Final Presentation Script

Hello, my name is Lucas Gustason. Ben and I will be doing our final presentation specifically on the topics of the EOTO’s, Blogs, and the use of A.I. in the classroom. First off, I think that the fact that when we were presenting the EOTO’s it gave us a different perception that most classes wouldn’t show us. It gave us firstly the angle that usually only professors have, teaching in-front of the class. This not only helps with presentation skills but it also helps with speaking skills in environments that you might not be comfortable in. I think that this has helped me not only gain confidence knowing that with enough preparation I can make it so that the presentation will not only sound better but I can present it better. Another thing that made the EOTO’s so much fun was the fact that it was a group project, it wasn’t just you sitting in front of the class, it was your group. This definitely helped elevated some of the stress that for example the Mock Trial gave. 

Adding on to what Lucas mentioned, I believe the EOTOs opened our eyes to looking beyond just one perspective. The fact that there was always a **contradicting viewpoint—whether supporting slavery or supporting desegregation—**forced us to consider sides we wouldn’t typically examine. It strengthened both arguments, because each perspective pushed back against the other.

Also, when facing problems in life, you're going to want to look at situations from both sides and identify key factors, even if they don’t support your original claim. Another positive I took away from the EOTOs, as Lucas mentioned, was my improvement in presenting skills. Having my own script for a few days and practicing it in front of a mirror until I could confidently stay within three minutes really helped. This boosted confidence for many people’s presentations, especially mine.

Being able to incorporate AI ethically into our writing also taught me a lot. Instead of tediously looking through websites that might have biases or unreliable information, we were able to use AI. It made me focus more on the content rather than skimming through articles I wouldn’t end up using. While you can’t fully lean on AI, being able to use it as a tool felt like having training wheels. It provided us with scholarly sources, scripts, and well-crafted slides.

Being encouraged to use AI was a unique and valuable part of the way Professor Smith taught. Learning how to use it ethically was a game changer. It helped me understand not just how to gather information quickly, but how to evaluate it, refine it, and make it my own. Using AI responsibly showed me how to improve my writing without losing my voice, and it taught me how to double-check sources and avoid misinformation. I’ve already applied that knowledge in a few of my other classes, making research and writing feel more efficient, structured, and insightful.

Jumping off what Ben was talking about, my opinions on the fact that this classroom not only allowed us to use A.I. but it was heavily encouraged for some projects, was a really cool idea. I think that as A.I grows we must also grow around it not against it; While most colleges and even other professors heavily deny the use of A.I; this class taught us that when using it correctly it can be a great tool. Firstly, we shouldn’t rely on it for everything, it’s a learning software, it’s going to make mistakes. Secondly, we should guide it so that it gives us exactly what we want; an example being that when making our EOTO’s we only wanted facts that coaligned with the topic we had. Lastly, we learned that while A.I. can be an amazing tool, in some scenarios we shouldn’t use it at all, mainly when the professors strictly say it’s not allowed. 

The last part I want to talk about is how much I enjoyed the blogs. I’ve always enjoyed typing and writing but blogging has to be one of if not my new favorite way to write. It’s in an entire different league than an essay for a few simple facts. Firstly the fact that when writing and essay your main goal is to talk about the prompt usually; but for blogs it’s different. Your only goal is to make something that is both interactive and presentable. You have to think in the mind of out of the millions of blog posts out there, yours has to be the best for the most retention. Finally I love the fact that all blogs can be and will be different, it gives it a sense of personalism an essay prompt wouldn’t give. I also love how we add hyperlinks; instead of just writing a work cited you make it so you cite inside the work.

