Reaction to Yesterday's Class

I really enjoyed yesterday's class because it gave everyone a chance to help other people's paper, but also because it gave me feedback on what I need to do. Both of the people who read my essay did a great job. I could tell they put a great deal of effort into revising/critiquing my paper. One of the things that both Holly and Stephanie said was that I need a little more detail and or description. This was helpful because it allowed me to go back through my paper and see what area(s) needed this. It was also nice to get their feedback because they added comments/ideas that could possibly make my paper better.

One of the things that I liked about yesterday's class was it allowed me to read other people's essay. Both of the essay's that I read were fascinating. One was about a Coney Island, while the other was about an old theater in Wyandotte. Both had many different voices to their papers as well as a good amount of detail. Reading their papers gave me some ideas as to what maybe I can do to fix my paper. Hopefully, the revision process will help all of our grades.

Last Night's Debate

When I was flipping through the TV channels yesterday, I tuned into the special regarding Detroit's current car industry situation. It was hosted by Charles Gibson. Many important people were there, such as Michigan senator Debbie Stabenow and others that represented the Big Three. It was very insightful, and I learned a great deal about the car situation here in Michigan. Overall, I thought the tone of the discussion to be very depressing, but almost all of people who were present on the stage said the same message-Detroit is going to get out of this situation soon! It was quite hard to listen to this same message over and over when the situation has been bad for quite some time. Unfortunaltey, my uncle has been a victim of Ford's many layoffs. It is a very vary sad time for many of the people in the auto industry.

One of the things that caught my attention was a question asked by a mother and her son to the panel of people on the stage. It wasn't so much the question that caught my attention, but the son's facial expression. It was one of disappointment and frustation. He graduated from the University of Michigan and had a two year internship at Diamler Chrysler. After, two years, he then went out West to have an internship there. He is now going to work out West because this company is offering him a better situation. However, he said that he would like to work in Michigan, but the current car industry situation simply won't allow him to. We need to get this fixed as fast as possible so we don't fire or lose any more hard working people. I know, easier said then done.

A Booming City

When my family was going to move to Novi about six years ago, I was very skeptical and upset. I didn't want to move becasue I would have to make new friends and start all over. Plus, I really enjoyed living in Dearborn Heights. However, six years later, I hang out with the same people and I absolutely love the decision my parents made. Novi has developed so much and there is always something to do. New restaurants at every corner, Twelve Oaks Mall, and new stores make Novi a nice place to live and have fun. I am not saying that Novi is the best city around, but it always seems to keep me busy. I know many other people who also love the city because it always offers something new to do each time. I call it a booming city because every time I turn around, it seems like new stores and houses are being built, which keeps it interesting. I keep thinking that the city is going to run out of room for new places, but it looks like it won't be running out of room any time soon, something I certainly don't mind.

Unfortunately Novi has one major problem, and that is traffic. I love going to places in Novi, but it takes forever. The intersection at 8 Mile and Haggerty is guaranteed to add an extra 15 minutes onto your trip and 275 always seems to have a traffic jam. It just gets very frustating when you want to go somewhere because you have to plan ahead. I'd like to get your feedback on the city and see what you think about it!

Not A Whole Lot to Do

This weekend is not turning out to be the weekend that I was hoping for. I planned on going up to Ann Arbor to visit with my friend, but he has ROTC obligations. I understand though, the ROTC is important and I would not want to get in trouble with them. So my plans for tonight have pretty much been scraped and I do not have anything else planned as of right now.

I love the Michigan weather, except for winter. I 'm not the biggest winter person and the snow today certainly has not helped to make my day any better. No football games this weekeend, which is another big disappointment. I can't wait for the Superbowl, hopefully Manning will be able to get his first championship. Maybe this weekend will turn out be okay after all, will see shortly.

