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In the beginning of the semester we were told to write journal entries that would encompass a series of central ideas discussed in that particular set of classes. I found it both interesting, and now looking back, very rewarding. I learned a lot about the Appalachian region, some that I had no clue about, and some that reiterated the central building block of how I was raised. I felt able to connect to this class more so than any other thus far in my college career. Being a Civil & Environmental Engineering major, I am not use to writing journal entries every other day. However when reflecting back to what I have learned and uncovered in the past few weeks, I now see its benefit. Although the journal entries were very beneficial to my learning, I feel that the class discussions each day had the greatest impact. Everyday I left class still thinking about what we talked about, and recalling what each person said. I would ask myself questions. Why would he or she say that? What may have caused him or her to think that way? Was it something in their past, how they were raised, society’s influence, or were they merely fitting into the crowd? I started noticing myself asking “Why?” a considerable amount, definitely more so than usual. I found this is was due to the style of teaching/leading that Professor Iddings would incorporate into every lesson. We would discuss a topic, usually a reading that was done prior to class. He would ask us why the author said what he or she said. We would reply, then he would ask us why that was. We would answer that, and then again he would follow that with another “Why?” This repetition began impacting the way I thought about everything I came into contact with throughout the class. I knew Moonshine was an important aspect of the Appalachian region, but why. I knew there was boundaries set for the Appalachian region, but why. Who made them? Why wasn’t it larger? Why wasn’t it smaller? This style of thinking soon became a fundamental aspect of learning that I had overlooked throughout the years. Asking why anything is the way it is in engineering usually ends up in the same place every time, either someone long ago made a rule or that it is code. This thought process helped considerably when analyzing different aspects of the Appalachian region for the rest of the semester.

Something else that I enjoyed in the class were the books that were chosen. I like how there was not just one history book that you would find in a government class, or world history class, but instead a series of “chapter books” on the region. From our discussions in class, I learned a considerable amount about the ideas of the different authors. One of the most interesting things I found out was differing opinion of how individuals should identify themselves as Appalachians. We wrote about the terms “hillbilly” and “redneck”. Everyone had their own idea of what the two words meant. Some of the opinions were in the derogatory nature, and others were more liberal. One of the journal entries we had to submit offered us the task of investigating what was found on the Internet about these two terms. I had no idea there were costumes representing these terms. (Knick, Journal Entry 2) Sure, everyone thinks of bib-overalls when they hear “hillbilly” (Knick, Journal Entry 2). Though it was interesting to really see what the world thought about these individuals. Having deep roots in the Appalachian region, and identifying myself as the terms we discussed I felt differently than most people did when seeing what the internet had to offer about “hillbillies” and “rednecks”. (Knick, Journal Entry 2) I never got mad or anything close to it, but I definitely could see how individuals would be very aggravated if they saw the derogatory things that were said. (Knick, Journal Entry 2) I know that my grandfather (raised in the region) would find the jokes, and use of clothing as costumes, very insulting.

I attended a private school after the 8^th grade, and people’s view of me differed greatly from the public school I had been raised in. At the public school, everyone was on the same page about where they came from, and their roots. We were all “country”. We hunted, fished, and constantly talked about it. It was our life, and no one could tell us any different. However when I went to a private school, things began to change. I was referred to as “country” and not in a positive sense. I was made fun of on occasion about the way the way I talked and how I portrayed things. I never rejected being country, not one time. I was always proud of who I was and where I came from. In class we examined situations of people that rejected being country, and were proud of it. Their situations were very similar to mine. One person even went to the extent of training their voice so they didn’t have to sound country when they went to college. (Knick, Journal Entry 10) I had heard of people rejecting their culture before, but never thought it actually happened in Appalachia. Rejecting my lifestyle was and still is completely out of the question.

Throughout the course we also were required to do a music review. I chose to go to a venue at the Horse Center. The people there played old timey music and danced.(Knick, REVISED Music Review) I learned far more than I thought I would by going to this. As I state in my REVISED Music Review, it seemed that I was looking into the past. These people were great, they loved to have new people in the crowd, and they were so very kind. (Knick, REVISED Music Review) I learned that the true essence of Appalachian music didn’t come from playing the exact music on the sheet, but more of how you felt when playing and portraying how you felt. (Knick, REVISED Music Review) I learned about the people, how little they minded me seeing them dance, even though it’s not the popular thing in my generation.

