Adair Garrett

A Reviewed, Revised, Rewritten, Revamped Remix

July 17, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

The revision process of this project helped my project grow to become stronger and more informative. Upon first reading through the comments, I was surprised by my peer reviewer’s understanding of my piece. Multiple times he commented on how “dark” my piece was, which was interesting to me because most of the facts I included came straight from news that had been published within the past two months. After receiving comments from my peer reviewer, I immediately began editing my letters. He noted that I had a few grammatical errors, which I took care to correct quickly, but I waited two days before going through and addressing the rest of his comments. As suggested in class, reading through the comments at first left a certain impression – and triggered my impulse to defend my work – but time encouraged me to be more open to implementing some of the suggestions.

I didn’t agree with his idea to change the letters to specify an intended audience. My peer reviewer asked whether I intended to write both for immigrants and for the families of immigrants living outside the US. I did not change anything in my work as a response to this question because my intention was to write this for anyone whose lives have been touched by the detainment or deportation of immigrants. He also noted that the use of Hamilton lyrics throughout the letters may impact the span of the audience. Here, I agreed; I knew that incorporating lyrics within the letters would drive the story to be told a different way, but I also wanted to pull as much from Hamilton as I could to make it more of a “remix”.

My peer reviewer left many comments that I did apply. His questions drove me to reflect on my own project and how I could make the project better. My peer reviewer suggested that I add a letter written from Ann Mitchell to Hamilton, stating that it would add to my project if “two sides of an overall story” were included. Upon this suggestion, I read over again my draft and decided he was right, even though it required me to do more research about Ann Mitchell and about news stories I could pull from. I added a letter from Ann Mitchell but did not include lyrics from the musical in her letter because she did not have a role in the musical that I could draw from, and there was no character that mirrored her position in Hamilton’s life. I decided to leave her letter empty of references to the lyrics within the musical and focused on making sure her letter relayed the difficulty in communication faced by parents of detained immigrant children. I also wanted to include historical information of Ann Mitchell’s life since her role was left unmentioned by the musical.

I continued to make changes after adding the letter from Ann Mitchell. I tried to edit the letters so they could be a stronger means to make my argument about the similarities between the themes of the musical and the news stories of today. I decided to add references throughout the document so audience members could refer to the article that lead me to make a claim (this was a continued response to my peer reviewer’s comment that my take on the news was so dark). I also wanted to take the form of the document and put it into a more interactive and aesthetic form. After asking for suggestions from many people, I received the advice to use the templates for medieval-themed video game manuals. When I formatted my project onto the letters, however, I lost the citations. I decided that I would keep the formatted documents as they were (without the references) and turn in both the PDF of the old, handwritten letters as well as a PDF of the original document including the references. This way, I kept the aesthetic of a handwritten letter while citing the appropriate information in the original document.

Here is an example of my final product:

Or you can check out my entire project:

RemixandAdaptationProject

The Voices of Women, Remixed

July 2, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

Remixes and adaptations can transform a work from being entertaining to feeling personal, emotional, or political. The musical Hamilton already works to leave lasting impressions on its audience, and the remixes allow these impressions to develop and last as the musical ages and fans search for new meaning in the same story. I believe that a few of the remixes shared with us were really powerful and effective in adding dimensions to female characters in the show, especially the adaptations of “Say Yes To This” and “Congratulations”.

Because of its surprising ability to perfectly complement its counterpart from the musical, I really enjoyed the animatic “Say Yes To This”. I appreciated that this remix, although roughly drawn, gave Maria Reynolds more of a voice than Hamilton did. I liked that the song pulls from the musical themes in “Say No To This” and adds dimensions and passions to a character we know so little about, both in historical records and in the musical. It stills presents Alexander Hamilton as almost blameless, which I believe is probably very incorrect, but this remains consistent with how the original material presented the affair. The video made it even more powerful for me because it gives so much more of a personality to the character of Maria Reynolds, who was so quickly painted as an evil temptress in the show.

For similar reasons, I enjoyed the adaptation “Congratulations” in the Ham4Ham performance. The fact that this performance was the final Ham4Ham was very powerful for me because it allowed Angelica to voice a witty and savage opinion about what Hamilton did to her sister and her family’s image. The live performance is impressive and extremely catchy (it is playing over and over in my head even now, the day after listening to the performance). Performing to the audience outside did probably encourage Renée Elise Goldsberry to sing louder and more powerfully, but I also believe that she sang with so much emotion to state a point as the character Angelica. The shift in the vocal performance in the cover by Dessa made it less powerful for me, and the production that the mixtape allowed to be added to the performance made it feel less emotional for me. Since Angelica and Alexander have such a strong relationship and correspondence throughout the show leading up to this point, this performance made her retort seem like part of their normal banter. The difference between these two remixes showed me how different inflictions and small variations can completely change what a remix does for its audience.

