Post 12

Wenger describes three types of new belonging: engagement, imagination, and alignment. Engagement is all about forming relationships and getting to know current members and trying to fit in. Newcomers generally need someone to follow before they can start to lead and always flock towards the more mature members of the discourse community who understand concepts and are smart. In the drumline of the Marching 110, freshman are assigned bigs whom they can look up to and go to if they don't understand something or need help. Imagination, to me, is where you see yourself in the discourse community. What do you do and how do you do it? And how do these things make up what you are and what you do for your discourse community? Finally, alignment is the two ideas put together. What are your plans and ideas for where the discourse community is going? How will things change and how are you going to make them change? A newcomer must understand these three points to fit in well into their new discourse community. In the drumline, all members are responsible for knowing and performing drill and music to their highest ability. Over the years, I've noticed that the freshman have come in with more talent year after year and that the ability of the drumline has risen to new levels of capability. This comes from the last two points, imagination and alignment. New members understand what's expected of them and they accept the challenge which makes the overall level of the drumline rise. This not only meets the bands motto of "better than the best ever" but it also makes playing much more fun and excited; the better you are, the more fun it is to play.