International Organization

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My figured world that I am going to observe is the International organization of UNC Charlotte that included their events and meetings they are going to have. The purpose of this organization is to connect foreigners who come from different cultures to a variety of other cultures within this new environment. This organization also strives to promote the importance of cultural diversity amongst students at the university. Usually, a wide variety of people attend several events sponsored by this organization. Most of them are new to this environment, so they try to meet with new people, and learn about different cultures and countries. Many attendees find this organization to be very interesting as well as beneficial to their livelihood of networking. There are multiple activities happening in this club. Each member present his/her countrys culture and talk about the way people live in that country. Sometimes, the topics of the some of the meetings relate to politics, which makes people engage more in discussions. During events, usually members bring their traditional food, clothes or the specific things that are valued in that country. One of the important rules in this organization is that people can introduce their religion to other members, but they are not allowed to take advantage of this club and advertise for their religion. This club can be tons of fun when there are events that people travel together to discover different places as multiple personalities from various cultures are uniting to find common grounds. This organization is also a good place for new people who recently moved here, because it helps them find friends and adapt to a new places. Figured world: A figured world is a place or environment that our actors and artifacts work with each other there.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:46 AM Comment [1]: Be sure to include the artifacts specific to your figured world. Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 10:08 AM Comment [2]: Talk about discourse community about your international club.

Observation One Friday, August 30, 2013 Time 4:50 PM-5:50 PM Description of the Location: The meetings of the International Organization usually are located in a really big conference room; this room has one glasses wall. There is a big rectangle table in middle of the room, and there are two white boards are located on the back wall. Next to the door in the corner of the room there are two small tables with a red tablecloth on top. A coffee maker, some cups for coffee and a dish bakery are sitting on top of those small tables as well. Actors: Saeed Shirazy: He is the president of the International Club. He has been leading international club for almost two years. And he always wants to make people feel comfortable in this club, so he never likes to make meetings official and formal. He is so friendly, and he always wants share his opinion with other members of the club. Aryan Kamrani: He is the vice president of International Organization. He always wants to have fun and make plans with people. He likes to tell stories a lot and get to know the new members of the club. Kamelia Davoudi: She is the secretary. She seems so sweat and nice. Whenever you see her she smiles; she even smiles while she talks. She plans the events and meetings of the club, and she feels responsible for the club.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:47 AM Comment [3]: Add more detail to this definition.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:43 AM Comment [4]: Change to glass.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:48 AM Comment [5]: Include the physical attributes of the actors.

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Note: Actors are the people with important functions and tasks in our figured world. 4:50PM-People are still coming in to the room and search for familiar faces. It seems like some of them are really old friends, and they have not seen each other for a while. Some of them are just trying to find a seat; it looks like that they are new members because they are so shy and they do not talk that much. 4:55PM-Some of these old members and president of the club walk around the room, and they try to welcome the new members and talk to them. Secretary of the club is standing right in front of the door and welcome the people who comes in; she also hands out some papers that have time and date of the events and meetings date for the on it. Members are trying to wrapping up and sit on their seats because the first meeting is about to start. 5:00PM-Meeting starts exactly at 5:00PM. All the old and new members now are sitting next to each other around a really big rectangle table with twenty eight chairs; Saeed Shirazy (the president of the organization) is sitting at the top of the table. He welcomes the new and old members of the club after interdicting himself as a president and his wise president Aryan Kamrani. Now Aryan is talking; he seems so friendly. He is talking about the history of the club and his first experience when he recently joined this club. He is talking about the fun times that he has had in this club and the events they have had so far. All he is talking is about fun times, so I think he really love this club. 5:12PM-Saeed (president) wants to introduce another old member of the club now. Kamelia Davoudi is the secretary of the club. She seems calm and nice. She smiles a lot even when she talks. After introducing herself as a secretary, Kamelia is talking about the meeting and event of the club. She seems so responsible for everything. She is trying to explain the rules of the club with a funny language, and she keeps picking on the old members of the club about it that she has known. 5:20PM-It is time for members to get to know about each other. Saeed (president) is asking members to introduce themselves, tell where they from, what they do at this University and some interesting facts about themselves. Members from the right side of the table where Aryan (wise president) sitting is starting to tell about themselves. It seems like everyone knows each other and people are so comfortable to each other. They joke around (appropriately) and having fun. 5:45PM-Now people know about each other more and feel better now. Saeed (president) is talking about next event that they are going to have. Each member should bring some food or snakes that presents their country and the place they from. Kamelia (secretary) is thanking everyone for coming to the first meeting. 5:50PM-people are about to leave now. Most of them are exchanging numbers to meet each other out side of the club too. In every corner of the room you see group of people that have a really friendly conversation with each other. Aryan and Saeed are trying to tell people that they can talk outside of the room because the time is over and they have to clean up the room for another people that are going to come into this room later.
Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:52 AM Comment [6]: Since you have already introduced these people in your actors section I dont think it is necessary to put their title in parentheses.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:53 AM Comment [7]: Observation is good and detailed, however, I think you could add more times to it if possible. The gap between times is pretty big.

