Project 2 draft

I couldn't get my google earth map to embed and I have been working on it for hours and don't have time to fix it before this is due, so this is my interactive map, but below is a picture of the one that I can't figure out how to embed. So I will include the descriptions of each part below.

View Larger Map

Synopsis: 

The Student Recreation Center provides a way for Arizona State Students to stay healthy and fit while away at school. “Schools have the opportunity to provide resources for teens and parents on healthy and wellness related issues” (Rooks 10) Exercise and wellness are very important to me. In my opinion and also from an ex-athletes perspective staying fit is more of a necessity rather than an option. After playing sports my whole life and then stopping half way through high school I soon realized how easy it was to stay in shape while playing sports, and how hard it was to keep motivated to go to the gym after I had stopped playing. However, once I started to get the hang of it, it became much more natural to me like a habit instead of a chore I dreaded every day. Working out and exercising daily not only keeps your body fit and in shape, but also calms the mind and helps bring out positive energy along with relieving stress. “Exercise essentially burns away the chemicals like cortisol and norepinephrine that cause stress. At the same time, vigorous exercise releases endorphins into the system. Endorphins are morphine-like hormones that are responsible for the feeling of elation, or well being that distance runners get from running” (Hupston). In my opinion a healthy mind is a happy mind and the only way you are going to become happy with yourself is when you achieve those personal goals you set for yourself and stay dedicated like one should. “Exercise not only improves your appearance. It can also improve your health” (Madden 1). The Student Recreation Center offers a way to stay fit and healthy on top of much more. It’s a place to lay out by the pool and hang out with friends, it’s a place to run and get your mind off things, a place to gain motivation and a place to gain happiness as well by changing an unhealthy lifestyle into a healthy one. This center is more than beneficial for the students of ASU and the community. In order to find happiness, one must first be happy with themselves, and what’s a better way to learn to be happy with yourself than to exercise daily and not only make yourself look better but also make yourself feel better mentally and emotionally.

In this project I intend to evaluate different regions in the SRC that have a particular meaning to me and describe each areas importance to this center and the positive aspects of each. One area I chose to explore was SRC recreational pool. People wouldn't necessarily consider lying out by the pool to be very useful besides the fact that it can give one color and maybe some relief and relaxation from a long week, but it can also burn calories. It's almost like "killing two birds with one stone" you get the chance to relax and hang out with your friends, but also burn calories by laying out while the sun is beating upon you, causing you to sweat. The second area I plan to evaluate is the elliptical area upstairs. Running is a great way of exercising simply because it works out your entire body as a whole. As a little girl I used to absolutely despise running, but then as I got older I soon realized how in shape it keeps you and that it's really not as hard as it seems once you get the hang of it.  Third, I chose to evaluate the snack bar downstairs. Although it’s not open all hours that the gym is open, it is very helpful to those who attend the gym. It offers many things from waters, fruits, vegetables, protein shake, etc. All of these things promote a healthy lifestyle and are sold to students and members to make sure they are working out while staying hydrated at the same time. Then finally I picked the SRC Intramural fields to evaluate. The SRC fields are home to many practices late at night during the week and also games for the intramural sports. These fields provide a place to play sports either recreationally or professionally on a team and help to keep people in shape by offering large amount of space to play games or practice sports. It's very motivating to see people in such amazing shape you envy to look like physically because it only pushes me to work even harder to reach this personal goal of mine.

Exercise and wellness like I previously stated before is very important to me. Although it gets very tiring going to the gym every day, it's not as much of a drag anymore because I know that I will soon see results and eventually reach my personal fitness goals. It's not only a way to keep in shape and stay healthy, it's also an escape from the everyday stress and schoolwork that people are constantly dealing with. There are major health issues facing this particular generation due to the increased use of technology and it is very important to make sure that you are staying healthy and eating right in order to live a healthy life. “There is growing public concern that this generation will suffer severe consequences if lifestyle changes are not implemented nationwide” (Rooks, 45). This is why exercise is so important and a center like ours at ASU is such a good example of the importance and necessity of exercising. I whole-heartedly believe that the SRC at ASU was an amazing investment. With all that it has to offer, it’s hard to prove that this center isn’t useful for students. Without the Student Recreation Center, students would be limited with access to working out and continuing to live a healthy lifestyle.

