How Darren Got His Lucky Rock

 I have a new water bottle in my life. It is a gorgeous silver bowling pin shaped creation of some space aged amazeballs stuff, and it has become my constant companion.

 I love how it keeps my water so cold that ice doesn’t melt overnight.

 I take it running with me and imagine holding it up like an Olympic torch (restraint prevailed).  

I shake it to add crushed ice percussion accents to good songs.  

It is my constant companion and I am THANKFUL I brought it with me to my adventure one particular Wednesday in July because this mall  I take my son and his friend to is dead. Empty. Like there are three stores – bras, candles, lucky rocks – and none of them interest me (today). There’s a department store filled with fashions so freakishly southern with swirly pink dresses and glittery white tops I can’t even get too close. Just can’t.

So I mall walk for a few minutes, and only a few, because the mall used to be much bigger and now where there should be a wing that includes that Barnes and Nobles where I had my first book signing, but there is instead a glass wall. Awesome. 

After three trips around this empty sad place I can’t take it so I go get a book from my car and find a prime place to sit.

I decide on a bench that is at the top of an awkward place where the mall splits into three levels but none of the escalators work.  

Over the next hour I pretend to read but actually mostly watch people hesitate fearfully at the un-moving escalators. 

They just don’t know what to do – treat the escalator like stairs? Just take the stairs? Which is the UP side when none of them are moving? There are no instructions but every single person finds their way up and down off to where they are going.

So I’m sitting there peacefully  when a man walks up behind me in this very empty mall with very empty benches everywhere and asks if he can sit on my bench with me. 

He is  bald, very sweaty, and gives me a smile that shows only one tooth.  His shoes are flattened from walking, he looks weary.  

 I scoot over. 

What am I going to do? Say no?  Who would I be then?

 I am very aware my purse is across me because it always is, and then I move my water bottle over and hold it in my right hand upside down imagining it is a club, knowing full well I would never hit any creature of God with a water bottle olympic torch,

He introduces himself. He is Darren. I am Melissa. He offers a fist to fist bump. I we fist bump.

He mops his sweating forehead and asks me if I’m from around here. I am. 

Do I know if there is a YMCA? I do. It isn’t close. 

He shakes his head. He then tells me his sister is wiring money and can I lend him some? Maybe we can get back up later?

No way he thinks this will work. No way. But still. I tell him what’s up I tell him my son is at the movies with a girl, with all my cash. But he can have my change.

He smiles. While I dig in my tiny round purse I direct his attention to the people standing confused in front of the escalator.  He joins my game. We laugh at people, not at them, because that would be mean but still, no doubt, at them.

I dig at least $5.00 in change from the middle of my purse then realize one is a Cuban dollar and I take it back.  We talk about Cuba.  We talk about America. We talk about the weather and Donald Trump. 

Then I find a lucky rock in my purse– the sky blue almost gray one that represents freedom – and I gave him that too.  We talk about freedom. Freedom from. Freedom to.

We keep talking and I find about $3.00 more in change and at that point he’s laughing and telling me he’s going to have a huge sandwich for lunch. He can’t remember the place, though, but it has 2 for $5 sandwiches with roast beef. Arbys. Yes. Arby’s.  He’s downright excited and I’m excited for him. Go Darren Go. 

Rested, and now having relieved me of all my money and rocks, he declared himself ready to go. 

I wished him well. Off he went towards the women’s bathroom and stood in front of it. 

Then he walked back and asked where the men’s room is and I pointed the other way. Why didn’t you stop me? he asked. Because FREEDOM I answered and we laughed loudly, confusing the people standing by the escalator not knowing what to do. 

A Problem or a Blessing? A Tale of Two Hamburgers

I am standing in line at a fast food counter at crowded Turnpike rest station because my kids are starving because our six hour drive is taking much much longer today.

No problem, I'm in no hurry, no deadline, no big deal, right?

I stand in line long enough to notice that one person who was taking orders was completely bilingual, and the other person taking orders seemed to lean on her to translate and explain. 

When it was our turn to order, the only register that was open was the 20ish guy struggling with English.

My daughter ordered for herself and then for my son. She's easy. He's difficult. His hamburger must be cheese-free and mayo-free and untouched by mustard or any vegetable. Zoe asked for her brother's burger to be made with ketchup only and the nice guy rang it up and handed me the receipt.

Nothing on the receipt said anything about a special order so I leaned in and asked in my awful Spanish if the burger was ketchup only. He smiled and said yes, yes, ketchup only.  I gave him the thumbs up, he gave me a thumbs up back.


Minutes later, our order was ready. I thanked him and spun away to get to the car, to get to the Turnpike, to get home.

A little voice inside me told me to check the burger before we got into the car. Nothing against my son, but he has this thing of losing his mind when things go wrong and I didn't want to deal with that on the 250 miles remaining in our trip.

With my back to the service counter, I put the bag down on a table and opened the burger. 

It was fat and full and heavy and had cheese, mayo, mustard, red onions, ketchup, tomato and lettuce.

Awesome.

 I didn't want to embarrass the poor guy -- he was having a hard enough day struggling with English and impatient people who might thing bilingual people are more of a curse than a blessing.

I threw away all the toppings and wiped the bun clean, then asked Zack if he could eat it.

 He shook his head and said, no, but don't worry, he doesn't need to eat it, he'll just eat the fries. 

