Introduction to Final Paper

The butterfly effect theory is an idea that small things can make monumental change. The small 166.4 square mile island seems to prove this theory. Throughout Barbados's history it has been one of the most influential islands in the carribean, even spreading its culture and ideas to the early United States. Barbados was England's lab rat when it came to agricultural settlments in the Carribean. England had a rough time along establishing territories in the Carribean. Barbados was largely ignored by Europeans when first coming to the Carribean. When the English finally arrived in 1627 they found a largely desolate island will a small native population. After finally establishing a settlment on the island it didnt take long until it turned into the agricultural titan it eventually became. After importing slaves and indentured servants the English had their workforce. Barbados's buisness began to boom. As time went one Barbados grew not only in its agricultural prowess but in slavery. Slave ships became to come in droves. From 1629 to 1786 the white population went from 97% to 21% and the black population went from 3% to 79%. At one point not only was Barbados a powerhouse in agriculture but became the slave capital of the Carribean. Other islands and colonies began to take notice and just as after all sucesses others began to use Barbados's blueprint and use it themselves. Barbados's framework spread all over the carribean even reaching South Carolina. South Carolina formed into a mirror image of Barbados adapting their culture and pursuing the same economic endevaors. Not only was Barbados a leader in establishing the slave agricultural society, but was key in its dismantlement. They were among not just the first islands but one of the first places in the world to start the abbloishment of slavery and other islands followed in their footsteps.

Question Response

While writing my blogs I feel like I cover the majority of the rubric criteria. Where I feel that I come up short the most is properly citing. I never really learned to cite in school and when I did it was a long time ago so I stuggle to properly cite information. Another are I feel I can improve on is transitions. When I move to a new topic or point I feel like I just jump and not ease my way into it. I feel like that lack of a smooth transition disrupts the reader and can take away from my writing. The things that stress me out the most when doing the blog posts is citing. Im scared im not doing it right and that I will plagerize. Being able to find some practice for citing would help alot so I can really get it down. Most of the time I do put my best effort in when writing blog posts but there are sometimes when I rush. I have alot of school work and balancing that with my job sometimes I find my self just trying to rush through to get to other stuff than really taking my time and getting it done right. Im pretty good at being proactive with my blog posts and writing out all my ideas before I get down to type so I can do it faster but like I said before sometimes I feel like I rush through. I do my best to proof read but I find myself missing my own mistakes so I send my blog to a few people before I publish it to try and cover all my miscues. I like writing on a blog and having it public. The best way to get better at somthing is practice and critique. Having people be able to point out somthing that I might not have seen is a big help. Blogs also help me prepare for the career I want to pursue in the future. There and two main things I would like to go over in class about blogs is transitioning and citing. I really feel like those two things hold back my wiritng and make me nervous and anxious when writing. The biggest thing I have learned about blogs during this class is how popular they are. Growing up I always knew about blogs but I always thought they were relatively small in popularity. Now learning how popular they are its led me to go out and find some blogs I love to read.

Get To Know Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a beautiful land filled with a rich history, culture, and people. Costa Rica was thought of as just a backwater colony during its days under Spanish rule. Many events have led up to and culminated the country and people of Costa Rica we know today. The main population of Costa Rica in its early days was comprised of small landowners harvesting tobacco and cacao. Even today tobacco and cacao are major exports for Costa Rica as well as bananas that become more prevalent later on. One major misconception about Costa Rica is its population. Being located in the Caribbean most people believe that their entire population is of Spanish descent. In the 1800's the construction of railroads led to a stream of Italian, Jamaican, and Chinese workers. Limon today still has a big population of Italian, Jamaican, and Chinese descent and Costa Rica stands out as a major immigrant attraction. Many people outside of the Caribbean especially the west believe that the Caribbean is made up of a bunch of third-world countries that can't get anything done and this couldn't be further from the truth. Oscar Arias Sanchez, the former president of Costa Rica, organized a peace movement to end guerilla warfare. Not only that but they also disbanded their military. Not only dose this put misconceptions like that to rest further backs Costa Rica's virtues of peace and non-violence. The topic that interests me the most is the pre comlumbian civilization of Costa Rica. It is thought to have the oldest civilization in Central America. The culture and history they had must have been really captivating and I will be sure to do my own research on them. As the Ticos and Ticas say, Pura Vida! One topic I am thinking about for my research project is enviormental conservstion in the carribean and the different religions.

