Project Web

Improvements Made My Freshman Year

 

            Transferring from high school to a university can be tough with a lot to get used to. There is a lot more homework and reading assignments than there was in high school. Students also need to learn to become more responsible and independent. The first year of college can be very stressful and hard to get used to. With the help of teachers and classmates, students can become more comfortable on their campus. English 113A and B has taught me a lot that will greatly benefit me in the future. English 113A and B have prepared me for the next couple years in Cal State Northridge. English 113A and B have helped me become a more responsible and confident student, and with the help of the ethnography project, studying rhetoric, and analyzing different information I have learned to become more observant.

            To begin, English 113A and B have helped me become a better student. It helped me become more aware of my surroundings and it showed me how to look at things deeper with an open mind. As a freshman, English 113A and B gave me an understanding of what college is all about. The deadlines, projects, essays and group activities done in English 113A and B have made me become more comfortable in the college setting. This class prepared me for my next couple years in Cal State Northridge; the things I learned in this class will help me in the long run. This is important for me because it has helped me grow as a student and it helped me prepare for the upcoming academic challenges in the future. It also helped me on becoming more confident and independent. Transferring into college after high school was an achievement but it also brought the fear of failing or the thought of college being too challenging. English 113A and B showed me that working hard and striving for something you want can help you become successful. I have gained grades in this class that I am very proud of. Doing every homework assignment assigned has made me realized how it is all up to me. I made the effort and pushed myself to earn good grades by always doing my assignments. This is what helped me become more responsible. I know this will definitely help me in the long run whether in school or in a future career. It helped me become independent because I earned good grades by showing up to class everyday and staying after class to ask for help. While English 113A and B has helped me become a more responsible student, it has also helped me become observant by teaching me about rhetoric and how people use different techniques to grab ones attention.

Rhetorical Triangle

            Rhetoric consists of three strategies: Pathos, Ethos, and Logos. Pathos is used to make the person being persuaded feel emotion. Ethos gives credit to someone of authority such as doctors or judges and finally Logos is used when showing logic or statistics. Studying rhetoric made me realize how much it is used each day, from commercials and advertisements to my niece asking my sister for candy and soda. Studying rhetoric has taught me how to observe people and what their intentions are. When using Logos, it is very easy for people to be persuaded into believing something is true. It can easily convince people to buy a product. While Rhetoric has helped me understand the strategies used in everyday situations, English 113A and B has also helped me analyze and think much deeper when studying and reading. 

            The poem, “It’s a Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland, is very interesting when studied carefully. Studying this poem has showed me how to deeply analyze readings and information given to me. The importance of knowing how to analyzing information helps me to better understand reading assignments that lead to class discussions. When reading the poem, “It’s a Woman’s World”, it is hard to understand what the speaker is trying to say. It can also be very difficult interpreting lines in the poem. After carefully analyzing the poem I got a better understand and realized how important the topic really is. The poem “It’s a Woman’s World” encourages women to be strong and independent. Although women should be strong, the poem states how a woman’s sensitive and fragile side is shown with the thought of her children. This is described in the tenth stanza, “By night our windows / Moth our children / to the flame” (Boland 38-40). Knowing how to analyze text helped me on how to better understand what is being said. English 113A and B has also helped me understand material being taught in my classes and perform well in all my classes when doing exams and quizzes. While English 113A and B helped me understand my readings, it also helped me understand my surroundings.

Santa Monica Pier

English 113A and B have also helped me become more aware of my surroundings. Things in life are sometimes taken for granted. Spaces and our surroundings are sometimes not appreciated. We sometimes forget they are there for us to enjoy or help us make a living off of them. During my ethnography in Santa Monica Pier I realized how much I take for granted every day. Doing my ethnography showed me how spaces can be used very differently. It also made me realize that there are many places I can enjoy with loved ones that I have not experienced yet. Watching many excited faces at the Santa Monica Pier made me realize how important it is to enjoy my surroundings and take advantage of them. Santa Monica pier is used for entertainment but it is used by many as a place to make their living. Those who use the space to make a living, take advantage of the fact that Santa Monica Pier attracts visitors whether from Los Angeles or tourists traveling from outside of the West coast. The ethnography project also showed me how different spaces bring different emotions. A place by the beach gives the visitor more peaceful and relaxed feeling while a busy highway can cause stress and frustration. Also how objects placed in a given setting create different vibes. As well as, if the setting looks dirty and messy it makes the visitor not want to stay for very long. On the other hand, if the setting is beautiful and clean, it attracts a lot more visitors and makes the attraction much more enjoyable.