No, I didn't pay $7 for fries and a Sprite. I had to bring the burger back.

The poor guy behind the counter asked with his face and his hands (but no words) "what happened" and I said "ketchup only?" and he nodded and took it from me.  I

hoped no one saw. I didn't want to get him in trouble.

Minutes later he called me back and handed me the right burger.

 Zack checked it and approved.

Fine, time to get back to the car and the rain and the rest of the trip.

As I was turning the car on, Zack reached into the bag to hand his sister her food. First her nuggets, then her fries.

Then something else.

HEY! THERE'S ANOTHER BURGER! He shouts from the back, and without me even asking, he adds, AND THIS ONE WAS KETCHUP ONLY! IT WAS THERE ALL ALONG!

All the sudden I felt very embarrassed for assuming my new fast food friend didn't understand me, and then I felt even worse for looking in the bag and expecting a problem instead of making room for an unexpected blessing.

Field Trip Proposals: Blue Class

 James
For my field trip assignment I plan on watching the historical series called “Band of Brothers”. The series has to deal with the story of "E" Easy Company, 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from their initial training starting in 1942 to the end of World War II. They parachuted behind enemy lines in the early hours of D-Day in support of the landings at Utah beach, participated in the liberation of Carentan and again parachuted into action during Operation Market Garden. They also liberated a concentration camp and were the first to enter Hitler's mountain retreat in Berchtesgaden. Band of Brothers takes place from 1942-1945, following from the Airborne Infantry's training at camp Toccoa, Georgia, USA, to various places in Europe, notably Normandy (France), Holland, Belgium and Germany. It is set during the European theater of World War II. It follows the then newest branch of the United States Military, the Airborne Infantry, which is part of the U.S. Army. It centers around Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. It follows these paratroopers/soldiers from D-Day, through the Battle of the Bulge, to the end of the war in Europe during World War II. My grandfather has told me many stories relating to this type of series when he was in the Army so it interests me.

Dominque
For my field trip I would like to visit the Desoto winter encampment site here in Tallahassee. I’ll read up on Hernando De Soto’s historical information before going there. Apparently there is no entry fee. The location is near Lake Jackson. At the location I could take some photos of me and some friends. Than afterwards probably eat some ice cream or something.

Gregory
I will visit the John Gilmore Riley Center & Museum. The John G. Riley Center/Museum is a
historical and cultural center that sits in downtown Tallahassee. I plan to explore the history of
the Museum and the history of the person in which the center was named after. I will also
explore what events and activities that are offered at the center. I will interview the staff to gather
there take on the history of the center as well as the reason the work there. I will also ask if there
are any plans to enhance the center in the near future. The reason I am choosing this location is
because the center was a part of the African American History Month events and a past honoree
for the Tallahassee Community College Cherry Hall Alexander Calendar in which I am the
Chairperson this year. I would also explore what other activities they offer the community as a
whole and especially what they offer for our school age students.

Audriana

For my field trip I think that I will like to revisit one of the slave plantations. In school, elementary I believe, we went on a field trip to a plantation that gave us an opportunity to learn about how slaves lived. We were able to go through a typical day of which a slaved lived daily. The opportunity to eat a meal how they ate (cornbread and something like a vegetable soup), dress how they dressed, sit in the classrooms in which they were eventually given the opportunity to learn from, and see how they lived and worked was an eye opener. I know as we go through school we learn certain things, but to learn fully of certain history we never will. So many times we take for granted the lifestyle that slaves had to live in order for us to live these that we live now. Working regardless of how they felt (sick or well), regardless of the weather (hot or cold) they endured so much. Yet we complain about so much when in reality what we endure doesn’t compare. I want to go back to this plantation with my son to give him a chance to learn of history and hopefully enjoy himself the way that I did. The only thing is, this trip was so long ago that I can’t remember exactly which plantation we visited so I think that I will just choose the one located in Thomasville, Georgia and hope that it’s the same one and if it is not hopefully we’ll be able to share a great experience. This tour is one of a kind and though it gives you a chance to relive the lives of a slave in a sense, it doesn’t do so in a way that will offend you, but rather in a way that will only educate you.

Brandon
In the twenty-five years that I have lived in Tallahassee, I have never been to this local Tallahassee historical site. The site I will be visiting is where the Apalachee Indians and the Spanish settlers lives together in harmony. The site, according to their website is called Mission San Luis, located off of Tennessee Street between White Drive and Ocala Road near the Publix shopping plaza.
I only know a little about the site, but I do know it is where the Spanish settlers came to live. They lived, at that time with the native Apalachee Indians who they taught their catholic religion and customs but also adapted to the Indian culture.
This site struck my interest because I have driven pass the site numerous times throughout the years and had no idea of its historical values. I’ve read the signs and was curious about what was behind the walls, but not enough to go inside. Once I received the assignment I researched the name of the site I have been seeing all this time and decided it was time to visit the site I had been curious about for all these years.

