Lockhart 1 Dear Malcolm,

When we started to brainstorm topics, I had no idea where to begin! I wrote in my Daybook about being interested in architecture, home restoration, psychology, mental diseases, art, history (especially WWII era), and sea life. Throughout the entire Inquiry project, though, I had this idea nagging at me! I wrote about it in my Daybook to brainstorm:

Im curious about my big idea. Being in architecture, I believe, inspired me to really about this, but I my OCD contributed as well. Its so hard for me to sit back and see the decay and the bones of a once beautiful home or building and NOT do something about it. It kills me! I want to know if my plan will work, but where would I even begin? I guess I could start off small with my English project and finish big with my Senior Thesis. After all, these times available for research would be best, right? Ok, so I want to flip houses that are, in fact, flippable, and bulldoze the houses/buildings that are beyond repair. That property will then become available for new builds, potentially increasing the property value. Scrap materials would ALWAYS be recycled, reused, refurbished, etc. Nothing would go to waste. Which! Could save money for new builds and be used or sold for other projects. Im only looking on the positive side of things, so what are all the downsides to this idea?

Lockhart 2 This idea, like I wrote in the beginning of my Topic Proposal and as the Introduction to my webpage, came about while I was riding through the boonies of South Carolina with my parents. I saw old abandoned houses that looked as if they were beyond repair, and others that looked as if they would be beautiful if they were restored. Thats when my thoughts began to wander to other questions on a larger, more organized scale. I began my Topic Proposal by first reading the template. I was a bit overwhelmed at first, honestly, so I decided to do some research before actually writing my Topic Proposal. I reviewed my research on foreclosure, and then began reading the articles on Detroit to get a little more concrete information. Once I finished reading and recording information from the articles, I decided to tackle the Topic Proposal. To my surprise, the assignment wasnt very difficult to write! I followed all of the instructions given and took one paragraph at a time. I did give myself time to read, but not to free-write. Because I researched some information before hand, I felt that a free-write wasnt exactly necessary for the Topic Proposal as long as I jotted down the most important points in my Daybook. For the assignment, I did all my research and wrote down all my ideas days before the due date. However, I didnt actually write the Topic Proposal until the day it was due. While working on my Topic Proposal, I learned that I can formulate fairly difficult questions to answer. I also learned, on the other hand, that Im determined to find answers. The most challenging part about the Topic Proposal was incorporating what very little research I did have into the paper, but the overall assignment was rewarding. The proposal really helped me grasp a clear idea of the

Lockhart 3 direction in which to take me Extended Inquiry Project. It was then I learned I really enjoyed recording my progress as I continued my EIP. This made it so much easier to collect and organize my thoughts and research. My Research Presentation was fairly easy to make because I already had many sources for my project. I kept all these sources and information on the sources organized in a Word document. I really enjoyed making the Power Point for the presentation because it gave me a chance to be more creative and to learn more about my sources aside from the information I used from said sources for my project. I didnt enjoy, however, trying to find a peer reviewed journal as a source. Even through UNCCs database, it was difficult to find something on my topic. Eventually, I came across a manuscript describing a case study experiment that revealed the cause and effect of property values. This source actually came out to be very useful! Aside from the struggle of finding the one sources, the Research Presentation was fairly easily and a valuable aspect of my EIP. Looking back at the EIP as a whole excites me! I feel like I really accomplished something worthwhile. Usually for projects such as this, I just write a paper. Papers are great and can be very creative, but I am SO glad I got the opportunity to make something different, something more my style! Thanks for allowing us to be creative with our projects Mr. C! Over all, the EIP has been rather challenging in a good way. It has taken a ton of research, but with our Daybook entries and Blog assignments, youve really catered to us by helping us keep track of our ideas and record our progress. Your

Lockhart 4 feedback, along with my peer review, was extremely helpful to understand where to go next in each step of the EIP. So, although it has been challenging, it has helped me grow as more than just a writer, thinker, and questioner; it has helped me realize I have potential beyond just writing silly English papers or making simple architecture models all my life. Ive come to understand that I can incorporate things that I love (architecture, web design, and writing) all in one successful project and create something more than just what the instructions call for. Moving forward, I will take from this class the idea that stretching the boundaries isnt always a bad thing to do, and if I make up my mind, I can achieve something greater than I ever expected.

Your Thankful Student, Ashley Lockhart