"No 'There' There" by Jonathan G.S. Koppell
Medium Prompt

Koppell states in his essay "One reason that cyberspace is desribed as a place is to avoid downgrading it to the status of a mere medium." The Internet can be considered a medium because it is a type of representation. Like photos, essays, or music, it can tell stories. It can make emotional connections between people. Yet, as Koppell believes, calling the Internet merely a medium would indeed be downgrading its value. Take for example a camera. With a camera, one can capture photos and videos. These pictures and videos can then be posted online, sent to friends, or edited. One can do a lot with the pictures, yet a camera can only do so much. One cannot interact with anyone through a camera, nor can they order tickets or look up the local movie times. A television is also another example. A television is merely responsive - one cannot interact through it. There are hundreds of shows and movies found on television, yet like a camera, it is limited. The Internet, however, seems limitless. One can talk to a relative that lives on the other side of the country. One can order tickets to a concert or look up movie times without having to go anywhere. People can certainly find just about anything they are curious about through search engines. And one can watch videos posted on sites such as YouTube, or download music. Unlike other forms of medium, the Internet is interactive - games can be played and people can converse, whether through instant messages, emails, online journals, or message boards.

I do not consider the Internet a place. When I am online, I feel as though I am still in my house in New Jersey and not lost in cyberspace. Yet the Internet is so much more than television. There are so many more options found online, and so many different ways of interacting rather than just receiving. Calling the Internet would definitely downgrade it, as it is much more advanced than a photograph, a television, or any other medium.

"The Way To Rainy Mountain" by N. Scott Momaday
Medium Prompt

My sacred space is found in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Every year, my family and I go camping there. I make a point to visit my sacred space each and every time I go camping. To get to my sacred space, I have to take a long dirt path into the woods. It leads down to a stream with small fish and frogs. There are plenty of rocks to climb on in order to cross the stream. Every time I go there, I take time to sit on one of the bigger rocks in the middle of the stream. It is there where I can think about whatever I want. I can free myself from the entire world. All I hear is the calm sound of the stream. I hear no cars or conversations, and I see no one. My sacred space is the most relaxing place I know of, and probably the most beautiful place I have ever seen in person. I can remember exactly what the flowers look like by the stream, and I can vividly imagine the stream. If my sacred space was not so far away from my home, I would visit it almost every day.

The best way to represent my sacred space would be through a photograph. I feel as though words could never accurately describe the beauty of my space. Words could never get across the peace and calm one can feel there. A CD or essay could never truly describe the freedom I feel at my space, and its seperation from the world. Yet a picture would show its beauty and its peace. A photo would show its sharp contrast from the world outside. And because it is so peaceful as opposed to the outside world, the rock in the stream remains my personal sacred space.

"Nowhere Man" by Pico Iyer
Message Prompt

Pico Iyer discusses the type of people called "transit loungers" in his essay. Transit loungers are the people who often spend their time in transit space, the space where people pause in between their travel to another place. This transit space can be a train station, a subway, a rest stop, and so on. Transit loungers are the ones who grow accustomed to transit space and traveling so much that leaving one area no longer phases them. They see the world and travel constantly. Yet they are people who are constantly seperated from their family. They have no defined home that they are emotionally attached to. There is no one place they can go return to for comfort and a familial sense.

There are quite a few advantages that come with being a transit lounger. The most obvious is that a transit lounger is always traveling. They get to see a lot more of the world than most people do. They lead an exciting lifestyle in which they can wake up in a different place every week. They never have to worry about becoming bored with their surroundings, as they are in a new one all the time.

Transit loungers also form a strong sense of independence. They are traveling on their own throughout their life. They have no home and no close relatives. While this may seem lonely and scary, they are able to form independece and self-reliance. They do not go running to their family or friends when they have a problem becuase they are too far away. They deal with the issues of their lives on their own because they are strangers to their own home. It may seem lonely to be a transit lounger, but at least they are not dependent on others. Another advantage similar to this is that they are never emotionally attached. Therefore, they never really feel tragedy. If they lose something or someone, they do not feel extreme sadness because they were never emotionally attached in the first place.

One last advantage of being a transit lounger is that they are obviously pretty rich. It takes a great deal of money to be able to travel today. If one travles by car, they must pay a large amount for gas. If they travel by plane, they have to deal with costly plane tickets. No matter what form of transportation is used, it is expensive to travel between different places. Therefore, if someone is constantly traveling, they must have a decent amount of money to spend. They are financially secure. However, as the phrase goes, money cannot buy happiness. In the end, it is probably much better for one to have a defined home, a limited amount of traveling, and a smaller amount of money because at least he or she has a family. At least he or she would have a family for comfort and happiness.

