When i found out that we had to go to the cemetery i was very socked and scared. Growing up i was very afraid of cemeteries, but as i got older it decreased with the funerals i attended. I never liked to walk through cemeteries because i always thought something was going to POP out at me. Going to the cemetery for a service learning project was a good learning experience. I was much more comfortable walking through the cemetery than i expected. Our job for the day was to update the cemetery plot map. I was so mind boggled by the fact that a lot of the names i was trying to find in my row were not there. I realized that over the years people didn’t keep up with the map. I had trouble trying to match the plots with my paper, so i know people who tried to find their love ones had trouble too. Looking back on my experience there was not as mad as i intended. I actually felt like i accomplished something when i finished my row of graves. It felt good to know that by me helping fix the map, it makes it a lot easier for people to come visit their love ones. The map will make it a lot easier to find people, and to help others maybe finish their family tree.
Learning From Our Cemeteries Thursday, Apr 30 2009
Entry 7 and Uncategorized 5:19 am
It may not be the first thing that people look at when they want to learn about a society, but cemeteries hold a lot more than dead bodies in them. They also hold an idea of what the society around it is like. People can learn a lot about societies from cemeteries like how respectful people of the society are, how they embrace or reject the thought of “the dead”, or other matters. For example, I personally know of a place that “used to be” a cemetery, but sadly recently people have been dumping garbage such as broken flower pots and other trash all over the graves. I personally think that that is very rude to the dead and their families. Acts like this could show that our society has lost its respect for others and that all they think about is themselves. One more thing, among others that we can learn about our society from cemeteries is how wealthy some of the people in it are. For example, there are some families that have the funds to purchase large and highly detailed tombs and tombstones. Just as there are big, expensive tombstones, there are also the not-so-big and nice little tombstones that were purchased by the families that probably couldn’t afford that much, but spent what they could. One might also notice that in most places, there are a lot more smaller regular tombstones than ”lavish” ones. This could maybe hint at the ratio of upper class to middle class to lower class. There are many more things that somebody might notice about societies from cemeteries, but these are just a couple of things I thought of when I read the prompt.
Learning from cemeteries Tuesday, Apr 28 2009
Uncategorized 7:42 pm
Many people and historians go to cemeteries to to look at the past and how societies have developed over time. Looking at different grave yards can tell you about what, whom, and where you are located in the country and in what time period. For example, in Louisiana graves are above the ground because of the low water level, but at a certain time period, it wasn’t so because they didn’t know about water level. This shows you how a society evolved over time through the sudden knowledge of water levels. By looking at tombstones, you can find out how people died. Historians and scientist use this to map out different plagues, famines, and more. This vital information helps us see what was going on in the past. Statues and inscriptions on tombstones help us see the type of beliefs that the society had, and which religions were dominant in that area and time. Many people go to cemeteries to find family members and the origin of their existence. Cemeteries can tell you where you originally came from and who you may be related too. You can fill your family tree and pass it down so others can know where they came from. You can learn your past and present from visting a cemetery.
Thank You Letter Tuesday, Apr 28 2009
Uncategorized 7:11 pm
Dear Ms Renada,
I am so thankful for having the honor of being your advisie. The advice and assistance you have given me through out my freshmen year has not been taken for granted. Even though i may disappoint you when i don’t do well on a quiz or test, that disappointment pushes me to do better next time. Without your help i would be really lost. You sincerity and willingness to listen makes you not just an adviser, but a friend and i know many people would agree. When I have a problem i know that i can come to you and you wont turn me away because you are always in your office or in a place where i can find you, which not a lot of advisies can say. I am so thankful to have you as my adviser and wouldn’t want it any other way. I am so glad that you will be helping shape my life for the rest of my college carreer. TO THE FUTURE YEARS!
very grateful,
Lindsey Verdin
Interview Monday, Apr 27 2009
Uncategorized 6:52 pm
Every university has a vision for its students and Xavier’s vision or mission is to have its students promote a just and humane society by assuming roles of leadership and service in society. I asked an upper classman what does the Xavier’s Mission Statement means to him. He responded, ” I feel that this mission statement is a great one. It means that all that I learn here at Xavier would filter back into the world that didn’t make it. I came to this school for not only me, but for those who couldn’t. So post graduation this year I will always remember to give back to service my community. I know now that I am not only here to become a doctor, but I am here to help the disparates that we have in this world and if I am able to help out in the smallest way I feel that I would have fullfilled the Xavier’s Mission.”
