ashlyn77 - Tumblr blog

[ashlyn77]

week 14

For this week's blog I decided to focus on the prompt of Multimodal discussion. For this topic, and discussion,  I chose to interview my parents. Both were born, and raised, in the City of Chicago, in different, yet nearby and similar neighborhoods in Chicago.  The questions I mainly asked them were focused on the difference of growing up in one of the small neighborhoods outside of the “downtown” part of the city, the difference between those neighborhoods and the Chicago Loop, as well as those differences compared to where I was raised, which was in the western suburbs, outside of Chicago.  Some of the challenges I faced while doing these interviews were having them go into detail and explaining their answers, memories based on landmarks which have changed drastically over the years, and finding a convenient time that we were both free and available to have a longer conversation.  After working through these small problems I noticed a common issue in my questions, between both my Mom and Dad. Their age at the time of the memory that pertained to the question I was asking, or my age at that time.  Once I realized the role this particular fact played in my interview, I fine tuned my questions and chose a set age/time frame for each portion, the interviews with both parents went much more smoothly. Some of the questions I decided to ask them were about the general demographics of each neighborhood, what they remembered as far as crime and safety as children growing up in Chicago in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Additionally how those memories and statistics compared to their experience when they moved to the suburbs. I also asked them about their individual school experiences, as well as which they preferred: living in the city or in the suburbs. I also asked why they chose to leave the city and move to the suburbs after I was born.  I think the main difference I saw when I was asking my parents these questions was that I could tell my mom liked living in the suburbs way better and my dad did miss a lot of the city's aspects. I think the main thing I excelled in during this interview was having questions where it was easy for them to explain and tell me stories to get a better idea of what they were talking about.  Some things I would change next time for an interview would be anticipating a factor like age during their memories for specific questions to keep the interviews and answers cohesive. 

[ashlyn77]

week 10 blog

 For this week's blog I am going to be choosing to use the prompt of Multimodal discussion. Using this prompt I decided to do a couple in person interviews with my roommates and friends. I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted to focus on in this week's blog so I decided to write down a couple vague questions regarding the city of Chicago, the history of the city, demographics, and things to do. 

There were a few different challenging things in getting these interviews done. Coming up with questions was my first task and challenge. I found it difficult to find questions that weren’t overly specific for the non-Chicagoan, yet still yielded decent, assignment worthy responses. The second challenge, which is somewhat obvious, was finding time to actually interview the people not living in my house. The last challenging part of this task, which in part goes along with my first point, was getting people to talk and not just give one word answers.

During this task, I think the main thing I excelled in (and was also mentioned as a challenge) was honing my questions for people. Not overly vague, which would yield generic, non-specific answers, but in the same breath, not so specific that someone who is unfamiliar with Chicago wouldn’t be able to answer them at all. 

From this task, I definitely learned that getting people to commit to even a 15 minute interview in person is difficult. I also learned that for most people who have never been to Chicago, and only have a vague knowledge of the city, everyone seems to know/believe all basically the same things. 

Things I would change for next time, would definitely be to ask people’s availability father in advance, particularly in case someone needs to reschedule, etc. I think I also need to be better prepared with follow up questions, so that I can avoid one word answers quickly, and keep the interview going.

[ashlyn77]

week 6

For this week's blog I decided to do my research on the cultural aspect of the city of Chicago. I wanted to focus on the cultural aspect because Chicago is a massive melting pot of cultures. This is evident in a multitude of ways. From all of the individual neighborhoods throughout the city, to the various restaurants.  Chicago has a long list of “Chicago's best known”. Some very significant ones that I think when I hear Chicago would be the advancement of everything from performing arts schools, amazing and diverse cuisine, born and raised Chicago musicians etc. Originally inhabited by Native Americans, (the word “Chicago” is translated from a Native American word which means “wild skunk” or “onions”, because it was full of wild onions, leeks & wild growing ramps!) “discovered”  by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a trader of African descent, and inhabited, in the early days, by Europeans - Chicago was destined to be a cultural melting pot. This continues to be true today. The influence of these various cultures continues to be a highlight of the city, and something I believe the average tourist misses out on.  I think it is so important for the overall culture to be talked about because it gets reflective just as a city next to a lake. One of my favorite things I get to experience and look forward to when I spend a day down there is the music. On every street corner there are people playing live music any time of the day. Chicago is well known for having produced some of history’s all time great Jazz and Blues musicians. To the extent that there is a huge Jazz and Blues festival in the city yearly, as well as, The Taste of Chicago, which is another annual festival, held for those who wish to experience a sampling of Chicago’s diverse and incredible cuisine offerings. 

[ashlyn77]

Topic Proposal

Ashlyn Mroz

9-21-23

Topic proposal 

WRD110-208

The topic I've chosen to write about this semester is the city of Chicago, and its many wonderful facets. I chose this topic, not only because it is near and dear to my heart, but also because I think there are so many things about the city that either people are unaware of, or uninformed about. From the history of the city itself, the incredible architecture, major historical events that have happened there, and everything that makes Chicago a great tourist destination as well. After living so close to Chicago for my whole life I'm still learning so many interesting facts about Chicago that blow my mind. 

