." (pg. 275, "That Distant Land", Berry)

3. For membership in our community a person must be open, respectful and have some sense of humility (everyone makes mistakes, some more than others...)

Lu Sporg defined

Hey Everyone! My name is Lu Sporg.

 I really like it here. Everyone is super friendly! So far my first two weeks of classes have been pretty good. Except today I had my first pop quiz today in Calculs!! Yikes! 

So When I was in high school I was very active with Softball, Band, and Community Service groups. I was co-captain of our high school softball team my senior year and help lead our team to District Finals, and we won our conference!! I was also in Interact Club, we did a lot of different activities for the community. 

While I am at UK I really look forward to studying abroad. I am really interested in learning more about other cultures, and creating awareness of how fortunate we are in the States. 

This DSP class is very interesting. I was a little unsure in the beginning about the amount of work on the computer that we would be doing, but I am feeling more comfortable with the computer the more I use it. I have enjoyed the activities that we have done in class, from the Alpha/Beta activities to the personality tests. I am learning more about myself in this class than I expected to. I like that we are learning who we are in order to find out the way that we interact with others. 

According to the "Do What You Are" exercise I am a hands on learner, I learn best with several activities, and through demonstrations. When teaching me something I learn best when I feel comfortable, and we may discuss the topic informally. I am a very logical person, so the topic discussed must agree with my rational. I like to apply my knowledge to real life situations. 

See you guys in class!

DSP Class

Hey guys this is my first official blog... ever! I am a little unsure of how this is going to work out but I think I will get the hang of it soon, hopefully.

 I really liked the activity we did today in class. I found it very entertaining and interesting. When I went to go visit the Beta group I was bombarded with a new culture that was very different from that of the Alpha's. It was nice to simulate such different cultures and attempt to interact! 

I also started reading the book for class, and would just like to know if anyone else finds themselves having to reread a couple sections? The book is interesting, but I find myself getting lost and then rereading...

See you guys in class!

-Lu Sporg