Discourse Communities Discussion

Samantha Ramirez

Discourse Communities Discussion

            My discourse community map was based on my four different areas of my life. Those four areas being my job as a lifeguard, youth group member, pre-pharmacy student, and a swimmer. All these different parts of my map have a purpose and that is to better describe and go more into depth about myself. The first community would be lifeguard; we have many conventions that we have to follow. One of the main things we must do is enforce rules to keep the public safe from any accidents. To become a lifeguard all you have to do is sign up for a two week class and obtain your certifications in CPR, AID, and First Aid. Once a week we have meetings with our manager telling us our feedback for the prior week and tells us what we need to work on. Also once a month we attend a meetings with aquatic managers and they give us tips, show us different videos and scenarios of drowning and how to prevent them. These regrouping methods help us to focus on our common goal which is to make people more aware of water safety rules.  

            As a member of Our Lady of the Light Youth Group we have many responsibilities such as trying to find more members to join our community. We use many genres such as putting memos in the church bulletin, making announcements before mass, and passing out fliers. There are also rules we have to flow such as meeting a certain amount of community service, only missing one meeting a month, and attending mass every Sunday. Our youth group is also very involved in volunteer work around El Paso and also for Juarez. During Christmas time we gather toys for poor children in Juarez, we do can food drives at thanksgiving, and do lots of different walk-a-thons throughout the year. Anyone can become a member just by contacting the church and signing up. Our audience usually consists of younger children in the bible study classes and every year we hold a retreat for the confirmation II students. In these retreat we each get to write our own life story that helps convey to the students how we found our way to god and why it has made us a very different and better person.

            My next community would be the swimming community. Swimming is a life sport and is the best way in my opinion to keep in shape while having fun. I am a part of the Dessert Sharks Swim Club, and we keep in touch with our coach and when we have practice via email, text message, and checking our monthly workout schedule. During our practices our coach has certain words that only competitive swimmers would know and understand. Some specialized language would be words such as negative split, VO2 max, red pace, blue pace, and cycles. Someone who is interested in become a part of DSSC could fine the number to the club in the phonebook or find the website online under Dessert Sharks Swim Club.

            My final community would be Pre-Pharmacy student at the University of Texas at El Paso.  There are many aspects and traditions to live up to in college. You have to take a certain amount of class, study, make good grade and eventually obtain a degree in a certain field and make a career out of it. Fortunately there are many resourceful things to help students, for example the library, the professors themselves, tutors, and study sessions. Another helpful way students can keep in touch with each other is through emails, blackboard, learning communities, and discussion boards set up by professors. If someone is looking to become a Pre-Pharmacy student at UTEP they can apply to the cooportative program with UT Austin you need to apply while still in high school or you can wait after your two years obtaining your prerequisites you can apply then.