Annotations:

Elliptical:

Upstairs in the Student Recreation Center there is an area sectioned off for elliptical machines of all types. Elliptical machines are great for running and work out ones entire body as a whole. Personally these machines are my favorite because I feel as if they make me feel as if I am working really hard due to the fact that the exercises can be very challenging and cause you to sweat tremendously proving that you are really pushing your body to the next level. “America’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States…killing more than 630,000 Americans” (Madden) in 2006. With heart disease being the leading cause of death, it’s important that people stay healthy and keep their body in shape in order to lower the chances of one becoming sick with this disease, or any disease for that matter. Running is a great way to stay fit and works out your cardiovascular system, keepings your lungs in shape as well! The elliptical machines provide more exercise to the body than one would think. These machines have multiple workouts to choose from in case one might not be familiar with certain routines to follow. These workouts consist of extremely challenging to simpler routines, all putting more emphasis on certain parts of the body. While running on the elliptical machines it feels as if I am leaving reality for the hour duration that I’m running. I am perfectly content that hour listening to music and feeling the burning sensation my legs begin to feel because I know that this will only show improvement and bring me closer to these fitness goals I want to reach. “The rhythmic running on the open road or treadmill can relax and clear the mind” (Hupston). As proven, running is a great stress reliever as well, which is one of the reasons why many people love it so much. Once you begin running more often, it becomes a lot easier because your body is able to build stamina. As awful as it may seem, running truly is an amazing source of exercise which gets the whole body moving which is why I find these machines so important to this center.

SRC Pool

The Student Recreation Center pool is a great resource at this center for countless reasons. The main reasons why this area of the center comes into great use would have to be that it’s a place to relax while hanging out with friends, a place to easily burn calories while bathing in the sun and also a place to work out when the machines and rooms inside don’t sound too appealing. Laying out by the pool while hanging out with friends is an activity almost anyone especially away at college love doing. Although laying out by the pool doesn’t particularly count as a daily exercise it does cause the body to sweat leading to a loss of water weight because of the body trying to cool itself down in hot temperatures, like Arizona’s perfect sunny weather for example. It may not be noticeable but it’s easily proven that it’s a much better way to spend the day compared to watching TV on the couch. Another option you have while at the pool would be to exercise, simply by doing a few laps. “Swimming is an easy way to become initiated into a regular workout regimen because of the low amount of stress it places on your body” (Ray). Just like running, swimming is considered an aerobic exercise and is a very good stress reliever. However, unlike running, swimming eliminates “the pounding on the bones and joints” (Ray) which may be the reason why some people refer to swimming as their key way of exercising. Some people would say that their reason for not exercising is simply because it is not something they enjoy. Swimming provides an alternative for people with injuries due to the fact that your body feels lighter in water and can also be looked at as a type of leisure activity, making it more reasonable to use as a way of exercising. All in all the pool is a great place to spend free time; it’s a place to relax and hangout with friends while at the same time it’s a great place to workout. Its recreational and professional purposes make it a very important aspect of the SRC.

SRC Fields

The SRC Intramural fields are not only very useful to students at Arizona State University, but also to its community. These fields contain goals for soccer, volleyball courts, areas to play baseball or softball and enough grass area for may other sports. These fields get a lot of use pretty much all hours of the day, every day of the week. Many sports teams use these fields to hold their practices and intramural games. Students also use these fields for recreational purposes like playing small games with friends or simply to workout in a bigger area and with fresh air compared to inside the Student Recreational Center. Unlike the area upstairs in the SRC specifically for running machines like the elliptical, the Intramural fields allow people to do all kinds of exercise. Whether there are games being played or practices are being held, you will always see a couple of people off to the side doing their daily workout routines because they prefer the outdoors while exercising, which is perfectly okay because everybody is different and has their own ways of doing things. Personally I enjoy working out inside because it’s not as hot and because I don’t know enough of my own techniques to feel that I would get a good enough workout. The fields provide a place for people to do whatever they want on an area purposely made for recreational purposes. People join sports because they enjoy them or because it might be the only way they think they’ll stay in shape since you are forced to stay in shape while playing a sport. Either way these fields get a lot of use and are very important to the school and also to the community because there is always something taking place on them; Whether it be a sports team having practice, or a couple of people doing sprints these fields are put to good use and great way to provide attention to the importance of physical fitness and staying healthy.

