Taylor's Refection

    Do you think any good came from the sensationalism surrounding the Shepard case?

My answer to this question would be Yes and No because looking back at the play, a lot of people have seen the cruelty in that specific hate crime and it has spread awareness about how much pain was spread because of this hate crime and helped people to stand up against this. I also answered No because reading about the funeral and that there were people picketing against Mathew was wrong and I would never want that to happen at someone’s funeral that was close to me. The publicity also gave a bad name to Laramie. Everybody thought it was a nice little town with virtually nothing wrong with it and now that people know what has happened there, they are scared. Especially gay people. They are afraid to come out and tell people who they really are. I think that gay people who know this story who not only live in Laramie but around the united states will also be scared to come out.

Laramie Reflection

Throughout the book "The Laramie Project" I felt like the novel was hyper dramacising th whole idea of the murder. Some of the peoples opinions in the book met up with mine; even though it was more than likely a hate crime, Matthew was far from a perfect person. With the media putting him up on a pedestal for being a saint and trying to make more news out of the story, it just made the idea of the book sort of sickening to me. I liked that the novel revealed these other opinions or else I would have just found the book biased and unaffectual. I think that the story brought more attention to the problem rather than resolving it, and it only widened the gap between the two opinions. Rather than dealing with this in a reserved and respectable manner towards Matthews family, it was publicised and sides were taken. I found that the book explored just about every angle of the story, which is what I enjoyed about it.
As it turns out the book was not all that bad, though it may not something I would read on my own, the ideas it portrays are very true, it reveals the morality of humans and the expamplifies the effects the media has on news stories.

Tommy's Reflection

While reading The Laramie Project, I became very emotional. I would assume that most readers, including my classmates, felt the same way.

            The entire play was excerpts from interviews about the beating and murder of Matthew Shepard because he was gay. Clearly, this is a very sensitive topic in today’s world, and whether or not you agree with homosexuality, it is a very emotional story. Murder is not something to be taken lightly, and this play reflected that. The first person accounts of Matthew Shepard’s created a sense in the reader that this is something that is very real and could happen anywhere.  In Laramie, Wyoming, homosexuality is frowned upon in general, but it is very clear throughout the story that the citizens do not believe it is a sin worthy of death. The reactions of Matthew’s friends and loved ones were the most touching. It brought to life the fact that he was indeed a nice boy, who had no intention of hurting anybody.

            The Laramie Project was a truly upsetting story, but I think it did a great job of raising awareness of hate crimes and the story of Matthew Shepard.

Do you think the Tectonic Theater Project portrayed multiple viewpoints on the Matthew Shepard story?

I do think that the writers who wrote this play used a lot of different view points of the people who live in the city.  They used the view points from local gay and lesbian people, the parents of Matthew, the attackers and the attackers girlfriends, to anyone else they could find.  They asked what the views of the city of gays and lesbians, and what their first thoughts about when they heard about the death of Matthew.

Broderick

What good came from the Matthew Shepard case?

                 As much controversy as this story did raise there was some good that came out of it. Not only did it raise awareness of this growing problem but it also gave Matthews family and friends the chance to reveal their views on the situation.

 As we read in the play, there was a parade that went on like every other year but the year of Matthews death there was an extra group of people at the end of the parade that were walking in honor of Matthew. This group started out small but grew to be longer then the parade itself, people were not afraid to recognize Matthew and they wanted to be sure others did the same. The play itself also was a successful way of raising awareness, classes like ours probably could have researched the case but there would not have been a way to get so many perspectives in just one place. The creators of this play did a wonderful job getting perspectives from all across the town of Laramie, which made the play much more effective. Another example from the play that raised awareness of a problem like gays being discriminated against was the large number of people who turned out for Matthews funeral. People were willing to stand outside in order to show their support for the Shepard family.

The many perspectives that were shown in the play helped the overall message that was sent. The interviews with other homosexual people proved that there were other people out there like Matthew, but they were not open about their sexuality like Matthew was. I think that making this situation known to others will help the discrimination lower because by reading this play it is apparent that what the Shepard family went through was very difficult.

How do you feel while reading the Laramie Project? Did it make you sad that an innocent man was murdered? Did you wonder how someone could do this? These were all questions running through my mind as I read this play and wondered what is wrong with the world. The play it self was probably much more interesting as a play but for the exposure I was given it was more like a news paper article.

            As I was reading the play the first thing I though to my self was how am I suppose to feel. Am I suppose to feel like these two young men are brutal murders with out a conscience, Am I suppose to feel bad for the family and the deceased? I didn’t know. The next thing that went through my head was to figure out what truly happened on the night he was kidnapped. Everyone had their own thoughts on what happened. Some thought that it was uncharacteristic of Mathew to go with these people but some also said that he was accused of hitting on them. The last thing that went through my head was how could people be so hateful? Just because he was not quite like them he was beaten to death. The world is filled with differences including every person in it, no two are exactly the same.

             All of these questions raise have no straight answer they are all up for interpretation and that was what the book was trying to do, tell a sad but true story and let the person think what they think happened. For Example a homophobic person might say that he got what was coming to him and a person that has nothing against him would think that it is a tragic event that hurt a lot of people. This is what happens in life people die and people live. Life goes on.

The Laramie Project Response

The question that I am going to answer is weather I thought the Tectonic Project portrayed multiple viewpoints on the Matthew Shepard story. The Story itself has many different people involved and many different accounts of what happened. 

I believe that The Theater Project did a good job of covering all of the angles that presented itself in this story. They not only interviewed people, they did their research on who and why certain people needed to be interviewed. The Project also thought about the bias between those who were against homosexuality in the community and those for it, the reader got a sense of what the town was like and how the people felt about this event without being there. We got to hear first hand accounts of what happened on the night of the kidnapping from the bartender, We also got insight into Matthews life from his mentor.  Another important part of the play was pulling in the stage actor who was conflicted with playing a gay person or following his parents, this added a bit of insight that helped the reader understand how Matthew felt as well. The information was chronological and easy to follow because of the. I was not certain on the outcome of the story and what ended up happening to the two men who killed Matthew, but the Theater Project was able to record that information from the sources themselves, which added more credibility. 

In conclusion I think the Tectonic Theater Project did a good job of covering all viewpoints on the story, this gave the story a bit more authenticity and helps the reader understand how the community was effected by this as a whole and individually.

The Laramie Project Responce

The question that I am going to answer is weather I thought the Tectonic Project portrayed multiple viewpoints on the Matthew Shepard story. The Story itself has many different people involved and many different accounts of what happened. 

I believe that The Theater Project did a good job of covering all of the angles that presented itself in this story. They not only interviewed people, they did their research on who and why certain people needed to be interviewed. The Project also thought about the bias between those who were against homosexuality in the community and those for it, the reader got a sense of what the town was like and how the people felt about this event without being there. We got to hear first hand accounts of what happened on the night of the kidnapping from the bartender, We also got insight into Matthews life from his mentor.  Another important part of the play was pulling in the stage actor who was conflicted with playing a gay person or following his parents, this added a bit of insight that helped the reader understand how Matthew felt as well. The information was chronological and easy to follow because of the. I was not certain on the outcome of the story and what ended up happening to the two men who killed Matthew, but the Theater Project was able to record that information from the sources themselves, which added more credibility. 