Yolanda

During my experience in watching Roots (2016) the TV series, I experience this epic family saga with a new vision that was both very inspiring and tremendously entertaining in my opinion. It is honor , in which, history was able to bring new life to this powerful story that remains as important today as it did when the original 'Roots' first premiered back in 1977. This series is considered to be a historical portrait of American slavery recounting the journey of one family and their will to survive and ultimately carry on their legacy despite difficult hardship. The new Roots offer a strong dose of drama too strong, perhaps, for some viewers who will shy away from scenes of brutality and compelling the different character stories. Throughout, this new Roots is great entertainment, full of action and romance, an engrossing yarn about people who feel very real and relatable. But just as the original “Roots” had a powerful emotional impact on Americans, the new one is likely to do so as well, especially given that questions of race are at the forefront of discussion as much now as ever. In a nutshell, the resulting novel followed the journey of Kunta Kinte from Gambia into slavery in colonial America on the “middle passage,” In the result of his refusal to accept his enslavement. Roots” goes on to follow Kunta Kinte and his family, through years of slavery, abuse and sometimes kindness by some of the white owners.

Joshua

For my History Field Trip Proposal Assignment, I will be watching Roots 2016. I am looking forward to seeing what the 2016 version is all about. The original mini-series Roots was based on a family’s history dating back to slavery days. Roots aired on ABC in January 1977, and it received critical acclaim. Roots was made possible by the writer Alex Haley, who wrote the book that the show was based on and was a descendant of Kunta Kinte. When I was younger I heard a lot about the movie, and when I was a teenager I got the opportunity to watch it. The original was a phenomenal achievement. I hope that the new version will hold up the integrity of the original. In my opinion, I don't think anything will be done like it again. The casting was also excellent and you could tell that the actors put in 100% effort. For decades, the United States has been largely in denial of its treatment of African-Americans, both as slaves and later in post-Civil War periods. Hopefully there will be able to be good political, racial, social and cultural dialogue with the newer version, just like there was with the original.

Onjelique
In a few weeks, I will be traveling to Detroit, MI to pick up my family who will be moving to Tallahassee and joining me. While I am in Detroit, I plan to visit the African- American Museum. While I am already a museum love, I am extremely excited to take a closer peep at history of my own kind.

The reason why I chose the African-American museum was solely based upon the chapters we’ve been studying and also the African-American Literature class I am taking. Although I know a great amount about the history of my ancestors, I believe that enough is never truly enough when it comes to educating yourself.

However, I know that all of the students reside in Florida and so my Field Trip to this museum can’t be duplicated, but it can be replicated. Besides the harsh conditions and enslavement od blacks throughout our history books, learning what we built to make this country America is what I am excited to learn more about. African- Americans are more than our slave history and any negative images people may associate us with. I will be providing pictures to give everyone a view of a popular museum in Michigan.

Chelsie

For my proposal for the historical field trip, I would like to visit a historical landmark. History is a topic in which I feel I can remain more involved and understand how to make connections when I see it in person, in the flesh. This summer, I will be visiting my family in Ohio, where I’ll be seeing the majority of them for the first time in nearly 3 years. Homesick, ready for a change of scenery, and eager to get out of the office for a week, I’ll driving with my fur friend, Penny (my dog), through the mountains and home. While I’m there, I will be going to the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio. The museum is composes of several different divisions, all related to the life of Rutherford B. Hayes. I really like this topic, and museum, because I find the early presidents especially interesting in regards to their political progresses. The museum has been up and open since May 30^th, 1916, although more was added to the original structure in the 2000’s. The museum has numerous exhibits, a research library, and thousands of artifacts to reflect the life and the time of the Presidency of Rutherford B. Hayes, and Ohio’s history during that period in American History. According to their website, the museum has almost 1,800 artifacts always on display, and many photographs and information pieces with more on the life of Rutherford B. Hayes, and Ohio’s history during his time. I really enjoy this topic, and it actually has me even more excited to be home. I think that American history is amazing, but being from Ohio, I think it’s nice to actually have some real, concrete, historical knowledge about the place you were born and raised.

Ashley P
In my perspective, family history is very important to any individual. If you are aware of your origin, you can have a better perspective of your life. Having a good understanding of your family background allows you to better appreciate the things that you would normally take for granted. I think it would be very interesting to search my family history on Ancestry.com to find my true family roots. I have always seen the commercials of people using this website to learn where their family origin comes from, which I have always wanted to try. While searching my family history, I hope to maybe learn some of the struggles my ancestors may have endured, or what life was like for them. Growing up, my father thought it was important to teach me about our Irish heritage. As a child, I didn’t appreciate the stories he told me. Now as an adult, I would give anything to hear those family stories narrated by my father.
Family members have once told me we are very distant cousins with Princess Diana. I would like to find out if I am indeed related to the royal family, or anyone else known throughout history. In finding the origin of my family, I also hope to learn some things about myself.

Ashley M
History tends to open our eyes to who are, by learning about who we’ve been. I’ve always wanted to know more about where I came from and this assignment provides me with the perfect opportunity to do so. My family history is pretty vague, although I have some lineage documentation that traces my mother’s side of the family back to John Rolf and Pocahontas. However, I’ve always wanted to delve into both sides of my family and learn more. Who were they? What did they believe? Were they like me? These are just a few questions that I’ve wondered my whole life. My best option in preparing my research will be to look into an Ancestry.com account. I will go into looking at both sides of my family, my father’s side- the MacLean’s, and my mother’s side- The Roesch’s. This is going to be very exciting for me and I’ve been thinking about researching this information for a long time. I plan to construct a family tree and since I have contacts from both sides of the family, (i.e. living grandma and grandfather), it will make it a lot easier to search for particular names. I can’t wait to find out about my ancestors. Answers to how they lived and all they accomplished is invigorating. I look forward to gaining perspective so that I can also learn about who I am in relation to them.

