Assignment 1 Final Draft (first final draft)

Observation Assignment Anjanette Ly

Observation One – “The School Gym”Monday, January 27, 2014Time: 12:00PM-12:45PM

Note: Because I was an actor in my figured world (the gym), I did not make note of the exact times of when each specific observation occurred. I worked out and was not able to write down exactly the time of when I witnessed something happening. I will estimate based on what I remember someone doing, based on what machines I was using at the time (because I have a specific order of what machines I like to use).

Description of the Location: The “school gym” is located on the UNC Charlotte campus in the Miltimore-Wallis Center which is close to the Student Union. It is fairly large area and contains many pieces of exercising machines and equipment everywhere. When you first walk in, to your right is the front desk where you can check in. To the left is mostly where people do bench presses. To the right is where many people lift weights. There is path that leads to the back of the gym where there are even more machines and equipment. If you turn left while on that “path,” you will see many cubbies which people use who do not want to lock their belongings up in the locker rooms. Against the wall there is an electronic scale to check your weight and beside that is a bucket of sanitizing wipes to clean the machines with. Near that area, against the walls hang yoga mats and underneath that is where the bosu balls, regular exercise balls, and other various small equipment that can aid in your workout. There is a row of machines which target the leg muscles if you turn around. And directly behind that is where the strip of treadmills and ellipticals are located. 3 of the 4 walls in the room are mirrored and the very back wall is a hand painted mural of people working out. TVs and fans also hang from the ceilings.

Figured World: A figured world is an environment which contains its own set of ideas and rules for behavior and also contains specific subgroups, called discourse communities. Actors and artifacts play a significant part in a figured world.

Appropriate Behavior: There are certain things that are acceptable and unacceptable to do while in the gym. Appropriate behavior would include working hard and trying your best at whatever you’re doing, being mindful of others around you, and cleaning up and wiping down the machines after you’ve used them. It is perfectly acceptable to work out by yourself or you can bring your friends and work out together. It helps to pass the time and sometimes offers encouragement. Also, if you need help with something, do not be afraid to ask. There is always someone willing to help because everyone is there for the same purpose: to work out and be healthy. As for unacceptable behavior, you should not do a few things. You shouldn’t openly judge people at the gym (making verbal comments or staring at them work out or what speed they’re at on the treadmill) nor should you take all the time in the world using one specific machine when there are others clearly waiting to use it next. Not only are you expected to act a certain way at the gym, there is also an implied set of attire you are expected to wear. Sneakers are a must and workout clothing would be probable. You shouldn’t go to the gym in flip flops or a really cute dress. Specifically at the gym at UNCC, you are not allowed to wear tank tops (even if it’s a workout tank top!) Anything that shows your shoulders are not allowed and you will be asked to change or borrow a tee shirt from the front desk. Other forms of acceptable behavior include bringing headphones to listen to music to keep you going or bringing a water bottle to


keep you hydrated. Food is generally not suitable to bring unless it is a small granola bar or little piece of fruit.

Actors: Actors are people who interact within a figured world, playing an important role. These important roles include the little actions and bits of communication from each actor, which makes the gym how it is.

Myself: I played an important role in this assignment. I went to the gym and worked out for myself while doing my observations. I was an actor in this figured world.

Other students working out: The multitude of students who come to the gym for their daily workout. This ranges in age, because I have seen both young people and even older adults come to the gym. This also includes both genders, although there are more males than females who come to work out.

Personal trainers: There are sometimes personal trainers in the gym. I think if you want one, you have to request for one although I’m not sure if it costs money. They will help guide you through workouts, answer questions, and show you how to use certain machines

Artifacts: An artifact includes both the tangible and materialistic items but also ideas and notions as well, which are significant to a society.

UNCC Student ID Cards: Your id card is significant because without it, how are you going to be admitted into the gym? When you walk into the gym you must give your card to whoever is working at the front desk so he or she will be able to scan it and let you into the gym area.

Disinfectant wipes: Disinfectant wipes are provided to keep the machines and equipment clean. Ideally you are supposed to wipe down a machine before and after you use it, but that does not always happen…. Just be safe and always clean it for yourself before you use something.

Scale: The scale allows you to check how much you weigh. Some people like to check their weight before and after a workout.

Weights, dumbbells, and other small equipment: These help challenge a workout. You can hold weights or dumbbells as you do certain workouts because it will make the workout slightly a little more difficult, which in the end is okay because you will get better results. Other small equipment could include resistance bands or medicine balls, which also aids in a workout.

Workout: There are many different ways to “workout.” It holds different meanings to different people. For someone, a workout could mean simply running a mile on the treadmill, or being about to beat your personal best record of how many bench presses you can do. To others, even lying down on a yoga mat and doing little toning exercises could be considered a workout.

Discourse communities: A discourse community is a group of people who gather together and have shared beliefs, ways of communicating, and a common goal or purpose.