            Over all, English 113A and B has made me grow as a student. It has showed me how to become more observant, responsible, and hard working. The things I learned in English 113A and B will not only help me in my academics but in the future after college. It has helped me to know how important it is to analyze my surroundings. Every bit of information learned in English 113 A and B has made me improve my role as a student. 

Works Cited

Boland, Eavan. “It’s a Woman’s World.” (Course Handout)

Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier

            Space can be used in different ways. Each space can give off different emotions and vibes to individuals. Space can be created for entertainment, business or it can even be the space in a home. Space is made by an individual and it is also what an individual makes of it. Santa Monica Pier is a tourist attraction as well as a place where families and couples can enjoy their day. Santa Monica Pier also represents Los Angeles because of the beach and the bright lights it displays at night. Although, the space in Santa Monica pier is seen and used differently by visitors, for some the space represents business, time well spent with loved ones, memories and history.

            To begin, Santa Monica pier is used by many individuals as a place where they can make a living. While walking into the boardwalk there is a man with three parrots. He allows people to hold his parrots and take pictures with them for a certain amount of money. The parrots are very entertaining and they even know how to speak. In the beginning of the pier there are also many stands where people sell sweaters, glasses and different souvenirs. After passing the arcade and the rides, the pier offers space to many performers who show off their talents for money. There is a man painted in silver acting as a robot. He has speakers with him and dances with the music for money. There is also a man who sculpts clay for money. He can sculpt different faces from celebrities to costumers. This gives an individual a chance to take it home as a souvenir and it helps the sculpture make his living as well. In the boardwalk there is also a palm reader. She has a crystal ball and sits in a chair with a table that is covered by different cloths. She also makes her living off of this. There are clowns, artists who draw names with different characters, and even face painters. These individuals take advantage of the space offered and the attention brought to Santa Monica Pier to show off their talents and make their living off of it. The space in Santa Monica Pier is used for attractions and business.

Performers on the Pier

 

            Walking into the pier there are different restaurants, attractions and small businesses. On the right side of the pier there is a restaurant called Bubba Gump which is very famous and inspired by the movie Forrest Gump. By the end of the pier and boardwalk there is another restaurant called Mariasol Cocina Mexicana. There is also a place for burgers and seafood. The food court located in the center of the park offers Pizza Hut and Taco Bell as well. The restaurants use the space to complete the park. It gives the people an opportunity to stay in the amusement park and eat after a long day rather than searching for something outside the park. In the center of the amusement park there are many attractions. There is a roller coaster and ferris wheel that adults and kids can enjoy. There is also a carousel and an arcade room that has plenty of games for everyone to enjoy. Santa Monica Pier also offers a Trapeze School where anyone can be taught how to swing from ropes high above the ground. The space is used for everyone to enjoy and many of the attractions are there to make money off of them. Santa Monica Pier also has an aquarium where families can visit. In the aquarium, many can learn more about the different fish and what is really in the ocean. There are also stores on the side of the boardwalk that give people the opportunity to buy sweaters and different objects representing Los Angeles, such as, sunglasses since many believe Los Angeles has the best weather in the United States. The setting in Santa Monica Pier changes once the sun sets. Carousel Bubba Gump Restaurant

            Santa Monica Pier attracts different people during the day and during the night. During the day there are many more families with their children enjoying the space while at night there are many couples and groups of friends. During the day the performers and face painters are a good entertainment for children. Families also enjoy the beach with their families when the sun is out. While many can enjoy the rides on the pier, others can also enjoy the beach and water. During the day there are many men fishing at the end of the pier. Although there are two signs that clearly state “Do Not Eat the Fish” and “No Fishing Allowed” people still use the space to fish with their children. The space gives the visitors a different vibe during the night. During the night there are many more couples enjoying the romantic scenery. Some sit by the shore with their loved ones as well. Groups of friends are also seen at night. Santa Monica Pier is also a place where people can go to spend time and enjoy the space after school or work with friends and family. The space has a lot of history.

