Oh the Portfolio...

So this whole week we've been working on our portfolios in and outside of class. I thought that it was going to be a lot harder to pick up right where I had left off with my writing but surprisingly it helped that I had waited to revise the major assignments. I think the fact that I had taken the time away from each assignment was helpful because it was like I was looking at the paper with a fresh view on what I was trying to write.

We also wrote 3 essays that introduced us as a writer, a reflection on the writings, and a conclusion. The introduction to the writer wasn't too difficult. I basically had to write about why I liked to write, so it was really straightforward. I had a problem with the reflections only because it was hard to write about what I had corrected and phrasing it the way I wanted where it wouldn't be confusing for who was reading it. After I finished that essay the concluding essay was extremely easy to put together. All in all it ended up being a much more productive week than i had originally thought it was going to be.

A Call to Action

The class was really helpful on Wednesday in giving me some ideas for what I could possibly do for my final assignment. One thing that I had mentioned was the idea that Habitat for Humanity wasn't hurting for volunteers, and while this is true I realized that there is no Habitat for Humanity group on campus. I thought that I could make a brochure that would get tech students interested in Habitat for Humanity, with information on what it's about and how they can be involved. I also thought that I could write a collection of poems that would possibly inspire people to volunteer based off of my experience. Let me know what you think.

Response to Essay Comments

I definitely agree with the fact that I was a bit too repetitive in my essay with some of the paragraphs. The thought that I could delve deeper into what the house really means to each aspect is something that I will look into before the final draft. I will also work on trying to add my own accounts of working with Habitat for Humanity. The hardest part for me was putting into words what it was like. All of your comments were very helpful and I think they'll help me with improving my essay.

Research Proposal Comments

After reading Professor Scott's comments about my research proposal I understand more about what exactly is entailed in the proposal itself. One thing that I had done was include a background even though Habitat for Humanity would obviously understand what their own background was. I didn't realize that a research proposal didn't have to have a background. Now that I have her comments about where I can go from this point with my research proposal I believe that I can work with those comments to improve the proposal as a whole.

The Essays!!!

I think the first thing that we need to figure out is what makes an essay, an essay. To me, an essay is a short bit of writing that focuses on one topic. That being said, what makes 'The Stunt Pilot, 'Ali in Havana,' and 'Silent Dancing," essays? Lets start with 'The Stunt Pilot.' It has one topic that it focuses on stunt piloting, and that fits my definition of an essay. The essay uses great descriptions with lines like 'streaming beauty in spirals behind him.' You can almost imagine what the event actually looked like. 'Ali in Havana,' also fits the requirements of being a short work and focusing on the topic of a night at the Cafe Cantante in  Havana observing the relationships between different people. To explain these relationships, Talese uses a great description to explain the relationship between Ali and Castro. The sentence, 'His expression remains characteristically fixed and benign, and his eyes do not blink despite the flashbulbs of several surrounding photographers,' shows the hesitation Ali feels as Castro approaches him. Finally,  'Silent Dancing' was a great example of an essay. Cofer uses great descriptive words to explain what Paterson was like to him. Sentences like, 'The slate blue of the winter sky and the darker hues of the snow-bearing clouds,' really help you to picture what it was like in Paterson. I love the way that the description of the home movie was inserted in between explaining life in Paterson, and how each section was made to co-exist with the explanation in the next paragraph.  All of these aspects make each of these essays, an 'essay.'

The Lit Review

The problem of not having enough affordable housing has been a problem all over the US. Habitat for Humanity is a community that was founded to specifically help remedy this problem by building house for those families that needed help in this area. Although this was their original aim, it seems Habitat for Humanity International has not been staying on this track.

According to "A Parting of Ways" it seems that the board of Habitat for Humanity International is not happy with the way that the affiliates are contributing to the corporate aspect of the organization. The article goes on to mention how the board for Habitat has become a "who's who of the corporate world." (Berkshire) An article published in the New York Times, also mentions the fact that Habitat for Humanity is dropping its number of affiliates in order to streamline the money that is being used in the organization. The article also talks about how Millard Fuller, the founder of Habitat for Humanity, was pushed out of his position because he had different views about how the organization should be run. He said, "My philosophy was that the more affiliates you had, the more houses you would build. It's the affiliates, not Habitat International, that builds the houses." It seems that Habitat is turning away from the standards it was founded on and this statement just affirms the fear that people have that Habitat for Humanity is stepping away from its original goals of helping people in need to find affordable housing. We see the way that Habitat for Humanity International has evolved in the book If I Were a Carpenter: 20 Years of Habitat for Humanity by Frye Gaillard. He chronicles the 20 years that he spent within the organization and tells of the changes that he witnessed develop within the ranks. 

Whether they look at the way the organization is being run today or the way that it changed over 20 years, these literary works show us that Habitat for Humanity is changing; and you either need to jump on board, or be left behind.

Berkshire, Jennifer C. "A Parting of Ways." American Psychological Association (2008).

Gaillard, Frye. If I Were a Carpenter : Twenty Years of Habitat for Humanity. Salem: Winston Publications, 1996.

Strom, Stephanie. "Some Worry Home Charity Is Shedding Grass Roots." The New York Times 18 July 2007.

The MUCH Sought After Interview

It all started out with a few getting to know you questions, making each other comfortable, and trying to explain exactly what the project was about. Then we started talking about exactly what Ms. Terri Fitzwater-Palmore does at Habitat for Humanity. He is the regional director of the New River Valley affiliate for Habitat for Humanity International, Incorporation. "What it all boils down to," she said, " is that I get to help decide what houses are built, for who, and where in the area that I am designated." She said that one of her favorite things about working for Habitat is the fact that everyone that they help is so appreciative that it makes you feel like you've done more than just build a house for the family. Terri believes that it's an amazing feeling that she believes everyone can experience. After many more questions and lots of laughter I concluded the interview with a promise to go and learn more about the New River Valley affiliate of Habitat for Humanity.