LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHT9iqn4QJQ&feature=youtu.be
Group 3’s Reflection
Jackie- I thought this project was very unique. I felt like this project would’ve been a different experience if we carried out the original format. The original project of going around campus and interview college students sounded way more appealing to me, so it was such a shame that it was canceled due to covid-19. I thought this project was really unique because in my previous English class, I’ve never had a project which I was mandatory to go outside for a project in English class. Additionally, college work requires a lot of time thus I am mostly indoors and I do not get a chance to go outside. So, when I heard about this project I was thrilled. I thought this project was fairly easy given the new rubric and the situation of the world. I had a lot of fun undertaking this project. This was because especially we were in quarantine, I was roughly barely able to have any person-person contact. But because of this project, I was able to have a little escape and interact with others. It felt nice to hop onto a zoom call and chat with others for a bit. It was wonderful meeting new people and learning about their perspective because as we all know not everyone believes the same ideas or thinks the same. This project also made sure I kept up with school work. This project helped me review skills such as research. It has given me a broader perspective on literature and what it could have been based off.
Carla- Overall, this project was fun and different, as a group we got to create a scenario about a community that is underrepresented and give them a voice in an entertaining fashion. We didn’t just have to write an essay about a community, but through video and facts we learned, we were able to create a mini movie. However, we did have some difficulties. I hadn’t realized how difficult drawing and recording was until she had to do it. It was difficult to do two things at once and I knew if it wasn’t due to the COVID-19 it would have been a lot easier and better due to the fact that the group could have gotten together and do it all at once. I learned that literature is a form of expression that allows the reader to connect with the author in a comforting way. Literature isn’t only for entertainment but for knowledge and a perspective of someone else story. It’s like a written memory or dream that’s being expressed for all to see and understand. Literature is in everything in the world, knowledge is remembering only when it is written down as means for access, if it wasn’t written we would have forgotten it. The community we chose dealt with a lot of violence but eventually are beginning to heal as day by day they become more accepted into society. Literature was a means for healing and connection that brought comforted in desperate times.
Alexis- This project was very eye opening and fun for me. All my group mates brought something different to the table that made the video come together the way we wanted it to be: insightful and creative. As the editor, I had many challenges. I never pieced together multiple video files before. I also had to make sure each clip along with the background music (“Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis) and the images matched up with the narration. It took me a very long time to edit the video, however, it was worth the struggle. Ultimately, the video reveals the emotional struggles of the LGBTQ+ community due to being portrayed as mentally ill. The video also shows how far the community has come with the establishment of marriage equality and other documents like books and articles that supported them. After watching the final product, I was able to feel the community’s pain and loneliness from not being accepted by those around them. I also saw their progression towards becoming a prideful group; the community is more accepted and open than they were years ago. Altogether, the project taught me how different forms of literature can hurt or help different groups of people. Finally, I learned that literature preserves history and shows the progression of change for many different communities like the LGBTQ+.
Leanni- My experience with this project was truly a wonderful time. It was a great time to meet new people, understand different perspectives, and bounce off each other’s energy. It was truly comforting to know that these people shared the same opinions I did on a topic I truly feel close to. I learned a lot about the LGBTQ+ through my group’s effort and dedication to the project and I will always carry that knowledge with me. Part of me always knew literature played an important part in history, especially concerning social and political aspects. However, this project opened my eyes as to how influential literature truly is. The literature we mentioned highlights very real issues that members of the LGBTQ+ community may face or have faced throughout their life. Previously, I believed these pieces of literature to solely be a “good read,” or “best seller.” The literature that we used and learned with would definitely leave a mark on me. I wont be able to walk past the village, Stonewall, and other memorable locations for the LGBTQ+ the same way. I will always remember the struggles these members went through for members of the LGBTQ+ community to be here today.
Most of my struggles throughout the project was through the initial stages of research. It was very hard to condense all the history and important events concerning the LGBTQ+ community into a 4- 5 minute video. I had to really pick and choose what should be said and what needed to be said. I also struggled with putting ideas forth into the group because I was shy but once I did, all our ideas flowed together into what I believe to be a masterpiece. After that, I really just felt relieved and got to enjoy the project. Once everything was planned out and we really dove into it, it was a lot of fun. I would definitely want to do something like this again in the future.
Fatima- This project was a very different approach to literature that people tend to forget. Videos are an efficient way to portray something and capture someone’s attention. Our video informs the audience of the history and progress of the LGBTQ+ community. I enjoyed doing this project a lot specifically because I learned a lot of new things. I learned how this community gained their rights and the struggles they went through. Literature is extremely relevant in this community because it explains the struggles they experienced. These struggles are never mentioned anywhere else or widely talked about. Literature has the ability to inform the people about these struggles and make them known. They break social norms that are so restricted. The LGBTQ+ community has gained social acceptance because of other people becoming aware of their struggles. Literature helps spread awareness and social acceptance. This allows people to advocate for their rights and be on their side. Events such as the Stonewall protest could have been a little protest that no one would know about in 2020. However, because of literature, in 2020, we officially recognize and remember that protest as the first pride march. This played a huge social role nationwide which led to political changes being made as well. There were laws passed directly after as a result. The LGBTQ+ community’s progress shows exactly how literature positively impacted them socially and politically. I did not know about this impact prior to reading the literature and doing this project. Many people do not enjoy literature, however outside of the classroom, there is so much to learn about existing communities. This project has changed my mindset from before. It goes to show that the “perfect” communities as shown in 2020, have struggled and fought through a flawed system of injustices to fight for their rights. I have learned to not view everything as is and to use literature as a way to understand things. The language used in the literature was very descriptive of their circumstances. My experience with this project was positive. I enjoyed creating a video and learning about a community’s history. Working with others to make the video was also a really fun experience.