In conclusion I think the Tectonic Theater Project did a good job of covering all viewpoints on the story, this gave the story a bit more authenticity and helps the reader understand how the community was effected by this as a whole and individually.

The Laramie Project

While reading The Laramie Project I had many emotions come over me. The case of Matthew Shepard was very controversial, and it was fascinating hearing the many perspectives and sides of the story. I went through emotions of anger, sadness, and frustration, throughout the duration of the play. I hope that the play was able to open others eyes to the injustice gay people face in our society, like it was able to open mine.

First and foremost while reading I felt angered by the disrespect so many of the people had for gays. It was shocking that people thought it was okay to treat people with such hate. The words the characters in the play used made me very frustrated about the way people treated Matthew. They had no basis on which to treat him poorly in anyway. He had done nothing wrong to any of the people who despised him, and it is extremely angering that people hated him simply for being openly gay. I felt a lot of emotion in wanting those people to learn their lesson about treating people who are different than them in such an inappropriate manner.

The more of the play we read, the more upset and sad I became about the situation. It made me heartbroken to read the perspectives of the people who know Matthew, such as his mother and father. It would be one of the hardest things in life to loose a child, especially one so innocent. I felt extremely sad about the murder, and even sadder about the way some people handled it after. Some people had such little respect for Matthew’s death, and it was shocking and depressing that people could be so rude about someone who had died for simply being gay.

Thirdly, upon reading a story that had gotten nationwide attention, I became very frustrated. It is extremely appalling that after such a hate crime, there are people who still hate on gays. While the crime did raise people’s awareness, there are still thousands of people who do not respect gay people like they should. This made me very frustrated that someone could be murdered, and that people still would be so rude. I hope that in the future this can change, and that people become more accepting of one another, despite the differences they may have.

My opinion while reading did not really change much, however I was able to get a much understanding of the murder of Matthew Shepard and the town of Laramie. The play created a fluctuation of emotion while reading, but overall it made me have a better grasp on the situation gays face in our world. From anger to sadness to pure frustration, the emotions the case spurred led to have a deep reverence for the people in our society that face such injustice.

The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project, portrayed as a play by the Tectonic Theater Project is the story of Matthew Shepard and the hate crime that lead to his death. This play involved the recalling of events by many people in close relation to Matthew Shepard, and also some of those who had never met him. In each interview conducted another account and perspective of the event is given, leading to the construction of the play as a whole. The play portrayed many perspectives, all of which were important in piecing together a story that could be told, demonstrating the effects of this event to not only family and friends of Matthew Shepard, but also to complete strangers. From reading these interviews I came to the conclusion that this was a very sad story caused by people not thinking their actions through, and doing something that would change their lives and those of many around them forever. 

The perspectives of many different people were given in this play, all of which added to the overall story. Many of the interviews were with people who knew Matthew, or those who had seen him the night of his death. Each person has a different reaction to the crime, and are impacted by it in various ways. The perpetrators of the crime, seem to show little remorse, instead try to justify their actions. On the other hand, the sadness of those who were close to Matthew is also shown, making me as a reader try to relate to their feelings, becoming emotionally involved in this story. The perspectives of the interviewers also add an important aspect, as they did not know Matthew, but are spreading the awareness of hate crimes, and the permanent impacts that they have. All of these perspectives were very different, but added something to the story making it easy for me as a reader to create my own perspective.

The multiple perspectives included by the Tectonic Theater Project accurately portrayed the events of this story, and also the emotional ties that went along with it. When reading the interviews it helped me to get a better sense of the story and  how much it affected those who were involved in it. Each interview was very important in adding another perspective, giving many viewpoints on one event, allowing me to make my own conclusion of the story. Multiple viewpoints were used, causing an accurate recalling of an event, and the different impacts it had. 

Laramie Project

I thought that the Laramie Project was a very good book, surprisingly. I thought it might be another one of the boring books assigned like those in the past English classes. As I started reading it, I found out that it wasn’t the same old plot and same old format. I found the play’s format of being informal yet sincere to be gripping and made me want to read it.

During the beginning of it I sort of thought that this was going to be an overdone lame version of some over-exaggerated story about some guy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. However, when the story started to pick up I started to feel increasingly bad for Matthew Sheppard and realized that a lot more people were affected by his death than I previously expected. I felt kind of mad that there were people who were actually trying to defend McKinney’s actions against Sheppard. On top of this, it was worse that a lot of the Christians in the region had to step in and say “well maybe his lifestyle wasn’t right.” The worst part of the story is reading about Fred Phelps and that he came to protest at his funeral. All I could think was “wrong place, wrong time” again, and that Fred Phelps needs to go away… in my nicest words.

All in all, I thought that this play was good. I felt like it was well written in that it wasn’t just a story about Matthew and how he got beaten up. It shows the reality, in that the death had an enormous impact and they communicated that well by having an overdose of interviews. To conclude, I thought the play did a very good job about showing this events gigantic impact on society.

Was this book worth reading?

            When I heard we were reading a play in mass media, I didn’t want to. I thought it would be someone that would we would read in American literature or something. When we actually started reading it I began to pay attention to the story behind it and all the truth that came from it. I think this was worth reading because it dealt with issues that are seen everyday at school, judging people and bullying.

            Matthew Shepard was judged. The boys that were involved with the killing did not take the time to get to know him. They saw a boy that looked gay and acted gay and they acted on impulse. They did not think about what they would lose by judging this boy. Often time’s students at EHS do not think about whom they judge. They gossip and spread rumors without actually getting to know the person. This then leads to bullying.

            Bullying is another major issue that happens at EHS. Although it is not as severe as someone dying, its little things that make people feel just as horrible as that. These boys bullied and beat this kid up to his death. They bullied out of hate against what he believed. People are free to think and do what they want; they should not have to suffer pain and even death from it.

            If more students could realize these concepts we would live in a world that is not filled with hate and crime. Because people judge, it leads to bullying. People were born with the freedom to do what they want with their lives. If people can respect this freedom then nothing bad would happen. I think the play portrayed that judging and bullying do not lead people to where they want to be.