In closing, I am very happy I took this class. I heard about this course about a year ago and constantly hoped that I would be able to take it. I am glade I had the opportunity to learn about something I am so passionate about. My culture is very important to me, and the more I can learn about it the better.

 

 

Work Cited

 

Knick, Sean. Journal Entry 2. May 20, 2015.

Knick, Sean. Journal Entry 10. June 16, 2015.

Knick, Sean. REVISED Music Review. June 17, 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Look Into the Past

 

I was fortunate enough to attend an old timey group’s monthly meeting a few days ago. Yes, it was open to the public. However, it only seemed like a few people knew about it. This group was very tight nit, although as expected, very accepting. I got there a few minutes late, which I didn’t think was that big of a deal. The venue was at the horse center (main coliseum). I felt comfortable here, which helped with the awkwardness of me walking into this meeting late. I heard the music before anything else. As I approached the corner of the arena, I began to draw stares. Perfect, I thought; here I am, obviously someone new to the entire thing, completely clueless, and now everyone and their brother is staring at me. An older lady offered me a seat, to which I realized was right plumb in front of the entire stage of people. I recognized her from the checkout line at Wal-Mart from earlier that day, so that gave me some comfort, sort of. I stood in the back for a while, in the most comfortable leaning position I could find. I surveyed the crowd, and that’s when it struck me. I was the youngest person there by about 40 years. Well, with an opened mind and ear, I just took it all in. I would catch the occasional person staring at me, but that didn’t last long, because Kenny showed up in his green t-shirt, white shorts, random hat turned backwards, and flip-flops. I just laughed as he walked in. I walked up to him and warned him on how out of place he was going to feel. We both walked over to the leaning post I had acquired and just chilled out. The music was not the perfect, CD, Pandora, YouTube quality that was expected. However, I noticed something interesting that stuck with me. What I was witnessing was exactly what I had gone for. Not this grand bluegrass performance, but a true, down home, heart filled performance by people who really felt what they were playing. The people listening were the same. They were so in to the music, it was hard to pull their attention away from it. There would be the occasional mess up, but hey, that’s life. They were using music to show their life experiences, and their beliefs. I could see how the music impacted everyone. Some would slow down and close their eyes, and by the looks on their face, really get into the music. I don’t know the exact things that made these people act the way they did. But for every person the music seemed to mean something different. A sweet old couple got up and danced to a slower song, obviously recalling their younger years. An older man in his 80’s made eyes to his wife as he played along to the music on his fiddle. As the music progressed, I began to get into it. I became aware of all of my surroundings. I started to notice everyone’s expressions, hear their individual voices, and see their movements. I realized I was seeing the past. There it was, right in front of me. I was living it. Sure they all had on newer clothes, but the sounds, the movements, the expressions. They all were what I pictured the past to be like. The music they played was an old timey genre, mostly gospel. They played Fly Away, and everyone started singing along, including myself. Their style was theirs, and they made the music not the way it was written but the way they thought it should sound. The only songs I remember hearing before were the gospel songs. Most of them were hymns I had heard in church before. I could tell they were passionate about their music, and were proud to play it. I would absolutely recommend this venue to anyone who wants a look into the past. It was very interesting, and I look forward to returning. They even invited me to bring my banjo back and play some. I look forward to the next time I can join this group of individuals as they recall past and share their memories through music.

 

 

Some of the authors that we looked at had different experiences. One of the authors had a terrible experience, one that did not want the individual to continue to identify as Appalachian. When approached at high school, the people would say “Oh your country.” in a negative way. They would make fun of the individual. At a point, the person realized that before college came, the voice would have to change as well as the accent. So the individual started practicing in the mirror on how to talk correctly. The individual started getting comfortable with the new accent and words. Once the individual got to college the voice came out great and no one knew. There were only a few instances where the old accent would slip up and people would notice. They would make the individual talk to them in the country accent and refer to the individual as “country”. The other individual seemed to be proud to be country. Which is the way I was. I went to a high school where the population was mostly Asian and city folks. They heard my accent and took off with it. I was proud of it. I enjoyed people saying I was country. I would reply “Hell yeah I am, and don’t care what you have to say about it.” I had one kid when I was a rat say something about my family and how stupid I sounded. That didn’t last one, and the situation was taken care of. He soon found out that I was not playing around was proud of where I come from.