Seonna

For my History Field Trip Project, I plan to do option #2, which is to watch the Roots movie series. The movie does a great job of starting from the very beginning on how slavery began. Roots also displays numerous controversy topics such as religion, marriage, rape, birth, and death that are being discussed today. I thought it would a great idea to take these topics and compare and contrast them to the same present day issues. This would ultimately give us a way to see if times are changing or just repeating themselves.

Many people watch this movie and don’t think of anything but slavery. I do agree it does an amazing job of showing how badly black people were treated or were only thought as property. But if we look at different aspects of the movie under a microscope, it seems the topics I have mentioned above, are coming back up today.

Also, I want to discuss the impact that slavery has had directly towards blacks. We have been granted more freedoms than those of our ancestors, but some believe we are still oppressed. We get judged for looking a certain way or for being a “threat”. Our issues are always being tossed and we aren’t treated fairly. Slaves also had these problems, and discussing them if seen in the movie would be a great eye opener.

Lastly, I also wanted to incorporate a general summary of the movie so there would be a good idea as to what happens in the movie.

Destiny

For my Field Trip proposal I actually plan on combining two options and making it to my own. For instance, I plan on researching my family history, as well as, watching the movie Roots. I feel as though they both connect to each other in many ways. I would like to trace back my ancestors as far as it will allow me to go. It’s a funny thing how I actually have a cousin that is named “Kunta Kinte” Johnson. I also use to hear remarks like “I’ll chop your foot off” and everyone including him would laugh, but I was still unsure as to what everyone was laughing about. I wondered all the way until I was practically done with high school where he got his name from. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to watch the movie, but I’ve heard some great things about it. The hardest decision I would have to make is if I should watch the 1977, or old school version as my generation would say. Or if I should watch the 2016 remake, or new school version. More than likely, I’ll watch both of them and compare the two and notice how much they differentiate from the two. 

Garrett
For my field trip I would like to pick option 3 and research my family on Ancestry.com to see where I really am from. Although it is not much of a field trip I have learned a lot about where my mothers side of the family has come from. One of the top matches my mother had was 34% that were based out of Germany/France. Following that 21% originated out of Italy/Greece maybe this is why I eat pizza every other day. On top of all the percentages of what I am I have learned about potential cousins and other family members which would be cool to maybe one day travel to where I originated out of and maybe try to find one of these potential family members. I have heard of people making this trip to meet long lost family members and it would be amazing if we were ever able to meet up. The best part about it is if I do go through with this I would get to try some amazing homemade Italian food, nothing sounds more appealing. If there was anyone there my age I would look into planning them a trip to America to show them where I have been spending my life, and who knows I could end up becoming close with someone from so far away.

Krystal

For my historical field trip I plan on going to Mission San Luis- Florida’s Apalachee-Spanish Living History Museum. Mission San Luis is the only reconstructed Spanish mission in Florida. Mission San Luis is a living museum that takes you back in time and shows you how the Apalachee Indians and the Spanish lived from 1656 to 1704. I choose this museum because I think it would be great to learn the history behind the neighborhood I currently live in. From what I read on its website this museum teaches you about the past through tours and actor recreating the way people lived. This seems like a fun way to learn instead of going to a museum and reading about what you’re seeing. I pass by this museum everyday and I always tell myself that one day I will go in but I never seem to find the time. I’m glad this class in pushing me to stop making excuses and do something out of the ordinary for me. Tallahassee has a lot of history and I’m embarrassed to say I don’t know much of it so I’m so excited to learn as much as I can on this field trip.

Jayshree

Every year my family and I take a trip to the John G Riley house; this has been something that we've done as a whole since I was in elementary school. My dad is really big on African American educators and is something that he has instilled in my sister and me. We've visited so much that we have had a chance to see the process of them renovating and even adding this on to the Riley house. The Riley office now offers summer camps in addition to bring in more views they have a Robotic John G Riley that talks and moves. I plan on also doing volunteer hours over the summer.

Nicole

I will be visiting the Tallahassee museum for my history field trip. “The community takes pride in its Museum, one of the few in the nation that combines historical buildings with a living display of native animals in a biologically beautiful and diverse setting.”

    In my report I will include what adventures follow purchasing a ticket includinginformation on events that are hosted at the museum.

The museum has limitless adventures to offer kids and adults of all ages. I will also include the history of the; museum, animal exhibits, historical buildings, and the Tree-to-Tree Adventures course.

    I intend to expand on the information that follows, “In 1957, a group of teachers, several civic groups and other interested members of the community established the Tallahassee Junior Museum to offer school children enriching experiences with science, art, history, and world cultures. In the 1960s, it moved to its present location on a chain of lakes. By 1980, the Museum exhibits included a collection of restored historical buildings, and by 1990 its Wildlife Florida Trail of native wildlife featured Florida panthers and endangered red wolves. The addition of the Tallahassee Tree-to-Tree Adventures courses, Jim Gary’s Twentieth Century Dinosaurs, an outdoor sculpture exhibit featuring the largest collection of works by Jim Gary, and improvements to the Visitor Center entrance and the Florida Wildlife Trail are only the first results of the new interpretive approach.”