Laramie Project Reflection

Topic: How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

    I was intrigued by The Laramie Project because it effectively told the tragic story of Matthew Shepard’s death from various perspectives. It is a heart-wrenching story, and I experienced feelings of grief and despair while reading it. I constantly thought about the difficulties Matthew’s family and friends are going through as they mourn over his death. I felt anger towards the fact that Matthew was beaten because of his sexuality. The event was eye opening, and showed that people don’t have the personal freedom that they deserve.
    The use of different perspectives of the citizens of Laramie kept me interested throughout the story. The most memorable perspective to me was one the Matthew Shepards murderers, Aaron McKinney. I believe what McKinney did was inexcusable and repugnant, and I felt anger towards him as he tried to defend his actions. One of the most emotion provoking scenes for me was when they were describing Matthew’s attack. Dr. Cantway and Aaron Kreifels, who is the man who found Matthew, describe the details of his injuries. When we read this part of the story, I was absolutely devastated.
    While reading this story, I also experienced anger towards society. I cannot believe that someone is willing to hurt another just because they don’t agree with their beliefs. I think McKinney and Henderson had no right to use violence against Matthew just because of his sexual orientation. I hope that this story makes people realize how tragic this event was, and that it prevents similiar violent attacks in the future.
    Overall, I experienced many emotions while reading The Laramie Project. I enjoyed hearing different peoples outlooks on the story and thought the play was very well done. The event of Matthew Shepards death was overwhelming, and I felt a great deal of sadness over this unjust attack. It helped me realize that not everybody is accepting of differences in beliefs throughout society.

Laramie Project

At first when reading the Laramie Project, I was kind of bored. But after giving it a chance, I realized that the story had so many important lessons and morals than it seemed. What really struck me about the play was all of the love and support  that the towns people had for the family and the incident. I really liked all of the different opinions and interviews from each and every person living in that town. It really gave more perspective and many sides to the story, except for one. This story was real, and could have been prevented. I think that so many little things we do and say affect people more than we know. One destructive comment can pile up on another, and leave that person feeling unwanted and unloved. It is important for us to be careful with our words, because they can make a big difference. Acceptance is a huge theme in this play, and can really shape the way a person thinks and feels.

The Laramie Project

   After reading this play, I would say it was very worthwhile to read in class. Mostly it is important because bullying is a really problem and connects with issues of gay hate crimes, that are really problems in society today. Not only can kids be bullied for being gay, many kids get picked on everyday and this story shows us the extreme. I believe this book is important for people to read because it shows people that hating another person for something that doesn't affect you is just plain stupid.
   First of all, in the play most of the people that live in Laramie seem to act like it was a crime to be gay. They would say thing like, if I was gay I wouldn't talk about it or let anyone know.  This is just wrong because they all were basically saying that most people in laramie actually did hate gay people. This shows how ignorant some people are, I don't think its okay to judge someone you have never met and just because they are open about being gay you hate them enough to kill them. I felt like this was a really good book to read in class because the story showed the class that everyone needs to be more accepting of each other.
   Overall the play outlined why being gay can be dangerous, because of people that disagree with the way some people feel. For me it showed why being accepting of other people is so important and that if you really dislike something about someone its better to just stay away from that person, not kill them over hatred. In conclusion, this play help show everyone the problems with being gay in a straight society.

The Laramie Project

After reading The Laramie Project, I can see how the immense amount of sensationalism used by the reporters may seem terrible at first to most of the people in the town. Many who were interviewed complained about the amount of reporters that flooded in to see the aftermath of a tragedy like this. I understand that they could feel extremely overwhelmed and often times might have felt like they wanted every reporter to leave, for good. But at the end of the day, I believe that it was due to the sensationalism and massive amounts of press that Matt Shepard's story received that has truly altered our society and the views it has on harassment and gender-based issues.

Matt Shepard's death was extremely upsetting and appalling to hear about for many people throughout the country. His story alone caused an uproar about equal rights for the gays or lesbians in America and even if not that, it challenged people to stop the harassment that was often instigated because of a gender-related topic. I believe that Matt Shepard's story and the sensationalism that helped to tell it truly made an impact of our society in America. I know that in many places most people are tolerant, if not accepting towards homosexuals at this time and I truly believe that is partially because of this story.

Homosexuality is often times thought of as a "scary" or "awkward" subject but this play only further implies the importance of getting past those feelings and stopping the effects of those feelings like harassment or violence. I think that Shepard's story shows the horrifying repercussions that being raised to shut out others that are different than you can cause. The people in this town have more of a "don't ask, don't tell" way of dealing with things rather than being accepting of others in their community. I think that this attitude was completely turned around after the event of Matt's death because they all realized what an impact their attitudes had on the kids in that town.

Overall, I believe that the story of Matt Shepard's death and the sensationalism behind the news stories had an immense impact on the hearts of many Americans and challenged people to reflect on how they acted upon their opinions of gender issues in the past. I think the sensationalism used by reporters at the time further developed Matt's story and only made it that much more important.

drew wagar question 1

I knew my story very well I have always been a fan of Michael Jackson. So I knew most of the details and learned a little bit. I thought the fans were very bias by hating his doctor I think they just needed someone to blame. The story was appealing because he’s the greatest entertainer to ever live. Although the play wasn’t really what I’m interested in and I found it at the end sounding like a boring record it wasn’t half bad. It was a tragic and very sad story and I hope I never hear about something ike this again

Throughout the whole story you read about how the town frowned on homosexuals. In some places I believe that’s just the way it is and there’s no way to change it. I think maybe gays in Laramie should keep it a secret for their own safety. Towards the end of the book you hear this several times but just from different people.  At first when we started reading the book I was sincerely interested because it took place in Laramie and my dad went to the university of Wyoming but the more we read the worse it got.

Although Mathew Sheppard’s story was sad and tragic it showed people not to judge or hate someone because there different. The story spread all over the U.S.A and even the world. Maybe because of it people are more tolerant of queers.

Laramie Project

            The Laramie case has been very eye opening to a lot of people. Not just in the small town of Laramie Wyoming, but now it has touched people all over the world, and even in our mass media class.  I will be reflecting on two questions, ‘what good has come from the sensationalism surrounding the trial?’ and ‘theater is not a form of mass media, so you think it was worth reading in class?’ I have also seen the movie on this topic  and I think it does a great job of portraying the story, but lacks the personal experience of reading the words of someone involved.

            Although reading a play is not necessarily a form of media, the story on Mathew Sheppard is a media topic of its own. By reading the play, the class was able to ‘be’ the characters and really understand how difficult it was to be put on the spot and say things as they did. For example, when Aaron McKinney is on trial apologizing to Mathew’s parents. How we read the story helped the class get a better understanding of how, and why this has gotten so much media coverage. I think if we were able to redo this chapter, we should have also watched the movie, I watched it in another class and it brings the story to life a little bit more- as opposed to just reading and trying to figure out who is who. I also think the movie highlights the sensationalism a lot better than the play; it also gives an easier timeline to understand what happened.

The fact that this story made national news headlines doesn’t surprise me, out of the sensationalism came a lot of good and has enlightened many people on the rights of all people, no matter if they are lesbian or gay. In further depth, it has formed many campaigns against violence and hate crimes, one being the Mathew Sheppard Foundation.

            Theatre is not a form of mass media, yet the Laramie Project itself is one of the most media surrounded stories of the decade. Over-all I think watching the movie would have helped other students see the brutality and understand the sensationalism a little more. Although, I do not regret reading the play because it was good to be in the characters position as well.

Laramie Project Reflection

The Laramie Project is a play not many have heard of. Its different way different than most plays. It is fully based off interviews and what happened that night in Laramie that changed everything. Over the years being gay has been a big controversy, and this case went a little further that it usually does. The question i'm going to discuss is how i felt while reading the Laramie project.