Karvani 3 Observation Two Friday, September 6, 2013 Time 7:00 PM-8:00 PM

Description of the Location: This meeting is located in third floor of Student Union. This room does not have that much chair, maybe four or five chairs, but there are two tables in this room. One of the tables is really big, and it is located in middle of the room. Another one is a little bit smaller, and it is next to the wall at the back of the room. 7:00PM-Some of the members are already in the room, but people are still coming in. The meeting is supposed to start at seven though. This meeting is not an official meeting; they are supposed to bring their traditional food and snacks that presents their culture and country. 7:05PM-People are excited to see each other. They keep asking each other about the foods they cooked. Some of these foods look weird, so they want to know what ingredients are. Kamelia as always is standing in front of the door and welcomes everybody. 7:08PM-The middle table is full of food and snacks that people have brought now. The room is so crowded and loud; in every corner of the room you see punch of people that having a friendly conversation and having fun. Saeed (president) is welcoming everybody and he wants members come and explain about the food they brought. 7:15PM-Members one after other is coming and explaining about their food quickly; it seems like they are really hungry, and they cannot wait to eat. Some of these dishes are familiar, but some of them not at all. Some dishes have some cultural story and present something valuable in that country. 7:25PM-Now they are started to eat. Almost all of them are round the middle table and try to take a piece of every food they have there. They are still asking each other about some the foods. Its funny that almost all of them try to encourage each other to try the food that they cooked. 7:35PM-It seems like they are enjoying their food a lot. They keep talking to each other and eating their food. It looks like that they have known each other for a while. 7:40PM-Saeed (president) and Kamelia (secretary) are going all over the room and talk to people to make sure they are having a good time. Aryan (vice president) seems like having fun; It seems like he has a warm conversation with bunch of old members of the club and enjoying his meal. 7:50PM-The time is almost over, and people are already finished with eating. People are starting to clean up and take some of the leftovers, so they can clean the tables. Saeed and Kamelia is thanking everyone for coming and bringing some food; also kamelia is reminding the next meeting date and time and ask for people to come next time too. 7:55PM-The room is almost clean, and people are leaving the room. Kamelia is almost the last person left in the room; she is just finished cleaning the last stuff and ready to leave too after everybody.

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:55 AM Comment [8]: Include something about the atmosphere of the meeting room. Does it provide for an inviting and interactive environment?

Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 9:57 AM Comment [9]: Try to describe the different foods that are available. How are they presented?

Karvani 4 Observation Three Sunday, September 8, 2013 Time 10:00 AM-11:00 AM

Description of the location: This meeting is located at Prospector Faculty/ Staff Dinning Room. It looks exactly like a big cafeteria; most of them are tables with six chairs, and some of them have just four chairs around them. On the last six tables at the end of the cafeteria there is a flower jug with real flowers in it; they are prepared for members. In the corner of the room next to those six tables, there is a big table that has two big coffee makers and three big baskets of pastries on it. 10:00AM-This meeting is called Coffee Hour. Some of the members are still coming in, and some of them are trying to look for a seat next to each other and enjoy their time. Saeed (president) is welcoming everybody as always, and Kamelia (secretary) and Aryan (wise President) are working on that table those coffee makers and pastries are located on. 10:05AM-Now Kamelia is inviting every one to help themselves and enjoy their time. Since there are too many people are in the room, some of them are waiting on their seats to settle down. 10:10AM-Most of them already got their coffee and having a deep conversation with each other already, but there are some that did not get a chance to grab a coffee yet. 10:15AM-Kamelia goes to each table and tries to have a short and nice conversation with each table and make sure every thing is fine. 10:20AM-It seems like every one has a nice time. All the people are involved and they kind of know each other better now, and it seems like no one shy any more. Saeed and Aryan are at the same table, and they are the loudest table in the room. It seems like they are talking about politics and these kind of subjects. 10:30AM-Some people are going for second round and getting more coffee and pastries. Almost everyone in the room are busy either with eating or talking to each other. Now Saeed at another table and try to talk to another people too. Aryan is talking to Kamelia and, it seems like Saeed wanted them to announce something. 10:42AM-Kamelia is asking everyone to pay attention to Aryan and her for a second because they want to announce something. They want to people know that there is a big event that is coming for international day, so it is kind of big thing for international club. 10:48AM-They are asking members to make some poster boards about their culture and country to bring it to that events. It seems like they really care about this event because they keep talking about it and they want members contribute in this event a lot. 10:50AM-Now people are making some plan and they are talking about this event. Some of them are already accepted to be volunteers and help the club during the event. Some members are

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actually interested about making poster boards, so Kamelia is writing down names of the members who are going to do something about that event. Saeed and Aryan seem excited since lot of these members want to attend that big event. 10:55AM-People are starting to leave, but some of them are still waiting to talk to kamelia about more details and their plans. Saeed seems happy, and he thanks every one for coming to and all their help. Aryan is at the back of the room, and he is trying to clean up the area. Literacy Practice: People in this organization learn about different cultures and countries so this can be a cultural practice. People also talk and discuss over politics and different situations in different countries, so it makes them to be involved more and this is kind of literacy practice as well.
Interview With Saeed Kamrani
Arsalan Karvani 9/18/13 10:10 AM Comment [10]: Include more interviews. One with a new member, one with a n existing member.

Kamrani says that he always enjoys exploring other cultures and learning more details about them. He has a passion about getting to know different people and their history that they have been growing up with.

What made you think to become a leader of International Organization?

He has been in this club for almost four years. This club has helped him make good friends, so he always liked this club and found it so much fun. Two years ago the president of this club graduated and he asked him to be the president of this club after him because he thought that he really loves this organization and he spends so much time for it, and it was true, so he kind of liked that offer and he accepted it.

How did you become a leader?

He is working with this organization because he is a foreigner too! Most members of this club think like him and have the same situation that he had when he first came to this country, so he can understand them better and they understand him as well. It is like an emotional relationship between them.

Why are you working with International Organization?

He wants people be so friendly to each other because he believe that it makes this club friendly. The purpose of the club is to introduce different culture to people, but he thinks this club can help people who are new in this country more than anything else, so he wants members be like brothers and sisters more than just friends to each other.

What are your plans as a leader of this club?

He loves to deal with new people, so this club is all about new people with different cultures and attitudes. Knowing and exploring about new things, make this job interesting for him.

What makes your job interesting?