I am thankful for the process of creating this ePortfolio. My ePortfolio allowed me to create a space to organize and process my thoughts as the semester progressed. When creating my ePortfolio, I made intentional decisions on how I would place content and why I would place it where I did. I wanted my viewers to have a sense of my personality, and I feel like I accomplished that with my ePortfolio. My home page includes a short biography accompanied with a picture of myself, a blurb on why my blog is named “Little Smick Big World”, and a group of four pictures at the bottom. Using the word “home” was an attempt at creating a comfortable vibe by avoiding sterile language. Then, I created a tab for Humanistic Studies and Communication Studies. Under the Humanistic Studies tab, I created a space for journals for all of the Humanistic Studies colloquia. I chose to incorporate my Object Project into my ePortfolio as well. On my Communication Studies tab, I placed some of my COMM papers. After, I added an Objectives and Contact Me tabs. Creating an Objectives tab was a way for me to set goals for the Fall Semester. I chose to put my professional headshot, my LinkedIn profile, email address, and a Resume Request form. I created a Resume Request Google form because I did not want to post my resume publicly online. A Google form also allowed for tailoring to specific jobs. Lastly, I added a Gallery tab, where I could display some of my short writing pieces. The Gallery tab allowed me to fulfill one of my Objectives which was to write once a week. All of the pictures in my ePortfolio are my own, except for my headshot. The ePortfolio project allowed me to create an organized space to keep my work located.

The journal posts allowed me to think critically in preparation for class. Having to post a journal every week ensured that I completed the readings for class. I drew on personal experiences and incorporated pictures to make connections with in my journal posts (Beauty Will Save The World). The best journal post that I wrote allowed me to explore ideas for potential papers (The Givers). Writing weekly posts was challenging at times during busy weeks. During those hectic weeks, I wrote shorter posts or made sure to read ahead. Sometimes, I struggled to connect with the text which lead to rough journal posts as can be seen in A State of Virginity. Other times, I was able to connect with the text and create a journal post that I was proud of like This Love Is Treacherous. Overall, I enjoyed creating my ePortfolio as a place to post my journals rather than print and turn them in as a submission. Writing journal posts weekly also allowed me to follow through with my one of my Fall 2019 Objectives: to write something weekly. The process of creating an ePortfolio let me express my creativity in an academically mundane setting.

Senior year of high school, my Literature teacher, Mrs. Fontenot shared with our class that she would be receiving a package from Greece that week. She and her husband had travelled to Greece three years prior. While they were there, the couple had met an artist, who created icons. Her husband explained to the iconographer that his wife had always dreamed of having an icon commissioned. He asked the iconographer if he would be able to have an icon of Saint John completed before the Fontenots would depart back to America. Sadly, the iconographer had to explain to Mr. Fontenot that the process of writing an icon was not something that could be rushed. The iconographer told the Fontenot's that he would begin writing the icon, email them updates, and then mail the icon upon completion. The iconographer and the Fontenots exchanged emails and parted ways. For three years, the Greek iconographer and the American couple emailed back and forth before the icon was completed. I have always wondered why it took three years for the Fontenots to get their icon. I was unaware of the the amount of care and detail that went into writing an icon, even just the term "writing" instead of "painting". When I studied abroad I had the opportunity to view icons in churches in Rome, Piccolo Venezia (Southern Italy with high influnce of Greek culture), and Poland. Knowing that the Orthodox Church understands the power of an icon and has chosen to regulate iconography, has made me come to the conclusion that iconographers are more like theologians.

While reading Aliscans and The Song of Roland, I was shocked at the derogatory terms used to describe muslims. My shock stems from the persecution early Christians received. The shift of Christianity from an oppressed group to the group with power can be seen in the early Middle Ages.The Aliscans reading from Cultural History contains much more brash language, like "craven dogs" and "infidels", than The Song of Roland refers to muslims as the "the wisest pagans." The usage of derogatory terms paints the Christians as arrogant and uneducated. Although during the Middle Ages, the Islamic world became responsible for preserving the intellect of the Classical world. The defamatory nicknames used in both texts to describe muslims is countered by phrases, such as "seven camels loaded down with gold and silver" (Song of Roland, 51). The Islamic world had material goods that the Christian world did not have. Trade between the Christian and Islamic worlds was necessary in order for the Christian world to have some of the material goods that came naturally to the Islamic world. By using negative language, the Christians sound jealous of the Islamic world, rather than superior.

