Hello, my name is Hillary Gil Soto, though I prefer being called Hill, and as of right now I have chosen to major in Psychology!  It’s always been an interest of mine, even though I am still unsure of how permanent this decision is.

It’s hard to describe my impression of this class, or any of my other classes accurately, as the semester has only just begun, so I don’t have many strong opinions of it yet.  However, this class does seem promising at the very least, as it covers how to observe and research different human societies and culture using observations and reflections, and how to use this research to expand our knowledge on culture/history we are unfamiliar with.  It also seeks to improve our reading and writing capabilities, which I also look forward to building upon.  I do sometimes use observation, or at least, I take note about the behavior of those around me, usually family, it helps me understand them more and to realize why they may act the way they do, even if it’s a behavior that negatively effects those around them, including myself.  I can’t say exactly what I’ve learned from these observations, but one thing I did learn is how to use what I’ve learned to come have a real conversation with said people, keeping their side of the story in mind.  I often keep to myself, though, as I like to keep my circles small and enjoy time to myself, not out of hatred or disdain, but just personal preference.  Which means I’m also pretty particular about the communities I engage with, especially when it comes to fanbases of media I enjoy, because those spaces tend to have a lot of underlying issues and discourse that eventually evolve into real life bigotry and discrimination.  That’s a discussion for another day, for now I’ll end of this off with what I’m most excited for in this course, which is the digital community ethnography essay, as I already have an idea for a specific community I might write about that has always left me a bit concerned.  I’ll leave it off here for now since I’ve talked way too much for a simple introduction, I hope this semester is good one for all of us!