Sources JoAnneHarris,virtualcaribbeanlibrary.com,JoAnneHarris MonicaQuesda,CostaRica:ThePeopleandTheirCulture,MonicaQuesda,Febuary28th,2020,costaricaexplorations.org Costarica.org

The History of Cuba

The island of Cuba full of rich and fasinating history. It all began in 1493 when conquistador Diego Velazquez de Cuellar set out for the island. In the early 1500's he was officaly announced as Govener of Cuba and founded the settlements of Baracoa,Bayamo,Santiago de Cuba, and Cubas current capital Havana. Cuba remained a Spanish colony until 1898 except for a breif occupation by Britan in 1762. Cubans began to yearn for freedom and in 1868 a revolt began led by Carlos Manuel de Cespedes which led to the Ten Years War. The result was not independence for Cuba but it did lay a foundation. In 1892 poet Jose Marti founded the Cuban Revolutionary Party and returned to Cuba in 1895 with leaders from the Ten Years War. Skirmishes began between revolutionary and Spanish forces and Marti was killed. In 1898 the U.S. got involved and sent aid to the revolutionaries. The Treaty of Paris was signed finally allowing for Cuba to be independent and on May 20th, 1902 it became so. Cubas history lives on in its deep and wonderful culture that spreads far beyond the Caribbean Sea. One example of this is their Santeria religion. Santeria is a somewhat hybrid of west african and catholic religion. Santeria is very popular in U.S. cities like Miami,New York, and Seattle. Chinese Cubans had a major impact on Cuban culture with art as well as Afro-Cuban themes being pushed into literature by the Alejo Carpentier. Cubas history is beautiful and expands well past its borders and you can be lost in its intricases and thought provoking eras. Islands Im Considering For Adoption:Cuba,Hati, and the Dominican Republic Reference:JoAnne Harris,"Cuba",https://ggccaribbean.wpengine.com/,JoAnne Harris

Island Travel

Cuba is one of the most rich and interesting islands in the caribbean. One thing to know before visiting Cuba is that it is one of the most popular places to visit in the caribbean. If you visit during peak travel be prepared to large crowds and difficult travel. Another thing to prepare for is the money you will bring. Mastercards do not work in Cuba but Visas will, and it is also smart to use euros and punds because american money carries a 10% surcharge. Cuba has so many beautiful places to visit that have inspire many people throughtout the years. Old Havannah is said to be like stepping into a time machine. Being there makes it easy to know what life was like in Cuba years and years ago. Varadero is one of if not the most amazing beaches in the caribbean. Many hotels have set up on the beach and it is truly one of the gems of the caribbean. Cuba is widley known for their food and cuisines. I didnt know what I was missing out on until my parents took me out for cuban food. There are many resuraunts in Cuba that have a wide variety of foods. Finally what might be Cubas most popular trait is its music. Cubas combination of spanish culture and own carribean culture mashed to make a blooming culture of music and artists. Some of Cubas most popular musicans are Celia Cruz, Benny More, and Omara Prtuondo just to name a few.

About Me

About Me

          My name is Connor Stone. I am currently a freshman at Georgia Gwinnett College majoring in cinema media art production. My goal is to transfer to UGA and pursue sports journalism and broadcasting. 

          As you can probably tell I love sports. Ever since my parents let me step out on the field whether it was football, baseball, lacrosse I fell in love with everything about sports. Being apart of a team and coming together to achieve one common goal is one of the best feelings in the world. Going through the workouts and practices and defeats with someone you forge a bond that lasts a lifetime. I feel like nowadays the passion and love for the game have faded or worn on a lot of people and I believe I can bring that energy and true love back to broadcasting sports. As much of a meathead as I am, I do have a lot of other interests. Reading is one of my favorites hobbies. Whether it's a book on ancient Greek or a tale from a galaxy far far away I love transporting and immersing myself into their worlds or settings. 

          Legos and just building, in general, is a big hobby of mine. I love working with my hands and starting out with just parts and building something beautiful and strong. Also, who doesn't want to run around their house with a Lego spaceship? Video games are a misunderstood media I love diving into as well. In today's society, a lot of people believe videogames are just brain rotting, and while that is true for some I believe they offer a lot more than meets the eye. I have taken many lessons from the games I grew up playing. In Halo I learned the importance of relationships and perseverance, in Red Dead Redemption 2 I learned it's never too late to make a change, and in Assassins Creed, I learned the value of patience and that not everything is as it seems.