Lucas summed it up pretty well. Being tasked with a writing prompt is a thing you see in most of our classes, but being able to personalize and add your own flair to it is one special thing about the blogs. The short quick 300 or 500 word blogs were way easier to write than an essay. I think I speak for most, when writing an essay you get to about 500 words and a lot of the times after that find yourself repeating information. And being able to incorporate AI in some of them was extremely helpful, but when Professor Smith says it’s not an AI assignment, definitely don’t use AI. In the end, this class gave us more than just the material taught in class—it gave us experiences that actually taught us something. The EOTOs pushed us to think from multiple perspectives. The blogs gave us the freedom to express ourselves and write with personality. And learning how to use AI responsibly gave us a skill that’s becoming more and more essential. Altogether, these parts of the course helped us grow as writers, presenters, and students. Thank you.

Reaction Post EOTO

Reading about the rise of the KKK and the pushback against the Civil Rights Movement honestly shocked me more than I expected. I always knew the Klan used violence, but seeing how openly they worked with some local authorities made it feel even more disturbing. They claimed they were “fixing problems,” but really they were using arson, attacks, propaganda, and harassment to keep Black people from gaining equal rights. Freedom Summer in 1964 especially stood out. The murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner showed how deep the racism ran not only did the KKK kill them, but the police helped set it up. And the fact that real justice didn’t come until 2005 says a lot about how long this fight has been. 

The massive resistance against integration also surprised me. Southern states were literally willing to shut down entire public schools rather than allow Black students in. The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door was another example; Seeing a governor physically block students from entering the University of Alabama shows how political leaders were part of the problem too. 

The four girls who died in the bombings

What’s interesting is how every violent event also seemed to push the movement forward. The 16th Street Baptist Church bombing was horrifying, but it also made people around the country take the movement more seriously. The same goes for peaceful protests like the lunch counter sit-ins, the Freedom Riders, the March on Washington, and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Even though they faced violence constantly, their nonviolent approach actually made the government step in. Laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 didn’t just appear, they were forced by years of activism. 

Overall, learning about groups like the NAACP and all these protests helps me understand why the Civil Rights Movement made the progress it did, even while facing so much hate. It’s honestly inspiring how people kept pushing forward despite everything against them.

Ai disclosure: I used ChatGPT to consolidate my notes into a blog post using the parameters that it should be 300 words and in the style of a freshman in college. 

Reconstruction Video Reaction

Looking back at the Reconstruction era, it’s clear that it was one of the most complicated and contradictory periods in American history. On one hand, it brought incredible hope and opportunity for newly freed people; On the other, it unleashed backlash, violence, and new systems of oppression intended to keep Black Americans “in their place.” Even long after slavery ended, the legacy of these struggles is still visible today.

The formerly enslaved men

During the Civil War, thousands of enslaved people escaped to Union lines in the summer of 1862, finding safety and a chance at a new beginning. By the end of the war, around 180,000 formerly enslaved men had joined the Union Army, fighting not only for the nation but for their own freedom. After Appomattox, Abraham Lincoln even began considering giving voting rights to some Black men, a radical idea for the time. But Lincoln’s assassination brought Andrew Johnson to power, and everything changed.

Johnson blamed wealthy Southern planters for the war but still held deeply racist beliefs. Frederick Douglass recognized early on that Johnson would not support true freedom for Black Americans. Under Johnson, the Freedmen’s Bureau, led by General Howard, was forced into impossible situations. Although the Bureau controlled large amounts of land, Johnson ordered much of it returned to former slaveholders. Freed people were pushed into labor contracts with their old masters, a system that felt like slavery under another name.

By 1865, Southern states passed Black Codes, laws designed to control Black people and limit their rights. Violence exploded as groups like the Ku Klux Klan formed to restore white supremacy through terror. Congress responded in 1866 by passing civil rights legislation and the 14th Amendment, granting birthright citizenship and equal protection.

Despite everything, African Americans pushed forward. They believed in democracy and entered political life with determination, hoping to reshape the country. In just a decade, formerly enslaved people went from bondage to holding office, creating schools, and building communities; Proving that freedom, once claimed, cannot be easily taken back.

Ai disclosure; I used ChatGPT to consolidate my notes that I took into a blog post that was around 300 words. I then edited what I thought didn't fit.