There were many different emotions that came over me while reading The Laramie Project. First, it is really sad. I didnt think i would really feel emotions towards anything but inside i felt really sad while reading this. I was really angry at the people who killed matthew shepard because it just isn't right to kill someone, and then pretty much say they did that because he tried to grab their genitals. If you killed him, you killed him, and no excuses! those men need to step up to the mistakes they made and not blame matthew. I don't care if he's gay, and neither should they. They needed to mind their own business and leave him alone.

Before reading the play, i had never heard about the Shepard case. It was very surprising that happened, and even more that someone made a play about it. At first, the play was a little slow, confusing, and not very interesting. Once we got further into the play, my thoughts changed. I feel like i became more attached to what was going on and could really feel the pain for what happened. The whole time i kept thinking to my self, how could someone do this. I couldn't understand how someone could hate another so much that they would kill them. i really appreciate the writers of this play for writing it though, i think it really shows the 'inside' of what went on and can maybe change people to realize being gay isn't a big deal.

In conclusion, there are many emotions attached with this play. My emotions were sadness and anger. The story was so good it brought out my emotions, and really showed what it was like in the town of Laramie when matthew shepard died. This is a very unfortunate even and hopefully people will realize how severe it is and end killing people for who they are.

Laramie Project Reflection

           I found The Laramie Project to be a very interesting play.  At first, I was extremely reluctant to pay attention and really try to get engaged.  But what I came to find out was that it was a great play with lots of important everyday life morals.  Reading all the interviews helped me to understand the play much more.  With so many views from both sides of the argument made the play much more contentious.   I also enjoyed how the book wasn’t afraid to use profanity.  I think this helped the play to stick with the reader more because it didn’t sugar coat things with clean and innocent vocabulary.   I was shocked to find out that somebody would actually murder an innocent boy in Wyoming just for the simple fact that he was a homosexual.

             One of the things that stuck out to me the most was the way the town excluded homosexuals.  Such as the Baptist Minister, he believed that the bible states homosexuality is wrong.  This caused many more people to ultimately agree with the fact homosexuality is wrong.  Acceptance was such a strong theme in the play and it clearly explains the character’s behaviors. It was wonderful to read that in such a dark time, the people that were hurt the most were still filled with such love and good souls. 

The Laramie Project reminded me how precious freedom is and how pure this supposedly free country still is.  The Laramie Project had lots of different perspectives which helped us to make many connections to the play.   My first impression of the play was very far off.  I had no idea I would be so engaged in the reading and enjoy the play as much as I did.  Overall, I would suggest this play to be read in high schools all over the world.

Laramie Project Reflection

The Laramie project is a play that makes you feel many emotions. When reading this play I myself felt many different emotions. At times i felt sad and upset and at other times i felt happy. But most of all I felt confused. I couldn't (and still cant)wrap my head around the fact that people kill other human beings because of what they believe in or what they don't believe in. 

When i  first found out we were reading the Laramie Project , I wanted to know how and why Matthew Sheppard was killed. The play did a good job portraying each character and giving their view of the story and what happened.  Each "moment" really made me want to read the next to figure out what was going to happen. I find it horrible that people want others dead just because they aren't like them or don't have the same beliefs as them. When i found out the details of Matthew sheppards murder I was more shocked than any other emotion.  I think he had every right to be openly gay and he should not have been killed for being himself. I do think though that Matthew shouldn't have been so exposing with this beliefs because there are people who aren't comfortable with gays , for the example his murderers. In conclusion though, everyone deserves to be treated with respect no matter what they believe in. 

Overall i enjoyed reading this play and found it to be very interesting and attention getting. The play gives readers an understanding of what Americans who are different from others have to go through, especially gays. 

Laramie Project Reflection

How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

Before reading The Laramie Project I thought it was another “lame” book that was in the school curriculum; although after I read the book, I was intrigued by how the author put the story together. It made me want to read more and more.  It is a very controversial book that has different perspectives whether the homosexual’s life style is acceptable or not. Some characters in the book believe that he brought it on to himself; while on the other hand others say that they shouldn’t have killed Matthew Shepard. In the following paragraph I will state how I feel.

I believe that if Matthew Shepard didn’t go up to Henderson and Mckinney then he wouldn’t be dead. Sure he was drunk but there were ways that he could have prevented the outcome, such as not going to the bar in the first place. There is no doubt that Matthew’s death was a hate crime. I don’t think that you should go around and telling random people that you’re gay, because not everyone supports homosexuality. Mckinney says that “had this been a heterosexual these two boys decided to take out and rob, this never would have made the national news.''

In conclusion the play was pretty good. It provided  knowledge of how the characters felt in the book. I feel that it was a crime that could have been avoided. In the end the parents gave life sentences to Henderson and Mckinney.

                 

Laramie Project

I’m going to be exploring the question “how did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?” While reading this play, I felt a mixture of emotions. At points I felt sad and mad while at other parts I felt happy. However, throughout the whole play I felt confused. The play did a good job of portraying the different emotions felt by the citizens of Laramie which helped me, the reader, feel the same emotions, but they could have done a better job of making it less confusing.

                While reading The Laramie Project, I felt a lot of different emotions. At the parts when people were talking about the murder, and describing what had happened, and how terrible it was, I felt sadness, and anger. Reading about what exactly happened, and how the murder affected the town was really tough. It was hard to read about how badly he was hurt. On the other hand, when people were describing how wonderful of a person Matthew was, and when they were talking about different memories they had of him, or times before he was killed, I felt happy. It was nice to read about how his life was before he was murdered, and about how life was for all Laramie citizens before this tragedy. Throughout the entire play I was a bit confused. It was hard to keep up with who was who, and how they knew Matthew, or how they were a part of the case because there were so many characters. It was also hard because the readers switched so often. I think that seeing the play in real life, or watching a movie, would have been better because we could have seen different characters, and gotten a better picture in our minds.

                Overall, The Laramie Project, made me feel a lot of different emotions. I experienced sadness, anger, happiness, joy, and confusion along with many other emotions. The play did a pretty good job of portraying the different emotions felt by the citizens of Laramie, which helped me to feel the different emotions. However, I think that seeing the actual play or watching a movie about the incident would have been more beneficial because it would have been a lot less confusing and we could have gotten a better picture of what happened, and the different emotions that people felt.