People who are workout-a-holics: These are the people make regular appearances at the gym. They are people who you see come to the gym almost every day, spending an hour or two or more each time. They usually look fit and toned, more so than the average person. They usually work out at a variety of machines, using them correctly and efficiently and may serve as role models to other people in the gym. Some even put a new twist on exercising, creating new ways to do a specific move, which benefits them in the end.

People who are beginning to workout often: These are people who try to come to the gym when they can and spend a good deal of time when they do. They may not look as physically fit but they try hard and strive to work on their appearance.

People who do not seem as serious about working out: These may include people who come to the gym to kill time and when they do come, they do not seem to exert as much effort into working out. They may bounce around from machine to machine. They may do few “reps” and use the lightest weights as possible. For example, for the “seated leg press machine” they may set the weight at 5 lbs., which is the lowest setting and it makes the leg workout extremely easy – which in the end is not even beneficial because you’re not strengthening your muscles to their full potential.

Students who work at the gym: Some students work at the school gym. They walk around to make sure things are going smoothly. Several stand at the front desk, scanning ID cards to allow others into the gym area.

Literacy practices: Literacy practices are the methods of communication, whether that be verbally or nonverbally.

Friends talking to each other when working out: Some people talk to friends while they work out. Friends can be encouraging and help pass the time.

Communicating about the availability of certain equipment: People sometimes will ask each other if he/she is almost done with or if it’s okay if they get on the machine after he/she is finished with it.

The Observation: There were many people at the gym today. It was one of the most crowded days I have

ever seen. It was the first Monday since when the 2nd semester of school started that I ever went to the gym at this time. I didn’t know how many people usually go around this time on Mondays.

Loud music was playing. They always play upbeat and current hits on the radio. When a softer or sad song comes on, they immediately switch stations. Well it turns out this time when I walked in, the first song I heard today was this really annoying song, “Royals” by Lorde, which I really hate but oh well. I’m pretty sure “Drunk in Love” by Beyonce came on afterwards, which was better.

Every single cubby was full. People even left their stuff on the floors because it was that crowded.

12:00pm: I walked over to check my weight as I like to do for fun before working out but there was a line of people.

12:01pm: I went straight to the “leg abductions/adductions” machine and I saw two girls next to me on the other machine socializing as they worked out. Then I looked around


and noticed that many people work out and talk to their friends nearby. Many people socialize as they work out.

12:05pm: I went to the “seated leg curls” machine and that’s when I noticed a girl in front of me who seemed really girly and always trying to get this one guy’s attention. She wore a pink shirt and rather short workout shorts and he wore a green shirt. He went over and got things for her and he would stand next to her at every station she went to.

12:10pm: Next I went to the “calf raises” machine. It gets a little bit awkward because when you get on it, you have to turn around and face the people on the treadmills. When this happens, people usually try to pick a spot on the back wall and stare at it instead of having to make eye contact.

12:12pm: Then I went to the “seated leg press” machine. People throughout the day were constantly walking in and out of the gym. This machine is right in front of the cubbies. I noticed that some people choose to change right here in the gym instead of doing so beforehand in the locker rooms. It’s usually minor things like taking off a hoodie and wearing whatever was underneath and proceeding to workout. But this one guy, he faced away from everyone, towards the cubbies. He completely took off his shirt to change into the shirt he decided to workout in.

12:17pm: I really wanted to use the “seated leg extension” machine because I usually do after I’ve used the “seated leg curls” or “seated leg press” machines but someone else was on it so I had to settle to using the “seated leg press” again. It was actually an older man on the one I wanted to use, with a personal trainer nearby. The personal trainer actually spoke to me. He asked if I was done with the one I was on. I didn’t want to be on it in the first place but I told him I’d be done soon. I was waiting for the older man to get off. He eventually did but then his friend got on next, another older man. I got up already and everything else I normally use was taken. I couldn’t go back because that would just be so awkward. I had no choice but to go the treadmill because there was a spot open. I was a little mad (haha) because my order and routine was messed up. I don’t even normally use the treadmill but I want to start using it more often and it will give me little practice for the 5k coming up, which is where I will be doing another observation for my figured world. If anything, I was going to use the treadmill at the very end, but that’s okay I guess.

12:20pm: While on the treadmill, I noticed many interesting things. Some people choose to walk and some jog/run. Yes, I peaked at those who decided to run. They ran at pretty fast speeds, like 6.0, while those who walked did it at a much lower speed.

There was also this one guy at the very end of row of treadmills. He was texting while using the treadmill! That’s pretty impressive!

The person to the left of me, he was jogging pretty intensely. But towards the end, he started to slip! He grabbed onto the railings just before he almost fell.