Taylor
I am actually down in Key West right now. I plan on visiting some of the historical sites here. I am not sure of what places I will be visiting yet. I am just going to explore and find a historical place from there. I am so excited to be doing this. I have a feeling that I will have a hard time deciding on what historical place to write about.


Lauren
For my field trip proposal, I will be prosing a virtual museum tour at the Smithsonian Nation Museum of Natural History.
I have never been a super big “history nut” to say the least. Somehow over the course of my childhood, I have come to find that very specific parts of history very much intrigue me such as follows:
*Holocaust *Arlington in Washington, D.C. *U.S. presidency facts and stories
There is very specific topics that come to mind and these listed above are just a few. I loved the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. that I got to visit back in 2011 as well as the Arlington Cemetery and getting to watch the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Past history classes have talked in depth of past Presidency but I decided to take on a new topic this time around.
As a kid, I enjoyed watching Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian and thought maybe I would not mind learning a little more about the actual museum itself. I hope to discover something different and new beyond anything I have learned before, and it will be fun to see how much of that movie was true fact that was taught to children watching it.

Field Trip Proposals: Red Class

Kelli
I was so excited when I saw the option to watch the Roots mini-series! To be honest, when I was in high school, a VERY long time ago, we watched Roots quite a few times but I was much more interested in talking to boys then actually watching and understanding the story. I never understood what an important piece of history that was playing right in front of me. I certainly have a much greater respect and interest now. I watched the preview for the series and something that was said stands out to me greatly. Laurence Fishbone states,” you draw strength from those that came before you, whose lives where harder than your life is, people who thought enough about you before you were born, to try to make the road that you travel that much easier than theirs was”. That statement amazes me, we may think we are doing our part now to protect our children’s future by recycling or starting a college fund. The real question is could we endure the sacrifices that some made to better the future generations? Would we be willing to stand up and fight for what is right? My hope is to bring away a better understanding of the struggle that many endured for my friends, loved ones and family to live a better life. I hope to share these stories for many generations to come and to encourage my children to embrace history.

Steven
For my history field trip I would like to plan on a weekend trip up to Knoxville Tennessee to visit my father in-law how is a history reenactor. He does a lot of historical wars and even has driven a tank and jump out of a World War 2 airplane. He absolute love history and love to reenact certain eras of history and historic events. He has asked me to come up and be a part of his reenacting’s, and I have agreed. During last summer (2015) I help him to restore an old World War 2 CJ7 Jeep. It was a great experience and perfect bonding time with my father in law. Since that summer he has got it driving perfectly (besides it not having a speedometer) and want he and I to drive to a World War 2 reenactment were we will be staying the weekend as if we were right there in in the 1940’s in Nazi Germany. It’s something I look forward to and I am excited simple because this is my first reenactment with my in-laws. I can’t wait to write about this experience. Though I am not so excited about eating canned spam and not being able to have electricity and well technology. Yes that’s right they go big with their reenacting’s.

Julie

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   My  history field trip proposal is for me to go to a museum.  there are so many to choose from but I have to look for one that is close by.  So I am between The Museum of Florida History here in Tallahassee or the Knott House which is also here in Tallahassee. The Knott House is a very historical house. In 1985  the Historic Tallahassee Preservation Board  became the beneficiary but only in 1992 did the Knott House become open to the public. Of course that was after extensive renovation. Its administration was then transferred to The Museum of Florida History in 1997. Now the Museum of Florida History has loads of things to look at. It even explains La Florida becoming American. Making the transition from a colony of Spain to a U.S. territory and then a state. It even talks about the year of 1763 when Britain  gained control of Florida. And their development of plantations and trading with Native Americans.But the first thing to visit when going to The Museum of Florida History is the beginning with the Native Americans. It was said that  in 1513 there was perhaps one million people already living in Florida. The portion of the exhibit in the museum is called  “ Land of Many Cultures”. 

 Devante
I will go with option 2 and watch the Roots movie coming out. Reason why I am choosing to watch Roots is because I believe it will be very educational to me. Because being an African American myself, understanding your culture, your background and how things used be compared to now is very important to understand. Because i have heard of the movie “Roots” before, but it’s never been something that I learned in school or was taught while growing up. I wish that it was something that was brought up in history classes more because I never really heard that much about it mabye a little to reference it but not enough to make you be like “ Oh!I remember because of that scene in Roots”. And when I do go watch this film, I intend on taking notes on anything that catches me off guard, or things that I find interesting and want to do research on. Because like I said I don’t really know what to expect when I see this film , but I do know very little about the movie Roots so I would really like to do as much research on this movie and try to learn something new.

Isaac
Since I’m taking classes on campus, and I also work every day, I am rather limited to where I can go for my history field trip. I wanted to travel up north and spend some time with my grandparents; this would have allowed me to potentially visit Washington DC, however the timing just didn’t work out. This limitation conversely hasn’t stopped me from finding something that I want to do. I figure since I am going to be limited to the surrounding area, I might as well learn as much as I can about the surrounding area. I am going to take this time to learn more about the history of Florida. I haven’t been to the Museum of Florida History since I was little, and feel like this could provide a very good learning experience for me. Certainly a museum in Tallahassee isn’t as exciting as traveling to the Smithsonian, but the educational opportunity it offers is definitely intriguing to me. I want to utilize the time really to learn as much about the history of Florida as I can. Time permitting, I wouldn’t mind visiting more places around town, like the Junior Museum or take a tour of Mission San Luis. I won’t be disappointed if I can’t go anywhere besides the Florida History Museum, but my goal is to visit as many historical places as I can that relate to the history of Florida.