Laramie Project Final Reflection

For my final reflection after reading The Laramie Project, I chose the topic, "Do you think the Tectonic Theater Project portrayed multiple viewpoints on the Matthew Shepard story?" because one characteristic of Sensational Journalism is to omit certain perspectives from the story in order to gain sympathy or attention for one side, and basically twist the story in favor of what the journalist believes the American public wants to hear. I saw examples of this in many Sensational Journalism stories, including Natalie Holloway's kidnapping in Aruba, Andrea Yates kills her children, the Balloon Boy, and Michael Jackson's death. Specific to the Yates case, journalists took quotes and opinions from everyone BUT Andrea herself. She is portrayed as one of the most awful women alive, as well as a horrible mother. In addition to the horrific story already at hand, journalists wove the name of Andrea's preacher into the story, speculating as to whether or not he caused some of her satanic delusions. Contrary to many of these examples, I believe that The Laramie Project makes a conscious effort to include all perspectives from the Matthew Shepard case, and to practice journalism with integrity. Rather than interview only people who supported Matthew's homosexuality for a biased view on the city of Laramie and intensifying the hate for Aaron and Russell, the Tectonic Theater Project presented viewpoints from almost everyone involved in the case, with the exception of Matthew himself. I think it was important that they included the perspectives of people who didn't support Matthew's sexual orientation and believed that he 'hit on' his murderers (such as the Baptist Minister,) because there was a significant part of the population that agreed. Regardless of the pain that some of the gay and lesbian members of the theater company felt as they interviewed people with such hate, it was imperative that they cover all angles to be  fair and honest in their report. Even the people who didn't HAVE an opinion were important, those who said, "live and let live" needed to have a voice as well. I can't think of a better way to honestly portray all perspectives of a famous case such as this, and I applaud the Tectonic Theater Project for making the effort and putting the news out there in an unbiased and uncensored way that not only broke ground in the mediums of journalism, but also allowed a way for Laramie's people to finally reflect and express their opinions where they could be heard. 

Laramie Project Reflection

I had miscellaneous emotions during the the book because of the situation that was going on like what happened to Matthew Sheppard, and the description that Aaron Kreifels the biker who had found Matthew Sheppard was very malevolent, Aaron Kreifels found Matthew Sheppard after the killer had brutally killed him. When we were reading in class it was kind of hard to comprehend of what the town's people were saying. Not considering, I wouldn've been fine not reading this play. I am not a great fan of reading about
homosexuality and reading why Matthew Sheppard was killed for. Another, is that play's really don't interest me because it get's really boring reading script after script. A very specific example in the play that I didn't like was when Mr. Kreifels found Matthew. Aaron  Kreifels wasn't going that way where he found Matthew Sheppard, but he had a feeling that he should go that way and than he found Matthew Sheppard. It felt to me that the description of Matthew Sheppard were kind of to much. When Matthew Sheppard was tied to a buck fence than beat him so you can't even recognized him. It's appealing  that this murder even occured because the city of Laramie, Wyoming was known to have many gays living there. Sargeant Hing had said how could this happen. how someone can do something like this. We have one of the most vocal populations of gay people in the state. . . .and it’s pretty much: Live and let live.”  I believe that if someone comes out and to be gay than let them have the right to do that. 

Laramie Project Reflection

The Laramie Project was eye opening. Throughout the entire dialogue, I felt as if I were feeling the pain that others felt when hearing about this tragic event. The horrific degree that the true story came to was nothing less then intense. Knowing that someone had died because of who they loved, a family member, a friend, an individual, was hard to believe because you think America is a free country. This story was controversial, and parts were challenging topics that many cannot agree on an answer today.

At one point in the story, I felt sick to my stomach reading about Matthew Sheppard. The descriptions of his beating, exactly how and where, were terrifying. I tried to put myself in his shoes to even try to feel what he felt during his battle with death. Because Matthew wasn’t there to explain his emotion after the beating, it made things even worse for me when I was reading this. All of these interviews helped give me a better idea of maybe what he was feeling, like neighbors and such told how such a horrible thing this was.

On the other hand, I didn’t understand how everyone resorted to Matthews beating because he was gay. Maybe the beaters just wanted to hit someone and Matthew was the one in their sight. It was crazy to think that this story went viral and that everyone heard about it. I didn’t really enjoy the play, just because it was an overload of interviews, and almost too much opinion on one topic for me.

In conclusion, the play was okay. I didn’t feel connected to Matthew, however I did try to feel his pain in the sense that he was beaten to death and how horrible it was. The format of it all wasn’t extremely catchy to me; however it did raise a lot of different opinions which at some points, very overwhelming. Overall, this play did an exceptional job of illuminating a controversial freedom in our country.

The Laramie project reflection

When I first started reading the Laramie project it seemed to me like any old usual play. But after reading it in depth, my opinion began to change. This wasn't any old play nor was it just any old murder. This play has views from multiple people like judges, bartenders, lesbians etc. To me it seemed like an episode from law and order. After reading more and more and playing different roles I began to see how this tragic murder effected not only friends and family of Matthew but people across town. Also the laramie project brought me to have a better understanding on how I feel about gays/lesbians. I was brought up on not having much respect for gays because what they're doing is wrong, but never would I kill a gay/lesbian human being.
In conclusion I thought the laramie project was an alright play. Also it should never be allowed to be played out in any high school because it is too explicit.I enjoyed reading the play in class and discussing the case. I believe that both the suspects should've have served the death penalty because they took an innocent life. "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth"

The Laramie Project

When we first started reading The Laramie Project in class, I had no idea even who Matthew Shepard was nor anything about him.  Matthew was a gay man living in Laramie, Wyoming during his early twenties.  He was considered a local to most and would often go to bars on the weekends.  He was then beaten to death by two men that were against gay people.  He was left tied to a rope in the dark of the night with no one to hear his cry for help.  The play, The Laramie Project, is put together with a series of moments with interviews with people about what they saw and their opinions on this horrible tragedy.  I felt sad but at the same time interested in what people had to say about the murder when I was reading the book. 

When I was reading the play, to think of someone being killed for what they believe in put a knot in my stomach.  I was horrified when it described when the parents visited the site of their son’s death and saw that there was not much to be seen besides the vast sky filled with stars.  They also described what they thought he saw in his last moments with the city of Laramie in the background.  Also, when the murderers described what they thought had happened that night was hard to read.  They said that Matthew had approached them for a ride home and that Matthew was feeling the driver up as he was in the middle.  The driver told him to stop but he refused and beat him up with the help of his friend.  I find this hard to believe.  I don’t think anything would make a stranger that anger in order to beat him up so much and to have killed him.  

It is sometimes hard to believe the people that were interviewed for the play because of the whole media concept in and of itself.  People will do many things to become famous or not famous  When people were interviewed some would say that they would rather not say what they truly believe and how they feel about it; as if they were holding back what could be important details.  It makes me think that many details are missing and that people might have exaggerated or not elaborated enough on some of their stories.  

I thought it was an interesting way to describe the events and reaction regarding the murder of Matthew Shepard.  The story line was intriguing and kept me interested throughout the play.  Because it had so many different characters in the play, it was at times confusing to keep everyone straight on who they were and what purpose they served.  I think why Matthew was killed is an unreasonable death and that no one should have to suffer because of the sexuality.  

Overall, I feel horrible for the Shepard family and I can only imagine what they had to go through.  A death is an irreplaceable person and because he was only 21 years old I feel like he had so much more to live.  I think that the play was a good thing to read to keep everyone updated and how one death can affect so many people that you would never expect; even those still reading the play today.  

