Kaitlyn McCance 800772481 Ethnographic Study 1101-040 English Mr.

B Ethnographic Study of Billiards Walking into a room full of people, nerves come over the player holding the long wooden cue stick. As they approach the green felt table with the 15 balls sitting inside the equilateral triangular rack taunting them at the foot of the table waiting to be broken by the white cue ball. How will they break? Will they go for the head ball? Will they sink the ball into the side pocket or a corner pocket? Before they even think about how to break the group of balls they first have to rub some chalk on the tip of their cue to increase friction and minimize slipping between the cue tip and cue ball on contact. The purpose of this ethnographic study is to examine how Billiard players use reading, writing, and communication to discuss the various factors that informs what the player must do in order to make an effective shot and play effectively. I will discuss the rules, etiquette, and what differentiates an effective Billiards player from an ineffective player on the University of North Carolina at Charlottes campus. Through discussing these points, I hope to enlighten the inexperienced player with a guide on how to play Billiards or even improve skills they might already have. The history of Billiards is very complicated. The precise start of the game is unknown but is believed to have been played in various ways for centuries. It was originally played as a lawn game. The modern form is widely known as a French version of a traditional billiards game. Pocket billiards, which is also known as pool, is the game that is traditionally played in Canada and the United States. A number of different games still exist now, such as eight ball intro-

duced in 1900, and nine ball which was introduced in 1920. The most recognizable form of billiards originated in the 15th century France. It was not until the late 17th century that the cue stick was introduced, it was believe that the player used a mace to strike the ball. That was to difficult because hitting the ball when against the rail was difficult. Around the 19th century, the game really took off in England, and evolved into the game we are familiar with today. While at Norms in the Student Union on the University of North Carolina at Charlottes campus, I found that several people will come in and pay money to play a game of pool. Some of the people that I saw were playing it for fun, while others were trying to improve their skills. This made me interested in how these people communicate through one game. When I asked some of the people about the rules, the answers varied from I dont know yet, I just play (Bobbi Blackmon), to Well the specific rules are...(Jon Smith). When researching the rules I have found that the rules for Billiards are as followed: respect the equipment, respect other players, and respect the room. These few rules go more in depth. When you respect the equipment, this not only means the balls and cue stick, but the table as well. Never sit on the table because the buttons from the jeans can scratch the tables finish. Also when racking, do not rack all over the table, this puts extra wear on the table. Another rule, is to do not put anything on the rim of the table, such as chalk or drinks. When respecting the other players, do not do anything vocal: such as clearing your throat, talking, or coughing. Also making any noise period is forbidden: this entails dropping anything, chewing loudly, or tapping your fingers. Moving deliberately within the shooters field of view is frowned upon. Standing at the table, especially behind the target pocket is looked down upon. Finally, do not coach other players unless they ask for advice (Cloudbow). Respect the room is the final rule, this is self ex-

planatory, leave it how you found it, and do not flick your cigarette ashes on the floor. When setting up for a shot, you must remember to do five things. Aligning your body, lining up your foot, building a good bridge, grasping the cue stick properly, and alining the shot for maximum control and potential are just the beginning to playing pool. When alining your body, make sure you elbows have enough room to clear the table. You want to make sure that they are tucked to your body. Make sure that there is plenty of room behind you so you do not hit anything. Some of the shots that you will take you will have to face the table squarely, while others you will need to align your body at an angle. This is where Geometry comes in at, but I dont know all that info so I just shoot! (Bobbi Blackmon). When you are standing at the table your feet should be shoulder width apart. Take your left foot and point it exactly at the cue ball, which is aligned with the bridge hand, cue stick, and target. The right foot, should be perpendicular to the left foot, parallel to the edge of the table. For those tricky shots, where you have to reach across the table, find a stance where your body does not sway when making the shot. When building a good bridge, it is best to use your left hand to build the bridge. Rest your left wrist on the table with your finger in a loose fist. Stick your thumb up at a 90 degree angle and rest the cue stick on the slight gap between your thumb and the index finger. Before beginning the shot, you should give the cue stick a good coat of chalk on the tip. Then you should adjust the grasp on the cue stick for the amount of speed you want to give the ball. The closer to the ghost ball you hold the stick the less speed you want to give the ball. The farther from the ghost ball you hold it, and the farther up you hold the cue stick, the more power and speed you will give your ghost ball. To properly align the target ball use your dominant eye to align the billiards cue stick, ghost ball, and target ball. If you can master the ability to align your dominant eye down the cue stick and to your target, you will make the shot more effective-