Also, there is this older lady who always reads a book while on the treadmill, whom I have seen several times in the gym before. She walks in, with what do you know, a book in her hand! She usually walks at a slow pace and she is able to read while doing so because there is a little shelf on the treadmill that she places her book on.

To pass time, some people listen to music as they work out. Some people watch TV. On the TVs they usually have several different channels on. There are some with the news on and some with reality TV shows.


12:34pm- After working out on the treadmill for 14 minutes (I explicitly remember that it was 14 minutes because there is a timer on the treadmill), I went over to the “seated leg extension” machine because it was finally vacant. I made note about what people were commonly wearing to the gym this time. Guys usually wear those basketball type of shorts and a tee shirt. Some girls wear yoga pants and some wear running shorts. I have even seen some girls wearing really tight - not suitable for a school gym - shorts, such as Nike Pros. Most girls tie their hair up in a ponytail. Some do decide to leave it down though. I have also seen some people wear headbands and other girls do their hair for the gym, including braiding their hair.

12:38pm: I went back to the leg abductions/adductions machine because it’s my favorite. This time I noticed a student who works at the gym using disinfecting spray and wiping down and cleaning the machine diagonally to the right, in front of me. Around this time I also noticed a guy diagonally to the left, in front of me using a machine that targets the arms. It must have been set at a really heavy weight because he looked like he was almost crying as he was finishing up.

12:43pm: While I was on the very last machine that I used today, I spotted a girl at the “calf raise” machine. She was pretty short and you have to adjust the height of the bar to be placed on your shoulders as you do your calf raises for this machine. She was having difficulties adjusting the height and another boy from across the room came over to help.

Periodically people in the gym, myself included would stop to drink water. After doing a certain amount of reps on a machine, people take a break to have some water. I would do that as well, and any other time I just felt tired.

Observation Two – 49er Gold Rush 5k Run/WalkSaturday, February 1, 2014

Time: 9:00AM-9:40AM(Actual time when race began to about when I stopped observing. But I did arrive early in

the morning to check in and made observations then too, starting about at 7:40AM.)

Note: Because I was an actor in my figured word (the 5k run this time), I could not make note of the exact times when each specific observation occurred. I was running in the race and was not able to constantly write down the exact time of when I saw something happening. I will estimate the time based on when I hit each mile mark because there was a timer provided there.

Description of the Location: The 49er Gold Rush 5k Run/Walk is an annual event where participants choose to either run or walk the 3.1 miles long course that is set up here on the UNCC campus. It starts off at the Irvin Belk Track and finishes there as well. The course is set up to give the participants plenty of room to run or walk. Certain roads were sectioned off and police officers had to even direct traffic on certain areas of campus to accommodate for the run. There were signs with timers above them for certain points of the course to allow runners to see how far they’ve come. On the sidelines were volunteers who cheered on and encourage the runners.

Actors:


Myself: I participated in this event and played an important role in this assignment. This was the first time I ever took part in a 5k, let alone run for fun. I did this and made observations at the same time and was an actor in this figured world.

Griff: My friend Griff was the person who introduced me to this race. He asked everyone in our English group if they would be interested in doing the 5k. At first I didn’t want to but then I went home and thought about and decided that I would do it.

Fadi: He is Griff’s friend who also participated in the 5k and is in one of my other classes too.

Other runners: There were over 775 participants of the 5k. From little kids to old adults, males and females, students and people from the community, there were many different kinds of people who participated in the race.

Volunteers: Some students volunteered to work in the 5k run. Setting up the course and standing on the sidelines to cheer on the runners were some of their responsibilities.

Discourse Communities: Runners: These are people who ran the majority of the time, if not all of it. These people

must be very serious about running and must enjoy running for fun in their free time. They must have trained hard and have lots of experience with running. Some may have done it for competition because there were prizes offered to those who had the fastest times.

Walkers: These are people who may not be as advanced at running. Some may have run during parts of the race but took several walking breaks here and there. Some may have walked the entire time. They may not be as into running so that’s why they probably walked a lot of the course.

The Observation: There were many participants of the 5k run. People of many ages took part in this event.

From little children (the youngest participant was 4 years old, I checked using the 5k results link provided on the official website for the event) to older adults (81 years old was the oldest participant). Not only students, but people in the community too participated in the run.

It was very cold this morning. Many people dressed for the weather and wore running gear. For the most part everyone was wearing jackets and long pants. Girls mainly wore yoga leggings and boys wore sweatpants or compression type clothing, from places like Under Armor or Nike. However when it came to race time, some people took off their sweatpants and hoodies and hung them over the fence because they knew it would get too hot to run in that during the race. Many girls also wore headbands and tied their hair back. Everyone wore sneakers and some people wore gloves.

Two people brought their dogs to the event. I saw them hanging out before the race began. I didn’t see the dogs running during the race due to the large crowds of people, but I’m sure the dogs did run with their owners though.