The Laramie Project Reflection

Throughout the reading of The Laramie Project, I had mixed emotions.  It is terribly tragic and disgusting how people think it's alright to kill other people. It was hard for me to hear about the murder and the specific detail of how the biker, Aaron Kreifels, found Matthew Shepard after the killing took place. When reading it in class, it was sometimes hard to follow along just because I can't comprehend as easily what others are saying. Regardless, I would've been fine not reading the play. I am not a fan of reading about homosexuality and especially the reasoning behind why Shepard was killed. Also, I have never been one to like reading plays, I think it has something to do with the format of it.
A very specific example from the play that I really didn't enjoy reading about was when Kreifels found Shepard. It's truly amazing how he was discovered because as Aaron said, he did not intend to take that path biking, which lead him to believe it was meant to be. I felt bereaved and bitter inside when they described what Shepard looked like....he was found tied to a "buck" fence, beaten and unconcious, obviously dieing a few days after in a coma. It's interesting that this murder even occured because the city of Laramie in Wyoming was known to have many gays living there. As Sargeant Hing stated: “How could this happen? I—I think a lot of people just don’t understand, and even I don’t really understand, how someone can do something like that. We have one of the most vocal populations of gay people in the state. . . .And it’s pretty much: Live and let live.”
 It's disheartening to know that some people are so against homosexuality. I believe if one wants to come out and be gay, they should have the complete right to do so. I just think they should not publicy display their affection for one another or purposfully expose their homosexuality for those who do feel uncomfotable with it. Baptist Minister, believes the Bible states that homosexuality is wrong. I believe it is an opinion and one should be able to have the choice whether they want to like the same sex. The Laramie Project displayed a case that actually does happen these days and it's terrible to see how homosexuals are discrimminated against.

The Laramie Project Reflection

The Laramie Project Reflection

            My first reaction to reading The Laramie Project was “another boring school book”, but as I soon discovered in the next couple days it wasn’t your average school book. I found the book to be very interesting and controversial. When reading this book I didn’t know what to feel at first, but after a while I found myself becoming more and more interested in what happened.

            The set up of this play was very different from any other I have read. The interviews with all the different people really gave you all the perspectives of the story. Including those for and against gays. Obviously what the boys did to Matthew Shepard was wrong. I think the real question here is, was what Matthew did wrong. I recall from the story when one of the boys was describing what happened right before he started beating him in the car, he said that he was touching him inappropriately and to me this is not right. Not only should the boys have respected Matthews’s beliefs, but Matthew should have respected the boys’ beliefs as well.

            In conclusion there are many lessons to be learned while reading this story. Some are very obvious and some are hidden. Such as the one I pointed out, if we all respect each other’s beliefs there should be no problems. The problems start when people can’t keep their beliefs to themselves 

The Laramie Project Reflection

The Laramie Project Reflection

                The Laramie project was a very interesting play. It explored the controversial ideas and thoughts about gays and if their lifestyle should be accepted and dealt with around the world today. For this response, I will be discussing how I felt when reading the Laramie project, and the new ideas and thoughts that came to me while I was reading.

                When first beginning the Laramie Project, I was interested in learning what exactly happened to Matthew Sheppard and why exactly he was murdered. I really enjoyed how the story was played out with all of the different perspectives of people living in Laramie. It really helped bring all sides and beliefs to the table to think about. I think it is awful what the two boys did to Shepard. Just because someone is different from you and may not believe what you believe, it does not mean you should go and kill them. I think it was Sheppard’s right if he wanted to be openly gay or not. I don’t think anyone should have done that to him because he was exercising his right of free speech. And even though you may not agree with the lifestyle of the gay’s, doesn’t mean we should treat them poorly. They deserve to be treated with respect.

                Overall, I really enjoyed the Laramie project and thought it was a very honest portrayal of what many Americans think about the gay community today.

Laramie Project Reflection

Prompt: Theater is one of the forms of communication that is not Mass Media. Do you think this play was worth reading in class? What class issues did it connect to?


     In these next paragraphs, I'll be discussing whether or not The Laramie Project was something that we should've read as a class, and the issues that it connected to. Being one of the most performed plays in America today, The Laramie Project gives a new perspective to one of the most startling hate crimes in American history. 
     While theater is not a form of mass media, I don't think that reading The Laramie Project in class was a waste of time, for multiple reasons. The first is that the Matthew Shepard story was a story that completely involved sensational journalism, and journalism is one of the largest forms of mass media. Another reason is because Matt Shepard's story is one that everyone needs to hear about, especially in light of recent occurrences in the gay community. The play refers multiple times to the gay community as a whole, not just as Matthew Shepard as a gay person. I feel that if people who have committed hate crimes lately were to read The Laramie Project and get a new perspective on gay people, some of those crimes may not have happened. A final reason that The Laramie Project was good to read in class is because overall, it's just a good play. It's stylistically very different than all other plays, and the writers do an excellent job at explaining both sides of the argument, even when the the side that the writers are on is clearly established. It takes a huge amount of skill and humility to be able to listen to someone who is adamantly against the cause that you are fighting for. 
     The Laramie Project connected to a large amount of class issues, the main one being sensational journalism. When Matt Shepard's story started circulating through the news, the people grabbed onto it, and kept eating up every single story that was published about it. Another way that it connects is because it shows perfectly how the reporters only exposed one side of the story. In almost every article on Matt Shepard, there is never an interview with his killers. Nobody ever gave Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson a chance to say exactly what was going through their minds when they killed Shepard. 
     Overall, I thought that reading The Laramie Project was really interesting and beneficial. It gave a whole new insight to a story that I thought I already knew, and it was written in a style that was interesting to read and to imagine showing up on a stage. 

Laramie Project Reflection Assignment

 How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

     When reading The Laramie Project, I had many emotions. Some i can't explain fully; The ones that stick out to me the most are sad, helpless, disgust, anger but at some moments i feel joy. All of the negative feelings are obvious as to why. This crime, considered a hate crime, is unforgivable and unjust. Matthew Shepard did not deserve this and he is getting punished for his lifestyle. Could you imagine getting beaten to death because you like a certain television show or movie? Its a dumb reason right? Well so is the reason Matthew died for. I feel like it wasn't anyone's business about his sexuality and he should be able to live his life the way he wants, but certain people think it involves them when it truly does not. All the feelings i have for Matthew i think about with a heavy heart.
     I also said i had joy when reading this story. In parts of the play, you see little spurts of joy and hope. For example, when that boy found him tied to the fence on his way home. He didn't usually take that way home, but since he did, he found Matthew and saved him from dying outside all alone. Another part that made me feel joy was when there was a parade. Matthews float had people following it, marching for him. By the end of the parade, the number of people marching for him grew 3 times larger. This goes to show that many people cared about Matthew and he impacted many peoples lives.
     Matthew Shepard's case was an extremely sensational story. It changed peoples perspectives and thoughts on homosexuality and homophobia. After i read this play i did feel sad, but i also felt joy. Joy and happiness are two different things to me. Happiness is something you feel when you are happy, just a feeling that is temporary and can change. Deep joy is something that's indescribable. Its a feeling that you can have even when you're sad. Even though Matthews case is heart wrenching, you can still feel deep joy for Matthew and how he changed lives and how many people loved him and still do to this day.

