This statue connects with the theme of "Keeping Track" in our class because it can be seen as a connection to greater overarching themes we have touched on during our discussions. A great way to make sure that we are really "keeping track" of everything that we are learning and all the new readings we have been consuming is to go out and seek connections from the outside world to our classroom. In this case, I can connect the monument of John Alexander Logan to the idea of symbolism and contentious symbolism that we have covered. This monument can represent patriotism and unity to some but maybe someone from the South might not see it the same way. This statue is a symbol and it has the power to influence people and cause controversy or stir people's emotions. Overall, this image demonstrates my understanding of the themes we talked about in class and my ability to connect these themes to the things I see around me everyday.

This plaque is meaningful to my family and I because it is a way to stay connected to God and it is a symbol of my family's dedication to eating dinner together everyday. I know not all families eat together and I always enjoy debriefing and laughing with family members over food. I am always super grateful for our dinners together. This plaque has cultural significance to my family and to our legacy. This connects to our class because we focused on cultural significance and legacy within our readings about slaves and their way of staying connected to each other. In All That She Carried, Ashley's sack is a great example of this. I was able to continue "Keeping Track" of our learning in the classroom by making these connections.

This week was heavily focused on research. We had to conduct research for our research question for our group project. I think the biggest takeaway from this week for me was how to properly use research databases available from the Roosevelt University library website. The databases and the many filters they have that can help you look for sources were a huge help for me in finding a source for our group project. Overall, I would say I was able to continue "Keeping Track" this week by being able to take assignments and use the websites and databases we learned about in class to execute them and make our research more accurate. I was also able to keep track of my learning by keeping notes about how to use the databases and how to access them.

This week was one of my firsts at Roosevelt University. As a commuter, I started to feel like I wouldn't really get to know the building and the school environment because I was simply attending my classes and going straight home. I communicated my concerns with my cousin, Denise, who is also a commuting student at Roosevelt. Together, we took the time to explore the building and surrounding areas during the week. She showed me where important places were located such as the financial office and the STEM Center. This experience demonstrates "Keeping Track" because I was able to establish a connecting theme to our class and what we are learning. I felt that Week 2 in class was also about laying roots down and establishing our beginnings. This week was about getting to know the topic we will be dealing with for majority of the semester. We began to explore readings about the Civil War and the basics that go along with it: Who, What, Where, Why, When, How? This was similar to how I began to lay roots at Roosevelt and really establish my beginnings as a student here. I chose to give this week the theme of exploration and "roots" and I feel that theme allowed me to keep track of how my personal life aligns with our class sessions.

This week we continued to read All That She Carried by Tiya Myles. We actually wrapped up our reading and discussed our thoughts and any themes that arose. I wrote down the themes: resilience, survival, and maternal sacrifice. All That She Carried opened my eyes to the heart breaking narratives and realities of slaves, especially those who were mothers. The biggest lesson I learned this week was to appreciate my family and not taken them for granted because I have the privilege to spend time with them. These photos are some I took while spending time with my family this week. I was able to continue "Keeping Track" of our classroom learning by thinking about themes and lessons from our readings and applying them to my life.

This week we continued to work in groups and work on our annotated bibliography and research question. My group and I communicated through email and we made a group chat to be able to discuss with each other further. I feel that our research question ended up being very insightful and well-developed. I think the theme I would give this week would be group work or cooperation. Working in a group can be difficult but if we all work together to make on cohesive result it can be easier on everyone. I would say this is in line with "Keeping Track" because by working together and communicating outside of class we were able to keep track of our assignments and any deadlines. We were also keeping track of what we learned throughout the year by applying those skills to our research and by incorporating the Civil War into our question.

This week was also sort of an independent week since we seemed to focus on learning on our own. I attended a virtual session of the American Dream Reconsidered Conference titled, "Curriculum Wars: The Battle to Control our Schools." The session was about political divisions and their influence in classrooms and emphasized that the politicization of classrooms has continued to spread and is now present in colleges instead of just elementary and high schools. The session was very eye-opening and it left me more aware of how schools' curriculums can be a contentious topic. I can form a connection between this conference session and our course readings and class discussions surrounding contentious politics. I felt like I was able to continue "Keeping Track" by continuing to apply themes from our previous classes to newer events in my life. I also made sure to keep track of my own mental health since it is getting towards the heavier part of the semester. I did this by studying at the library with the view and hanging out with my friend at the K-pop store.

This week we did not meet as a class and instead attended Major Madness and a session on career resumes, cover letters, and Handshake. I would say the main theme of this week was success preparation since both of these events were intended to set us up for success in the future. Major Madness helped me explore different majors and the career session helped me fine-tune my resume. I actually submitted my resume to a job this week and received an email to interview for a job as a receptionist at a daycare! I think I was able to continue "Keeping Track" this week by maintaining focus on our assignments even when we did not meet as a class as well as keeping track of my own preparation for a future career and my future at Roosevelt. I also kept track of these events by taking notes in my notebook so I could reference them later if needed.

This week I would say falls into the theme of advising. We were able to attend Faculty Roundtables and individual advising sessions. I was able to gain valuable advice from Dean Petty and Professor Coleman. I also chose to meet with the STEM center (Sara Oceguera) because I had a few questions about general classes and I also was very interested in joining the STEM bootcamp going on. I attached the bootcamp schedule she sent me after our meeting. My experience was pretty informative and helpful since my questions were all answered and I was able to get more information on the bootcamp and the stipend we can receive for participating. This week helped me understand more about how to schedule one-on-one meetings with different offices and that professors at Roosevelt are always looking out for us. Overall, I was able to continue "Keeping Track" because I learned that it is also important to keep track of our own educational needs and affairs. I also kept track of these important meetings by keeping detailed notes in my notebook.

Towards the beginning of this week we began to talk about and explore different technological platforms that we could use for our photo journals. The point of getting to know different platforms was to be able to make our journals as creatively as possible. That is why I decided to call the theme of this week creativity. I spent time looking through the videos on Blackboard and also practicing using the platforms this week. I feel this was in line with our theme of "Keeping Track" because I was able to keep track of my photo journal and how I would present it. I also kept track by taking notes on the platforms how to access them.