Final Posting of the Semester
English 102 continues along the path of strengthening our literature skills, specifically in highlighting the connection of food in our society. Throughout this semester we completed multiple assignments leading to the completion of three major projects, each expanding on the prior projects. We started by completing a food journal, an assignment in which we reflected upon a food memory in our lives in past or recent times relating to the current unit. We finished by developing an academic essay analyzing multiple sources related to a focused topic. Each project was dedicated to the theme of food connection in society.
Project one was a food narrative in which we highlighted an important food memory. The unit surrounding the project was built upon an exploration of the roles food has in our lives. Not only was the overall role of food in society explored, but also its role in our lives specifically. Personally, this unit allowed me to realize how important meal times, specifically family meals, are in my life. I was able to realize that was one major thing I missed from home. However, the unit also brought to light the new ways mealtimes became an integral part of my college experience.
The assignments leading up to this project allowed for the stated exploration of mealtime importance. Food Journal #1 was an exploration into mealtimes in our life, written in a narrative form. This assignment was essential in completing my first project as I was able to simply build and expand upon the ideas I first presented here. Towards the end of the unit we completed the Yoga & Finalizing Project 1 assignment in which we took our time to relax and recoup before finalizing our narratives. It was useful to partake in at the start of the English 102 journey as it allowed for the shaping of such skills. My food narrative explored the importance of mealtimes in my home and college life and reflected on how certain aspects from each carried over. I really enjoyed participating in this project as it truly did open my eyes to the important role that simple acts play in my life.
Project two was a rhetorical analysis reviewing two sources, one popular and one academic, related to a topic of our choice. The unit supporting the project expanded on our relationship with food in a more directed sense, narrowing the focus from the general importance of mealtimes to a specific aspect of the connection of food in the society of the United States. Personally, for this class I chose to focus on how the COVID-19 pandemic affected our eating habits. The assignments had me look into the various ways in which different people are affected by the pandemic.
The assignments leading up to this project allowed me to further analyze the impact of the pandemic on our connections to food. I used food journal #2 to explain not only how the pandemic affected me, but also how I dealt with it. I highlighted my sorority membership and the meals provided five days a week at the house. Such a concept allowed me to still feel connected to others in a social aspect during a pandemic that required strict social distancing. This ties into the rhetorical analysis as in this project we analyzed how each author was able to describe how their lifestyles were affected by the pandemic; i.e., the topic of our food journal. To me, this project was important because it enforced the concept of effectively analyzing a piece of literature and being able to do so myself in response.
Project three was an annotated bibliography. The unit surrounding the project was a continuation from Project two, looking into the specific ways the pandemic negatively affected our relationship with food. Instead of simply analyzing how the authors portrayed their narratives, we looked at what they were portraying by examining the actual content of their piece.
The assignments leading up to this project had us looking at different sets of literature and making sure they were truly connected to our topic and to each other. The Identify a Research Topic assignment allowed me to envision the project and get feedback before going forward with my research. The Map to Synthesize Research assignment allowed me to interconnect each idea I had for the project and to see if it was all actually related and could be expanded upon. Both assignments were an essential step in making sure I was on the correct path before the project was fully developed.
Each project built off the previous one. Project two was derived from the ideas raised in realizing the importance of mealtimes and how that might be affected in certain ways by the pandemic. Project three built off Project two as I looked deeper into the unhealthy outcomes and specific effects the pandemic had on society and its relationship with food. Overall, the consistent theme of the three projects culminated in a better understanding of the important role food plays in our society and how disruptions to mealtime routines impact more than just our diets.