Snack Bar

On top of everything the Student Recreation center has to offer, it also has a snack bar downstairs right as you walk in. This snack bar however not open all hours that the gym is open offers a ton of things promoting good health and ways to stay hydrated during or after working out. Most gyms that I have been to personally do not offer an entire snack bar with a stock of snacks and smoothies like the one provided in the SRC at Arizona State. Anyone who goes to the gym enough knows that it is almost impossible to get a good work out in without water or some sort of drink promoting hydration for the body. Although members of this center are lucky enough to have the option of buying waters or a Vitamin Water in case you were ever to forget. It is very important to stay hydrated especially while working out. “Drinking water or water-rich fluids on a regular basis can help you maintain a healthier weight or even lose weight” (Miller). Just by drinking water on a daily basis can help move you towards a healthier lifestyle. “Drinking water instead of soda can quench your thirst without adding calories to your diet and may suppress or distract your appetite if you drink it when you experience a food craving” (Miller). This area in the Student Recreation Center promotes an importance of staying hydrated while working out because of the fact that it supplies its members with drinks and food that are healthy and good for the body. I find this part of the center very important because some people who may forget to eat breakfast or have a scare of passing out while they were working out have the option of purchasing something healthy to give their body energy. 

Works Cited:

Hupston, Fleur. Natural News [N/a], 2010

Madden, Johnathan. The Importance of Exercise Shamrock Eden Publishing, 2011

Miller, Christa. “What are the Health Benefits of Being Hydrated” Livestrong. 14 June 2011

Ray, Linda. “Benefit of Swimming as Exercise.” Livestrong. 31 March 2010

Rooks, Linsdsey. (2010). Masters Thesis. Journey to Wellness, 52 pages

Research Notes: Staying Fit & Healthy

Exercise & Wellness

I am choosing to do Project #2 on the Student Recreational Center, also known as the SRC. I intend to concentrate mainly on the fact that this center provides a way for Arizona State Students to stay healthy and fit while away at school. Exercise and wellness are very important to me. In my opinion and also from an ex-athletes perspective staying fit is more of a necessity rather than a desire. After playing sports my whole life and then stopping half way through high school i soon realized how easy it was to stay in shape while playing sports, and how hard it was to keep motivated to go to the gym. However once I started to get the hang of it, it became much more natural to me and more of a habit instead of a chore. Working out and exercising daily not only keeps your body fit and in shape, but also calms the mind and helps bring out positive energy along with relieving stress.

In this project I intend to evaluate different regions in the SRC that have a particular meaning to me. One area I choose to explore will be the SRC recreational pool. People wouldn't necessarily consider laying out by the pool to be very useful besides the fact that it can give one color and maybe some relief and relaxation from a long week, but it can also burn calories. It's almost like "killing two birds with one stone" you get the chance to relax and hang out with your friends, but also burn calories by laying out while the sun is beating upon you, causing you to sweat. The second area I plan to evaluate is the elliptical area upstairs. Running is a great way of exercising simply because it works out your entire body as a whole. As a little girl I used to absolutely despise running, but then as I got older I soon realized how in shape it keeps you and that it's really not as hard as it seems once you get the hang of it.  I also chose to evaluate the snack bar downstairs. Although its not open all hours that the gym is open, it is very helpful to those who attend the gym. It offers many things from waters, fruits, vegetables, protein shakes and many more. All of these things promote a healthy lifestyle and are sold to students and members to make sure they are working out while staying hydrated at the same time. Then finally I picked the circuit room to evaluate. The circuit room consists of many different machines to help work out the entire body and or individual parts as well. This room contains a physical therapy room as well, which is very useful to athletes who have injuries due to sports they play. The circuit room has a different environment compared to say the elliptical section upstairs. It's a lot quieter and people in there are a lot more focused on their perceptions of their bodies. It's very motivating to see people you envy to look like physically and only pushes me to work even harder to reach this personal goal of mine.

Exercise and wellness like I previously stated before is very important to me. Although it gets very tiring going to the gym every day, it's not as much of a drag anymore because I know that I see results soon and eventually reach my personal fitness goals. It's not only a way to keep in shape and stay healthy, it's also an escape from the everyday stress and school work that I am constantly dealing with. if I had the time to go more than once a day, I would definitely put that opportunity to good use, however that is not the case.

Throughout this project I will go into much more depth onto how I view the SRC and the important of staying fit and healthy by evaluating these different aspects as well as including my personal viewpoints with some back up from my different sources.

Some sources I may use all contain information on exercise and the importance of staying healthy and its positive effects on the body. They will help me prove some of my points because they are liable sources and will also help me gain more knowledge on my particular topic. The sources are listed below.

