Author: Rachel Swihart

On Wednesday, April 24th my class group and I took a fun trip to the Roemer Arboretum to see some nature that surrounds us at SUNY Geneseo. We all sat in the gazebo and walked around for a bit to see what it was like over in that area. We went in the late morning so there was a nice quietness and we were able to hear lots of birds chirping, even though it was a little bit rainy. We heard many different bird calls and it made me wonder where they were, since I didn’t see any when I looked around except for one hawk. This hawk soared through the sky so majestically and it flew so effortlessly above us. I thought that was very cool to see and it makes me wonder what life would be like from so far up, compared to being down on the ground.

It was drizzling while we were there so I wore my raincoat and visually the rain left a beautiful dew on all the grass, plants, and flowers. I normally hate the rain because the feeling of wet/damp clothes kind of grosses me out and is very uncomfortable, but I do like the way it makes nature look. I can appreciate the fact that rain brings new life, as well. For example, I love flowers and without the rain nourishing them, they would not be able to grow. They need the water to flourish and become so beautiful, otherwise they’d be wilted and dead, looking lifeless and dull. In fact, most of their beauty comes from their bright colors and full shape.

While on our trip to the arboretum, we saw that there is a whole garden with many different plants such as: blue-eyed grass, creeping phlox, and Culver’s root. These plants were all ones that I’ve never seen before and it was cool to see them in their natural state. The blue-eyed grass is a small flower with skinny blue leaves that have ridges on them. The creeping phlox has narrow leaves, is low to the ground, and is whitish pink. The third plant I saw was Culver’s root which is skinny and long, with fuzzy, white flowers. These were all pretty to see and I wonder which of these I might be able to see around campus in other places.

Next to the gazebo there was a big clearing surrounded by trees that we were able to walk in. There was a bunch of cut down trees in this field as well, which makes me wonder why they are all there. I think that maybe they’ll be used for lumber or possibly a home for an animal, but I’m not quite sure. There were benches to sit on, over by the edge of the clearing and it looked like some of them might be dedicated to certain people. I think that this is such a peaceful place to spend time, no matter what the season may be. In the winter, it would be beautiful to see snowfall and the trees draped with snow. In the summer, all the flowers will be in bloom and the sunshine would be warm and comforting. I’ll have to come back to the arboretum soon to see what changes in growth from week to week. My new experience definitely was exciting to see and it was nice to get into nature and take a break from the fast moving pace of my normal life.

This course has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone when it comes to working with my computer. Prior to taking this course I was very unfamiliar with how to work anything on my computer that was more behind the scenes, the concept of VS Studio Code was completely out of my range. I didn’t even know that working with markdown was something that I would be able to do. I came into this course completely blind and my confidence has really gone up even just over the last month. I am really proud of myself that I have been able to understand how to use my computer in more in-depth ways than ever before. I was not aware that the Terminal shell was something that you could use to access different apps and files quickly. I thought that I would always have to manually go to the VS Studio Code app, but instead I am able to just put in the command, which is so much easier. I am excited to see how much more I can learn from this course and see my own confidence rise as this course progresses.

One huge connection between computers and humanities for me was how effective using our computers on Douglass Day was. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect when I came to Douglass Day and was told that we would be transcribing, but I ended up learning a lot and helping out with a major project. Using our computers, as a group, we were able to transcribe hundreds of pages that will help their cause greatly. I think that partaking in that really opened my eyes to the connection between technology and humanities. I had never given much about how using technology we would be able to transcribe, review, and submit pieces of writing as a group effort. It would be so much harder to do these things without technology. With technology we were able to do these things quickly and efficiently, since all of this was at our fingertips.

Due to all the new things I’ve learned and realized so far in this course, it makes me wonder how I could apply these new skills in the other courses I am taking this semester. I’m an early childhood/childhood major with a concentration in English so my other classes involve writing lesson plans and applying teaching techniques. They don’t really mention using technology to benefit young students in the classroom, but I think that would be interesting and could be very useful. I wonder if there are shortcuts or ways to navigate my computer that would help with lesson planning that I don’t know about. Now that I have learned how to use the command line and VS Studio Code, I might use them in my other classes. I have never kept a journal with daily notes, but I actually think it has been very helpful for me. I have been able to look at past entries and remember how to do a command or revisit what we discussed in class. This is a habit that I think I will carry into other courses because it is a great resource.