Blog 14

Salamat Ullah Bhuiyan, S, and Shanta Banik. “Amusement Marketing: A Few Dimensions of Amusement Parks.” International Journal of Business Insights & Transformation, vol. 7, no. 1, 1 Oct. 2013, pp. 36–41. EBSCOhost, aumnicat.aum.edu:2129/eds/detail/detail?vid=7&sid=4851d2f1-2fd2-44cc-a99d-c91c5eb5866a%40sessionmgr120&hid=122&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=96263933&db=buh. Accessed 20 Mar. 2017.

This article explains how amusement parks can be marketed. It covers the things an amusement park should provide to visitors and what makes a park successful. This article provides tips on how to build a successful amusement park. It also lists success factors while explaining how to incorporate each one into the park. This article does not give examples of amusement parks, which would allow the reader to visualize the topics. I plan to connect this to my project by taking a few examples and using it to propose a way to rebuild the Six Flags New Orleans.

Fristcher, Lisa. “Abandoned: The Heartbreaking True Story of Six Flags New Orleans.” Theme Park Tourist, 24 Apr. 2015, http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20150422/30185/standing-not-operating-true-story-behind-abandoned-six-flags-new-orleans. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.

This article discusses the abandonment of Six Flags New Orleans. This article also discussed the history of other structures in the area while providing pictures. This article gives a great history of what was on the land leading up to Six Flags purchasing it. I plan to connect this to my project by using some of the information to provide a better understanding of the area and the amusement park.

Nadler, Lonnie. “We Visit The Abandoned Six Flags In New Orleans.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 June 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lonnie-nadler/we-visit-the-abandoned-sixflags_b_10719982.html. Accessed 6 Mar. 2017.

This article discusses talks about the effects Hurricane Katrina had on the amusement park. It talks about how the painful memories still remain due to abandoned structures like Six Flags New Orleans. The journalists who wrote this piece does a great job quoting people on how this abandoned structure can negatively impact the community. I plan to connect this to my project by showcasing the impact this has on the community.

Cunningham, Jade. “Future of Former Six Flags Site Still Unclear.” WWL, 16 Mar. 2017, http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/future-of-former-six-flags-site-still-unclear/423269223. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

This article discusses the delay the city is putting on selling the property. It is a very recent article that isn’t two weeks old. It gives the locals opinion on how positive the amusement park was to the community when it was open. I plan on connecting this to my project by using the locals’  quotes on how the park gave the children something to do.

Souther, J. Mark. “Making the ‘Birthplace of Jazz’: Tourism and Musical Heritage Marketing in New Orleans.” Louisiana History: The Journal of the Louisiana Historical Association, vol. 44, 2003, pp. 39–73. JSTOR, aumnicat.aum.edu:2060/stable/pdf/4233901.pdf. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

This journal gives the history of New Orleans and how it came to be. This article will give background on the tourism and culture in New Orleans. I plan to connect this to my project by using the heritage of the community as a reason why the amusement park should be revived.

Van Oest, Rutger D, et al. “Return on Roller Coasters: A Model to Guide Investments in Theme Park Attractions.” Marketing Science, vol. 29, 1 July 2010, pp. 721–737. Business Source Premier, aumnicat.aum.edu:2129/eds/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=2aea3b9d-e216-4475-a493-22f686d1fdcc%40sessionmgr101&hid=122&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmU%3d#AN=56533194&db=buh. Accessed 25 Mar. 2017.

This article is about giving information on investing in amusement parks. This article will allow me to have a better understanding on what it takes to purchase and build a theme park. I plan to connect this to my project by being able to understand the budgeting aspect of owning a theme park.

 

Blog 13.7

Reading Scholarly Articles

“Rhetorical Numbers: A Case for Quantitative Writing in the Composition Classroom”

Rhetoric: art of persuasion, persuading somebody

Quantitative: evidence based on numbers

This article would have been found in JSTOR. Now articles are often shared online.

