Prior to researching my topic of proper electronic disposal, I knew very little about the issue. I only knew that you shouldn’t throw them away, but why or where else I should have disposed of them was unknown. I also did not think it was that big of an issue to our environment. After doing a lot of research, I found out that irresponsibly disposing of electronics was just as detrimental to our environment as the every day lack of recycling of paper and plastic. I learned that if you do not dispose of it correctly, it could also end up in a global dumping ground, where the toxins would leach into our drinking water and possibly food. I was also unaware just how many electronics you could dispose of. Anything ranging from a phone, to hard drives, to fax machines can be taken to a recycling center. After all this research, I realized how important it is to correctly recycle your electronics. I also really enjoyed learning that majority of the companies that take in these electronics often reuse or resell them instead of trying to break them apart. This way less waste is made. I’ve personally tried to recycle for many years now, but I never thought about recycling electronics, in fact many remain in my drawers at home. I didn’t realize until after completing research that people do get rid of electronics much more than necessary, especially when a new model comes out. After this project, I realize how important it is to properly get rid of any unused or broken electronics so that they can find a proper home or be disposed of in the best manner. This also made me more aware of all different kinds of recycling, like batteries and fast fashion. As well as, just how vital it is that every takes these issues seriously. I was pleased to learn that much of the recycled electronics are actually reused. In my opinion, this is the best way to recycle because it has the best effects for the environment. Overall, this project really did make me think electronics were one of the most beneficial things to recycle; therefore, recycling centers should be making a large campaign to encourage everyone to properly discard their unused electronics. I think now that electronics are such a prominent part of people’s lives, and being replaced every 18 months, it is more important, now than ever before, that people learn and understand the importance of correctly disposing of electronics.

On September 12 at 3 p.m. historian Tom Magnuson will discuss the history of the Alamance Battleground and its importance in three different battles. “This is an incident that is not very well-known today, but was very well-known in colonial times,” said Elise Cox, an Alamance Battleground Historical Site employee.

Twenty minutes outside of the Elon bubble is the Alamance Battleground Historic Site, which was once home to the last battle of the War of the Regulators. This battle, which began and ended on May 16 1771, was between rebel farmers and the British Governor Tryon’s militia with the help of General Waddell’s militia.

The battle was a quick victory for the British militia. Although the militia took over the Regulators quickly, the Battle of Alamance was an example of the dissatisfaction of the colonist and would be foreshadow what was to come during the American Revolution.

A few years into the revolution, John and Rachel Allen, built the house for their 10 surviving children. There they shared both domestic and farm work in order to survive. Their home is an example of how average families lived during this time.

The house, built in 1780, that now sits on the 40 acres of land, once was once located in Snow Camp. It was not until relatives of the Allen family donated the house to North Carolina that it was relocated to the battleground in 1967.

Visitors that choose are able to take a tour of the house and walk the grounds of both the war memorials. On one side of the road is the Allen house, with a garden and smokehouse, as well as picnic tables for visitors.

Today much of the original house is still standing, including a working fireplace and some of the ceiling beams. In the original house there was also a chest, sewing loom, and grandfather clock, which showed their wealth.

The other side of the road holds monuments for those that lost their lives during the battle. “I like the monuments… it has been here since 1880,” said Bill Thompson. In fact, the monuments is over 100 years old and brought in 4,000 people when it was revealed. The monuments commemorate the soldiers that lost their lives during the battle.

Inside the new facilities, guests are invited to watch a short video on the prelude to Battle of Alamance, and the battle itself. “I love telling the story,” Cox said, regarding the history of the battleground.

The workers at the historical site are also able to stay at the Allen house. In fact, one of the workers said that she and a few of the other workers were able to stay overnight in the house and live like the Allen family once did. She also mentioned that her daughters, both Girl Scouts, were able to experience life in the last 1700’s.

Overall, the historical site is a place to remember those that fought for the colonist and to learn about what life was like during the late 18^th century. The battleground has become a large historical site for the people of North Carolina.

http://www.nchistoricsites.org/alamance/allhou.htm

http://www.northcarolinahistory.org/encyclopedia/533/entry

Before beginning this project, I wasn’t worried about asking strangers to take their pictures. What I wasn’t ready for was working the camera. I had taken pictures before; however, when it came time to make sure you have the right amount of light, and a fast enough shutter speed it became much harder. In the end there proved to be a few obstacles.

First, I went into this exercise with very little practice in taking professional pictures; therefore, I was a little lost when it came to working the camera efficiently, staging my models, finding the right light, and the best background. I had to make sure the aperture was just right, the white balance wasn’t too off, and the ISO was perfect.

The next obstacle was working with strangers. It wasn’t as difficult as I thought to ask people to help with the project, but after just a few shots they were no longer interested, which made them challenging to direct. Those that were photogenic were great to work with, but it was a little uncomfortable trying to tell them how to pose when they had never been shot before.

I really loved shooting the lacrosse player. The lighting became difficult to work with because the sun made the picture too bright. However, once I adjusted the aperture there was a little less exposure. The male sitting down in the quad was very timid at first; therefore, it took a few times before I could get him to enjoy being behind the camera. Lastly, the female was very photogenic, which made my job a lot easier. When I first started shooting her there was a little bit of a shadow in the picture. I had to adjust the settings in order to give the right amount of light.

Overall, the most challenging part of the exercise was keeping everything in mind while shooting. It wasn’t until I put the pictures on the computer that I realized how many things can look poor in a picture. I wanted to get the perfect shot, but it proved to be much more difficult than expected. I found in the end, even while focusing on everything, it was a lot of work to find even just one photograph I liked.