ly. After you make the shot, continue to hold your stance exactly until all the balls stop moving on the table. That way you do not shake the table when you remove your bridge hand. When asking some people their favorite shot, few responded with a jump shot, which is when the cue ball is struck with the cue tip in a downward fashion so it will elevate over an impeding ball therefore making a legal shot (Meador). The kick shot was another shot that was popular, this is when a player drives the cue ball into the cushion before contacting the object ball (Meador). Mass shot is when a player attempts to curve the cue ball around a ball in order to hit the intended ball. The way that you pull off this shot it by raising the butt end of the cue stick, the more you raise, the more it curves. However, depending on where you play, this shot is limited or even prohibited (Meador). The one shot that every player wants to avoid is the scratch. This is when the cue ball goes into a pocket on a stroke, this means that the other team will get the ball and be able to place it anywhere on the table. When talking to Bobbi, I asked what was her favorite shot, and she told me that the Combo was her favorite shot. When I asked to go more in depth she told me that it is where she hits one ball into another one to make the shot. She also said the straight shot because its easy (Bobbi Blackmon). Another question that I wanted to find out is, what differentiates an effective Billiards player from an ineffective Billiards player? Wisdom (Jon Smith). This is true because without experience it is hard to know what to do. The player would not be an effective player. Also basic literacy skills are needed to be an effective Billiards player. If you do not know how to read and communicate, then you are obviously not going to do well in this game. When taking score, you must know how to write, if not, then you might mess up the score. Reading is important because you want to read books and information to know what to do in a game, and what not to do. Communication is also key because you need to know how people act to certain situations to know

what is going on. Also when someone says a phrase such as, corner pocket or 9 to side, you have to know what that stands for so if you see a foul you can call it and maybe earn more points. When I asked Bobbi the difference, she responded with As an effective player, you take your time to line up your shot properly, while also playing defense to make it difficult for your opponent to make his shot if you happen to miss. Whereas, an ineffective player is hasty and doesnt think past the shot they are on (Bobbi Blackmon). Billiards is an engaging game to watch. With all of the rules, techniques, and challenges associated with this game you would think it would be hard and confusing. However, this game is so much fun. Once you know the basic rules, and a few tricks, you will look like a pro in the Student Union. It is hoped to be that, the inexperienced player has learned a little from this ethnographic study and can go out and play a game and actually know what they are doing. Good luck on your next game!

Work Cited

"Cloudbow Billiards." - Adventures in Pool. Cloudbow, 2008. Web. 19 Nov. 2012. www.cloudbow.com/pool/index.html>.

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Leider, Nicholas. Pool & Billiards for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2010. Print.

Meador, Jim. "Glossary of Billiard Terms." Glossary of Billiard Terms. Billiard Congress of America Official Rules and Records BookJ, n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2012. <http:// billiardworld.com/glossary.html>. www.-

Kaity McCance 1. 1. MLA Citation:

Garofalo, Reebee. Rockin' the Boat: Mass Music and Mass Movements. Boston, MA: South End Press, 1992. Print. 2. Annotation: There is a significant difference in the role of popular music in building political movements. Even in the sixties, music served as a cultural frame for developed political movements. Movements exerted a major influence on themes and styles of popular music. In the early fifties, the power center of the music industry shifted from the publishing houses and film studios to record companies. Rock n roll was a music that engaged its audiences in dancing and celebrating the sounds of urban life. Mega-events involve the creation of a variety of cultural products- live performances, worldwide broadcasts and etc. With technology it is easy to attend a live event just by sitting in your living room. Technology has improved the music industry by so much. 3. Key Quotes: - From Bruce Springsteens Born in the U.S.S to Public Enemys Fight the Power, the link between popular music and political issues is more explicit than ever before (16). - Far from scouring the world for new, exciting, and diverse talent-- fortunately, the indies do that-- the major companies reaped greater rewards from fewer artists (20). - The major disruptive forces in music in this century have been new devices, technological breakthroughs developed by electronics manufacturers who have very little idea of their potential use. The only lesson to be learned from pop history (besides the fact that industry predictions are always wrong) is that the devices that succeed in the market are those that increase consumer control of their music (25).

4. Evaluation:

Going through each year and seeing how the music has changed and ranged was interesting to read about. Also reading about Mega-events was also informative. This relates to what Concerts&Causes does because they hold concerts where people can come and have fun while donating an item to help a cause. It will be interesting to see if Concerts&Causes relates to technology in any way. Also while reading this I was wondering if Concerts&Causes does anything thing that would be explicit, and if so how do they get away with it.

2. 1. MLA Citation: Lewis, George. A Power Stronger Than Itself: The Aacm and American Experimental Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. Print.

2. Annotation: The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians known also as AACM was founded in 1965 and is still active today. This group of working class people went on to forge an extensive legacy of cultural and social experimentation. They crossed not only musical boundaries, but racial boundaries as well. George E. Lewis joined this group as a teen in 1971. He establishes the importance to the AACM with a symphonic sweep that touched all generations by voice and rare images. This group in Chicago gathered all their talents and strengths and committed to a forward-thinking approach to musical creation and performance. This group challenged the borders separating classical music and jazz, and moved all over the world with it. 3. Key Quotes: - After three years in Frankfurt, Germany, Martin Alexander was discharged from the army and came to Chicago in 1954. Known by his childhood moniker, Sparx, Alexander was born in Columbus, Ohio, and started playing trombone around 1947, at the age of twelve. He had once visited Chicago with the local Elks Band, a marching outfit that also included the young Roland Kirk. Now, returning to Chicago as an independent young man of nineteen, Sparx was stunned and elated at the music he encountered on the South Side (16). - See, were dealing with concerts, Abrams agreed. Were not dealing with these joints. They got that. They got all of that. We are dealing with concerts, and we are privileged to eliminate a middleman that we are please to. You can walk up to a man and say, I want to rent this hall and heres the money (105). 4. Evaluation: This book was very helpful in finding out about the AACM. It is nice to see that people took music seriously, and wanted to help better the world with it. The fact that Lewis touched people from all generations means that he really cared about what he did. By reading this I am more excited to see why Concerts&Causes do what they do. 3. 1. MLA Citation: Malott, Curry, and Milagros Pea. Punk Rockers' Revolution: A Pedagogy of Race, Class, and Gender. New York: Peter Lang, 2004. Print. 2. Annotation: For punk rockers, music and art have often been used as tools for resisting and accommodating the interests of societys most dominant class.During the late 1970s, majority of the white male

working-class began to develop what is known as punk rock. This book shows how punk rock serves to both subvert and accommodate the interest of late-capitalist American society by looking at the trends we follow. 3. Key Quotes: - The music today has now become a door-way to additional learning not simply an endpoint in and of itself (10). - We all know that if you put 100 punks in a room youll get 100 opinions. What this book does do is give you the reader a road map to the madness. After that you make your own road (12). - There is a current feeling in modern society of an alienation so powerful and widespread that it has become commonplace and accepted. Some trace its roots to the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution when the work place became a second home for young and old alike (21). 4. Evaluation: While reading part of this book, I agree with a lot that the author is talking about. Many things can influence music. Reading about how he grew up, was hard to do, however, he was passionate with what he did. This was interesting to read about and see how people grew up with an era of music. And how music can influence ones life.