1. Study the title.
2. Always read the abstract, but pay close attention to final sentences.
3. Always read the intro paragraphs (usually 1-2 pages).
4. Make a text to self connection. *Think of an example in every day life that relates to article. If you cannot find an example, get rid of the article.
5. Skim the body paragraph for examples that make sense to you.
6. Read the conclusion. FIND the MLA info for this piece.

Summary of Scholarly Article relating to research topic:

“Amusement Marketing: A Few Dimensions of Amusement Parks”

Amusement marketing is used to bring tourism to an area. Amusement parks entertain individuals of all ages. A park could have a various amount of themes throughout that can appeal to different age groups. For an amusement park to be successful it must have the following: safety, uniqueness, an escape from reality, trained and motivated staff, ect. Parks generally bring in a good amount of revenue, which may impact the local economy.

Blog 13.5

3 Strengths:

1. Detailed background in the introduction.
2. Explained the significance of the building/school to him; showing the importance and impact it had
3. In his search plan, he listed a variety of sources he could use.

3 Weaknesses:

1. Citation in review of literature doesn’t name the author.
2. Little information on the building’s “poor state” in the introduction.
3. Timeline was not specific with how much time he would spend on research.

We would give this proposal an B+.

Blog 13

Introduction: How can an abandoned building or park affect the community around it? What were the causes of this building or park being abandoned? Did this structure bring positives or negatives to the community? There are plenty of abandoned structures or parks around the world, the question is: How can we fix them? We need to find a way to bring life back into these places. Six Flags New Orleans was abandoned after Hurricane Katrina . The park was flooded due to being located in a low-lying part of New Orleans. The salt-water began to erode the metal structures, making them nearly impossible to revive. After pushing dates of reopening back, the company officially announced that they would not be  rebuilding the park due to the expenses. Many companies have proposed rebuilding the once Six Flags New Orleans to a new, better theme park, but each company has backed out.

Research Question(s): Why are companies abandoning this old theme park? What can we do to revive this theme park for the New Orleans community?

Review of Literature: Six Flags New Orleans was once a theme park called “Jazzland.” I have viewed many articles discussing the shape of the theme park today and how destroyed and “erie” it really is. Lonnie Nadler, writer for The Huffington Post, described the  scene, “The park remains in a state of decay, still flooded, and empty, a sign of the plight of the New Orleans People.” Basically stating that the park is still a reminder of the trying times the locals had after Katrina hit. Nadler continued to call out New Orleans for rebuilding the downtown area, but forgetting about the outskirts of New Orleans. Lisa Fristcher, writer for Theme Park Tourist, did an article about Six Flags New Orleans and even explored the history of the community. Fristcher also compared the abandoned theme park to Pripyat amusement park in Ukraine.

Search Plan: My plan is to search the internet for articles relating to Hurricane Katrina and the damage the storm caused. I hope to find articles that talk about the impact and daily reminders the theme park has or had on locals. Hurricane Katrina was a storm remembered all over the United States, especially to the people of Louisiana. I also have a friend who lived in Louisiana during the storm. I could talk to her about how the storm effected her family and whether she visited the park.

Project Timeline: During the week of March 13-17, I have spring break. During this time, I will be able to further my research due to free time from school. Once I return to school March 20, I will have sources to use for my bibliography that is due April 3rd. Based on the amount of research I will have completed, an outline should be easily completed by April 10th. A completed draft of the project will be completed on April 17th, which will allow time for peers to review my work. My project will be completed on April 24th.

Key Challenges: The challenges I will face most will be finding scholarly sources on my topic. It would also be difficult to give an accurate price for reviving this theme park. Since I am from Alabama and have never visited the New Orleans area, it will be difficult to truly understand the problems associated with this area.

Blog 12

There are many citation systems. The one you use is going to depend on your major.

I will be using CSE in the future.

Be Consistent: Once you pick a style, you stick with that style only. 