Research Progress

I was quite nervous about the interviewing process, but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. I picked two customers that go to the local restaurant I'm writing about. Both were extremely friendly and they provided me with some good information. I also interviewed the owner, Steve Nedanovski. He gave me some good insight into his family history and into the restaurant dynamics. It was quite hard for me to find written articles on Steve's Family Diner. However, I called the Livonia Observer and they had an article in their archives. They also directed me to another article that was written on Steve's in the Detroit News about three years ago. These articles will certainly be a big help in writing this paper. After looking at the interviews and the research articles, my paper is going to center around the notion that Steve's Family Diner is more than just another restaurant to the Plymouth community.

The three areas that make it more than another restaurant are its hard working family history, its special atmosphere, and the special relationships that have formed as a result of Steve's. I will concentrate on these three things and I will explain how they make Steve's Family Diner siginficant to the community. Steve's is special to the community, and everyone values its presence. Steve's is a second home to many people, where relationships have formed and families have grown closer. Conducting research on this site has made me realize that Steve's Family Diner provides something special for the community, something that no other place in the community can do!

Response to Yesterday's Class Discussion

Listening to yesterday's class discussion was quite interesting. It seemed like everyone had very insightful things to say about coffeehouses. I agree with Hisam when he mentioned that people our age usually go to coffeehouses because they provide us with a palce to go when nothing else is going on. Coffeehouses give my friends and I a place to go when we can't find anything to do or when we are just bored. I also agree with Stephanie when she said that kids go to coffeehouses because they don't want to stay home. Coffeehouses act as an outlet for kids that just want to get out and relax.

Reading this article by Michael Marriot really caught my attention because it made me think about this growing phenomeon. Coffeehouses have become extremely popular and it looks like they will be around for quite some time. This article touched on the many aspects of coffeehouses, and it provided various opinions. Marriot provided quotes from frequent coffeehouses goers, something I found to be interesting. Hearing different viewpoints on the same thing (a coffeehouse) certainly is intriguing. Many people like coffeehouses because it allows them to do various things such as reading a book, relaxing, enjoying a cup of cup, hanging out with friends, etc. People like coffeehouses for different reasons, but the common factor that everyone shares is their liking for coffeehouses.

Response to "Jiving with Java"

After reading "Jiving with Java" I found this article to be very entertaining and interesting. The sudden increase in the popularity of coffeehouses is certainly worth talking about. I know that until a couple of years ago, I never even considered entering into one. Now, my friends and I will go every so often because they can be a good time. The line in the article that says, "We have everyone" (464) really jumped out at me. I thoguht about it, and it really seems quite true. Almost everybody now goes to coffeehouses! It is nice to have a place where people can go to just relax. Coffeehouses provide a place for people to go when they simply need a break from their busy lives as well as a place where they can enjoy their friends company. Coffeehouses provide people with many simple pleasures.

The last two paragraphs also caught my attention. When reading these paragraphs about the high levels of caffeine addiction among many people, I could not tell whether the writer (Michael Marriot) was either being sarcastic or serious. I hope that coffeehouses haven't become "middle-class crackhouses" (465) for some people. I believe that Marriot was simply poking fun at people who constantly visit their local coffeehouses. It will be quite interesting to see if this phenomeon lasts for years to come.

Progress on Analysis Paper

I have just completed my interviews for this paper. I am writing about a local diner and its significance to the community. I talked to the owner (Steve Nedanovski) as well as two customers who go to the local diner quite often. In talking to the customers both of them had similar responses to many of the questions I asked them. Both of them agreed that the diner is important to the community for many different reasons and that they feel welcome and like family every time they go there. I received a lot of good responses from the both of them. The owner, Steve Nedanovski, talked to me for about 15 minutes and shared a lot about him and his family, his customers, and the restaurant. He explained to me that the restaurant means everything to his family and that the people of Plymouth have really embraced it. He believes that the restaurant symbolizes family and friendship.

I also did some research on the internet, but I was not able to get anything really good. However, I talked to the Livonia Observer publisher and he had an article on Steve's from their archives. I was also able to get an article on Steve's that was written in the Detroit News about three years ago. Both were short, about two to three paragraohs long, but I did get information from them that will be very useful for the paper.