 

Many individuals left the Appalachian region for jobs. This was the main reason that I could see. Without jobs, then people don’t get paid, when people don’t get paid, families don’t eat. I think that this differed in social classes through the look at locations they moved to. The lower class individuals went to cities in the north, and the wealthier people went to cities all throughout the south. Winston-Salem, and Charlotte were popular destinations for Appalachians to move to and settle down. Many different races moved out of the area. Mostly white Scot-Irish moved out of the area, followed by African Americans. Differences among the races were caused by the jobs they had. African Americans had different jobs then the Scot-Irish. Their reason for moving differed on the economy of that particular job market. These people moved to areas that were inhabited but needed a boost. Under reconstruction these cities needed a boost in population and market. Although people did move, they did have somewhat of a transition period. There was a period time where one person would leave, an influential person, and then tons of people would follow. This transition period slowly deteriorated the regions they moved from. The poverty levels in the regions they moved from reached an all time low. They did however begin to come back to the region later on down the road. However, this period took many years. I think they wanted a new start, something different from what they were used to.

I think music is a form of identity for many people. Music portrays many people’s opinions about their feelings and their lifestyle. I think that the people of Appalachia associated with their music because it was a means of refreshment, or enjoyment. This allowed them to connect with each other through the means of sound. For example, when a band plays a song, and there is a crowd there getting all hyped up. It is obvious that everyone is on the same page as far as their mental state. I think that this joining of feelings and the embellishment of struggles is what drove the Appalachian music movement. The close natured people, having the same struggles day in and day out could connect on a fundamental level. The music spoke of struggles, happy times, and religion. All of these aspects served as the foundation for how and why these people lived. However this connection that they received was not only prevalent to the Appalachian region. This has been seen all throughout history and in our current society. Rap music is a prime example of this. Spoken from individuals that are closely associated with the struggles of his or hers community, the music brings together everyone experiencing or feeling the way everyone else does. Having music solidifying dreams that seem impossible for many people is the foundation of the work. I think that is country has gotten through many problems by resorting back to the Stars and Stripes that was written during a battle. Music is simply a way for all people to join together and talk about their wants, needs and problems.

I have found a few critics online that talk about the movie. However, besides the documentary there is little that is spoken about from the Appalachian perspective. I think the majority of criticism is spoken, not directly on social media. I think that many people are torn between what the writer wanted to come from the release of the movie and the actions of the characters throughout the movie. I think that the most controversial scene in the movie is the rap scene. “Squeal like a pig” has been the notorious phrase that has brought significant attention to the movie, the most being negative of course. However, I think that there is more to the movie than the negative depictions of people living in the Appalachian region. It is the struggle between nature and man, which is interestingly enough noted by one critic we covered in class today. Burt Reynolds talks about “the game” throughout the movie. This game that he speaks of is the prominent focus that the writer wishes the harp on. People are making a great deal of controversy about the writers way he choses to show this game and the struggles the characters go through. I don’t believe he wants all of the attention to be directed on the actions of the characters but the underlying message. Yes, he may have gone overboard with the justification of his particular message, which in turn has given the film a bad rep. However, he does accurately show the struggle between man and nature and “the game”.

The big deal between The Kentucky Cycle and Deliverance is how it portrays the Appalachian culture. It over embellishes many negative aspects associated with the respective culture. I can see both ends of this argument; however I think that the movie is a better depiction of what the culture is like (sadly enough). The Kentucky Cycle was way over the top as I wrote in Journal Entry 5. People have to realize that molestation (as seen in Deliverance) was a random occurrence. My personal opinion is that this is not a common occurrence and hasn’t been one. It just seems like the entire movie is based around the struggle between the river and the two guys that raped the group. This is the only noticeable connection between the group and the culture. I think that the end of the movie, where they are eating dinner with Appalachians, is a more accurate description. I can see why the Appalachian scholars are offended by the play, I agree with them. The movie critics that are pissed over the movie, yeah I see their point. However, the director is bringing attention to many of the problems of the society. The poverty level and lack of education are definitely pressing issues that needed reform. Still today those issues are prevalent, yet people focus on issues oversees instead of the ones we have here in the United States, and I think that is wrong! The director of Deliverance definitely over embellished the negative aspects, yet he did bring attention to it. If someone just watches the movie and continues the make fun, or condescend the individuals of this region, they have something wrong with them. Why don’t they do something productive and go and try to help these people, whether they want it or not! I can see where the director was coming from when his agenda was one to help out the region. I think that he accomplished his goal. If someone wanted to prove this, then go look at what reform programs have been established since the release of this motion picture. This will provide an answer as to whether the director was effective in his motives or not.