Society and its Afterlife Monday, Apr 27 2009
Uncategorized 6:42 pm
I feel that by looking at the cemetaries you can make a direct correlation of how much people value life after death. There are some graves that have these lavish designs with fresh flowers on them surronded by fresh green grass, yet there are the graves that are placed in the middle of town srurounded by a concrete wall as if the dead were going to pollute its surroundings. In the first situation it resembels the cemetaries that I am used to seeing. It is not placed in the middle of the city to be walked past like it is another buliding, but it is placed in a part of town that people really respect. People come to these grounds with some form of respect. This ground has no graffti on it or any sign of violation. It is always sound. People walk around these ground like they would around a baby that is sleeping. My socitey my community treats the after life to me with much respect, whereas down here the atmopshere about death is totally opposite. I can’t really speak on death down here in New Orleans because I am not a native who have experienced death here, but I do know that death hurts everywhere it happens no matter how it happens. Death is so normal down here that people just stack there bodies on top of eachother in the middle of downtown outside of the projects as if these people aare at home there. The graves are toppling down and rotting away. I feel like the New Orleans society feel that death is so common so they treat the cemetaries like so. They treat the cemetaries like its something that I have never seen before.
Monday, Apr 27 2009
Entry 8 and Uncategorized 4:35 am
My memory at the cemetery wasn’t what I thought it would be. When I found out that we would have to go to a cemetery for FRSM, I was excited and a little freaked out at the same time. I was excited because I had never spent a day at a cemetery looking at tombstones. Yet ever since I saw Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and a couple of horror movies, cemeteries have always crept me out a little. When I heard some of the other students talking about their experience at the cemetery, I was somewhat baffled. Some said that there were graves with no coffins. Some coffins were open and they could see bones inside. I was actually surprised to hear that some students were playing hide and seek. I thought to myself, ”Who in their right mind would play hide and seek in a cemetery?” Some people have a warped sense of humor.Once we got to the cemetery and began working, I was a lot calmer than I thought I would be. Once I saw the tombstones, I was intrigued. I liked the design on some of them. I thought it was kind of crazy how some had ten or more people inside. I noticed how families were buried together; some were only a few years apart. Some graves were open, some were cracked, and some looked brand new. Although my initial thoughts were of concern, in the end I had a good time. No dead bodies came to life nor did they come after us. That was a major relief.
Comment Blog Friday, Apr 24 2009
Uncategorized 3:45 am
cturner08
What happens when people die
tadkins
Cemetery Experience
brittani0814
cemeteries
mwalker2
Do I believe in heaven?
Blog 8 Friday, Apr 24 2009
Uncategorized 3:30 am
My cemetery experience was not as bad as I first assumed it would be. Originally I thought it was going to be a waste of time and more Xavier busy work for us to do. I was actually interested in seeing all the different tombstones and burial sites. It in a way, it connects one to a past society. It was interesting to me to read the names being that I am from New Orleans. I have friends who possibly were a part of the lineage from these big named families and their extravagant tombstones. I also was not the hesitant one of my group and was not afraid to walk around and get close to the graves. Investigating these tombs seemed to allow one to learn something about that family such as how many kids the family had or why is the wife’s maiden name above the husband’s name. I also enjoyed looking for famous people’s graves. The one famous person I found was the man who wrote the star spangled banner. The cemetery service learning project was more successful and interesting than I had originally assumed it would and I overall had a good experience.
My experience at the cemetery Wednesday, Apr 22 2009
Entry 8 and Uncategorized 4:58 am
The cemetery was an interesting experience. It was hot and it was very early. We got into groups and were instructed to go to each tomb and record the names and dates of each tomb. THis got very irritating after a while as some of the names were virtualy illegible. I was happy that we got to finish early and were able to leave early but it really wasnt as bad as i thought it would be.
