Olivia Thompson Dr. Wagner Socy 493 March 24 2016
Content Log and Journal from March 24 2016 Content Log: · Mentors arrived at Hotel Floyd at 8:30 a.m. · FCHS Students arrived at Hotel Floyd 8:45 a.m. · FCHS Students and mentors set up equipment in two rooms · First interviewees arrive at 10:00 · First two interviews begin at 10:15 a.m. - Coleman and Via · Lunch at 11:30 · Second two interviews begin at 1:05 p.m. - Cockram and Whitlock · rooms are deconstructed/ equipment back to Old Church Gallery
Journal: This week was our big interview day. We all arrived to Hotel Floyd early to set up the rooms before the interviewees arrived. I was impressed by how well the FCHS students set up the equipment. I know in my room, they had very little help from the mentors or Dr. Wagner etc... I can tell that they had gotten some time to practice setting up the equipment during Mr. Worley's class and I was really happy about that. After all of the equipment was finished being set up, I could tell that the interviewers were getting a little nervous. I think that it really helps that the students all had each other as well as the mentors and our teachers there to make sure that everything ran smoothly. In my room, we learned about the life of Mrs. Via, who was accompanied by her husband, daughter, and granddaughter, and friend. We learned about how she grew up in her families country store and motel. I thought she was a really interesting candidate to interview because her ideas about neighbors and community were impacted strongly by her life in the country store and motel. Being in a country store, and seeing different customers come through every day, and being around travelers who she would likely never see
again, really expanded her definition of community and neighbor. Via commented that everyone is her neighbor. She explained how she thinks the most important thing is to treat every person as you'd like to be treated. Via has undoubtedly spent her years treating people with hospitality and kindness, people that were strangers and people she would never see again. Via sets a really good example for us by explaining how you don't have to close yourself off to people who are deemed “strangers” by today's standards. When saying we should treat everyone as you would want to be treated, it is an homage to the golden rule of Christianity, which was very influential in her life. Her family, growing up, built the church, entirely with the help of their neighbors and community members (which were almost a mile away). She was very proud of this accomplishment, because she deeply values what faith has brought to her life and her neighbors life. It is disheartening to think about people who do not treat people the way Ms. Via does, and how they exist simultaneously in a world with people like Ms. Via, and her endless generosity and trust in people. It really impacts me to think about how that kind of mindset and perspective on the world, could affect you and the life that surrounds you. I wondered what it was like in a time when you could let a bus full of men sleep in your store over night, or let strangers in from the cold, when it is so different where I am from, and the time I come from. She expressed countless times, how different it is now, to how it was then. Even in her adult life, Via was able to travel because of work, and visit different communities, and cities. I think that people in a “small town” are often stereotyped as being hospitable and “nice” in their attitudes and demeanor. I think often because of their location and isolation, it seems that they are like this because of an “innocence” or “naivety”, but I think Mrs. Via is the perfect example of someone who has encountered so many different types of people, and seen places, and is the reason she has kindness for people. You learn about the world through experiences and seeing different places, but you really learn about the world through others, and your reflection of yourself through others. You learn about the world through how the world has made people, and Mrs. Via has a history full of people. I wouldn't say Mrs. Via is “naive”, or “small-minded” or any of these stereotypes you hear about small town folk, she has a rich history that has taught her about the world. Of the two interviews that occurred in my room, I was definitely most inspired by Mrs. Via's take on neighbors and community, but I really did enjoy the second interview as well. It is unfortunate that we can't be in multiple places at once, because I think that by the time the second interview happened, I was sleepy from lunch. Maybe it would be possible to split interviews up into two consecutive days for the future, but maybe that's not necessary, I probably just get sleepier than the average person after I eat. Mr. Whitlock was the second interview in my room and he seemed less at ease than Mrs. Via. I can tell it is probably intimidating to walk into a fully set up room of equipment and people staring back at you. I wonder if the interviewees were made aware of how the situation would be. I wonder if it is easier or harder to be interviewed when there are a lot of people around. It certainly probably makes the interview seem very important, and maybe this would make you want to really share
as much as possible about your life or maybe it can make the interview feel less intimate and thus harder to really open up to a room full of strangers. I'm sure it is different for everyone. Mr. Whitlock's interview shared with us his story of racing, and building cars, and his family. Mr. Whitlock had his own type of community down at the race track, and brought an important part of his life outside of his direct neighborhood, and into a different place. Mr. Whitlock seemed to really love what he did, and upon hearing that this project has actually rejuvenated his interest in cars, I was very pleased. A lot of this project has been about how it can help the students grow and gain confidence, but on the interview day, we got a glimpse of it's important in Floyd County, and for people outside of ourselves. We tried to tell the students that “it's not about you�, and today really showed us how important the stories are, and how important the interviewee's lives our in creating a very real and very rich history for his to admire and learn from. To close up, I think the students did a really great job today, and I think it really brought all that we've been working toward together. I am interested to see how this could impact the students lives, or if any of them have a new found interest in this type of field. This project brought together so many different types of skills, such as interviewing, researching, audio and video recording, editing, and creating a masterpiece final product. I would love to work in a field that could bring together so many different types of skills in different people. Each person has different interests, that work together to create a common goal. I really enjoy the team work. Teaching and mentoring is fun, but I think this project made me realize how much I like team work. In the past I haven't always liked group projects, because I often feel like I carry the brunt of the work, and find myself in leadership roles within the group. This has been for a couple reasons, such as wanting it to come out a certain way, or because of working with people who are not as invested in the goal. Either way, I have not always liked working with groups. I am grateful for this experience.