Sleep, Exercise, and Nutrition by Harrelson, Orvis A : Book

Physical Activity, Exercise, and Physical Fitness: Definitions and Distinctions for Health-Related Research by Carl J. Caspersen : Article

Kids learn the importance of exercise: NC Edition by Linda McIntosh : Newspaper Article

Evaluation: Revenge

This new top hit show Revenge is an American television drama/thriller series that airs Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm on ABC starring Madeleine Stowe and Emily Vancamp. It first showed up on television on September 21, 2011 and has been a hit series since! Just like any television show these days Revenge consists of strong intensity to keep you on the edge of your seat and to keep it's viewers watching every Wednesday night. However, the plot of this particular series isn't like any other series that I have seen at least. Emily Vancamp stars as the main character in this show, Amanda Clark. She plays the role of a very well off young woman, living in the house in the beautiful Hamptons she once grew up in as a little girl until the day her life chained completely for the worst. During one of her last few night in this house as a young girl her father was taken away and framed for a crime he did not commit and was unfortunately murdered before he ever got the chance to prove his own innocence. Although, years later, and foster home after foster home, Amanda was soon encountered by one of her fathers old friends who soon proved to her his innocence and gave star Amanda Clark a trunk full of secrets leading Emily right down the path of revenge and insight onto who framed him. Now that she is older and wiser, she switches identities with one of her cell mates she met in Juvenille she plans for revenge on all those who affected her life. Amanda, who now goes by Emily one by one plots and takes care of the lose ends that are in her life. Emily focuses the root of her hatred to the Hamptons on the Grayson family who knows it all when it comes to Emily's horrible past. Just like any other thriller series or movie, this show keeps you on the edge of your seat at all time. During every commercial you are constantly thinking the whole time "What is going to happen next?!" or they leave you thinking something happened when really you come to find out it did not. Suspense filled moments and a very detailed story line are what keep viewers watching shows like this now a days. Writers and script writers have to keep the viewers and the ratings up, so they are constantly thinking of what to add next in order to keep everyone interested. I think that one of the reasons this show became so popular so fast was not just because of the storyline, but also because it's not just another one of the reality shows that seem to be airing more than usual. This show has some some sort of s mix between reality and mystery with even some unrealistic details, but it only makes it that much more interesting because nobody is going to want a boring show. This is one of the reasons some people are so into supernatural shows about vampires and wear-wolves, we all know these things aren't real, although it catches our interest because it's sort of an escape from the everyday reality were faced with. As unrealistic some shows may be, television is still really popular and this tv series world is becoming very competitive. As fresh and new as Revenge is in the never-ending list of television shows that air these days I believe  Revenge has a very good chance of making it through the cut due to its popularity ratings and such intense story line. The actors and actresses are great, the setting is intriguing and the plot is full of suspense and vengeance, who wouldn't enjoy this show?!

Project 1 Reflection: Analysis

In my opinion I thought that Project one was a bit difficult. Although there were some parts I did really well on, there were also some key parts I really struggled with.

            The part that I found the easiest when doing the project were the observation notes and describing my “place” in the paper. I found it really easy describing the bridge and using all the little details to really paint a picture in the readers mind.  Then came the analysis part and that’s where I truly struggled. Describing the place was easy but then after finding all the hidden meanings and going beyond the simple details was where I got stuck. I didn’t understand how to put into words exactly what I thought every little aspect of the bridge meant or what it symbolized. It took me a while to finally go more into depth with these descriptions and find these inner meanings and what exactly each part signifies.

            I learned that writing an informative analytical essay isn’t as easy as it seems. It takes a lot of thinking and brainstorming to make sure you know what everything means and to get your perspective or point across to the reader. You have to first understand what you are talking about before you can try and teach someone else to see what you see. This project taught me that you can’t just spend a few hours writing a paper in this format, it takes a lot more time and a few extra reads to make sure you have the concept down. Next time I will definitely take more time in writing the essay and definitely take into consideration my classmates comments, when I know that they are only trying to make my paper that much better and give advice.

            I am not really sure if I included enough analysis from what was asked of us. I tried my hardest to look beyond the simple descriptions and more into what each one signifies but I still found myself stuck and as if I was repeating myself. In the future I plan on hopefully taking even more detailed notes and observations to give me a lot more to work with. Even though I had 4 pages of notes I still felt as if I ran out of things to talk about and that if I would have taken more and been even more detailed as I was that I wouldn’t have necessarily ran out of things to talk about.

            This project taught me that looking through another lens like the authors we were assigned can really alter ones perspective. I thought the lens we were able to use gave us more to talk about and to relate to but also proved as back up for why we felt something meant what we think it means.

