Farwell English 151

  Here, Da Fancy Pants put together our final blog entry.  This experience has brought us together as a group and as friends.  For most of us, doing this blog was are favorite part of English class.  It gave us a chance as a class to listen to and discuss eachothers opinions on the community around us.  We got to explore the community around us rather than just OU, and think we've become more aware of the people of Athens and Appalachia because of that.  Though, Da Fancy Pants was clearly the most creative group, we took that plunge and, in our opinion, took the blogging beyond expectation, and we had fun with that.  By the end of the quarter we even found ways to have fun with our blogs by coming up with more creative titles, trying to have the best pictures and even making a youtube video just for fun.  What began as a potentially boring class assignment, turned into an incredible saga of life, death, sacrifice, and survival within the cruel classroom, we're Da Fancy Pants saying, goodnight, and good schooling.

~Da Fancy Pants

Last Blog Entry

When hearing as a class were going to have to write Blog entries, no one seemed very enthusiastic about the concept. After considering all the different discussions we used through blogging, Tricia and I find that the blogs were a helpful experience. We now have a better understanding of community and what makes a community stable, and a comfortable living environment. Tricia and I both agreed we did not know anything about Appalachia before the blog assignment. Through blogging we now have a better understanding of the different views and stereotype of the Appalachian living environment. Lastly learning about different activities in Athens was interesting because we got to see what our classmates enjoyed about OU. In all the blogging experience was helpful and insightful. We enjoyed how the blogs helped to form class discussions and how we learned different views from other students. The blogs should definitely be used in all English classes.

Mike: The blog activity was extremely beneficial to me; I have never been in a blog group before or made a blog before. This allowed me to experience working on a blog for the first time along with seeing my classmate’s opinions on different community subjects. This was my favorite part of the project, because it gives me insight on what people think from outside of the small suburban bubble.

Sam: Prior to this assignment, I had never written or read a blog. As I have learned more about different styles of writing and the ways in which we communicate thoughts and ideas, I now believe that blogging is an essential tool that every college student should learn. I have since gone on to write a few of my own blogs outside of class, and enjoy reading what others have to say about interesting topics.

The blogs have also allowed me to learn more about our surrounding culture here in Athens. Reading what others have to say is very helpful in understanding what things are really like, instead of just getting a single opinion. Blogs also give the poster optional anonymity, which could unleash the minds of some more self-concious people.

Ryan: I actually liked doing the blogs throughout the year. I thought it was interesting to see what other groups thought about the same topics that our group was blogging about. Even though we only did a couple blogs, every one we did was still fun to do. I like how easy it is to get with your group and write a blog about a certain issue. It was also fun to write them because someone in the group always has a different view than you, and you all end up having new views on a certain topic.

Last Blog

When Mrs. Hayes announced that we would be doing blog posts throughout the quarter, we weren’t excited. Now, at the end of the quarter, we’re singing different tune. We’re happy we had the opportunity to take a deeper look inside the community and culture of the surrounding area. Athens is a great place to get an education, and even greater place to live.  We have a greater appreciation of people who take the time to write blogs and share their blogging experiences with one another.  We value the opinions of other people even if we don’t agree with them.  We now appreciate other peoples writing styles and perspectives about certain topics.

We got to explore campus through our meeting areas. For example, we met at the hookah bar, Good Fellas, and the library.   We’ve learned to work better in a group, taking valuable out of class time to work on our blog entries.  This was a great experience and if we had to do it again we would.

Live. Laugh. Blog.

Blogging in a group was an adventure, to say the least. From our varied meeting places to our varied blog subjects, we grew to appreciate those who dedicate hours every day to blogging. Some bloggers come up with inordinate amounts of info to write about. Looking at our class’s blog posts, we learned to appreciate different points of view. It opened up discussions, and united the class in a unique way. As a blog group, we learned that communication is one of the most important aspects. Forgetting to inform one member of a meeting time can result in a bit of a disaster (jokes on Renata). Not to mention, all four of us, completely spacing on one of our last blogs (whoops!) All of us plan on entering careers that involve group involvement and working with others. This project gave us a little taste of what that will be like.

The given topics gave us a better understanding of the Athens community, as well as the Appalachian community as a whole. All of us come from suburban areas and never thought about our surroundings upon beginning college. How many college freshman can honestly admit to researching their new city before attending the university? None that we know. We feel privileged to have done so.

Family, Friends, and Lots of Caffeine

To label one single thing about Athens as ‘The Thing’ to do when coming here would be a foolish action. After all, Athens has a rich culture. There are tons of exciting things to do here. One of our personal favorite spots in Athens is the Donkey Coffee Shop. The Donkey, as it is called by residents, is a homey and mellow location. The lighting is relaxing, and comfortable seating is supplied. There is a stage to house live musical performances, and there is plenty of room to just study. Not to mention of course, the best chai tea in the entire world (according to Nicole).

So you may be asking “Why come here when I can just go to The Front Room and use my FLEX points?” First of all, the beverages are completely different. At the Front Room, you can expect to find Starbucks blends. That means commercially produced flavoring in your coffee. The Donkey uses locally grown coffee beans, among other ingredients. You can expect to find to more fresh and unique flavor at Donkey. Being a privately-owned business, the Donkey is unique in terms of coffee shops.

Whether you are a visitor to Athens or a student of Ohio University, the Donkey is a must-visit. Even if you do not like coffee or tea, you can still find a relaxing environment here. When telling others about your time in Athens, you can always say “I’ve tried the local coffee”. The Donkey represents Athens well. It is mellow, unique, and very very tasteful.

Blog 4: Essential Athens

In Athens, the live music scene is extraordinarily prevalent. Many bars host bands and the cafes put on open mic nights regularly. Part of could be considered the essential Athens is the weekly open mic night at Donkey Coffee. The coffeehouse itself seems a relevant fixture in Athens, as most local bands travel through there, either via performances or through promoting their recordings. The weekly open mic, hosted by Troy Gregorino, puts the local musicians' name out in a more active and aware environment, increasing the chances of their music getting heard by more people. Donkey Coffee also promoted the 3 Elliot Studio, which is a recording studio that will take new talent and help record their work, producing under an independent label, which is an increasingly more viable option for artists in the new, chaotic incarnation of the music industry.

Photo of Leah Nairn performing at the open mic night, courtesy of www.athensnews.com