Nicholas
My history field trip will be an exploration of the Florida Slave Canals. This little beautiful flow of water is one of the top kayaking trails in the state. This canal connects the Wacissa and Aucilla River in Jefferson County. I am a kayaking enthusiast and I think these canals have a very interesting historical background that I want people to know about. This historical has great local significance. The Wacissa River is located approximately three miles from the Aucilla River. The Wacissa stretches north to the heart of planation red hill country of Jefferson and Thomas County. During the time of slavery and when cotton was booming these rich farmers needed an easier, quicker and cheaper way to transport their cotton to the gulf coast. To keep from traveling across the state or way out of the way. Locals created this canal to connect these two rivers because the Aucilla flows south to the coast. In my project, I will be exploring these canals and documenting the historical significance of this historical sight. In will provide historical documentations, articles and personal pictures and maps that I find on this trip. 

Jonathan
I have already gone to the Tallahassee Museum an wish to go again to see if there exhibits have changed. The Museum offers a different approach from a traditional museum. They exhibit nature out in nature. The building they have show of a time where things were a lot less simple and more demanding. The way the buildings are expressed tell a story of our not so distant past. The life of the farmer and shop keeper are displayed for historical reference. The blacksmith house and the many items needed for operation. The stable for visitors to get the right smell of the period adds to the great effect of returning to the past.
The Tallahassee Museum as well as exhibits animals from Florida and sometimes other countries. They offer the tree climbing and zip line tour of the grounds and the swamp. This helps visitors explore in a birds eye view of lethal creatures known as alligators. I was tempted once by this prospect, but decided the ground would be safer from escaping the terror of the swamp. Not to mention my irrational fear of not being able to see under the green moss that covers the water. I hope to learn more about the structure on my next trip.

Aisha
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First of all, I love the idea of including a field trip as an assignment in this class so we are encouraged to get out and explore the many historical sites around everywhere around us.  One of my favorite museums in town is the Tallahassee Museum.  I used to love going there when I was a child and haven’t been back in a few years and would love to re-explore the history and learn some new facts that I might not have caught before.  The Tallahassee Museum lies across 52 acres and is a lot to take in for one day even though the website suggests only 2 to 3 hours to explore.  The Tallahassee Museum has anywhere from 4 to 6 ever changing exhibits and currently they are housing an amur leopard.  As part of this assignment I have done some research which includes the current admission price of $10.00 per college student with their college id. Their operating hours on the weekends include 9-5 on Mondays thru Saturdays and 11-5 on Sunday.  Due to my work schedule Monday thru Friday, my husband and I are planning on going on a Saturday in early July.  Currently they also have a few night events featured on their June and July calendars to explore the nightlife of the many lifeforms that call the Tallahassee museum home.

Madison

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About 3 weeks ago my friend and I had the urge to go for a hike. We wanted something new, a friend recommended Providence Canyon State Park. It’s Lumpkin Georgia’s, “Little Grand Canyon” it took us two and half hours to get there which wasn’t too bad. These sixteen canyons were created from erosion of soft multicolored soils, now it displays various colors such as shades of white, pink, red and brown. It offers ten miles of hiking trails, one around the top rim looking down into the canyon and then multiple that are on the canyon floor. There are streams of water that make the canyon floor sandy trails very wet and muddy…so your nice Nike’s are not the best idea. According to Gastateparks.org “during the 1800’s due to farming and rainwater runoff from fields, massive gullies as deep as 150 feet were caused; but today make some of the prettiest photographs”. While on one of the woodsy trails you come across abandoned antique rusty cars and trucks. We plan to go back soon and bring a group of friends so we can camp overnight. If you’re in Tallahassee, taking summer classes and feel like you could use a change of scenery or place to clear your head. I would definitely recommend Providence Canyon State Park.

Devin

As a full time student, full time employee, part time employee and a full time mommy to a little one it can be quite the headache to travel anywhere. Not only is my finding any spare time really hard to find between the crazy schedule that I have but it can also be quite the project to load up my three year old and keep her entertained while trying to learn. So for my history field trip, I have decided to make a movie night and watch The Color Purple and also Fried Green Tomatoes. I have seen both movies a few times and I love them both so this will be a great oppurtunity to watch two great movies and learn some extra history behind both of the movies. I haven’t taken much of any personal time to sit and enjoy a great movie with all that has been going on in my schedule, so this is quite an excitement for myself. I am ready to begin watching these movies so that I can finally get the chance to not only relax but to learn and understand the history behind the scenes of each movie.

Spencer

For my field trip I am going to visit somewhere that I mentioned in this class’ first discussion: Thomas Edison’s estate, in my hometown of Fort Myers. Thomas Edison disliked the
cold winters in New Jersey so he decided to escape during the chilly months to somewhere warmer, so he visited Fort Myers, Florida, fell in love and later purchased land here. Edison did not move down here by himself, he spent the winters in his estate which is adjacent to Henry Ford’s vacation home. The two properties are open to the public for self-guided, audio tours which take approximately two and a half hours. The tour includes being able to view the two homes, Edison’s laboratory, historical botanical gardens on the properties, and access into the Edison and Ford museum.
I have been on this tour before, but it was when I was far too young to understand or appreciate it. During this field trip I hope to take a glimpse inside the lives of two of the most brilliant men ever to live. I also hope to gain a greater appreciation of the city that I live in. I hope that the tour sheds some light on why Edison and Ford decided to spend a large portion of their time here instead of another city. I am looking forward to grasping more of an appreciation of something that I take advantage more than anything... where I live!