For your reference:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grgwUiToyHs

These remixes allowed me to understand how much power is implicit when drawing from Hamilton to make an argument. I appreciated how the songs built on the musical and did not contradict it in any way. The way that these songs and adaptations added more to the story and gave voice to other underlying issues will continue to inspire me as I begin to work on my Remix and Adaptation Project.

Political Frustration (+ Gratitude for Free Speech)

June 28, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By Adair Garrett

For my Remix and Adaptation Project, I would like to make my remix or adaptation focus on either the detainment of immigrant children. After much deliberation and mild levels of stress, I decided that I would apply some of what I discovered in my research to allow me to express the news today in the context of the early United States. I am planning on doing by drawing from different songs throughout mostly the first act (since that is the act with more revolution-heavy ideas) to create letters between Hamilton and Ann Mitchell from the perspective of a young Alexander Hamilton who has been detained at the border.

My concerns for this project include being inconsiderate because I’m addressing problems that I have and will never face in my own life. Although I am considering alternatives means in the creation of my project, I do not want to change my topic because I cannot stop thinking about it and would like to express my frustration in a creative outlet like this. The alternatives that I have considered in my brainstorm for this project include: one long letter (instead of a collection of letters), one news story from the time of Hamilton’s early travel (eighteenth century), or creating a brief newspaper (or short collection of newspapers) with a mix of modern news and the information revealed throughout the musical Hamilton.

I’m also concerned about making this project as interesting to others as it is to me. I would like to include more multimodal elements but I am not sure which I would want to include as of now, and I want to make it appealing to an audience but I do not want to make light of the situation I’m trying to portray.

I will be doing a lot of research into stories of immigrant children as well as working with formatting and templates online to find the best way to communicate the creation I have in mind. I am hoping to do this to create an argument about the hypocrisy of the American government in recent decisions regarding immigrant children by contrasting the founding fathers’ news and ideas to the laws in our country today

Another one of my concerns is to offend people with my implications, but I’ll attempt to keep my research and project focused on only factual information to prevent bias from causing offense.

I’m far from being the only person who sees the hypocrisy. I will research other groups and their publications to make my project as effective for my argument as possible.

Outline May 26th -> Written June 4th -> Edited and Published June 25th

June 25, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

My ideal writing practice is to first outline, write all of my ideas in a stream-of-consciousness manner, then reorganize my paper into a more logical structure based on the ideas I’ve written. After I have a close-to-completed work, I like to go through my paper and consider grammatical structure and word choice. I enjoy editing (my mom is an English teacher and it fulfills some sort of itch I continuously have), so I’ll spend a good bit of time on this step of the process. Before I turn it in, I read the document all the way through twice, with at least an hour in between. This gives me time to have a set of fresh eyes when I review my work, and this step often allows me to catch small or tricky mistakes.

I do not like to write with snacks because it often distracts me from the task at hand, but I normally have a big cup of double-bag green tea with me. I like to listen to Lo Fi Hip Hop Radio on Youtube and I work normally in the CULC or during my free time at work. I do not get anything done in my own house because my little sister and I are best friends, and it is impossible to get anything done when your best friend is asking you to color with her.

I know the next paragraph will cause every other student in this class to hate me, so please read at your discretion.

I am not a procrastinator. For some reason, if I know I need to do something and I don’t immediately begin to do it, then I feel terribly frustrated and unhappy. I remember specific times in my life when I have procrastinated because I was so shocked by the feeling of not wanting to do something that I should be doing. Last semester, the day before my last final, I procrastinated. I got out of my Statics final and walked back to my dorm to start studying for my Multivariable Calculus final the next day. No matter how much I told myself that I needed to study, I could not find the motivation to start from anywhere. A friend of mine in an earlier section told me that evening that the test was “ridiculously easy”, which was a comment that somehow did not help my situation at all. Eventually, I worked out and went to sleep, and the motivation did not come until during the test, where I found it exceedingly difficult and stressful. This is honestly the only time I can remember procrastinating this past year and it reminded me why my conscience never lets me procrastinate.

