Monthly Archives: October 2016

Quotes from “Possible Worlds: Henri Lefebvre and the Right to the City”

Class Notes

POSSIBLE WORLDS: HENRI LEFEBVRE AND THE RIGHT TO THE CITY.

“The first is easy for most: accept the inferno and become such a complete part of it that you no longer know it is there.” (para.1)

The meaning behind this quote is those people who dwell on certain things. The only way to help yourself is accept the situation and make the best out of it.

“For Lefebvre formal, legal rights are never God-given, nor are they natural rights that the framers of constitutions simply write down. Rather rights are always the outcome of political struggle.” (pg.146 para. 2)

This quote really stood out to me because I couldn’t agree more. The cost of reconciliation has to be the shed of a human sacrifice. In this case its political struggles. Meaning in order for things to get better or to have change someone or something has to give it a spark in the flame.

“The initiatives here are diverse, but in the main their goal is to argue that the right to the city should be seen as a human right, and that governments must honor that right and guarantee it for their citizens (Mayer, 2012).” (para.8)

I agree with this quote  But in my opinion I always feel like there will be some person or people who feels like the government is oppressing them and treating them unfairly. This issue will probably never be resolved.

 

 

 

Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces by Kathleen G Scholl and Gowri Betrabet Gulwadi

Reading Summaries,

 

The new central campus of Cornell
The new central campus of Cornell Tech University with a huge open space Source:Click Here

In the article, Scholl and Guwaldi focus on how American campuses are changing their landscapes to provide a more holistic learning environment to meet the needs of today’s college student.The article makes the claim that students who are enrolled at an open spaced campus tend to have a better learning experience compared to those in closed space campuses. Today’s universities are expected to look different compared to other places  and have better resources such as technology and more open spaces. The college experience is considered stressful and demanding and features such as a well -designed campus and connection of indoor and outdoor spaces influence student learning by refreshing functioning for attention drained students.

Scholl and Guwaldi go on to give a historical overview of traditional campuses,which we were located in rural areas and were secluded to ensure students were not distracted and devoted unlimited time to learning.In order to add quality to the campus environment and provide environmental benefits (such as limiting global warming),universities decided to integrate open spaces into green sections of the campus. In today’s age,college students get distracted and turn to their cellular devices,this allows them to text and be on Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook or other social media sites.However, the authors believe being outside helps them interact better with people,and focus more on their surroundings.

Scholl and Guwaldi believe that nature integration improves the attention span of students,study breaks taken within natural like settings help restore attention, and prepare the the student for the upcoming class.This in turn not only provides academic benefits but gives students a sense of community.Traditional campus indoor spaces provide the structured learning experience, however in order to create a dynamic learning environment,strengthen direct attention of students and encourage social interaction, a natural outdoor setting must be included in infrastructure as well.

Source: Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces Article

Annotation of “The Innovation Campus: Building Better Ideas” by Alexandra Lange

Class Notes, Reading Annotations,

 

Rendering of the Bloomberg Center and the Tech Walk at Cornell Tech.
Rendering of the Bloomberg Center and the Tech Walk at Cornell Tech. Source:Click on the photo

The title of this article “Innovation Campus: Building better ideas” is the main idea of this article. She’s saying that the architecture of one’s building helps individuals create better.    

The author uses ethos to persuade her audience. Alexandra Lange is an architecture critic for Curbed. Her work has been in The Architect’s Newspaper, Design Observer, Metropolis, New York Magazine, and The New York Times. Architects/Designers and Universities may really consider her opinion of the new design for their campuses. Source: http://www.alexandralange.net/

 “In many of the new buildings, an industrial look prevails, along with an end to privacy.” Privacy is being free from being observed or disturbed by other people. I personally would hate not to have my own space where I can sit and concentrate.

“Though studies have shown that proximity and conversation can produce creative ideas, there’s little research on the designs needed to facilitate the process.” I agree with this part of the article. I believe having a face-to-face conversation is more effective. Having a one- on- one with someone encourages social interaction.

“There’s also much more to do with your hands than take notes in class:” This quote appeals to the hands-on learner. What if you’re not a hands-on type of learner? What if you prefer visual learning instead?

“Instead, there will be options so that people can choose how they like to work, from open-plan spaces by the windows, to a roof deck with a garden, to huddle rooms for groups of five or less.” This idea supports the thesis in the article, “Recognizing Campus Landscapes as Learning Spaces” by Scholl and Gulwadi.

“The experience will cost. A double goes for $6,830 for the academic year, a three person loft for $9,135.” The article states it so casually like that’s not a lot of money. That is insane! They really go too much in detail on how much tuition cost. I’m pretty sure it’s going to be extremely expensive. I feel like this colleges that will be built appeals to rich Ivy League kids.

“One thing about the building is it has no formal classrooms, and no faculty or staff offices,” If there are no offices, where would faculty and staff go when they have to put in grades or possibly need to talk to student privately?

“It is important to have a critical mass of women involved”… he said.’ I believe that men and women should be equal in all majors of higher education. There shouldn’t be a division between the sexes.

Source: Click here for the article

The design of the GSU “quad” discourages unity

Conversation Pieces, , , , , ,
Smoker's Area in the Quad~ Close to entrance of Sparks Hall across from Classroom South Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson
Smoker’s Area in the Quad~ Close to entrance of Sparks Hall across from Classroom South
Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson

The design of the GSU quad discourages unity because it can divide different people  by the different sections. For example: The ‘smokers” area. Due to the many risks and advertising of the no smoking movement in the U.S. many young people (ages 16-24) don’t smoke cigarettes. The ones that do have there own section in the quad. They post up or sit down by the the entrance of sparks hall which is located right of the entrance of Kell Hall. When you walk past you immediately get hit in the face with cigarette smoke. The smell is so intoxicating that I don’t even sit in the quad.

