For my Goal 13, I took English 400 in Yellowstone. This trip was one of the most amazing trips of my entire life, and I can’t wait to go back and visit other national parks!

The most important lesson that I learned from this trip, was how to use different types of writing. Before this class, I had primarily been exposed to narrative and scientific writing. This trip introduced me to different types of writing, that are formatted for specific purposes. This trip also exposed me to many issues that I was not aware of prior, such as the problem of elk feeding grounds. This problem was what my group specifically focused on during the trip. The artifact that I chose to include was my final proposition, of how to fix the problems with elk feeding grounds. This topic was particularly interesting to me, because depending on what part of Wyoming that we visited, the attitude towards elk and elk feeding grounds changed. Additionally, this topic gave me perspective on how certain issues are handled. For example, elk feeding grounds are a breeding ground for disease. From the outside looking in, it seems that the cons of elk feeding grounds outweigh the pros. However, for people who live near elk feeding grounds, these grounds are actually quite beneficial for purposes such as preventing elk from eating their crops, and attracting tourists.

This then raises the issue, who has the right to decide what happens to elk feeding grounds, the local government or national? I found this aspect of the project quite interesting, because it applies to many decisions that are made within our country. Often times, the people who understand the situation best, have the smallest say in the outcome of the situation. Referring back to this specific example, the national government, in Washington D.C, miles away was trying to make decisions regarding the feeding grounds in the people of Wyomings backyards.

This class also taught me how to purposefully interact with my surroundings. While participating in this class, we performed a “Place as Text” in each town that we went too. Performing Place as Text helped me learn new things about my surroundings, by looking through a more critical lens than I was used to. This skill has helped me while traveling to new places. When participating in my study abroad, walking through the streets of Spain I was able to apply the skills that I had learned in Wyoming, to analyzing the new place that I was in.

 

Pictures from this Amazing Adventure!!