why do i do this?

Meeting tomorrow to talk about final project, and still can't seem to pick one. I am just iffy on this whole racism in west Texas project, because I feel I can't do much more than analyze a handful of articles, and I don't really know how deep I can dig. It's all so surface level, and I'm leaning away from it.

Other ideas: lack on minorities in prime time television... particularly The Bachelor. It's the only show I watch, yeah, I know, it's ridiculous. I never watch any tv, and neither do my roommates, but every Wednesday, we set the vcr to record the bachelor. We're usually a couple weeks behind, but it doesn't seem to ruin anything for us because we're not getting updated in the media. So thats something I could possibly dig deep into. Who knows?

Another area I am venturing into is the show Gilmore Girls. I haven't seen any episodes since high school. In high school the theme of the show was different than most other shows airing, a relationship between a single mom & her daughter. Innocent relationships, and the daughter, the main charater is very intelligent & stands up for what she believes in. Well, I saw a season premiere commercial & found out that the boy she dated a couple seasons ago got married, and he comes into town & the SLEEP TOGETHER...ADULTRY! Craziness, this show has rolled into the cookie cutter image that all these stupid shows want to fit. sex sex sex. Who knows, this is where I'm at. I will keep posting about this, I will make a decision VERY SOON & post my findings & interest.

Too much media for me, I'm so deprived, and combining that with someone who is severely indecisive is a dangerous thing...

thanks, kasey

possibly a final project? west tx drama...

Here is the story. Snyder, TX - small West Texas town... in 1998, a black boy from Sweetwater drowned in Towle Park Pond when "drinking" with a group of people. People remember the story as: a bunch of kids got drunk, and 2 tried to swim across the pond, Moses accidently drowned...

My brother (Ike) just transferred to Snyder High, he was well-known, athletic, cute... one of the seniors, Andy Parker (the other kid who swam across the pond) decided to get some attention. Andy stole the tool box out of the back of Ike's truck, where Ike kept his spare tire, his backpack, everything... so he was determined to get it back. He found out it was Andy, Ike told Andy he was going to fight him if he had to (Ike is a stupid boy for wanting to fight, he is also a strong boy) Andy told Ike this exact thing: "I drowned that nigger from Sweetwater & got away with it, I think I can handle this." My dad was very upset about this & decided to find out what happened. He was friends with the town judge & got info. from him. Andy's family was a prominent political & financial one in town. The chief of police dealing with this case (who I understand tried to investigate further) was fired soon after.

The story goes, from the judge, that Moses was in the water, Andy was wet sitting by the pond crying, and other kids were further back watching. It was late at night & the police came & took everyone home but Andy. Andy said they were racing to the other side, and something happened... he didnt realize & went on. It was then too late. They pulled Moses' body out of the water, and for some reason put it back until a few hours later. Once they pulled his body back out, there was no way to tell if there was in fact alcohol in his system. (?)

I'm not venturing to say anything more happened, or make any accusations. If I believed that more than what is shown happened, I woud probaby say that Andy might have jokingly pushed Moses, something playful, resulting in an accident, hence the need to put the body back in the water & make all the witnesses go home. I don't really know.

I would like to analyze articles from the Snyder, Sweetwater, Abilene, Lubbock, and surrounding newspapers. Sweetwater has a higher African American population than Snyder, I'd like to see the "spin" each paper might take. I've looked, and found only one article in a paper from Pecos, TX. Nothing in the archives of Snyder Daily News Online, or Sweetwater Reporter Online. I could find them, but I can't find them all from here in Denton.

Is this a good final project idea? Should I do this? Is this bad of me to stir up? Can I look at things other than Racism...

who knows...let me know!