As an example of my complete lack of procrastination, I started this post on May 26th, have written the majority of this post on June 4th, and will turn it in after editing on June 25th (even though it is due June 26th). As a result, deadlines are complicated for me because sometimes I have done something so far in advance that I’ve finished far before I can submit something.

Eliza + Hamilton + History: A Historical Annotation Project

June 19, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

[Camp near Dobbs Ferry, New York]
[July 10, 1781]^[1]
The day before yesterday, my angel^[2], I arrived here, but for the want of an opportunity could not write you sooner. Indeed, I know of none now, but shall send this to the Quarter Master General^[3] to be forwarded by the first conveyance to the care of Col. Hughes.^[4] Finding when I came here that nothing was said on the subject of a command, I wrote the General a letter^[5] and enclosed him my commission. This morning Tilghman^[6] came to me in his name, pressed me to retain my commission, with an assurance that he would endeavor by all means to give me a command^[7] nearly such as I could have desired in the present circumstances of the army. Though I know my Betsy^[8] would be happy to hear I had rejected this proposal, it is a pleasure my reputation^[9] would not permit me to afford her. I consented to retain my commission and accept my command.^[10]
I hope my beloved Betsy will dismiss all apprehensions for my safety; unhappily for public affairs, there seems to be little prospect of activity, and if there should be Heaven will certainly be propitious to any attachment so tender, so genuine as ours.^[11] Heaven will restore me to the bosom of my love^[12] and permit me to enjoy with new relish the delights which are centred there. It costs me a great deal to be absent from them, but the privation is certainly only temporary.^[13] I impatiently long to hear from you the state of your mind since our painful separation.^[14] Be as happy as you can, I entreat you, my amiable, my beloved wife. But let not absence deprive me of the least particle of your affection.^[15] Always remember those tender proofs I have so frequently given you of mine and preserve for me unabated the only blessing which can make life of any value to me.^[16]
I write your father all the military news.^[17] I have barely seen Mr. Carter^[18] and delivered him the letters which your amiable father committed to my care. You are of a charming family my Betsy.^[19] I shall not easily forget the marks of parting regret which appeared in both your sisters.^[20] Assure them of everything my heart is capable of feeling for the lovely sisters of a lovely wife.^[21]
I quarter at present by a very polite and very warm invitation with General Lincoln.^[22] I experience every mark of esteem from the officers of both armies.^[23] As soon as possible, I shall begin housekeeping myself. Mr. Carter and I are four miles asunder. Tomorrow morning I shall see him again.^[24] He is in good health and the principal French officers^[25] express great satisfaction at his conduct.^[26]
My good, my tender, my fond, my excellent Betsy, Adieu. You know not how much it must ever cost me to pronounce this word. God bless and preserve you.^[25]
A Hamilton

[New York]
[July 10, 1804]^[28]
My beloved Eliza
Mrs. Mitchel is the person in the world to whom as a friend I am under the greatest Obligations.^[29] I have ⟨not⟩ hitherto done my ⟨duty⟩ to her.^[30] But ⟨resolved⟩ to repair my omission as much as ⟨possible,⟩ I have encouraged her to come to ⟨this Country⟩ and intend, if it shall be ⟨in my po⟩wer to render the Evening of her days ⟨c⟩omfortable. But if it shall please God to put this out of my power and to inable you hereafter to be of ⟨s⟩ervice to her, I entreat you to d⟨o⟩ it and to treat ⟨h⟩er with the tenderness of a Sister.^[31]
This is my second letter.^[32]
The Scrup⟨les of a Christian^[33] have deter⟩mined me to expose my own li⟨fe to any⟩ extent rather than subject my s⟨elf to the⟩ guilt of taking the life of ⟨another.⟩^[34] This must increase my hazards & redoubles my pangs for you. But you had rather I should die inno⟨c⟩ent than live guilty.^[35] Heaven can pre⟨se⟩rve me ⟨and I humbly⟩ hope will ⟨b⟩ut in the contrary ⟨e⟩vent,^[36] I charge you to remember that you are a Christian.^[37] God’s Will be done.^[38] The will of a merciful God must be good.^[39]
Once more Adieu^[40] My Darling darling Wife^[41]
A H

[Read more…]

Is Hamilton Helpless or Horny?

June 11, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

I believe that his many of Hamilton’s missteps throughout the musical are caused by Hamilton’s inability to step out of himself and examine his own impulses. Miranda’s protagonist shows ambition in almost every song of the play, but this determination causes him to be blind to the desires of other people. Impulsiveness undercuts his morality, and the most stark example of this in the musical is the moment Hamilton sleeps with a woman who is not his wife.