7:40am: We arrived approximately around 7:40 and the West Deck parking deck was already growing full, although the email sent to participants indicated that check-in begins at 7:30-8:30, which was only 10 minutes ago.

We walked to the Irvin Belk Track, which was where the race will start and end. People were slowly arriving. Music was blasting. There were booths where you could register last minute for the race, pick up your packets (containing a paper with your number to


stick on your shirt, a plastic button-looking thing to stick on your shoes (which I guess records your time), and a complimentary tee shirt). There were also vendors such as Boardwalk Billy’s and Great Clips which gave away some free items. However not many people went to get the free items.

8:30am: People began preparing for the race by stretching. Some were already jogging around on the track to warm up.

8:58am: Almost time for the race. People got into position. Many people took out their headphones so they could listen to music while they run. There were also two signs held up, one that said “walkers” and the other was “middles” and people got behind each appropriate sign.

9:00am: A sound went off and everyone began running. People started off very slowly. There were arrows posted around and everyone was going in the same direction.

9:03am: Within a few minutes of starting, some people already began to get tired. Some people decided to start walking for a little bit. Whenever someone decides to start walking, he or she usually goes off toward the right side to leave space for those continuing to run. I would do this too though. It was perfectly normal to run for a good bit then take a small walking break to calm down and then pick up running again. I noticed people started doing this around the 0.1 mile mark.

Every couple yards, there would be student volunteers for the event who would stop to cheer the runners on. They would say things like “keep going,” “you’re doing great,” “almost there,” and “don’t give up.” They also all shook these little rattles, which were in the shapes of hands.

At 0.1 miles, 1 mile, 1.5 miles, 2 miles, and 3 miles, there were signs posted on the side of the road to say that this is when you have completed that distance along with a timer to let you know how long you have been running up to that point.

9:12am: At 12:06 since when the race began, I hit the 1 mile mark. This is located at the bottom of the very steep and dreadful hill from the lot 19/Student Union area to the greenhouse area. Numerous amounts of people did not want to run up that hill so they walk up it instead and began running afterwards.

9:18am: At the 1.5 miles mark, there was a water station you would pass. Volunteers handed runners a small cup of water. Everyone drank it and tossed the empty cups into the bushes as they passed by the back of the Fretwell building and continued running.

9:25am: The timer said 25 minutes as I passed by it when I hit the 2 mile mark. During this time, I was rather tired and started walking a lot. One of the volunteers on the side was doing her motivation talking and as I passed by, she was saying something directed towards me I’m sure. I couldn’t hear exactly what she was saying, probably to not give up or something. But I decided to start running again and she was like ‘oh wow, you go girl’ or something like that.

You also have to keep in mind that some people attended the university today. Commuters drove their cars around but had to be very careful of the runners. At Cameron Blvd., a police officer was directing traffic and had drivers stop so I and several other runners near me could cross to the next section.

9:32am: I reached this turn which lead to this dirt road kind of. On that road I saw a mother and her son walking. The little boy seemed to be panting really hard and seemed to having trouble breathing. They must have taken a break to catch their breath.


9:37am: It said I hit the 3 mile mark already but I didn’t see a timer near the sign so I didn’t know what time I was at. This was at the fence of the track. I didn’t realize the race wasn’t over until you hit the finish mark, which I didn’t notice either. I started walking because I thought it was pretty much over but then I looked to the track and noticed this big banner with the current time displayed across the top, which motivated me to run for the last few seconds that was left. It came in officially at 37 minutes and 14 seconds!

9:38am: I was tired and looking for my friends. I found them and we rested for a bit and drank water. They finished the race several minutes before me (Griff at 27 minutes and Fadi at 34 minutes). They didn’t stop to walk at all; they both ran the entire course!

Observation Three – Back at the “School Gym”Monday, February 3, 2014Time: 12:00PM-12:45PM

The Observation: There were many people in the gym again today. Many of the machines were almost

always occupied at any given time. 12:01pm: I went to the seated leg extensions machine first, which I hate but I had no

choice because it was the only one vacant. From there I noticed this one guy who I’ve seen at the gym several times before. I am pretty sure he was the same person who usually takes forever using the machines I always wanted to use. When I was on this machine, he kept eyeballing it and when I would later change machines, he would stare at those. He takes a long time but seems to rush others to hurry up on the machine that they’re on so he could then use it.

12:06pm: I went to the machine in front of that one although I’m not sure of the official time for it. I saw from across the room a petite girl doing deadlifts using a barbell. I thought that was impressive and difficult, and also a cool new spin on doing deadlifts.

12:07pm: When I was done with that one, I scanned the room for another machine that I could use that is part of my normal routine but everything was taken. I decided I would disrupt my cycle and head over to the treadmills. There was one open so I went to that one but it turns out that one kept restarting itself every time I would try and change the speed.