4. 1. MLA Citation: Ogbar, Jeffrey O. G. Hip-hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap. Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 2007. Print.

2. Annotation: In this book, Ogbar writes as a person who struggles to love hip-hop while moving it forward. Each chapter is organized by prominent debates that deal with rap music. He discussed the impact of race, gender, notions of realness, and the terms of authenticity. His work tends to focus on the expansion of debates rather than discussing one topic for a period of time. Also Ogbar dis-

cusses women MCs who are neither extreme of "soft femininity or being one-of-the-boys (103). The most ironic thing that Ogbar discusses is how college-educated MCs who grew up in a middle class home who is well off right now will refer to themselves as the most dangerous thugs 3. Key Quotes: - In 2005 Little Brother, a North Carolina- based hip-hop group, released a critically acclaimed CD that garnered attention from even the most provincial northeastern underground fans who typically dismiss southern rap as primitive, simplistic, and wack (except for OutKast, the cliche goes.) (9). - Hip-hop has been an ever dynamic force with potential for social change, for better or for worse. The question, however, is the degree and nature of that influence (175). - Hip-hop had become a way in which cultural displays of youthful rebellion, antiauthoritarian behavior, and cool had been packaged. It was an articulation of cool that was evident in hip-hopstyled semiotics that were, in fact, synonymous with African American (male) youth culture (176).

4. Evaluation: Considering I am a big fan of rap music this book was very interesting. To see how people behave and act with certain things was entertaining to read. I did not realize majority of this information and now that I know a lot about this, November 8, 2012 will be very interesting to watch. Concerts&Causes is doing a hip-hop show that night, so it will be interesting to see if any of these topics come up with any song that is played.

5. 1. MLA Citation: Street, John, Seth Hague, and Heather Savigny. "Playing To The Crowd: The Role Of Music And Musicians In Political Participation." British Journal Of Politics & International Relations 10.2 (2008): 269-285. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Oct. 2012 2. Annotation: Within this article it talks about how any concert can connect with a political movement. Many people will more than likely want to attend a concert that has a belief behind it. Also, in this article it explores the conditions that are necessary for the combination of politics and music. The end of this article ends by arguing that the link between politics and music has to be understood in three ways: the organization of the link, the legitimation, and the cultural performance. Music is a form of communication, and therefore having concerts that can speak as a way, will communicate what you want to say. 3. Key Quotes:

-Political action of this kind hardly bears comparison to drudging through city streets with a banner, chanting slogans and listening to speeches. It certainly does not seem to bear comparison with confronting water cannons or strapping yourself to a tree as the bulldozers move in (269). -She goes on: Music brings people together and evokes for them collective emotional experience to which common meanings are assigned (273). -Music, he continues, provides a form of communication (ibid., 15). And although he talks of music as both discovering and creating the commonalities of community, it is evident that its main purpose is communication; he talks, for example, of the messages of music (ibid.,17). -As one of its leaders commented, Its not apartheid; we dont have Nelson Mandela behind bars. Its a really hard issue to make visual (Ann Pettifor, Rolling Stone, 11 November 1999). In attempting to address this problem, Jubilee 2000 (as is now common practice in many NGOs) committed resources to liaising with celebrities, particularly those in the music business. (280). -We cannot claim to have proved that music makes an observable and independent difference to public action (282).

4. Evaluation: While reading this article I found out several interesting facts. Music and politics have been connected for a long time. In 2008, a series of concerts was used to put pressure on G8 leaders to change their policy on third world debt. With this article, it analyzes some of the reason why music and politics are connected. While reading this, I am more excited to see what Concerts&Causes actually do. Their Purpose is a student organization at UNCC and is designed to bring people together through the power of music. By doing so, they will hopefully make a difference in our local communities and nations and hopefully the world.