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FULL Honors Thesis Project - Google Docs
1. Three and a Half Years out of My Comfort Zone:
An Honors Thesis Project
HIST 4990 and ANTH 4700
Summer 2014
Chelsea Kimpton
Bachelor of Science in History
with Anthropology Minor
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3. Project Introduction
I remember two metal towers wounded, bleeding smoke and specks of people plastered on
the television early Tuesday morning. When I attended school later that day the same silence
plagued the teachers; I never understood the silence but I felt something was gravely wrong. All
I kept hearing was “terrorists” and “Muslims” and photos of a bearded man placed as public
enemy number one. A few weeks after the 9/11 attacks I observed a man prostrating in prayer in
McCarran International Airport. My eyes widened: I did not fear if he had a bomb but what other
people would think or even do to him if he kept praying like that. I tugged on my mom’s shirt
and pointed to him; she stated “He is just really devoted to his religion, sweetheart.” I am
thankful she worded her explanation just like that and not, “Don’t point at him or else he will
blow us up!” To be honest I always loved Arabic culture and Islamic architecture, but after 9/11 I
veered off into other interests.
When I attended Southern Utah University in the small town of Cedar City, Utah in August
of 2010, I signed up for the honors section of English 1010 with Dr. Kyle Bishop. I always
enjoyed writing, formulating descriptive sentences, or just talking about something I am
passionate about. The first day of class Dr. Bishop described a project in which the class would
choose to do and write about. The inspiration came from Morgan Spurlock’s Super Size Me: the
project was to choose to experience anything (that was not illegal, detrimental you your health,
or harmful) for thirty days. At the time I was reading Greg Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea for
another class and the ninth anniversary of 9/11 was around the corner, and the idea popped in my
mind. Nah...I don’t know about that...what would my parents think?... No...no…I’ll think about it.
I bounced the idea around for a few weeks and asked my parents’ opinion: “I was thinking of
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