12:08pm: I got off that one and saw that the seated leg curls machine was empty so I went to use that. The guy who always takes forever on each machine was in that area again.

12:14pm: Next I went to the machine to the right of the previous one I was on, the seated leg press machine. On this machine you have to kick this bar out so you can work your quads and hamstrings. The thing is, it is located in front of the cubbies and near the scale where people check their weight. People are constantly walking in and out of this area. When I see people come through, I normally let them pass then proceed to kick out the bar. This one girl who passed by noticed that I waited for her to walk and she smiled at me.

12:19pm: I went to the leg abductions/adductions machine next, which work your inner thighs. I saw a girl who helped this guy at the machine across from me. She wore a shirt that said in big letters on the back “Personal Trainer.” She demonstrated the move and he followed accordingly.


12:24pm: The only machine I wanted to do left that is normally part of my routine is the calf raise machine. It was taken and I didn’t want to wait so I went back to the treadmills because I saw a different one was open. While on the treadmill, I saw my friend Mark who usually comes to the gym often. We smile to each other.

About halfway while on the treadmill, a girl asked me if the treadmill next to me was broken. I told her no because the girl before her just got off. She asked if that girl was finished and I told her “I think so” and she got on.

12:37pm: I stayed on the treadmill for 14 minutes but wanted to push myself to go a little longer but then I spotted that the calf raise machine was finally empty so I hurried off the treadmill so I could go to it. I went to get a wipe so I could clean it before using it but in the blink of the eye someone else took it. I decided to go back to the seated leg press machine to stall and waste time, because it was right there. While on this machine again, I saw two friends working out together. They were doing sit ups while using a medicine ball. They faced each other, did their individual sit up while holding the medicine ball. Next they would pass the medicine ball to the other person and then the other person would do their individual sit up.

12:42pm: I finally made it to the calf raise machine. While using this machine I saw a group of friends using the machine next to me continually one after the other, but they didn’t stop to clean the machine before and after their use.

Interview One – With Griff

Note: This was more of a conversation than a formal interview. This is more of a transcript of our conversation and it is rather long. I don’t really know what parts to take out, although I don’t want to take out any. Since this is only a rough draft, I will leave the original conversation here. And I will put a link to the original message on my website so people can listen to it rather than read it if they choose.

What are the ways in which you like to say active?Uhmm running, playing sports, and going to the gym.Okay, so how did you get into fitness?Haha. Uhmm, how did I get into fitness? I played soccer my whole life.Mhmm hmmAnd uhmm. I guess I stopped playing soccer for a few years. And I needed to find another way to get in shape.Mhmm hmm And then so I started going to the gym, probably about age 25 to make up for not playing sports.YeahAnd then I picked soccer back up and I just played soccer and I like the gym and so I kept going to the gym too. Only about two and a half years ago did I become interested in running, outside of sports and, I dunno. Uhmm, I started to do a lot of research on my own about like health and nutrition and things like that and it just kept growing from there. Like the more I would know, the more I would find out, the more interested I would become in it.


Oh, awesome.*Whispering*Well that came later, like being a command fitness leader.Like how do I, what question do I ask you to, ‘cause I wanna…Well my interests or whatever, you know, are I started going to the gym ‘cause I didn’t play soccer.Yeah And uhmm and so I started going to the gym and I started playing soccer again. I started to do a lot of research on weightlifting and things like that and got in really great shape and I was nominated to take up the position of a command fitness leader. And that was because everyone knew how much I about it. They saw like I was in really good shape and so they were like, ‘hey you should be a command fitness leader’ and I was like ‘actually that’s not a bad idea,’ because the guy who was doing it at the time was really bad. Umm so I took on the role of command fitness leader and through command fitness leader, I was able to go to school, like official school, I was able to get specific certification.Mhmm hmmUmm. To make me a better fitness leader, in my supplementary role I guess you could say. So umm, being a command fitness leader, it kinda just fell into my lap..Oh, nice, okay..after my interest.Okay, so whatever you just said, I’m gonna try and summarize that.Yeah that’s fine.Yeah so what was it like being one and what were your responsibilities as a CFL?Uhmm, it was stressful being a command fitness leader. Mhmm hmmUhmm it was a lot of work and it was outside of my regular duties. So honestly, actually it was really stressful because I had to do my normal 12 hour day job, and then at the end of the day...Mhmm hmm..I had to organize everything. I had to do all the paperwork involved with it. And then, you know after I’m doing all my normal job, and then at the end of the day, talk to people, help people out, coach people, give people nutrition plans, workout plans, follow up with people. I told you, like after I get off of work, I would meet them at 7 and 8 o clock at night..Yeah..to help them out with their fitness goals I guess. And uhmm so I guess that kinda sucked, haha having to do that all, like a 12 hour work day, working 6 days a week.YeahYou know? And then I never liked going to the gym at 6, err 7 o’ clock or later at night, so I would go to the gym at 5. Mhmm hmmSo I was going to the gym twice a day, which that was a lot. But I think the most stressful thing about it was the fact that I was an E5 rank.