The callback to “Helpless” in both the song “Satisfied” and the song “Say No to This” leaves the audience with a sense that Hamilton only makes major decisions concerning women completely based on what is most convenient for himself at the time. The first time we hear the tune and idea of “Helpless”, we see Hamilton and Eliza falling in love. The second time comes immediately after the first, as the song “Satisfied” undercuts the magic of the moment by providing a complete juxtaposition to the initial perspective. Although Angelica is shown to be Hamilton’s intellectual equal, he chooses to be with Eliza because she is more appealing to him in the moment. As the story is retold from Angelica’s perspective, we get the feeling that Angelica is omnipotent and that Hamilton makes a mistake by making a decision so quickly. Another callback to “Helpless” returns when Hamilton meets Maria Reynolds, leading the audience to understand that Hamilton makes the decision on the same impulse that led him to marry Eliza. Hamilton cannot acknowledge that he must make the decision to sacrifice short term happiness for long term fulfillment, and this stubborn ignorance ultimately causes his early demise.

His affair with Maria Reynolds was the ultimate example of his constant desire for instant gratification and proved how willingly he would sacrifice the love of his family for short term happiness. Even if he had not had sex with Maria, the fact that he wasn’t wary of her upon her first fliration shows that he is not able to deny his impulsive wants. Hamilton’s personality dictated his fate with Maria long before he met her, although he cannot declare the fault to be his own. In the song “Say No to This”, Hamilton displaces his own agency and removes the blame from himself by placing it onto the woman, another decision that makes his life more convenient for himself by sacrificing the good of someone else. He even displaces his own agency during the song by asking for divine interference to get him out of the situation, as if he cannot control himself so God must show him the answer.

In “Burn”, Eliza finally addresses Hamilton’s major faults. She addresses that fact that Hamilton’s decisions are often driven by his desire for instant gratification; she tells him he’s “obsessed with [his] legacy”. This obsession causes him to choose glory over his family and often over decisions that would have more lasting effects on American history. Eliza tells him for the first time about a doubt placed into her mind by her sister back in 1781, again reiterating the idea that Angelica has been omnipotent throughout the musical. Eliza kicks him out of their bed, a symbol for their marriage, after telling him how betrayed she felt when she found out another girl had slept in their bed. This is our first example of a punishment for Hamilton’s lack of empathy and foresight where Hamilton sees no easy way out. She finally burns all the letters, which is a permanent decision that she makes to destroy all of Hamilton’s buttery words and force his name to be tied with the affair instead of their loving marriage.

Nevertheless, had Hamilton had more time, he probably would have thought better of making such impulsive decisions in his relationships with women. Carrie Underwood says it better than I can:

Blog Entry 2: Hamilton, America, and Love from 1781 to 1804

June 4, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

I chose the letters of correspondence between Eliza and Alexander Hamilton. These letters were published on “Founders Online”, which is an official website of the United States government administered by the National Archives and Records Administration. I chose these documents because I was very interested in the love story between Hamilton and Eliza, especially since their relationship lasted through many trials and tribulations. I also believed that choosing these documents would allow me to understand Hamilton’s true ideas about many of the choices he made as a politician since he would probably be more honest in his correspondence with his wife. These documents are important because they include Alexander Hamilton’s honest feelings about what was occurring in his life. What I found throughout the letters was that he travelled frequently for work but seemed to always want to return home, which, for Hamilton, was with Eliza. Hamilton writes extremely sweetly to his wife, and reading them were truly heartwarming at times.

I read through almost all of the documents available from this website to get a sense of what I wanted to use as my historical annotation piece, but I decided on the two I published for very specific reasons. First of all, they are taken from the same date 23 years apart. Second of all, the first one took place within the week that Hamilton became George Washington’s second hand man. Finally, the last letter was written the day before his fatal duel with Aaron Burr. These letters have helped me understand large, life-changing decisions that Hamilton made, giving me the brief summaries of his life that have a different perspective than the one that Miranda gives in his musical.

These letters have allowed me to challenge my ability to research and deeply understand American history in a way I’ve never had to before. While I have enjoyed this research and newfound understanding of the founding fathers, I have struggled with finding sources for my document. The requirement to find at least 20 sources, including five peer-reviewed, academic sources, has been difficult to fulfill. Since I’ve struggled with this, it would be really amazing if we could work as a class to compile a long and diverse list of peer-reviewed sources that we could turn to if we can’t find enough on our own. In doing my research, I have already run into many sources that would prove more useful to other people’s research than to my own, and I believe that working collaboratively to share these resources could allow our historical annotations to be richer and more well-rounded.

