Discourse

      
      Before taking this course, I knew nothing about the discourse of Appalachia other than the negative stereotypes that are common in today's society. I had never really had a reason to explore and learn more about these people or the region. Through our discussions as a class and our reading assignments I now have a better understanding of the discourse of Appalachia. The current state of Appalachian rhetoric and discourse is a negative one and I don't think many that will change for many people unless they study it like we have in the class. I am glad I have had this opportunity to see the other side of Appalachian discourse through this class.

Appalachian Discourse

     As an Environmental Geology major discourse in Appalachia boils down to one thing: Resources. From the abundance of coal, to the recently discovered Marcellus shale needed for fracking, Appalachia seems to be much debated. In my field of work we read journals and research topics effecting certain areas, but of recent the only rhetoric we have been reading is taking place in Appalachia. These topics are very controversial from protecting the land and the people around it, to gaining resources used in our every day life.

      The guest speakers who came to our class towards the end of November helped to exemplify this discourse. One speaker in particular was Elisa Young, and is an anti-coal activist in the Appalachian region. She spoke of the many issues now being debated and how coal mining is so detrimental to the beautiful land in Appalachia. Not only that, many aspects of the coal mining and production have created many health problems for people in those areas. Fracking is the newest form of energy harnessing, and can be found in just about any news paper you pick up.
     While the discourse we read and talked about in class may not have touched as much on this natural resource problem, it is still a highly debated and talked about controversy. From the citizens of Appalachia, to the newspapers on our door steps, natural resources are a big part of Appalachian discourse.

Colton Creal

Blog 6: Knead, Snowville, and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

    Like many of the Appalachians I've met, I sincerely care about my food. Here, in and around Appalachian Ohio, we're constantly discussing our local food options. Athenians, Columbusites, and Pittsburghers alike have taken to local produce, meats, and dairy products with a fervor. "Buy Local" and other green font bumper stickers are abundant, and seemingly quite effective, it least on me. The more you can tell me about my meal, the more inclined I am to come back. One restaurant in Columbus' downtown area, "Knead," has a beautiful map of Ohio featuring all of the ingredients used in their restaurant. Now, ordering from a menu anywhere else is, by comparison, a lackluster affair. I believe there's also a similar map in Athens' organic pizza shop, "Avalanche," my go-to place for quality 'za.

    Snowville Creamery, another favorite of mine, may play an even bigger role (beyond just their delicious milk) in the future of the local movement. This is due to the fact that Jeni's, another Columbus establishment, uses only Snowville Creamery cream to make their phenomenal ice creams. Now, when I say, "phenomenal," I do mean, "phenomenal." If you haven't already tried it, head on over to Jackie O's, Fluff, or Kroger's to pick up a pint. Go ahead, I'll wait - I worked for Jeni's for almost two years, and it's still the best ice cream I've ever had. With eleven locations across central Ohio and Tennessee, Jeni's has become a beacon of local, organic excellence, and they will no doubt continue to make us proud. Their headquarters may be outside the realm of "Appalachia," but without Snowville, and other Appalachian family farms, there would be no delicious ice cream.

#3: Story

Despite my Appalachian roots, I don’t often think of my life experiences in terms of storytelling. And despite knowing that I've heard many family tales from my dad and his family before, I can’t recall a single one of them well enough to retell here.

But I suppose a ‘story’ I’d consider worth passing down about myself would be something my dad brought to my attention when I was interviewing him for my exploratory essay. Growing up, my family (my mother, father, older sister, and occasionally my older half brother) moved around often for a period of about five years. Before that, my parents had owned a small music shop here in Athens, though even before that we lived in Columbus. But the shop went bankrupt due to economic circumstances outside of their control. I assume this had to do with why we moved around so much. We always stayed inside Ohio, though we stuck around the Cleveland area, and so I have childhood experiences in both Appalachian Ohio and more urban parts of Ohio.

Eventually, my dad’s Guitar Center job transferred him to Florida, and we stayed there for a period of just under two years when I was in 4^th and 5^th grade. My sister and I hated it there. We wanted to go “home.”

We’d moved around so often since my sister and I were born that my parents didn't know what “home” was, from our point of view. It turns out both of us meant Athens County, specifically the house we lived in when they owned their music shop- the house we now live in today.

My house.

I wouldn't have thought this a story worth telling until my dad pointed out how Appalachian it is to feel such a strong connection to one’s “home.” I've only come to recently appreciate the fact that I have a place I can really feel like I can call home where I belong, when many people don’t have or experience that in their lives. 

Bonus Blog: In The Future....

