Week 1

1. 

   Forested area where we did our group bonding.

   3 Accomplishments​

   1. I successfully set up this website! I know the design is simple, but this is the aesthetic I prefer for now. I believe that the website's functionality should be prioritized in the initial stages of its development.​

   2. I began thinking about the topics I would like to explore for my project. As I have worked at CWRGM since September 2024 and only recently left, I have a substantial amount of experience with the documents and subject tags. I've been thinking specifically about the convergence of imprisoned people and illiteracy. Because of the accessibility of government officials, I am curious to look more into how African Americans, after they emancipate themselves or are emancipated, found legal loopholes or took advantage of the courts to protect the rights of their families disrupted by incarceration. I am also interested in cases of sexual violence and how those cases were treated and discussed---I am not married to any of these ideas!

   3. Of course, among my most important accomplishments is beginning this REU with motivation and excitement. Settling in and adjusting to the change in environment was certainly difficult, especially coming from NY. I am certainly enjoying my time here so far!

2. 3 Obstacles

   1. ​Sleep deprivation felt like a non-issue until I realized I had to re-acclimate to a seemingly minute time difference. I was regularly quite tired, but I don't foresee this being an issue.​

   2. Adjusting to many hours of lectures and presentations is also something that will not be an issue in the coming weeks, but certainly more difficult than I expected at first, and perhaps contributed to angstiness or fatigue.

   3. My ankle injury, however, will make things difficult. Mobility is very limited, but the more sedentary aspects of the REU (such as lectures and writing) will not be inhibited by this. Getting to places, of course, will be.

3. 3 Things Learned

   1. In one of the lectures, I was taught incredibly vital statistics regarding slavery by the 1860s, including a quantifiable representation of how few enslavers with a grotesquely high population of enslaved people in the South.​

   2. In a similar vein, I was never taught about how vital the siege on Vicksburg was to the Civil War and Confederate territory in the Mississippi Delta. Meaning, I was interested to see how the emphasis on it was treated in lecture vs. a brief mention in a history class.

   3. I learned how to navigate Wix! I had never taken the time to explore templates and options like I have now. I am excited to continue working on this website.

4. What's Next: Project Updates

   1. Finalize my project topic by the end of next week!​

   2. Begin sifting through documents and connecting relevant subject tags!

   3. Spending dedicated time fixing this website!