The story of Saint Margaret of Antioch is written in the genre of Hagiography. The writer chooses to portray the character of Saint Margaret through the lense of her virginity. Words used to discribe Margaret are "innocent", "maiden", and "lovely". The lily diction provokes the reader to question Margaret's sainthood if she was not a virgin and died for her virginity.

I found Augustine's friendships interesting. His friends were all highly educated males. Augustine and his friends held each other's opinions in the highest regard.The friends of Augustine were also his spiritual advisor's. Monica, Augustine's mother, adored Ambrose because Ambrose was able to lead Augustine away from the Manichees to the faith (91, 1). His friend, Alypius, talked Augustine out of marriage because he said that marriage would destract Augustine from his relationship with God (106, xii). Later in Book IX, Augustine takes pity on his friend, Verecundus, because Verecundus could never achieve the same spiritual level of Augustine due to his marriage (158, v).

Throughout literature from ancient to modern times, women's hair is discribed in detail. In Metamorphoses, when Daphne's father, Peneus, gives her the authority to remain single in the forest, Daphne 's hair is described as "one ribbon only bound her straying tresses" (Ovid Book One, 662). Peneus's power is represented by the ribbon holding Daphne's hair back. Daphne's freedom exisists only because of her father's grace. The tendrils of Daphne's hair that are failling out of the ribbon symbolize her freedom is not like her female peers.

For Circe, her hair represents her freedom as well, but her freedom is different from Daphne's freedom. Circe is the daughter of Helios. All of her siblings have golden locks, but Circe's hair is described to have "brown streaking" (Miller 10). Her streaked hair along with her other features deem her to be ugly compared to her siblings, and she is rejected by suitors. Since she was not married off, Circe was exiled, which led to her liberation. Circe's ugly hair provided her freedom.

The Battle of Actium is essential to Augustus' "Romanness." Both Augustus' autobiography and The Aeneid mention Augustus' opposition towards Cleopatra and Mark Antony. The Battle of Actium dissolved the Second Triumvirate, and established Octavian as ruler of Rome. Augustus attempts to emphasize how he restores the peace of Rome, but The Battle of Actium was actually a civil war. The mention of The Battle of Actium in The Aeneid could be form of rewriting the connotation of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, making them enemies of Rome.

In ancient Greece, the ideal woman was modest and quiet. The goddess Athena was an exception. The men held the power in Greek society. Antigone and Iseme finding themselves orphaned after the deaths of their father and brothers. Unlike modern times, Ismene and Antigone "...must be sensible. Remember we are women"(Sophocles, 74). The women can not take the matters of their lives into their own hands. They can not continue with the work of their brothers and father. If Antigone and Ismene did "violate the laws and override/ the fixed decree of the throne", they would die a worse death than if they obeyed them(Sophocles, 71-72). If Antigone and Ismene diverted from cultural traditions they would be ostracized or killed. The privileges modern women in Western society have compared to ancient Greece are superior. Modern women can be loud and immodest. Literature from across the centuries allow for critique of modern cultures as well as the cultures from the past.

Fifth century Greeks treasured a good gift. Most Greek city-states participated in gift culture, the practice of giving gifts to guests as a form of friendship and alliance. In Pericles' Funeral Oration, Pericles critiques the Greek gift culture. During his lifetime, Athenians did not practice gift giving as a way to form friendships rather Athenians made "friends by doing good to others, not by receiving good from them" (Pericles, 75.15-16). Pericles emphasizes the Athenian value that true friendship cannot be formed over a gift because the receiver expected to return the favor in the future. The cultural value of a gift in Athens varies greatly from other Greek city-states during this time. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus and Telemachus receive gifts from each host on his return journey to Ithaca. In the beginning of Book Thirteen, Odysseus thanks Alcinous "for giving me my hearts desire: / a passage home, with gifts" (Homer, 317:40-41). Following Fifth century Greek cultural norms excluding Athens, hosts give their guests a goody bag upon their departure, like the guests are five year olds at a birthday party. Alcinous and his constituents present Odysseus with "mighty tripod and a cauldron" for his voyage (Homer 316, 11-12). In Book One, Athena bargains with Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, "Do not / hold me back now. I must be on my way. / As for the gift you feel inspired to give me, / save it for when I come on my way home/ and let me give you presents then as well / in fair exchange" (Homer 115, 313-318). Gift culture is so prevelant that even the goddess mentions the exchange. Telemachus, as a honorable young noble, offers Athena a gift according to appear as a "good host" in order to bring honor to his family name.The art of gift giving is a delicate balance between cultural norms, flattery, and personal gain.