The Mirroring Concepts in Hamilton and Damn

May 28, 2018 by Adair Garrett

[Blog Entry 1]

By: Adair Garrett

Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the musical Hamilton to incorporate many of the sentiments of current rappers. The well-written, short verses of the first act discuss broader issues like poverty and class disparity, a similar tactic used by many rappers today to discuss racism, police brutality, and other controversial topics. Miranda’s lyricism and deep understanding of the recent trends in hip hop were so accurate that many of the songs from the first act have striking similarities to the key elements of the album Damn by Kendrick Lamar. This album, released in 2017 (two years after Hamilton), recently won the Pulitzer prize for its ability to “[capture] the complexity of modern African-American life.” (Read more about that here: http://www.pulitzer.org/winners/kendrick-lamar)

Miranda writes the story of the beginning of our country by creating a musical set in the America of today, a setting well described throughout Kendrick Lamar’s concept album Damn. The beginning of Damn mirrors that of Hamilton with a biographical introduction. Lamar begins his album with a story of the culture he grew up with in the album’s second song “DNA” and Miranda begins his musical by telling the beginning of Alexander Hamilton’s life in his song “Alexander Hamilton”. Similarly, at the beginning of the musical, Miranda introduces some of the general feelings of the rest of the cast about Hamilton in this first song, while Lamar includes an excerpt from a news show where Eric Bolling says: “Lamar stated his views on police brutality with that line in the song, quote: ‘And we hate the popo, wanna kill us in the street fo’ sho’.’” Kimberly Guilfoyle replies “ Oh please, ugh, I don’t like it.” This brief allusion to Fox News shows a side of American society that Lamar disagrees with and continuously tears apart within his music, while Aaron Burr’s part in the song “Alexander Hamilton” shows an early opposition of beliefs that continues throughout the remainder of the musical.

Miranda and Lamar also pick up on common themes throughout their soundtracks. Miranda repeats the phrases “Rise up” to show Hamilton’s belief in the valor of fighting for his values. He also reiterates words like “scrappy” or “hungry” to indicate that Hamilton came from nothing and continues to face an ever changing struggle against those who look down upon him. Lamar, facing similar obstacles, does not state that he wants to “Rise Up” but rather asks for a helping hand from God to help him both understand and survive those who disagree with him. In particular, the song “Fear” by Kendrick Lamar touches upon the ideas discussed throughout the first act of Hamilton. For example, “Fear” picks up on the themes of violence (“I’ll prolly die from witnesses leavin’ me falsed accused / I’ll prolly die from thinkin’ that me and your hood was cool”) which also arise in Hamilton’s “My Shot” (“I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory / When’s it gonna get me? / In my sleep? Seven feet ahead of me?”).

I would really like to know if you guys completely disagree with me or see some logic to what I arguing.

Here are the full lyrics for Kendrick Lamar’s “Fear” or listen to the song:

Document Transcription: Hamilton’s Letters to Eliza

May 22, 2018 by Adair Garrett

By: Adair Garrett

Title: Alexander Hamilton’s Letters to Eliza

Author: Alexander Hamilton

Dates of Origin:

July 10, 1781
July 10, 1804

Links:

https://founders.archives.gov/?q=Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20Alexander%22%20Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20Elizabeth%22&s=1111311113&r=1
https://founders.archives.gov/?q=Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20Alexander%22%20Correspondent%3A%22Hamilton%2C%20Elizabeth%22&s=1111311113&r=121

Document Excerpts:

[Camp near Dobbs Ferry, New York]

[July 10, 1781]

The day before yesterday, my angel, I arrived here, but for the want of an opportunity could not write you sooner. Indeed, I know of none now, but shall send this to the Quarter Master General to be forwarded by the first conveyance to the care of Col. Hughes. Finding when I came here that nothing was said on the subject of a command, I wrote the General a letter and enclosed him my commission. This morning Tilghman came to me in his name, pressed me to retain my commission, with an assurance that he would endeavor by all means to give me a command nearly such as I could have desired in the present circumstances of the army. Though I know my Betsy would be happy to hear I had rejected this proposal, it is a pleasure my reputation would not permit me to afford her. I consented to retain my commission and accept my command.