The city of Chicago was founded in 1780, and officially incorporated in 1837. That’s 236 years of history, happenings, events and comings and goings to write about! I believe this topic will be incredibly interesting, not only for me to research, but also for the reader. I believe this topic, while broad, is relevant because Chicago is such a large city, that I feel so many are misinformed on. People think of crime and skyscrapers when they hear “Chicago”. I’d like to use this semester to show that there’s so, so much more. More than just the tourist destinations, crime stats, and cold winters. Some of the more popular places in Chicago would have to be the Willis tower, Navy pier, And millennium park.  These places have a good reason to be very well known. The Willis tower is the tallest building in Chicago and can see it pretty much anywhere you go throughout the city. Navy pier is more commonly known for its huge amusement park aspect right on the lake and boat tours around the city, but it is also known for its use for military training during the World War l and ll. Millennium park  holds the giant Cloud Gate more commonly known as the bean. This giant shiny bean was originally made for an art competition when millennium park was being built back in the 1990’s. These are just a couple facts about popular Chicago tourist spots, that the average person may not know. 

The great thing about choosing this topic is that being such a large city, Chicago is constantly evolving. There is definitely a wealth of knowledge on the history of Chicago, but there is also a large amount of new information constantly being produced about the city. One example of this, is how much the city has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, as a popular tourist destination, information on history, landmarks, sponsored events, shopping and dining are all readily available. 

In addition to those resources, having lived so close to Chicago, my parents and grandparents all grew up in Chicago. This gives me additional first, and second hand research avenues. While I am not able to visit Chicago while I am working on this project this semester, I do have personal experience with the city as well. 

Taking into consideration all of the above facts and information, I believe I can complete this project within the given time frame. 

Bibliography 

“Clarke-Ford House.” City of Chicago :: Clarke-Ford House, www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/clarke_house_museum.html#:~:text=Built%20in%201836%2C%20the%20Clarke,House%20is%20Chicago%27s%20oldest%20house. Accessed 20 Sept. 2023. 

Goodrich, Theresa. “25 Amazing Navy Pier Chicago Attractions and Things to Do.” The Local Tourist, 18 May 2023, thelocaltourist.com/navy-pier-chicago-attractions/#:~:text=Chicago%27s%20Navy%20Pier%20is%20famous,as%20a%20popular%20tourist%20attraction. 

Merlo, Erick. “Chicago’s Cloud Gate (Chicago Bean).” Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., 21 June 2021, www.salvilaw.com/cloud-gate-chicago-bean/. 

[ashlyn77]

Week 1

Hi, I'm Ashlyn. I am a sophomore transfer this year. I am originally from Lombard, Illinois, a small suburb about 30 minutes away from chicago. My freshman year of college I went to West Liberty University to follow my heart and love for animals and study Zoo science. Unfortunately the school wasn't a great fit for me. Consequently, I made the difficult decision to leave after my first semester there, for the benefit of my happiness and mental health. The program, and major,  was such an amazing experience and gave me the chance to work hands-on with all sorts of animals right there in the classroom. After coming back home from only one semester I enrolled at our local community college for some of my general education classes, with plans to attend another four year university in the fall of 2023. I then chose University of Kentucky, and had to change my major just a little bit to continue my career path and follow my dream to work with animals. I have always had a soft spot for all sorts of animals, ever since I was little. Caring for, rescuing and rehabilitating animals would allow me to not only advocate for them but thrive in a career doing something I love.

[ashlyn77]

week 4

In continuing my research on my chosen topic, the city of Chicago, something I had not previously considered is how Chicago is viewed by those who are unfamiliar with Chicago, or living in a “big city”, in general. In part, I am aware that news reporting, and the media weighs heavily into this perception. For the average person, who is unfamiliar with Chicago, when someone mentions it, the first few thoughts are that Chicago is just the downtown portion of the city that is laden with skyscrapers, the Magnificent Mile, and the Sears Tower. I think that most unfamiliar with Chicago, don’t know that Chicago as a whole is comprised of many small neighborhoods, in addition to the downtown portion, which includes many business and offices as well as many tourist attractions. Another misconception about Chicago, which I’ve become very aware of since moving to Lexington and telling people that I am from just outside of Chicago, is that Chicago is dangerous or unsafe. Like many large cities, including Lexington, I’m sure, Chicago certainly has areas and neighborhoods that have higher crime rates. Crime is reported widely on the news, which is what contributes to a skewed perception of the city to the average person. Related to this crime perception, is that many people are knowledgeable about and familiar with the fact, that Chicago, in the Prohibition and Roaring 20’s era, was basically controlled by Al Capone and organized crime, which also contributed to some of Chicago’s most interesting, scandalous history. Many of the places that Al Capone frequented and utilized in his organized crime empire still stand today. I find it interesting that while at the time, the crimes being committed in Chicago were horrible, now that part of the city’s history is absolutely glamorized and used as a tourist draw.  Overall, this perception held by many, I believe, makes my assignment and topic all the more interesting, and allows me the opportunity to show all of the amazing things that the city holds, in addition to the rich history of Chicago in so many aspects.