I think the most notable chapter where a character is associated with an inaccurate association with Appalachia is when Patrick Rowen goes on his killing spree and how this is associated as a common occurrence in this region. The entire chapter is an over embellishment of what was happening. Particularly when Patrick kills his own father and Rebecca Talbert’s father, I can see this happening in a rare situation by some crazy guy. But to honestly make it an obvious reference to the violence and homicides that were taking place, give me a break. I completely disagree with what was being said in the play. However, there was a need for someone to write about what was going on. I just don’t think that half of the things that happened all throughout the play needed to actually happen to get a point across. Everything that could have gone wrong in every situation throughout that play ended up going wrong. Fortunately that is not what happened in Appalachia during that time period, though there was violence don’t get me wrong. To use Patrick as an example of the lack of respect kids had for their parents in the region was incorrect by all means. Every aspect of his character was over embellished to show how poorly a kid can turn out by being raised in such household, what paths an individual will take to get what he or she wants, and the idea of what it means to have a good life. Yes, land was a big deal back then, and in some cases it still is today. However, no one would kill their own father or their lover’s father over it. A lot of land is not the key to a happy life. The key to a happy life in the Appalachian region is a strong family, good graces from everyone, strong religion, and a sound household. I don’t think Patrick nor his “forced to be” wife Rebecca had any of that.

I think the central idea of Appalachia being depicted this way is due primarily to someone else’s agenda. The governing voice of any region is that of someone in power. In this particular case, I believe it is due to the politics. I can see how an individual trying to gain status with a particular society would in no doubt praise the respective society. Not so much a national notoriety, but a local or state category would be appropriate in this case. I think in this particular case it was very important for the media to portray the Appalachian region this way. If this was not the case then the media would have a terrible reputation within this region. I think this is evident in today’s society. Many of the individuals in today’s society do not agree with the media’s portrayal of many events, not just those of the Appalachian region. However, with a pressing need for reelection, it is very evident to see why a politician would seek out the media to list all of the plans of that particular agenda. The media has the ear of many people throughout the society then and today. It is not odd that anyone would try to voice their opinion through this channel, if he or she felt the need to get a point across. By portraying this region the way they did, I am sure it allowed some individuals to feel more important and part of society to some extent. I think it was a good thing to show the positives of this society, they needed a break.

I completely understand what he means. He hit the nail on the head with this. I realize that people like Jeff Foxworthy, Larry The Cable Guy, and shows like Hee-Haw have made it acceptable to some degree to poke fun at Rednecks and Hillbillies. But at the same time, they are almost making fun of themselves. Everyone has heard the jokes “Ya might be a redneck if…” coined by Mr. Foxworthy. These jokes were thought up by Rednecks, no person outside of the culture would be able to remotely come up with these catchy phrases. These shows and jokes have an underlying message saying “Yeah, we know, ya’ll think we are ignorant and uneducated, and maybe some of us are, but we love who we are, what we do, how we act and are proud of it.” I agree that there are people who buy clothes and love the stereotype they portray, and I agree that there are people that get pissed off by it. I can see both of their arguments. I think by purchasing a shirt that pokes fun at the stereotype definitely supports it. Why else would someone buy it? Although if someone had a deep hatred for the culture, I doubt they would wear a shirt making fun of it. I’m sure there are individuals that do it, but not a lot. With that said, I think that it all comes down to the individual wearing it. Everyone has there own particular reason for what they wear and watch. For instance some fly the Battle Flag for different reasons than others. I believe that the stereotype that these products, shows, and comedians make fun of is somewhat accurate, although a little exaggerated at times. I think that some people are proud of the things said. I know it’s weird to think of a culture making fun of themselves, but I honestly think it’s so in this case. I would feel comfortable purchasing such products. Although I don’t because half the time I have the actual attire they are trying to make fun of. I do feel a little uncomfortable when I see people at parties and Halloween dress up like Hillbillies and act out what they think that lifestyle is about. It can be funny sometimes but there is a line that needs to be drawn. I don’t think a lot of individuals know where that line is because nothing has been said about it. Why? Because the people that are being made fun of don’t really care about what others have to say about them. It irritates me because it reminds me of my family and our roots. I won’t say anything because I can hear my family saying to me “Sean, don’t worry about them or what they have to say. Just let them act like idiots.” That’s just how I was raised.