I hope my beloved Betsy will dismiss all apprehensions for my safety; unhappily for public affairs, there seems to be little prospect of activity, and if there should be Heaven will certainly be propitious to any attachment so tender, so genuine as ours. Heaven will restore me to the bosom of my love and permit me to enjoy with new relish the delights which are centred there. It costs me a great deal to be absent from them, but the privation is certainly only temporary. I impatiently long to hear from you the state of your mind since our painful separation. Be as happy as you can, I entreat you, my amiable, my beloved wife. But let not absence deprive me of the least particle of your affection. Always remember those tender proofs I have so frequently given you of mine and preserve for me unabated the only blessing which can make life of any value to me.

I write your father all the military news. I have barely seen Mr. Carter and delivered him the letters which your amiable father committed to my care. You are of a charming family my Betsy. I shall not easily forget the marks of parting regret which appeared in both your sisters. Assure them of everything my heart is capable of feeling for the lovely sisters of a lovely wife.

I quarter at present by a very polite and very warm invitation with General Lincoln. I experience every mark of esteem from the officers of both armies. As soon as possible, I shall begin housekeeping myself. Mr. Carter and I are four miles asunder. Tomorrow morning I shall see him again. He is in good health and the principal French officers express great satisfaction at his conduct.

My good, my tender, my fond, my excellent Betsy, Adieu. You know not how much it must ever cost me to pronounce this word. God bless and preserve you.

A Hamilton

[New York]

[July 10, 1804]

My beloved Eliza

Mrs. Mitchel is the person in the world to whom as a friend I am under the greatest Obligations. I have ⟨not⟩ hitherto done my ⟨duty⟩ to her. But ⟨resolved⟩ to repair my omission as much as ⟨possible,⟩ I have encouraged her to come to ⟨this Country⟩ and intend, if it shall be ⟨in my po⟩wer to render the Evening of her days ⟨c⟩omfortable. But if it shall please God to put this out of my power and to inable you hereafter to be of ⟨s⟩ervice to her, I entreat you to d⟨o⟩ it and to treat ⟨h⟩er with the tenderness of a Sister.

This is my second letter.

The Scrup⟨les of a Christian have deter⟩mined me to expose my own li⟨fe to any⟩ extent rather than subject my s⟨elf to the⟩ guilt of taking the life of ⟨another.⟩ This must increase my hazards & redoubles my pangs for you. But you had rather I should die inno⟨c⟩ent than live guilty. Heaven can pre⟨se⟩rve me ⟨and I humbly⟩ hope will ⟨b⟩ut in the contrary ⟨e⟩vent, I charge you to remember that you are a Christian. God’s Will be done. The will of a merciful God must be good.

Once more Adieu My Darling darling Wife

A H

Introductory Blog: Adair Garrett

May 16, 2018 by Adair Garrett

My name is Adair Garrett. My major is Civil Engineering and I will hopefully graduate in May, 2021. I am in the online section of the course because of my irregular schedule this summer. I live in Reynoldstown, which is a 15-20 minute drive from Georgia Tech, but I work full time at the Georgia Tech Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain during the week. Later this summer, I will take a break from work to travel to England and Germany for a month, so I will try to be done with most of the assignments by the time I leave!

Previously, I have taken many different kinds of English classes. I attended a very liberal high school, so I had many options for expanding my literary and historical perspective. My high school, Paideia, offered college level classes called “seminars”, and I took an English seminar covering the role of comedy in literature. We read classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Catch 22, and even wrote essays about media like The Simpsons and Monty Python. I also took English 1101 at Georgia Tech my first semester with Jennifer Forsthoefel. It was an Honors Program class and our topic was feminism, so I enjoyed the books we read and many of our assignments. My favorite book from this class was either Hunger by Roxane Gay or Shrill by Lindy West. I would highly suggest either of these books to anyone who would like to deepen their understanding of the effects caused by beauty standards for women. In this class, I struggled with the electronic assignments, including the first video and the digital poster. Nevertheless, this semester I do not care to focus on improving my ability to adapt to different technologies. I would like to become a better writer this semester because I feel like my focus on STEM this past year has caused me to lose a lot of what I learned during my ongoing English curriculum in the past.

I have heard of Hamilton but I never listened to it. In general, I dislike musicals, but my best friends throughout high school loved this musical. I’ve been exposed to some of the songs, but I will try to be open minded moving forward with this course. I do like hip hop, and I predict that I’ll get into Hamilton after I watch it all the way through.

In my free time, I like to plant trees in bright yellow vests, go to local concerts, and play with my four-year-old sister.