GSU Emergency Call Photo Credit~Neil Brown
GSU Emergency Call
Photo Credit~Neil Brown

Another design of the GSU quad that discourages unity, the picture of the emergency call box on Neil’s blog. You have all these stickers covering up the emergency call box.  A sticker is covering up the word police. That doesn’t show unity.  Can you imagine if something was going down at the quad at night. Students wouldn’t t be able to identify where it is. The stickers shows that the students don’t care about the safety if there covering up what it is suppose to be very important. Especially since this campus is in the heart of downtown.

Focused Built Environment: The Georgia Aquarium

Site Descriptions, , , , ,
Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson
Side View of Georgia Aquarium Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson

On a very windy Saturday night I was walking to the Georgia Aquarium from the Southeast end of Baker Street. As I was approaching my site I could already see the illuminating lights of the building. The Georgia Aquarium is located on 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313.  The first thing that caught my eye of course were the lights from the building. The lights highlighted this giant blue G. Its structure was in the shape of a fish. The giant G is surrounded by this lighted transparent blue glass structure. On the side going past the giant G, the building has sharp pointed tip at the top. It looks like the mouth of a sword fish. I observed the big orange letters that spelled the Georgia Aquarium. They were sitting on top of a light grey oval- shaped structure. Located on the legs of the oval structure were light posts. Sitting on the light grey concrete were many dark grey concrete circle shaped plant pots that were holding this different plants. I also noticed that the Aquarium was being gated by rails that went around the entire building.

Front View of Georgia Aquarium Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson
Front View of Georgia Aquarium Entrance 
Photo Credit~ Scatia Anderson

As I walked around to the front entrance of the Georgia Aquarium I noticed all these beautiful trees. They were placed into different sections of the open- spaced entrance. The trees were surrounded by a concrete curb to hold the plants in the place.  I also noticed that there was a directory for people who needed to buy tickets and who had already purchased the tickets. The lines were sectioned off by these retractable line dividers. If you look to the bottom right of the image you can see a caucasian lady smoking a cigarette.You can still the still see the emblem of the Georgia Aquarium, the giant G. The trees were blocking most of the transparent glass building. The banner on the right of the building was appealing to the aquarium’s ethos. The banner says “#1 in US”. I researched it and they stand corrected. The Georgia Aquarium is the biggest and the best aquarium in the United States.

What’s to come of the Summerhill Community???: Where are the African Americans going to go???

Conversation Pieces, , , , , ,

 

So you guys already know about the moving of Turner Field in Atlanta, GA to Cobb County, GA. The new Stadium has been purchased by Georgia State University for the GSU Baseball and Softball team. This entire process is about to have a MAJOR change on the Summerhill Community. Many people including news reporters and social media and residents feels that the move of Turner Field was move was racially motivated. This has caused tensions between black residents and white residents.

“Summerhill, the neighborhood where the stadium currently resides, has a population that’s 89 percent black.” (Barber) One of my family members lives in the Square at Peeplestown apartments right behind the stadium. This apartment complex is majority African Americans and they have low-based incomes and is assisted by government housing (Section-8). The landlord/government has already told the residents of the apartment complex that they have to move out by the end of this year (December 2016). Georgia State plans on making those apartments into GSU dorms. That’s great and all but my family member has no idea where he’s going to move him and his family. Its not just my family that’s being affected 

I researched a little bit and these are some of things I found. “The loss of Turner Field also means the loss of hundreds of part-time jobs, a crushing blow for a neighborhood where the median income is $15- 20k lower than where the new stadium will be built.” (Barber) In my site response I talked to a man who explained how the move of Turner Field is going to affect his financially. https://sites.gsu.edu/sanderson57/2016/09/13/my-view-of-turner-field-pt-2/ 

Do you know where they’re going to move??? I do.They’re going to move to the next low income areas. Like DeKalb County, Clayton County, and another part of Fulton County.  

Sources: James Redding Jr. (My Uncle)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/houston-barber/the-fall-of-turner-field-_b_9612302.html

My Georgia Aquarium Experience

Site Descriptions, , , ,

 

On September 23, 2016 I visited The Georgia Aquarium. It is a public aquarium located on 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta, GA 30313. It houses thousands of animals, all of which reside in 10 million gallons of marine and salt water. This aquarium is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere. As I approached the building I was so excited. My heart was pumping with so much adrenaline. When I first walked in and turned the corner I immediately saw these beautiful fishes in this amazing dark blue water. Here’s a clip of the entrance: https://youtu.be/m34Qor_L_VY

I have never been to the Georgia Aquarium and I have lived here all my life. When I was there I felt like I was under the ocean. I was like a kid in a candy store. I kept saying “Wow and Oh my god”. What really strikes me about this place was the bottlenose dolphins. Those animals are extremely smart and their athleticism is amazing. They were so beautiful and very friendly. The way they were with the trainers was incredible. I could feel a sense of family while I was there. The bond between the two looked unbreakable.That experience was so much fun that it made me want to become a employee. Here’s a clip of the dolphin show: https://youtu.be/h-hTLfmK1kc