Laramie Project Reflection

How I felt while reading the Laramie Project

When we started reading the Laramie Project to be honest I was bummed we had to read a book. Except as we began to read my views changed. Reading all the interviews that were documented were really interesting. With so many views from both ends of the spectrum made the book that much more controversial. When reading the book at times I felt uncomfortable reading it and other times I just got really mad at what some of the people were saying. I couldn't believe that somebody would do this to a poor boy who did nothing wrong.

One section of the play affected me a lot more than I thought it would. It was the section were it had multiple interviews from other homosexuals. They said that they were scared to come out and admit they were gay/lesbian. This made me mad. Nobody should have to feel that way. Everyone should feel safe within there own skin and not have to pretend to be somebody they are not. A quote from a character I had to read said, "I'm afraid to show any affection for my partner in public anymore." People should feel safe walking around their own town and not scared for there lives. People need to realize that people are people and there is no difference between us.

As my views changed while reading the Laramie Project it opened my eyes. I hadn't heard the story before and it was interesting to read about it. This story will stick with me for a very long time. I was able to get involved with the story and it related to what is still going on in this world today. I will most likely forget names, places and details. The story and my reaction I won’t forget though. Since my feelings about the story were so strong and I was emotionally involved I learned a lot from reading this book. I believe that everybody should have to read this book because of the story, information and perspectives it provides.

Laramie Project Reflection-Alec Wojack

                I never will begin to understand the reasons behind killing another innocent individual. In The Laramie Project Matthew Shepard being a gay is beaten into a coma and later dead all because of the the lifestyle he choses to live. My first impressions of the book were that it was just another book about murder. But after reading the first few chapters it set a pretty good story line. Even though the story is very sad it portrays a very important message in life. That no matter what lifestyle you choose or who you are, we all have the same rights. The ignorance of the two men that killed him still continues to amaze me in the fact that how can you take another individuals life only because of his sexuality. On top of the fact that he has a family just like everyone else and the fact that these two men believe they are better than him just saddens me even more. The book also makes a valid point that it was a major reality check for everyone because this terrible crime happened in a town no one expected it to. So it really opened up the eyes of america to these hateful things happening all over and making everyone recognize the problems that arise everyday in this world.
               The image that stood out to me the most in the book was when the cyclist Aaron Kreifels found Matthew Shepard tied to the pole. I thought this was a very horrifying scene because i could picture the sight that Aaron saw and the terror that would run throw my body after seeing such a sight. Another scene that stood out for me was when Matthew Sheppards father Dennis talked to one of the killers of his son, Aaron Mckinnley. Dennis describes to Aaron that his actions are unforgivable and sick. Which i agree with very much and i couldnt have put it better myself. He also describes how he doesnt know how another person could do this to his son because of his lifestyle, insisting that Aaron has mental issues which i believe are also true. Aaron then tries to apologize and give solutions like any rationale possible to help forgive his actions which their was no possible way that would happen. But what stood out the most was how Dennis said he would never let another person die because of this terrible accident that toke his son from him. I believe Dennis is very respectable, tolerant, and smart man who is one of many few people who strive to make a difference in the world.
                This book was one of the best novels i have read about human rights. I also believe that Matthew Sheppard has contributed to making this world a better place for everyone. Not only because he died for a unjust reason, but because he opened the eyes of americans to this rising issue of gays vs. straights. I believe that if it had not been for this case that the war between gays and straights could possibly still be intact and innocent people could be killed everyday over this unimportant way of life. I learned a lot from reading this book. It teaches tolerance, respect, way of life, reality, and death. I strongly believe that everyone has the same rights, no ones higher than another, and that everyone should treat people how they want to be treated. I believe that society describes each and every person in it. Societys not perfect, and no person is perfect. But whats wrong with trying.

How I felt about the laramie project- Dan Lee

How Did You Feel While Reading The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project was about a murder that took place because a person was homosexual. The book tried to display
all of the different view points about it from both the media and the people. This was a very contraversial story
and a very contraversial play. When we read this as a class I'd have to say I was mainly confused.

Now, why was I confused? Well mainly because the book was really poorly written. It was extremely hard to figure
out what people were talking about in the first place, and who was talking to who. The whole book just seemed like a
bunch of random statments from people. That would be the first reason why I was confused by the book.

The next reason would be that I didnt really see different view points about the story. Obviously no one is gonna say that
it was good that that kid died or the he completely diserved it. The only different viewpoints were that, mabye the kid was asking
for it, or he didnt diserve it. The other conflicting view points were. I'm gay, or I dont like homosexuality. It just
seemed kind of pointless to me in general.

All in The Laramie was just confusing to me because i didnt see the point and it was poorly written. But it does bring up
how bad bullying and intolerance of gays is in america. Which is something we need to take care of as a community.
But my feelings about the book didnt change as we went on, I knew i would feel that way going into the book.

Yara Sabri's Laramie Project Reflection

Question: How did The Laramie Project Make You Feel?

The world is an unpredictable place where unthinkable things happen. The Laramie Project, a story that takes you to a place like no other, is an insightful piece, which brings our deepest emotions to the surface and offers a hopeful message. When I read the play, I was completely caught off guard, interested, and hopeful for Matthew Sheppard. The drama is extremely revealing and leaves out no details. It is expected to feel sympathy for Matthew or feel hatred towards the killers. However, I was didn’t solely feel grief, but rather, I was inspired and elated. I was able to see the potential this story had to offer. The events that occurred were tragic and the testimonies were difficult to read. Ultimately, I was able to look past the negative and focus on the great potential Matthew’s death had to offer to society.

Montages of images were gathering in my mind as I was reading Matthew Sheppard’s crime scene.  I was picturing the killers in the midst of their heinous crime, and the parents’ reaction when they found out that their son was killed simply because of who he was. The scene where Matthew’s father, Dennis, spoke face to face to one of Matthew’s killers, Aaron McKinney, was by far the most difficult scene for me to read. McKinney offered rationales to justify his actions, but in such a situation, no amount of explanation could justify what they did. This is the scene we were all waiting for. We pictured it in our mind and imagined what the parents would say or do the to killer of their child. It is hard not to put yourself in the father’s shoes and experience his feelings. Imagine losing your son because someone hated him for freely expressing his sexuality.  Dennis’s words are hard to forget. He put McKinney in his place by bluntly telling him his actions were unforgiveable. Dennis told McKinney that he couldn’t discriminate against someone simply because of the lifestyle they had chosen. Mr. Sheppard was visibly shaken by the whole ordeal, but declared that even though he could never bring Matthew back, he would never allow what happened to his son happen to any innocent person ever again. In addition, intolerance was a powerful word Dennis used to describe the boys’ actions. Tolerance was a strong theme in the play and it clearly explains the boys’ naïve behavior. It is amazing to read that in a time of such tragedy, the people that were hurt the most were still filled with love and good judgment.