The future for me is very unknown as of now. I am currently working towards becoming an Officer in the United States Marine Corps, and therefore cannot really pick where I will be living. However, I am excited for the fact that I will be able to see the world and meet various people and cultures. My main goal is to become a pilot, and one air base is located in Cherry Point, North Carolina. While this is not in Appalachia itself, I would imagine that there is still some Appalachian influence, or at least an atmosphere that comes along with living in the South. I have always had a certain interest in living in the South, mostly because of the stereotypical small towns and laid-back way of life that most people present it as. If I end up there, I plan to embrace this lifestyle as much as I can, and really immerse myself in the Southern culture. This could include trying new foods, learning a few words that I might not have known before, and a life in the South would not be complete without a few hunting trips every now and then.

Aside from the southern lifestyle, I would also enjoy living in one of America's most beautiful cities of Annapolis, Maryland. I have family members that live there, and the atmosphere there is amazing. Located right on the Chesapeake Bay, it is surrounded by fresh seafood and sailboats. I plan on adapting to this life of luxury, if I am fortunate enough, and learning the trades of sail-boating. The language there is not so much different, however, there is some southern influence. It is located near Washington D.C which is a culture of its own, so I may try to experience that as well, however it is too fast-paced for me.

Wherever I end up, I know that I will not take the environment for granted, and experience what it has to offer. However, it is important to me that I recognize where I came from, and still carry the values that my family and friends have taught me thus far.

Blog 6: Appalachia Today

Before taking this class, I was very unaware of the Appalachian culture, its people, and even where exactly it was located. I simply saw it as a region of hills covered in tress, in which the people under those trees lived in the most basic way possible and spoke something close to English. However, after the entirety of the semester, my view has very much changed.

On the local level, I believe that the perception of Appalachia is changing for the good, but is not quite where it should be. Through classes such as ours and clubs at Ohio University supporting the Appalachian culture, I think a great deal of awareness and respect of Appalachia can be achieved. The main obstacle is to dissolve the powerful stereotypes that exist from those not originally from Appalachia.

A main advantage I see on a local level is the fact that Ohio University has become a sort of melting pot of those from Appalachia, and those who are not. With college education being of more importance, many people in the Appalachian region who may have not considered college before, are doing so now. This creates a culture of its own here at OU as kids from Illinois are becoming friends with kids from West Virginia, and so on. With friendship comes conversation, and with conversation comes knowledge. This knowledge, I believe, is being spread locally to create an accepting environment for the Appalachian culture.

On the national level, I see a different picture. Still today we see movies being created that contain countless stereotypes of Appalachian people, from unintelligent people, to insane, and even barbaric. Most notable to me is the documentary of the White Family of West Virginia which portrays an outlaw family; sprinkled with drug use, heavy abuse of alcohol, and crime. While entertaining, it goes to show that America still feels the need to poke fun at a certain culture.

I was not here for the speakers from the Appalachia club, however I did ask a few of my classmates about the speakers. From what I have gathered, their opinions are reflective of mine. They see progress on the local level, but are still trying to overcome the stereotypes, especially on a nation stage.

Blog 5: Jack Daniel's

The topic of my Exploratory essay was Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. Located on the edge of Appalachia in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Jack Daniel's is a symbol of American history and pride. What was most interesting to me was to learn that the county in which Lynchburg (Pop. 361) is located in is actually a dry county, meaning that none of its residence can actually purchase the very thing that keeps their town alive. However, they do sell commemorative bottles for holidays and such.

The history of Jack Daniel himself was also very interesting to me. He was born into a very large family, and lost both of his parents at a very young age. He was then taken in by a minister, who ironically, was the one who taught him the whiskey making skills he would later become famous for. When the minister was forced by the people of the town to choose whether he valued his religion or whiskey, the minister decided upon religion, and passed down his trade to Jack. Jack Daniel then created the product we know today, using fresh spring-water from a cave that is still used today. The water is used to create a mash consisting of barley, oats, and wheat, which is then used to create a clear liquid. This liquid is then filtered through over ten feet of sugar-maple charcoal that the distillery makes on-site. This is what gives the whiskey its famous flavor and richness. Overall, the process is one that is not based on a specific time, but rather is independent on each barrel of whiskey. The process can be seen with this video..

Jack Daniel's is also giving back to the community as it is part of many sponsorships and services. My favorite is the Operation Ride Home organization that Jack Daniel's is helping out with. This organization provides the resources, whether it be money for gas or a plane ticket, to allow our servicemen and women to be home for the holidays. With the average pay of a newly-enlisted soldier being at about the poverty-line, many military families cannot afford to be home with their families. Operation Ride Home gives them this opportunity, and Jack Daniel's is very proud to be a supporter.

My perspective of Jack Daniel's has changed very much. I once thought it was just a drink for people to enjoy, but after learning of the process it goes through, handled with such care and precision, it makes me appreciate it more. What has furthered my appreciation is the service that Jack Daniel's has done in the community such as the one mentioned above. It is great to know that our military is still being recognized and taken care of for all that they do.