Jessica

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I plan to do my field trip on Mission San Luis. It is one of the most visited parks in Tallahassee and one of my favorite places to visit. It is known for recreating Indian structures, and having people dress up and teach you about the way of life in co-habited Spanish and Indian territories. This location is where the Appalachee Indians had lived, and it has artifacts from the 17^th century from both the Spanish people and the Indians. It contains various objects related to the Roman Catholic Church, which played a huge influence in the daily lives. It contains many different sites. One of the most breathtaking is the Council House, which is a large structure with an opening at the roof for smoke to come out. When you walk in the floor is made of clay, and the roof is made of palms. This plaza space was used for many different things, it was part of religious and social gatherings. It was considered the central part of apalachee life, and was used to unite both the Spanish and Indians. I plan to visit this location again, and learn more about the church for field trip project.

Monique
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A historical field trip has always been something that I was interested in doing, but never took the time out to do so. For my historical field trip I plan to visit my grandpa and aunt in Philadelphia. During this trip I will take my kids to visit the Rocky Steps museum where they have a statue of Sylvester Stallone’s character “Rocky”. My oldest son cannot wait to see this he is in love with Rocky and the new movie Creed. We will also visit the Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell is the historic symbol of American freedom, which is now found in independence National Park. Independence Hall is another historical place we will visit. Independence Hall is where the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. This historical location is located in the center of National Historical Park along with the Liberty Bell. Philadelphia has lots of historical places and we plan to visit as many as we can, while visiting our family. This is most definitely a trip that I am looking forward to. I feel that is one thing to learn about history, but to be able to actually see the historical events is always great.

Monte
My family and I will be going on a cruise later this summer to Belize and Costa Maya. I’m excited because we’ll get a chance to visit the Mayan Ruins. After hearing so much about the place I’m ready to go. I know that they were one of the most dominant societies of Mesoamerica. They are the first development of an early people dating back FROM 1500 BC to 150 AD. They boundaries span across several countries from Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, and Mexico just name a few. I’ll get a chance to see possibly the first temples ever built, which shows how advanced they were during that era. The advancement of the Mayan civilization through their years of existence was the highest of any civilization ever recorded. Their hieroglyphic system remains as one of the most display of advancements of any civilization in history. It has been noted as being the only writing system dated before Christopher Columbus. So as you can see I’ll be getting a chance to see a piece of an ancient civilization that dates back thousands and thousands of years. Knowing that there is a lot more to see, I know it’ll take more than one trip to see it all.

Jacqueline
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My history field trip proposal will have me traveling back in time to an era that I can only read about and attempt to try to understand. Without a visual representation it can be difficult to truly understand the tortures of the life of an African American slave and all they endured while reading words on a page. 

For my fieldtrip I will be watching Roots. Roots is the story of a slave named Kunta Kinte who was sold from Africa at the age of seventeen. When Kunta Kinte was sold he was taken from the only life he’s ever known and sent to land that would torture and torment him.  This movie will follow Kunta Kinta through his journey of life and act as a tour guide down an era of history that has shaped who we are today. 

My hope is to learn about African American slavery to have a better understanding of American History.  Slavery is something that is rarely discussed and is often swept under the rug so to speak.  With the social climate as it is today, my wish is to gain a different perspective and have a greater understanding of the hurt and anger of today’s African American population.

           

 Brittney

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Due to me working two jobs I have a hard time getting out to do something like go to a museum even though I would much rather go out and be able to see it firsthand instead of seeing it through a screen.

When I was in high school we spent a long time going over the old Roots tv series and it was something I found very interesting. Being in high school we didn’t get to watch it but we read a lot about it. I feel like being able to watch the new series I might learn more and take more in by seeing it than just reading it.

My 2^nd Field Trip report I would like to do the Ancestry.com option. I do not know much about my past and where my family has come from due to the fact neither side of my family has any kind of documentation. I think this is a great opportunity to learn things about my family that I otherwise would have no knowledge about. Honestly I might not have ever thought about about looking if it had not been an option for my felid trip project.

                                                           

Terri
For my field trip, I will be going to Torreya State park. If you have grown up in Tallahassee, like I, you have passed this basically anytime you leave town to go to a beach. Now that I am older I have taken an interest in state parks. The other day headed to Destin I saw the sign for it and decided to Google it. There is an amazing view and a very historical plantation house at this park. I immediately thought it would be a perfect place to go for my history field trip. Somewhere so close to home that I have never been. I think that there are some other historical buildings at this site as well but I am not sure. I guess I will found out when I go. I have also found some amazing wedding photographs on Pinterest that have been taken at this state park so naturally that excited me. I also read that the beautiful Gregory House at the park used to be across the river and they basically picked it up and moved it so it would be in the park. That is crazy to me. They took apart a whole house moved it in 1935. I am actually really excited to visit this park and see the amazing view so close to home.

