Feelings on the Proposal

Writing this proposal was a little challenging for me. I am used to having a solid structure and number of paragraphs to follow, but you have given students much more freedom in this class. With these new guidelines, I attempted to be a little more creative with my writing style. I saved the thesis for the last paragraph and tried to throw in a creative hook. I think hooks like this one can go really well or really bad, so I guess I will find out if it was okay later. I also proposed that learning about the Shaker’s past and then comparing it to how they do it in the modern village would lead to an interesting documentary. Limiting the project to this could lead to less interest in my group, but I am still going to go for it. Even if my topic isn’t chosen, I am excited that I got the opportunity to research this really cool, historical site.

Inside Look at Shaker Village

After the researching Shaker Village for the past week, I decided to take a drive out and take a
look at the location. I was very impressed by what I found. The interactive nature of the village made learning about Shaker history fun and exciting. The grounds of the village were beautiful and peaceful; much of the surrounding land still remains untouched. Actors walked around dressed in Shaker clothing  from the 19th century, and they had presentations over things such as the importance of farming to the community. These interactive aspects of this tourist attraction gave me an idea for how I wanted to present my info to my audience. I want to focus on specific aspects on Shaker history, and then reveal how the village does them today. Old houses act as museums and other buildings such as the Trustee’s Office hold the Shaker Inn. One idea that I wanted to pursue more was the ferry boat. In the past it was used as transportation for trading with other villages, but now it provides scenic tours of the Kentucky River. Overall, my trip to Shaker Village made me even more excited to share this project, and it allowed me to really understand much of the Shaker practices.

Rupp Arena

       Rupp Arena has been the central entertainment venue for not only the students at the University of Kentucky, but for anyone who loves a good a basketball game. During basketball season, Rupp Arena is full to the brim and fans fill the air with enthusiasm and excitement. Any Cats fan knows this is the place to make incredible memories. The stadium was built in 1976 and was given the name Rupp Arena by the owners, the Lexington Center Corporation, in honor of the legendary coach Adolf Rupp. Over 400,000 fans come each year in hopes of watching their team win yet another state championship.

Although Rupp Arena is rich in basketball history and is known as a center for huge match ups, it is used for many other things. This stadium comes to life all year long hosting world class tours, family shows, and big ticket sporting events. This location would be perfect for a documentary because it has many different aspects that could be studied in depth. Another reason this would be a great topic is because Rupp Arena lies in the heart of Lexington which allows easy accessibility for students. The one downfall to this project would be the season; we would not be able to film the arena in action because basketball season does not start until the end of November. To make up for this, I am sure we could find video clips online to make our documentary top notch.

http://www.rupparena.com/arena-information/about-us

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a village of many buildings and traditional style homes that were inhabited by shakers in the 19th century. The property is 3000 acres and is Kentucky’s largest National Historic Landmark. Standing in present day Harrodsburg, Kentucky (25 miles from Lexington), this site is a popular tourist attraction.

This property has many aspects that draw people in. I found the history of shakers, whom were a religious group that branched from the Quakers, to be the prominent focus at this location, but they threw in a modern twist. Shaker Village has many learning and interactive opportunities for their patrons.This makes learning history easy, and protects the original 34 structures that lie on the property. Other focuses this village has is sustainability practices and hospitality for their guests.

The stakes in this project could be the distance the property is from the University or the accessibility of information. Being a historical site and a tourist site, it would be easy to gather information and interview people at Shaker Village. It could be more difficult to get in depth information on some of their modern practices, but those practices could be discussed as minor parts of a project that focuses mainly on history. This topic could give a group versatile research routes and would be good to consider for a final project.

http://shakervillageky.org/about-us/

Man’O War Statue

The Man’O War horse statue stands in a central location on the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Park. The presentation and sheer size of this landmark reveals its importance and significance to the residence of Lexington. The horse is made of heavy metal and has a prideful stance upon its large, stone pedestal. Lights and shrubbery surround Man’O War and create a comfortable and serene setting for the observers of the statue.   

The problems that could arise from this landmark could be representation or costs. Is the horse being properly recognized? Why is faced in the direction it is? How much did the construction of this landmark cost? Could other areas of the park have used the money that went to building this expensive landmark? Does this statue alone bring people into the park?

One stake of the Man’O War landmark is the money put into the building; it was used to build a very respected statue. Others may think that the money would be better used to purchase more artifacts for the museum or for the upkeep of the horses that live on the park’s grounds. Although, if this landmark was not built, it could cause less visitors to come to the Horse Park. Another stake, is the location in which they built the statue. It is located directly past the entrance where you pay which allows more visitor to view the statue. If they had placed Man’O War somewhere else, he may not get the recognition he deserves.