The pier has a lot of history to it and it also holds many interesting facts. When Santa Monica pier was being constructed in 1909, its main purpose was a sewage system. The space was being used to dispose the sewage from the city. This system was discontinued in the 1920’s. The space was then created into an amusement park. Running, swimming, and boating events took place on the pier once it was built. In 1916 all the rides and attractions were brought into the pier. The stores and food courts were later built using the space on the pier. Today towards the end of the pier the space is used by a small store. On the window of the store there is a sign that states it is the farthest store into the ocean in the West. Santa Monica has a lot of history and interesting facts as well. Santa Monica Pier represents Los Angeles.

            Santa Monica Pier is a big part of Los Angeles. It is a place to experience when visiting Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles has many bright lights in all the tall skyscrapers. Los Angeles is also known for being close to the beach. The pier at night has many bright lights. The lights on the ferris wheel make the pier look the most attractive and it gives it a magical setting. Los Angeles is also known for the many restaurants and shopping centers. The pier also offers this to tourists and those enjoying the amusement park. The beach surrounding the pier also gives it the Los Angeles feel. The space in Los Angeles and Santa Monica pier has also been used in the music video Kings and Queens by Forty Seconds to Mars. It shows many people riding bicycles all through Los Angeles and ending in Santa Monica Pier. This represents that Santa Monica Pier is a part of Los Angeles. Santa Monica Pier is visited and known by many.

  Bright Lights at Night 

            The essay “Minnie Riperton Saved My Life” by Luis Alfaro, is about Alfaro’s life in Los Angeles. It is about his life growing up in the working class. He writes about the places where he felt the most comfortable and the places he was able to be himself. Alfaro felt the most comfortable when he was around Latinos like him. He also felt comfortable in jazz clubs where he was able to enjoy what he liked best. Santa Monica pier is very diverse and multicultural. It is a place where one can feel comfortable and fit in with the rest of the people. It can be described as the backyard of those living in Los Angeles. It is also a place where people can enjoy themselves and get away from the usual. Different spaces also create different emotions and moods.

            In the text book, Convergences, it gives the reader different deffinitions of space. The stories within the section of space explain that space can be the waiting room of an airport or simply a sidewalk on the side of the road. Space can be defined as what an individual makes of it. For example, a basketball court on the side of the street with a basket as the hoop can be just as an actual court to those who are passionate about it. It may not look like a normal basketball court but the space is used exactly the same. Just as Santa Monica pier, the space is used differently by the different visitors the pier attracts. In the essay “Nowhere Man” by Pico Lyer, he explains how spaces can also create emotion. An airport can bring happiness, excitement and even sadness. It is a place where people say their goodbye’s or go off to vacation. Just as, the Santa Monica pier brings happiness and excitement to people. Santa Monica beach can also bring solace to the visitors. It can also bring joy when creating memories at the pier.

            Space is used differently by people. In Santa Monica Pier some use it as a place to make their living while others use it as a space in which they can have a good time. It is also used for business. Santa Monica Pier attracts different people with different ethnicities and cultures. It also attracts many tourists. The space makes it Los Angeles with the bright lights during the night and the salty breeze the beach brings to the pier.

Works Cited

Alfaro, Luis. “Minnie Riperton Saved My Life”. Another City. Ed. David L. Ulin. Print.

Atwan, Robert. “Basketball Photos”. Convergences. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin’s, 2009. Print

Atwan, Robert. “Nowhere Man”. Convergences. Ed. Robert Atwan. Boston: Bedford/St.

Martin’s, 2009. Print.

 

Unknown. “It all Started in 1909”. http://santamonicapier.org/. History. Santa Monica Pier.

2012. Web. March 31, 2013.