Author: Evan Shuryn

Material in the Woods

I decided to embark on this nature walk journey with fellow classmate and friend Michael Crowley. Deciding on where to do this walk, we both agreed to try and complete this in the woods behind my falling apart house. After walking back, I quickly realize just how ugly it was back there. Not because of the decaying nature and all the dead plants, but because of the clutter caused from the man made material that was littered back there effected the enviroment. I could not focus on just immersing myself with the moment because of a broken mattress that was just clouding my mind.

It laid there for probably years, melting itself in the fence and melting it’s disturbing image in my mind. Ultimalty deciding to move onto the Geneseo arboretum. What is more fascinating is how strongly the perfectly built brown bench was plopped in the arboretum. It stuck out like a sore thumb. It’s wooden structure and vibrent color was not pleasent to look at in the nature. I would not typically think twice about a bench, but after seeing the mattress it made me realize just how the bench soon will end up like the mattress and rot eventually. It will ruin the natural beauty of the world one day and have to be disposed of. This little fight between material being left in nature has not gone without a fight from mother nature.

Real Nature

As I walked further into the arboretum with Michael, we come across this slanted branch that covered part of the path.

It forced us to stop, but for the first time in my journey it made my mind stop and indulge in appreciation of what is around me. Giving me the choice to turn back around or follow through under the branch in essence made me feel grateful on how I ended up here at this very moment. One branch slanted because some wind or maybe it grew in the wrong direction, has made me stop on my muddy journey through. Not put there purposefully by anyone. The branch had its own journey. There is something truly magical about that. Just like how it felt magical looking at a lonely tree right after.The tree stood tall and alone, almost like it was social distancing from the rest of the leaves and trees. Still recovering from winter with no leaves on it, its naked and unmanipulated structure gives off a yearning sense of lonliness, but also peace. It was allowed to grow and be by itself. Which reminds me of the traditional college experiance. It can feel lonley, but also a time of peaceful bliss before entering the real world. It is a time to grow on your own, which for some people is the first time that oppertunity presents itself.

Change of Heart

I would say I was basically computer illeterate when I first entering 2025. I did not know any history about computers, how to use computers and coding. In fact, I would look at the some of the symbols on the computer and wonder why they would be important to be on the computer. I’ve been avoiding it until I took a risk by opening myself up to this world through this class. I have been very anti-computer for my entire life. I thought it was too far advanced for me and that it always has been to late for me to learn. Which created a slight dislike for it all actually. Yet all it took was accepting that learning the basics and history will be difficult, but through the difficulty I have learned so much. What really hooked me on digital history is the fact that women were really the first to invent and discover all of this, like Radia Perlman. A part of humanities is about the study of human constructs, and learning about computers is now more than ever involved in human life.

Coding is Possible for Anyone

I originally said on one of the first days that I was a caveman, espically with programming. But with every day since the start of this new journey, my steps to improvement have come up. I can now create a folder in my own computer, and also create a journal everyday. As someone who wants to enter the teaching field, it has the potential to help me organize all assignments and units I create. It actually feels a little embarassing that my confidence was so low about coding and organizing. My confidence in organizing folders and documents in my own computer has increased because of the advancements I have made in the course. That is just the basics too, who knows how much learning more could help me. Websites is the next goal in my journey, as having my own website instead of a platform like Brightspace.

Future

Websites is the next goal in my journey, as having my own website instead of a platform like Brightspace. I never thought I would have a goal ever to even think about creating my own website, but after carefully setting up my computer properly and learning GitBash 101, I feel that this is possible to learn. Seeing the past, espically with the treatment women were treated and there ability to still invent and work with computers, it motivates me to be able to achieve this goal.