Some students mix MLA, APA, and IEEE. Don’t make the mistake of numbering sources in MLA. That is done in the sciences. 

Page 651 covers this:

As Leketa Carter has said in English 1020, where she is a freshman student, it is important to “know your citation styles” (70). *period goes at the end of statement, including citation.

Page 3:

Many have also argued that we should teach more than MLA to our freshmen (Carter 22) *only need last name

 

Blog 11

Most people would like to experience something fun and memorable for their last adventure before graduating and jumping into the real world. If you were to visit Chernobyl for your senior trip, you would be participating in what is called extreme, or dark, tourism. Some people would consider this trip a form of dark tourism because of the type of tragedy that happened there, which could teach you so much if you were to visit Chernobyl. So, what is extreme tourism?

Extreme tourism is defined as “going on holiday to extreme places or making holidays into extreme conditions in pursuit of more adventure.” Extreme tourism can include things like hiking up a steep mountain, visiting a forbidden place, or a place where a tragedy happened. Visiting a place where a tragedy happened would be a form or “dark tourism.” Places like this would include the 911 Memorial or visiting Holocaust Concentration Camps.

Chernobyl was nuclear reactor accident in 1986, leaving many people homeless and 31 dead. This accident left the small town inhabitable to this day. If you were visiting Chernobyl, you would be participating in dark tourism. You are actually only allowed to visit Chernobyl for a short amount of time. If you were there longer than that time period, you could be exposed to the radiation causing you to become sick. Chernobyl cannot even support animal life, but nature is beginning to take over the things left behind.

If you were to visit Chernobyl, you would receive a visual on what the Earth would look like if people were no longer here. Alan Weisman gave a written example of this in his piece called “Earth Without People” in our Green book. Weisman stated, “With nobody to trample seedlings, New York’s prolific exotic, the Chinese ailanthus tree, would take over.”(191) This quote is an example of nature, such as trees and plants, reclaiming what is theirs. In Chernobyl, nature is growing back without people around. In my opinion, this experience would be humbling and allow you realize the consequences of your actions, like destroying forests for new towns and cities.

Visiting Chernobyl would also allow you see what Russia was like in the 1980s. Residents were not given time to collect their belongings when the accident occurred. This means that the residents grabbed a few important things, leaving toys and pictures behind. Pictures of Chernobyl show remains of this Communist Russian town. By exploring Chernobyl, you would see how they lived like the toys they used, what the classrooms looked like, and also the apartments left behind.

While radiation levels can differ day to day, you never know if the land is safe to visit. If you were to choose to explore Chernobyl, you could risk wasting your money because visiting during that time could be prohibited. Also, you are not allowed to remove anything from the site because being in possession of something contaminated with radiation could cause infection in you.

There are many restrictions involved when you choose to visit Chernobyl. The Globe and Mail is a website that posted a few rules of visiting Chernobyl called, “Rule No. 1 when visiting Chernobyl: Don’t touch anything.”  You are not allowed to touch things, even yourself and personal belongings are not supposed to sit on the ground. Eating is hazardous while on the grounds of this abandoned town and advised to not eat outside. Jim Heintz, the writer of this article, stated, “Guides make sure the visitors understand that various spots in the zone are more contaminated than others and insist no one wander off the designated paths.”  I do not recommend the seniors of Auburn University at Montgomery to take this trip to Chernobyl based on the risk factors involved.

Blog 10

Most people would like to experience something fun and memorable for their last adventure before graduating and jumping into the real world. If you were to visit Chernobyl for your senior trip, you would be participating in what is called extreme tourism. Some people would consider this trip a form of dark tourism because of the type of tragedy that happened there, which could teach you so much if you were to visit Chernobyl. So, what is extreme tourism?