Mhmm hmmAnd I’m in charge of all the fitness. And fitness is, would probably be the top 3 priority in the navy, top 5 definitely, probably 3rd. And umm so it was a lot of pressure put on that position and here I am at E5. I’m taking over this role, where in this role in this capacity, I actually supersede. I’m actually higher up when it comes to this priority than an E6, E7, E8, which is the ranking system..Yeah..in the navy. So, as an E5, it was hard for me to turn to an E7 and say, ‘hey you’re fat.’ AhahahaAhahLike, ‘you gotta get your stuff together because you’re gonna fail in the physical assessment later.’ And so, these E7 would be like, ‘oh you’re just an E5. Like whatever you know like oh just hook me up later and stuff.’ They would think that because their rank, they would out rank me, that I would hook them up later and stuff, which definitely was not the case. Mhmm hmm I’m sorry but I’m not sacrificing my integrity, when it’s such an easy thing to do.Mhmm hmmAnd you know? I’m here to help them out. You know?YeahI was willing to do anything to help anybody out. So it was very stressful having to combat the ranking system and still maintain the proper goals that a CFL should have.YeahAnd then also, one guy, I didn’t have any assistants or anything, one guy, in charge of my division; it was 30 people in charge in my division, when it comes to the actual physical assessment cycle which happens twice a year. I was in charge of 280 people and more. So I was focused on 30 people, but twice a year I would have to organize 280, 285 people l to do these physical assessments, all under North and South Carolina.Mhmm hmmmAnd to coordinate that kind of event is, it’s a lot.YeahSo yeah I would spend a solid 5 and 6 hours a week just organizing stuff, a good 6 to 8 hours a week just mentoring people. YeahSo this was, this added an extra 12 to 15 hours a week.YeahOn top of the 12 hour days, 6 days a week that I was already working.Oh goshAnd so yeah, when I was a CFL, a 70 to 80 hours a week was about standard.WowYeah.Okay, so umm tell me about the positive and negative aspects about being a CFL?Just being a CFL?


Yeah, the positive and negative aspectsThe positive was that I took my job very seriously and I was the only CFL in the region to record a perfect umm physical assessment cycle, my 2nd cycle. Actually I posted two perfect cycles back to back. My first cycle wasn’t perfect. Umm my first cycle. But it was, I just took over the job and I didn’t really have a whole lot of mentoring to help me know what I was doing. My 2nd and 3rd cycle though, I posted perfect. Umm because I learned a lot of people weren’t very proactive.Yeah And so, that’s when I started to learn, ‘hey I actually have authority here.’HhmmAnd I would go to these E7’s and I would go to these people in my division and I’m like, ‘hey you’re fat, you need to get your stuff together.’YeahAnd yeah I would do it a positive way you know though. I’m not trying to be mean though. But I would do it in a positive way. I would figure out how to coach them in a positive way and so when I posted a perfect cycle the 2nd and 3rd cycle, I got an award for it. Umm, I mean I got a lot of recognition for it and people were like man, like Evans is really like, the guy to go to..Yeah..for this kind of stuff. It enhanced my knowledge. I think that was another reason why people were like, ‘hey you know go to this guy’ because I had such a broad knowledge. I wasn’t like normalcy. ‘Hey go to the gym and run. You need to do this many pushups. Hey you need to do this many sit-ups.’ Like I would find creative ways to come up with a personal, individual plan for each person that I mentored and sought after to mentor. So, it enhanced my knowledge, and I got a lot of recognition for it. So that was, those were two positive things about it.Negative things, there were some disagreements..Okay..like I said with the E7’s and stuff and umm. I guess they kinda thought they were better than the system. And I wasn’t, I didn’t make friends. You know? Going up to someone and telling them. It’s hard to go up to someone and tell them in a polite way, ‘hey you’re out of shape.’Yeah hahaYou know? I eventually had to like toss that being nice kind of thing out the window..Mhmm hmm..because this was a required thing.Yeah And so I had to throw it aside, my personal and professional relationships. To come to somebody and be like ‘hey, you need to maintain these standards,’ and find creative ways to motivate them.Mhmm hmmSo I didn’t make friends, I’ll tell you that much.HahaUhmm. Yeah, there were probably a lot of people that probably cussed my name at the end of the day.Haha


