Rooms

This week I met with my two informants and asked them questions about their rooms when they were younger. My 18 year old said her room from when she was 10 to 16 was decorated the same. When she went away on a mission trip for church her mom painted it her favorite color at the time purple and decorated it with silver stars because she loves stars. She made a star garden behind her bed and had stars on the t.v. and chairs. She did not have posters on her walls but did have pictures of family and friends on her dresser. My other informant who is 19 said her room freshman year of high school looked like an easter egg. The walls were lime green, purple and blue with horizontal lines of each color. She decorated her walls with pictures of friends and did not have any poster either.

I met with my informants separately this week and asked questions about their family lives. My 18 year old grew up in Great Meadows, NJ and she has 2 bothers, Jason 24 and Christopher 23 who is in the army. She looks up to her brother Chris and his wife Gwen who is also in the army. She speaks very highly of him and her mother who is very involved in church and social activities. She does not get along very well with her other brother Jason and does not speak to her father since her parents got a divorce in 2006. She said she used to be very close to her father and became very depressed after he left the family. She used the words "daddy's girl" to describe her past relationship with her father.

My 19 year old informant grew up in Brick Town, NJ and she has 2 brothers Adam 28 and Michael 23. Bother of her brothers moved to Hawaii in 2004 but Mike moved back home after breaking his hand and having numerous operations. So right now she lives with Mike and he mom and dad who are still happily married. In high school she did not get along with her brother Mike but she says now that she is close to both of her brothers. She has always been close to her mom except for what she said was the embarrassing years of middle school and in middle school and high school she did not get along with her dad because he was going through religious changes that she did not agree with. She gets along with both of her parents fine now. She has 2 pets a dog Kenzie and a cat Snickers.

The next time I meet with my informants I am going to ask them about their rooms when they were younger since I have seen their rooms currently. I have tried to get them to make a myspace or a blog but I am not having any luck

first meeting

I met with the two girls I am working with for the first time today. They do not want their names to be revealed. One is 18 and one is 19 and I am having them share aspects of their life now as well as memories from when they were younger. I had them sign the consent forms and explained what the class is about and what kind of information I am curious about.