Progress on Analysis Paper

I have just completed my interviews for this paper. I am writing about a local diner and its significance to the community. I talked to the owner (Steve Nedanovski) as well as two customers who go to the local diner quite often. In talking to the customers both of them had similar responses to many of the questions I asked them. Both of them agreed that the diner is important to the community for many different reasons and that they feel welcome and like family every time they go there. I received a lot of good responses from the both of them. The owner, Steve Nedanovski, talked to me for about 15 minutes and shared a lot about him and his family, his customers, and the restaurant. He explained to me that the restaurant means everything to his family and that the people of Plymouth have really embraced it. He believes that the restaurant symbolizes family and friendship.

I also did some research on the internet, but I was not able to get anything really good. However, I talked to the Livonia Observer publisher and he had an article on Steve's from their archives. I was also able to get an article on Steve's that was written in the Detroit News about three years ago. Both were short, about two to three paragraohs long, but I did get information from them that will be very useful for the paper.

Response to Today's Class Discussion

After today's class discussion, my stance on the blogs certainly changed. I originally viewed the first blog, FadedDetroit, as completely negative, but after listening to several people voice thier opinions, mine began to change. I still believe that sarcasm was used in many of the titles, but I did not notice that the writer of the blog used juxtaposition. In using this techinque, the writer was able to identify the good of Detroit along with the bad. Viewing the blog in this way made it much easier to understand many of the images presented on the blog.

The other blog, Detroitfunk, had a more depressed view of Detroit. Many of the pictures contained graffiti written on street walls, burned buildings and houses, and empty streets. However, after talking and listening to many people in class, I realized that this blog also had other pictures that reflected a positive light on Detroit. There was more to this blog then I had first realized. Stephanie K. pointed out an arrow in the last Chance Gas photograph, which pointed to the open sky. She interpretated it as being a possible message for Detroit to move in a new and oppournity filled future, something I thought to be very insightful.

Pretty Sad Pictures

Looking at many of the pictures on the Detroitfunk blog I found the majority of them to reflect destruction and sadness. I understand that there were other pcitures that showed positive images of Detroit, but the majority of them were negative. The pictures that were front and center on the blog did not show Detroit in the brightest of lights. Many of the pictures were black and white, which contributed to the depressive feeling of the city. I thought the title of Bleak, on the Detroitfunk blog said it all. These pictures had graffiti written on the walls, destroyed structures, and looked lifeless. The one thing that these pictures left me with was a feeling of sadness. The city looked lifeless and without any real direction for its futue.

Response to MIke T.

I agree with you and your ideas about this essay. I also thought several of her paragraphs to be genuine and very thought provoking. I have a little different opinion about bell hooks attitude. To me, hooks did not seem to be upset but rather disappointed that this societal role was automatically given to women. I think she believes that nobody really did anyhting to change this perception or role of women, which is disappointing to her.

Response to Bell Hooks

The first part of this essay talks about Gloria Watkins (hooks) experience growing up as a little girl. Watkins discusses the importance of her mother and the place she created, homeplace. Watkins's mother worked for a white family all day long, but when she came home, homeplace was established. Homeplace was "a safe place where black people would affirm one another and by so doing heal many many of the wounds inflicted by racist domination" (69-70). Watkins understood how hard it was for a black woman in these times to establish homeplace because they were exhausted from working all day. She appreciated these efforts by her mother and valued what her mother had done for her and the family. Watkins wants the African American community to realize that homeplace is remarkable and vital.

Unfortunatley, Watkins believes that the efforts of African American women are being devalued. Homplace has lost it resistance, and many people have forgotten what the word symbolizes to the community. Watkins sees a political shift in the African American community, where the women are being pushed aside. These women have responded by changing their values and perspectives, which Watkins idenifies as "the crisis of black womanhood" (74). This is the worst thing that they have done.