But at the end of the day, a couple months later though, when they pass their PRT cycles, the physical assessments, they were like ‘hey I appreciate you.’Mhmm hmmSo there you go, another positive thing.Okay hahaSo for 6 months they hated me.YeahAnd they pass their PRTs, they would be like, ‘oh, you’re the best.’HahaOkay and last question, so are there any funny stories or experiences that you wanna share?Mhmm hmm. Funny?Yeah, or um, yeahJust interesting stories?YeahHhmm. Every PRT, there’s always those people that try to cheat the system.Mhmm hmmAnd catching them is pretty funny because, they would do the saddest thing, like you would have two minutes to do x amount of pushups or two minutes to do x amount of sit-ups..Mhmm hmm..and you have a minimum amount that you have to meet. And I would start the two minute timer and some people, haha they would pushups for like, 30 seconds haha. And I would watch them do it. And I’m not counting their pushups, that we, cause there’s too many people. There’s 280 people you know?YeahYou can’t just sit there and count everybody’s.HahaSo you have these teams you uhh, you match people up. One thing that I found out is that matching people with random other people.Mhmm hmmLike matching, oh, people that were not in great shape with people that were in really great shape.Mhmm hmmThat would change the way things work a lot but umm they still got, help. YeahAnd I’d set the timer and 30 seconds after the timer would stop, these guys would stop doing pushups. And 30 seconds I would stop the timer, they would stop doing sit-ups. And I’d watch them stop and I’m like, you know, ‘hey imma remember you, you stopped.’HahaYou stopped after 30 seconds, you definitely didn’t pass. Yeah


You know? There’s no way you did 40 or 50 pushups in 30 seconds. I can barely do that and I am cranking them out, you know? And uhh and I would walk up to them and they would be like, ’60.’AhahYou know, 55? And I was just, I was like stop. And I would put a little asterisk next to their name and uhh after the PRT would be complete,Uh huh..you know, I would say, tomorrow, you know we’re meeting and I wanna see you do these 55 pushups cause I know you didn’t.YeahAnd I would get them and their partner and the next day I would have them do their pushups and sit ups and they would do like, 10, 20, when I’m watching them one on one.YeahYeah so yesterday, you told me that you can do 55 pushups. All of a sudden today, you do 10?Mhmm hmm‘Oh I’m really sore from yesterday.’AhahYeah right.Haha‘Like yeah, your 10 pushups make you so sore.’Mhmm hmmIf 10 pushups made you sore, like, you, you got more problems than that. Now when I would catch people doing that though, I would give them the opportunity to one week later retake it.Mhmm hmmSo long as they would within the cycle.YeahYou only get 2 shots.YeahAnd so I would say, ‘hey in one week, you can retake it.’Mhmm hmmYou know so. So it was funny to watch people try to cheat the system.HahaAnd uhh it was just a really sad attempt.Mhmm hmmOr like whenever we weigh them in, if you’re overweight, like right now, I’m at 177,178.I’m over my maximum weight allowed. Like technically by navy standards, I’m fat.AhahI’m serious. But what you do is, you do a tape. You tape your neck and you tape your waist.Uh huhAnd then you come up with a body fat calculation that has to be under a certain percentage or whatever.


Uh huhSo a lot of people would be overweight like I am right now and we tape them and like it’s just so funny to watch people get taped because there are two tricks that you can, well actually there’s like 20 tricks. Like one you can take saran wrap. You know?YeahThe plastic wrap?Yeah You cover your whole midsection..Mhmm hmm ..with Bengay. You know what Bengay is?No hahahaGosh, I don’t have any. I wonder if I have any here. I might have some here. Hold on, you can just use the recorder if you want.Okay*goes to look for some*I hope it’s picking up everything that we’re talking about.Huh?I really hope its picking up everything. ‘Cause I’m NOT gonna remember everything you just said haha.….Oh is it like a cream? What?Like a cream? ‘Cause then I know.Yeah. It’s got a really strong smell to it okay? So these people, if you take the Bengay and I mean, you cover it all over your midsection.YeahRight here. What it does is it heats up and everything expands. The blood vessels expand.Mhmm hmmThen it gets really cold.YeahAnd it makes all your muscles contract.Mhmm hmmSuper tight.YeahAnd so, what they would do is cover their midsection the night before..Mhmm hmm..they would get taped. They knew they were gonna get taped. And so they would put the saran wrap around, to contract their muscles even more.Mhmm hmm