"Fast-Food America" by Nicholas Howe
Message Prompt

In his essay, Howe describes several different posters hanging in a Burger King. In one of them, "The Runaway" by Norman Rockwell, a cop is sitting next to a boy in a diner. It is clear through what the boy carries that he was attempting to run away from home. However, the cop is kindly doing his duty by returning the boy home. Another photo in Burger King shows items found in a typical diner, ranging from napkin dispensers to salt shakers. One final painting shows a dining landscape. It is likely that Howe used these images to remind the reader that America has not changed entirely. Burger King may not be exactly like the old time diners. However, it still holds on to its traditions from the past. The photo of the cop and the boy may bring back memories and feelings of childhood. The poster of the diner items brings back memories of the old diners. The picture of the diner landscape also reminds one of the old diners. The photos are placed in Burger King in order to remind the people that while diners may not really exist anymore, the tradition and idea of a diner still exists through the new restaurants. America may have changed, but it has not let go of its past completely.

This message conveyed through the images hanging in a Burger King restuarant are similar to the message behind Howe's essay. Unlike many writers, Howe does not feel that the new America is all that bad. He does not feel like he should avoid the new fast food restuarants. Instead, he often takes the time to stop at these places. His message is that while America has changed, it is important to accept these changes because they still carry the tradition behind an older America. Not everything is the same; however, the comfort that once existed and the memories of childhood still exist within the new culture.

"First Shot" by John Edgar Wideman
Method Prompt

The photos within Wideman's essay all show different people playing basketball in different environments. Yet despite the differences, the court seems to remain essentially the same within each and every picture. In the first one, entitled Jump Shot/Tiro con salto, there are a couple of men playing basketball. One is jumping in the air taking a shot, while another is looking on with excitement. The area they are in does not look comfortable. It appears to be empty space with the exception of cluttered garbage on the side of the road. Yet the men do not even appear to notice their environment. It is clear through their facial expressions that they are completely inteterested in the game. It seems as though playing basketball is a form of release for them, and they are in their own world.

Another photo that is similar to the above one is entitled Tamika Catchings. In the picture, a young woman is jumping high in the air to make a shot. Her facial expression is intense, and through this and her body positioning, it is clear that she is devoting all of her energy to the court. Basketball is the only thing that is on her mind. Another picture that supports this interpretation is Silver Springs, Maryland. In it, three men are fighting over the ball. Again, through their facial expressions, it is clear that the men are all involved in a very intense game of basketball. By observing the way they look, it is pretty obvious that they pay no attention to what surrouns them with the exception of the ball and their opponent.

Overall, the pictures may display different people in different environments, but the court remains essentially the same. No matter who is taking the shot or where they are, they are all completely devoting their energy to the ball. They are paying no attention to what else surrounds them, whether it is an urban environment filled with garbage or a suburban clean area. All that matters to the subjects within each photo is that they make the shot. Basketball serves as a release for everyone shown in the photos, regardless of where the game is taking place.

"Life In Motion" by Nicole Lamy
Medium Prompt

Pictures may be important to Lamy in remembering her life. They are not, however, important to her essay. Just by looking at the first house she lived in, I am not able to understand her time spent there. If she had not explained - in words - her experiences at her first house, I would not know anything about that house. For example, just by looking at the picture, I cannot tell that the entire house smelled of other's weed, or that her neighbor had a pet duck. Yet through her essay, I am able to get a grasp of what her life was like growing up in the several different houses she lived in.

The information that is presented under Bill Bamberger's photos is extremely important tot he message he is trying to get across. Take for example the photo entitled Ada Bennett and daughter Faith, San Antonio, 2002. By looking at the picture, I notice her nice jewelry and her slight smile. By looking at her face, she looks content. By looking at her clothing and accessories, she looks well off. However, the information under the picture explains that the house she sits in front of is actually a shelter for homeless mothers. Based on the provided information, the woman is obviously not well off. I would not be able to get that out of the picture simply by looking at it.

A place I consider home would be at a concert. While I am at my actual house, I feel pressured to get all my homework done in time and get good grades in class. I feel pressured to get into a good college and make my parents proud. Therefore, it is when I am at a concert that I feel more at home. Music is my biggest passion, so the fact that I get to see it live is already great. Yet the people I meet at shows also make me extremely comfortable. The people there are like me. Music is their biggest passion, and a majority of the time, they are all the same age as me. They are going through the same things I am going through, and so talking to them makes me feel as though I fit in. It makes me feel as though I do not have to try to impress them. Because of this, concerts are what I consider my real home. I think, in this case, images would better explain my definition of home. Photos of the crowds that come out to the shows and how excited they look explains it more than words could ever.