Denise Birchler
Bradford Nadziejko
September 23, 2010
Rough Draft
I will be researching the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta Illinois. The complex was in Vandalia, Ohio from 1923-2005, and then moved to Sparta in 2006. I will be researching not only the complex in general, but also the different shoots and how the shooters interact towards each other.
I believe that I am different than the shooters; I do not understand why people would spend so much money on their guns, or, for that matter, why they love shooting so much. I personally think I would be horrible at trap shooting; I have never shot a gun before. A lot of it depends on the shooter’s background; where they grew up, if they came from a family with tons of money, or one that came from not so much, and whether or not they got a higher level of education.
I am a 19 year old, white female. I live with my parents and my little sister; it is sometimes a big pain living with them, but I am still glad I stay with them. We have lived in the same house since I was about 3 years old; it has all my childhood memories in it. I grew up in Sparta, went to school in Sparta, and got my first job in Sparta. I have been employed at 17th Street Bar and Grill in Sparta for the past 4 years, and babysit or mow grass when I am not working. I am not married. I am a sophomore at Southwestern Illinois College and my major is in Social Work, I plan on transferring from Southwestern Illinois College next year and going to Southern Illinois University-Carbondale to get my bachelors degree then my masters in Social Work.
I have been working at 17th Street Bar and Grill (located in the Main Event Center at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Illinois) for the past 4 years-- almost as long as the complex itself. I guess that is why I am so interested in learning more about it. I do not really know much about it other than when there are shoots. I have experience with the shooting complex because I have worked there for so long and I have served so many shooters it is ridiculous. I know how they act, what they want, what they need, and when they need it. It all comes with the experience you get from working there. I want to find out if this diverse group of people from around the world would be considered a subculture, and how they got into the sport. I do not have any concerns about this group, I believe that I will have no problem getting my information, and talking to some of the employees of the complex and seeing what they have to say about it.
Some stereotypes I have heard include; shooters are usually good tippers, very protective of their guns and usually very rude and inconsiderate when being waited on at work. That is usually said because someone has had a few bad experiences with them. I can say they are very protective of their guns. Some of them are very rude when being waited on at work, this usually happens when we are extremely busy, and they want their food right away. They are not considerate of the other people around them and are usually very loud when they get mad.
I think it will be hard for me to understand why people would spend so much on a gun and the other supplies. It just seems weird to me that someone would you spend thousands of dollars on a gun just to go off and shoot it? If it was me I would be protecting it with as many cases as possible, putting it in a safe place, and never using it. I will try to come to an understanding of why people enjoy trap shooting so much and why they want to spend so much money on their things. Most importantly, I will look into the history of the complex, where it originated, why it moved, what was the land before the complex was built. I will also observe how other shooters interact with each other; do they have certain jesters, a certain code that they go by, and their own language. By the end of the semester I plan on understanding more about the shooting complex, and the history behind it. Along with the different shoots, and how shooters interact with each other.
I just added some things to it ... If you can think of anything else let me know!
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