Watkins believes that if the African American women do not change their values back to the idea of homeplace, then the result will be the eventual destruction of the African American family life. African American women must renew their "concern with homeplace" (75) so that everyone else remembers its (homeplace) significance . Watkins knows the solution to their political problem. The question is, will the other African American women follow her lead?

Response to Stephanie K and her post

I think that Stephnaie K. is right when she says that the clean-up of Detroit during the Super Bowl showed the possibility for change. If the city of Detroit truly wants to look better, why can't we on a regular basis have a program in place, that is dedicated to the clean-up of the city? Money should be spent here because it is vital for Detroit to start to look better. Detroit looked awesome for the Super Bowl, why does it have to stop there. Let's continue to establish programs that will help clean Detroit, which ultimately will make everyone start to feel a sense of pride for this great city.

Brainstorming for the Essay

There are two sites that immediately came to my mind when brainstorming for this essay. The first was a park in the local neighborhood and the second was a local restaurant that my family and I attend regularly. Both have significant meaning to the area and both symbolize something about the community. After doing some thinking, I am going to choose the restaurant.

The local restaurant that I am going to write about is Steve's Family Diner located on five mile and haggerty. Steve's is not just another restaurant to the community, but rather a place that symbolizes family and commitment. My family and I have been eating here for years, and we also agree that Steve's is not just an ordinary restaurant. Steve's is family owned and the food is homemade and prepared everyday by the Nedanovski family.

For the past ten years Steve's has stood for family and commitment to the people of this community. This restaurant makes you feel as family becuase the Nedanovski family makes it a point to get to know every customer before he or she leaves. Leaving from this place feels like leaving home, and you always want to come back. Steve's is opening a new restauarnt, but Steve's on five mile and haggerty will still be run by the sons of the family. In this essay I am going to write an analysis on how this important site for the past ten years has made an impact on the people of the community.

Response to class discussion on Detroit

Personally, I see no problem with Greektown. I think it is a great place for the people of Detroit and Michigan to spend time and money. I disagree with Jerry Herron's notion that Greektown is a place that acts as a cover up for Detroit's many problems. People who go to Greektown realize that Detroit has probelms and that the city is not all about fun and games. To me, Greektown serves as a standard that Detroit can create nice things for people to enjoy. People see Greektown and know that Detroit can create more nice places like this .

Events such as the SuperBowl and All-Star game also show how nice the city of Detroit can be. I believe that Detroit can be a great city not just for a week or two, but for a long time. The attitude surrounding Detroit must change first. People need to start believing that Detroit can change. Once this occurs, people can start to take the first steps to change Detroit. Detroit is a city filled with hard-working people who care about it enough that they are willing to help in the process. The people of Detroit and Michigan love this city and they want to see it flourish. Detroit has problems just like any other city, but we should not be afarid or humiliated by it. If we want to change Detorit, we have to become more interested and take better care of it.

Critical Response to Niki's Window Essay

After reading this essay it seems clear to me that Jerry Herron is not to happy with the city of Detroit. The one thing that Jerry seems most upset about is Greektown. He believes that Greektown has become a town that is "largely make -believe" (47). Jerry sees Greektown as a place that covers up many of Detroit's problems. Greektown is a "stand-in" (47) that has no significant meaning to Detroit's history. Herron 's central point in this essay is that many new buildings such as Greektown are being built on old historical sites and because of this nobody will come to know or appreciate Detroit's past or history.

Jerry Herron uses the words pastness, nostalgia, and humiliation in his essay. Pastness in this essay meant that Trapper's Alley has no tie or meaning to Detroit as a city. This building has no historical value or meaning to Detroit, which is disappointing to Herron. Nostalgia in this essay means that there is no historical context or value to the bulidings. Humiliation is the feeling that Herron comes to know when thinking about Detroit. Herron feels that Detroit has become humiliated in the sense that people try to cover up its past because it is so bad. I believe that Herron wants us to embrace Detroit's city and build on its past.