It comes as a harsh reality check that something so vile and heinous could occur in a supposedly ‘perfect’ city such as Laramie. The Laramie Project provided a wide array of perspectives allowing us to make many powerful emotional connections, which culminated in a poignant and memorable play. My first impression was completely wrong. I had no idea how explicit and eye opening it was going to be. I expected a typical crime story that had its good and bad parts. However, the details are what made the story exceptional, especially the testimonies. The openness of the story allowed for connection and sympathy from the audience. We were required to read this drama in class, and I was not interested in reading it whatsoever. But, as I write now, I realize how much I learned from this play as a whole. I came to the conclusion that it is extremely important to respect people’s beliefs and lifestyles. Having tolerance and respecting others is extremely important in bettering our society. This helps prevent tragic events like Matthew’s from reoccurring.

Laramie Project reflection-Alex Rash

When reading the Laramie Project I was immediately stuck with many different emotions.  I was filled with anger and hatred but among those was a feeling of hope.  What makes this incident so important was a thought that ran through my mind.  After reading this play I have now understood what the Laramie Project says for free speech and equality.  No wonder why this play is among the top choices for plays in High Schools.  The Laramie Project portrayed one town in America at the end of the millennium. But in doing so, it managed to capture something American, something about social injustices and beliefs. It told the story of one American town at the end of the millennium, but by doing so, it talked about America as a whole and how people’s beliefs are changing and what used to be acceptable is now frowned upon by society. 

How this play was written was exceptionally well done.  I was able to see the point of view from a very wide range of people.  I could really both sides to the incident.  From what I have read, Mathew Sheppard’s death was covered by the media in some form of a sensational story.  The media portrayed the incident in many biased ways.  The  Tectonic Theater group did not like this so by interviewing the residents made the story very real and emotional.  I thought it was very interesting how so many residents have a common feeling of guilt that in some way they could have saved Mathew.

When I started reading the Laramie Project I was not excited at all.  It’s a play, and it’s about a small and how they killed an openly gay man called Mathew Sheppard.  It turns out it’s much more then a simple play.  The play did an excellent job in interviewing all of the people who could have possibly had a connection to Mathew.  The language used is very intense.  I will remember this play because of how it made me feel.  While I was shocked and very disturbed at what happened I was also hopeful for Mathew and what his example serves for hate crimes across the globe.  I see this play being used, as examples to teach people the harm of hate crimes.  This play serves as an example of the harm done by ruthless individuals but more importantly as a guide on how America views homosexuals and where it’s headed.

Laramie Project Reflection

Question: How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

            When I was reading the The Laramie Project, I felt a rush of many emotions like disgusted, enraged, hapless, and elated, with some of these being felt at the same time.  This story has so many controversial elements to it that it is easy to pick a side and the emotions that come with that decision.  While most people reading this story feel sad and angry in those painful moments, I have a feeling of hope.  When Matthew is in the hospital and the readers are sad for him, I have hope that he can pull through it and survive. 

            During a part in the play, one conversation stuck out to me like a sore thumb.  That conversation with Aaron Kreifels gave me a sense of optimism that Matthew might pull through his ordeal.  Aaron Kreifels was the cyclist that found Matthew Shepard after he took an unfamiliar route home that night on his bicycle.  During this conversation, Kreifels said something like, “I never take that route home, but something told me I should and I knew it was for good reason after I found Matthew Shepard barely alive on that fence.”  This made me think that there is a chance for Matthew because he didn’t die on that fence; he had a will to live.  I think this quote gave others a sense of belief and that the evil didn’t win but instead lost. 

            As I started to read the first few pages of The Laramie Project I thought this would be just another pointless and emotionless play we have to read for class.  I was definitely wrong on both accounts.  It connected to many points of real-world issues and debates as well as bringing up emotions I have never felt while reading any type of text.  This feeling of emotions was due to the terrific job that was done by the play company.  They did an outstanding job of interviewing everyone that had any type of connection to Matthew Shepard and they kept the script true to the exact words that came out of each every witness’s mouth.  This story is not only heart wrenching but transcendent as well and will be remembered for decades to come.

Laramie Project Review

Question: How did the Laramie Project make you feel?
I felt many different feelings while reading the Laramie Project: sad, hurt, out of control, mad, and useless at some times. The story of Matthew Shepard was one of the most controversial stories I've ever read. The feeling of sadness, and possibly anger, I think is a feeling most people have while reading this story. I felt a few things though that maybe some have not felt. For example; useless. I wanted to jump through the story and be apart of the funeral, the vigils and all of the memorials they had for Matthew. I have a person in my family that is homosexual, and I couldn't even fathom this ever happenng to them.

A specific part of the play that made me feel hurt was the scene of the interview with Matt Galloway, the bartender at Fireside. He stated somehting like "I felt like i could have stopped it all." This made me realize that Aaron Mckinney and Russell Henderson did more than just cause a death for Matthew. The two boys that murdered Matthew left behind a trail of people that not only are hurt because of the death, but they feel that they could have prevented it in some way. Now they'll feel forever like, "I could've saved Matthew's life...but I didn't."

I started reading The Laramie Project and I thought it was going to be a good story. One with good parts and bad parts, parts worth remembering and those worth forgetting. It did much more than that. While reading I found that The Tectonic Theatre group does a really good job of giving every possible angle of the story. They interviewed everyone I could think of to interview for this story. I feel like this will be one of those stories I remember indefinitely. For anyone about to read this, prepare to be shocked. It does so much more than make you think, it makes you remember.

Laramie project refleaction

Mass media
Shelan Kalur
Laramie Project Reflection

The Question: How did you feel when reading The Laramie Project?

When I was reading the book called the Laramie Project in our class, I felt really sad and just out of control that the fact how Matthew Sheppard was beaten and killed. Matthew Sheppard had got killed and beaten just because he told these two other guys that he was gay. The two guys that killed Matthew Sheppard were named Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. They had beat Matthew really bad because he had got head injures that really affect him to die. If something like that kind of situation happen to me, which I don’t hope so, I would have a lot of pain too. They had tied him to a fence in a rural area, leaving him to die until the police can find him. Matthew Sheppard murder had brought national and international attention to the issues of hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels.

It was a good thing that those two guys had got caught and put in jail, because if they weren’t, then I think it wouldn’t be a good idea because they could have made more trouble for themselves and others by causing more problems. Also I want to talk about the place called Laramie, after an opening comment by the narrator, one of the town’s long-time resident provides a bit of personal history about living in the place called Laramie. People had concern about the town Laramie, because they knew something had been changed. For example, in the book there was a quote that said “it’s hard to talk about Laramie now.” Then he continues: “if you would have asked me before, I would have told you Laramie is a beautiful town.” But unfortunately things have been changed in the town Laramie because of the issue about Matthew Sheppard case.

I think the reason why people are having concern is because maybe of what happen to Matthew had caused others in the town. People now think the town Laramie is not a safe and good place to stay in. I would think that way too, because if I had hear or seen someone getting beaten or killed just because he or she is gay or Elizabethan I think I would start to hate that place and not go back to that place anymore forever because I know its not a safe place to be in. I rather am safe and not getting hurt than getting beaten just for saying something out loud to others.

Taylor Olien- WATERGATE

http://www.vuvox.com/my_vox/show/0344239ef5

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