Qaasim
My plan for my field trip plan is to actually go visit Mission San Luis. It makes a bunch of sense to go there it’s a very close place to my home and it shows the first settlements in America. I think it would be an interesting trip because I’m from Philadelphia so I’m very much use to old colonial settlements and have had the chance to go to George Washington’s home in Virginia but this would be different because not only is it one of the old settlements but it’s a place where Apalachee Indians and Spaniards lived together this is a very awesome area and has plenty of historical value with in its walls. I hope to learn a lot of things and the trip and learn how these two different types of cultures clashed in one area. I also hope to see some great sites since it’s closed off so much area’s in town. I think this will be a very informational trip and hopefully gives me more insight into what it was like back in the past and it should actually be pretty fun because from what I’ve heard the people who work there are always in character!

Sergey
I plan on watching Roots. I’ve heard good things about it, but I haven’t had a chance to watch it as of yet; but now I do. I’ve always been a bit of a movie buff, in that I enjoy watching all sorts of stuff just for the experience. Sometimes though, movies give you a new lease on life, or they give you a new outlook that you hadn’t thought of before. It’s an art form so I guess that’s what it’s goal is. One of my favorite historical movies was the recent Django. Although it might not be true to the history, it does represent that time period relatively well. I found the racial discrimination to be a true representative of what was at that time the reality in the South. But I really enjoyed the spin that was put on it where a freed former slave was able to get revenge on the very people who enslaved him and others. I also really like the remake of Grit, although I liked that movie mostly because of Jeff Bridges which stems from my enjoyment of The Big Lebowski, a classic.

Rebekah
For my field trip I will be venturing to the Henry B. Plant Museum, which today sits on the University of Tampa’s campus. The Henry B. Plant Museum is located in the South wing of Plant Hall and was formerly known as the Tampa Bay Hotel. The building was opened in February of 1891 and was host to many wealthy Northerners, as well as being used to house solders and commanders during the Spanish-American War. The most prominent resident during this time was Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders. Mr. Roosevelt had his own suite in the hotel and during the day he would train his solders on the lawn. Another interesting exhibit at the museum are two cannons from Fort Brooke. They are part of what were originally a three-gun Confederate battery that guarded Tampa Bay during the Civil War. There is also another cannon that was featured during the Spanish-American War in 1898. It symbolically points toward Cuba to memorialize the part that Tampa played in the conflict. As part of this field trip assignment, I am excited to go to a building so close to home (Lakeland) to learn about the incredible history in Tampa. I am most eager to learn about President Roosevelts stay and adventures in the Plant Museum.



 Ashley
For my field trip project I would like to choose option # 2 and watch Roots. Since I work full time and am taking other classes it would be hard for me to go to a museum or something to that nature. I already binge watch Netflix series as is so this one will just be next on my list. Between episodes of Dexter, although I will hate the interruption of not seeing his scruffy face, I will be watching Roots. I think it will be interesting to learn more about slavery and really see the things he experienced.



Margare   
     
  For   
  my   
  project   
  I   
  decided   
  I   
  wanted   
  to   
  research   
  my   
  family’s   
  history   
  on   
 
Ancestry.com.   
  My   
  grandmother   
  died   
  a   
  couple   
  of   
  years   
  ago   
  and   
  I   
  have   
  wanted   
  to   
   know   
  more   
  about   
  her   
  ancestors   
  and   
  where   
  they   
  originated.   
     
  Since   
  there   
  are   
  not   
  a   
  lot   
   of   
  older   
  relatives   
  left   
  in   
  my   
  family,   
  I   
  think   
  Ancestry.com   
  would   
  be   
  a   
  great   
  way   
  to   
  find   
   out   
  more   
  about   
  my   
  family   
  and   
  their   
  history.   
     
  I   
  have   
  always   
  been   
  very   
  close   
  to   
  my   
   family,   
  and   
  I   
  think   
  it   
  is   
  important   
  to   
  know   
  about   
  their   
  routes   
  in   
  order   
  to   
  gain   
  a   
   better   
  understanding   
  of   
  how   
  I   
  have   
  been   
  shaped   
  into   
  who   
  I   
  am   
  today.   
     
     
 
   
      
      So   
  far   
  I   
  know   
  my   
  last   
  name,   
  Dudley;   
  originated   
  in   
  Ireland   
  then   
  moved   
  to   
   England   
  and   
  eventually   
  came   
  to   
  America.   
  I   
  also   
  know   
  that   
  my   
  dad   
  and   
  grandfather’s   
   middle   
  name,   
  Drummond   
  originated   
  in   
  Scotland   
  and   
  I   
  am   
  hoping   
  to   
  learn   
  more   
   about   
  my   
  family’s   
  heritage   
  and   
  what   
  kind   
  of   
  experiences   
  my   
  ancestors   
  have   
  gone   
   through.   
      
      
      I   
  think   
  family   
  helps   
  define   
  who   
  we   
  are   
  as   
  a   
  person.   
  By   
  researching   
  and   
   studying   
  historical   
  facts   
  on   
  Ancsetory.com   
  I   
  feel   
  like   
  I   
  can   
  be   
  able   
  to   
  discover   
  things   
   that   
  I   
  would   
  never   
  have   
  known   
  about   
  my   
  family   
  and   
  ancestors.   
  I   
  think   
  this   
  historical   
   project   
  will   
  give   
  me   
  an   
  opportunity   
  to   
  know   
  more   
  about   
  my   
  family.