And so, here they are walking in to get weighed and they would weigh and I’m like, ‘oh yeah haha you’re overweight and I gottta tape you.’ And they’d take their shirt off to get taped and I’d put the tape around them and as soon as I put the tape around, I would just smell this Bengay.AhahI was like uhh..Aha..goddd. And the thing that sucks is that like, I can’t stop them from doing that.Mhmm hmmSo they do that, and it shaves a lot of weight off. It’ll shave off an inch and a half, two inches. That’s huge.YeahLike can you imagine someone wears a size 38 pants and put Bengay on and now they can fit into a size 36? That’s a lot. You know?HhmmAnd so I would smell the Bengay and I’m like, ‘oh my god. Why are you doing this to yourself?’ And so uhh, it smells so uh, it smells so bad.Is it like, are you allowed to do that? Like is it..No, you’re definitely not allowed to it, but I can’t bust them for doing that.OhBecause what if they’re like, ‘oh it’s my shampoo’ or something. It’s all hear or say.YeahSo I can never really follow through with like, ‘uhh hey they did this.’ I can’t prove that it was Bengay. Mhmm hmmSo it’s uhh, it’s frequently used. But then also you take their neck and there’s a trick for your neck. Like if you look forward and if you can I dunno if you can remember how it looks. You look forward and you’re supposed to stand like this with your, you’re supposed to breathe in and then exhale. And now it’s supposed to take you here and then exhale. And you’re supposed to look exactly straight forward.Mhmm hmmLike this. And I’m supposed to run the tape right here. Well when people breathe in, they would go..*Demonstrating**Giggling*..like that.AhahaAnd you see how much that adds on your neck?YeahLike me standing like this. I’m looking straight forward. Right here?Mhmm hmmMore giggling


You see how much it adds?Why would they do that? To make it....to make your neck bigger.They want a big neck?Yeah, you want a bigger neck in relation to your waist.OhIt’s like a ratio.Oh okaySo the bigger your neck, the more your waste can be. Mhmm hmmThe smaller your neck, the smaller, your waist has to be.OkaySo it’s, yeah, like so if you have a big neck and some guys like, man, I would get their neck, and I would get like 22 inches and things, 23 inches and im like..What’s the normal....your neck is as big as like a firkin’ 13-year-old’s waist.AhaLike are you serious?HahaYou know? And you’re totally not allowed to do that but again it’s one of those catch 22s where I can’t really bust them for doing that you know? ‘Cause technically,Mhmm hmmThere’s like, it’s not in the rules you know like and so as long as you’re looking straight forward, you, you can do whatever you want.YeahYou know? And so, it’s a really funny, weird situation. And watching these guys do these goofy turkey necks…HahaIt’s just hilarious.WowAnd some of the things I’ve seen to cheat the system,..Mhmm hmm..they’re uh they’re pretty interesting haha.Okay well, thank you so much hahaYeah

Interview Summary:Griff has grown up playing soccer and now likes to run and go to the gym. He also used to be a command fitness leader back when he was part of the Navy. It was a pretty stressful job, and he had to do that on top of his regular job too. It was difficult to tell someone of a higher rank than him that he/she is out of shape. There were many positive and negative aspects of being a CFL.


Funny experiences with being a CFL include the ways that people have tried to cheat the system. People would lie about how many pushups or sit-ups they can do and some would even use saran wrap and a special cream to put around their neck and waist to try to make it appear smaller.

Interview Two – With my sister, Danielle

Note: This is also more of a conversation. We are sisters and we always like to have a good time together. Also, I was sick during the time so you will hear coughing every so often. I also plan to post a link to our conversation for anyone who would rather listen to it than read it.

What’s your favorite way to exercise? I really like to do yoga.Oh that’s very interesting. How did you get into yoga? Um I’ve always wanted to do it and, because I’ve seen like, inspirational, like pictures, and just like people who were doing it and it has always just interested me and I wanted to try it so I did, and yeah!Oh nice. What is it about yoga which makes you practice it every day?Because of all its benefits. I do it like every single day.Yeah? Okay, um, how long have you been practicing yoga?I started, um, I’d say about a year and a half ago.Oh okay. Um how has yoga benefited your life?It’s um, it’s made me more healthier and happier and calm and relaxed and there’s like so many like, um things it’s done for my body. Like I have better posture now and I’m more stronger and flexible, definitely. And um it’s really helped me be like, less stressful. And um more like, happy? And um…*GIGGLE ATTACK*Haha okay? Haha And haha,... see how happy I am?...Hahaha!And it’s just overall, made me more healthy.Haha okay cool umAnd wanna be more healthy.Yeah. What are your goals when it comes to yoga?Well um I basically just do like beginner poses or just like um the easier, simple poses. But there is this one pose I wanna do called the scorpion and it’s like really advanced and complicated and I wanna be able to do it within the next year.Can you explain it? Like what is it?Um. It’s a pose where you’re like on your arms and you throw your legs behind you, like you have to bend your back. Um it just involves so many..Like balancing on your arms?


Pretty much but you have to use like the strength of your whole body and it’s just really um, not difficult but just really advanced. But I hope to be able to do it soon.Cool okay well, thank you so much.

Interview Summary:My sister Danielle is really into fitness and her favorite thing to do is yoga. She has been practicing yoga for about a 1 and a half years now. She does it every night before bed. She does it because she finds it very interesting and also for all of its health benefits, including bettering her posture and flexibility, and helping her to be stronger, less stressed, and happier. She talks about it all the time but, one of her ultimate goals for yoga is being about to perfect the “scorpion pose.”

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Assignment 1 Final Draft (first final draft)