New Observations of a place: Worksheet

Project #1 Worksheet                                                          

Your Place: ASU Bridge

What are the intended functions of the place?

-to connect north campus to central campus

-to walk across

-an overpass on university

What overt messages does the place send (i.e., openly communicated through signs)?

-It’s ASU related

What covert messages does the place send (i.e., hidden messages)?

-escape from the crosswalk

-professional

-clean

Have previous users left traces behind in the place?

-through footprints maybe

-dropped gum

Has the place been re-appropriated (i.e., beyond its original functions)?

-Not that I know of

What social or cultural customs did you observe (i.e., rules governing appropriate behavior)?

-need to be cautious of steps you take

-aware of the people around you

Who has access to the place?  Are there insiders and outsiders?

-anyone has access

Who owns the place?

-ASU owned

What is the place’s value (i.e., monetary or otherwise)?

-High value

Are there official representations of the place (i.e., online, in promotional materials)?  Do they accurately capture the place as you experienced it?

-Information on the ASU website, but doesn’t explain the hidden messages that one could experience

Is the place in transition, a changing place?

-Not as nice and new as it was once built, changing with time due to its increase in age

What conflicts or tensions are there in the place?

-One might trip and fall on their way up or down the bridge

What is the place’s history?  Do you see evidence of the past there in the present?

-built many years ago

-not much evidence of the past

How does this place differentiate itself from other places?  What other places is it similar to, but how is it different from those places?

-It’s the only bridge on campus

-it’s similar to any crosswalk because of all the people crossing at once, but excludes the cars crossing over

What questions do you have about your place?

-Why isn’t it painted to represent ASU colors?

Key Features / Profiles (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 165-166)

An interesting subject.  What is unusual about your place?  Alternatively, is there something ordinary about it that you can show in an intriguing way?

-The number of stairs is unusual. It’s painted plain colors but suggests that it has a professional status compared to the other building surrounding it.

Any necessary background.  What background information will you need to include about the place in order to situate readers?

-I will need to make sure to include the location.

An interesting angle.  Rather than trying to tell readers everything about the place, what angle(s) might you use?

-You could use angles from afar, such as looking at the place, then an angle of actual being on the “place” and then another angle describing the feelings one might experience while being at the place.

A firsthand account.  Did you interact with people in the place or participate in some way?  What experiences did you have there that you can write about using “I”?  (Yes, first person point of view is encouraged, especially for this paper.)

-There is always people constantly walking over the bridge in one direction or the other so its easy to come in contact with many people. However depending on the amount of people you’re with, one might be silent walking along by themselves where as a group of people are all talking amongst themselves.

Engaging details.  What specific information must you include in your description of the place?  What potential does your place have for the use of sensory images, figurative language, dialogue, anecdotes, and showing rather than telling?  What do you want the dominant impression to be?

-I must include the shape, color, surrounding objects, smell and feelings generated when crossing the bridge. The description of my place can paint a picture in the mind. I want the dominant impression to be surprised after being told the many different meanings this place can hold.

Generating Ideas and Text (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 168-169)

Explore what you already know about your subject.  Why do you find this place interesting?  What did you already know about it?

-I already knew it was a bridge connecting parts of the campus. I found the shape, color and sounds at different times of day while crossing very interesting, as well as the feelings it generates.

If you’re planning to interview someone, prepare questions.  What would you like to ask someone in the place in order to better understand it?

-How does the bridge make you feel before crossing/after crossing?

-What do you most often hear while crossing?

-Do you prefer to take the stairs or ramp on your way up/way down?

-Do you find yourself looking over the ledge once on the top?

-How do you feel once making it to the peak?

-Do you catch yourself looking down on your way down?

Do additional research.  Does your place have an online component?  How else might you gather additional research?

-It has information on the ASU website, with little information and brief details.

Analyze your findings.  What patterns, images, or recurring ideas or phrases did you use to describe your place?  What contrasts or discrepancies do you see?

-I used a lot of imagery to describe my place. A recurring idea that kept coming up was the idea of power that the bridge suggests and gives while at the top.

Come up with an angle.  What is most memorable about your subject?  What most interests you?  What will interest your audience?

-The thing that interests me most about the bridge is everyone’s reaction and how different yet similar they all tend to be. I think the thing that will interest the audience the most will be the different perspectives to look at the place and all the hidden meanings one might see when looking at all the aspects of the bridge.