Extreme tourism is defined as “going on holiday to extreme places or making holidays into extreme conditions in pursuit of more adventure.” Extreme tourism can include things like hiking up a steep mountain, visiting a forbidden place, or a place where a tragedy happened. Visiting a place where a tragedy happened would be a form or “dark tourism.” Places like this would include the 911 Memorial or visiting Holocaust Concentration Camps.

Chernobyl was nuclear reactor accident in 1986, leaving many people homeless and 31 dead. This accident left the small town inhabitable to this day. If you were visiting Chernobyl, you would be participating in dark tourism. You are actually only allowed to visit Chernobyl for a short amount of time. If you were there longer than that time period, you could be exposed to the radiation causing you to become sick. Chernobyl cannot even support animal life, but nature is beginning to take over the things left behind.

If you were to visit Chernobyl, you would receive a visual on what the Earth would look like if people were no longer here. Alan Weisman gave a written example of this in his piece called “Earth Without People” in our Green book. Weisman stated, “With nobody to trample seedlings, New York’s prolific exotic, the Chinese ailanthus tree, would take over.”(191) This quote is an example of nature, such as trees and plants, reclaiming what is theirs. In Chernobyl, nature is growing back without people around. In my opinion, this experience would be humbling and allow you realize the consequences of your actions, like destroying forests for new towns and cities.

Blog 9.5

High School Structure:

Top Bun: Introduction

Meat: Body

Bottom Bun: Conclusion

Structure for Chernobyl Project:

Top Bun: Introduction

Lettuce and Tomato: Definitions paragraph (do everything you can to find scholarly definitions/source) – extreme tourism, examples here

Cheese: Background paragraph (the history) – Chernobyl history: what happened, when, to whom? (avoid technical terms that reader may not know)

Meat:

1. Pros: 2 major reasons (each one paragraph)
   1. Mistakes: there are consequences
   2. Example of what Earth would look like without people (here is where you might bring in an example from the source in your book)
   3. Historical value of 1980s Russia: culture, language
2. Cons: 2 major reasons (each one paragraph)

Bottom Bun: Conclusion (delayed thesis, where you recommend what to do)

Grading:

1. Structure/Organization/Length
   1. Certain amount of points
   2. Making sure each paragraph has a single idea
   3. Finish each point/idea
2. Research/Logos
   1. Balance/Variety of opinions
3. Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling/Citations
4. Lens/Rhetorical Situation
   1. Tone: semiformal

Blog 9

This article was written on the 30th anniversary of Chernobyl. It discusses the effects that Chernobyl had on the victims.

“Memories Painful on Chernobyl’s 30th Anniversary.” St.Louis Post – Dispatch, Apr 27 2016, ProQuest Newsstand, https://aumnicat.aum.edu/login?url=http://aumnicat.aum.edu:2155/docview/1784555168?accountid=6370.

This site will give you ideas on extreme tourism with videos and pictures.

“Extreme Tourism HQ | Nerve Rush.” RSS, http://www.nerverush.com/extreme-tourism/.

Blog 8.5

Topic: We will recommend whether a group of people should embark on extreme tourism.

Thesis: Research and findings on Russian expenses, dangers to health, and problems with travel have lead us to recommend that seniors at AUM should not participate in extreme tourism.

Try this instead: We recommend that seniors who want to visit Chernobyl consider both the positive and negative results of such an experience.

Cons:

1. Radiation: They were stranded.
2. They could’ve been mauled by a bear.
3. Security did not allow them in the location.
4. Some species do not live there anymore. (Ex: birds) – if you’ve read Silent Spring, you know that the absence of birds or other creatures means the land has been poisoned.

Pros:

1. Scenery – abandoned, historical location – relics from the 1980s, incl Communist artifacts, education based on real experience
2. Novelty – few people can go/rare experience, share photos
3. Experience other perspectives by visiting another culture

Chernobyl Diaries. Directed by Bradley Parker, performance by Jessie McCartney, Jonathan Swadoski, Alcon Entertainment, 25 May 2012. Amazon Prime, add link from the site.