In this Republican campaign video published around March, Trump appears in a very favorable light. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvZissiEvIM

The video begins by introducing all different kinds of people who work with their hands and do good things for themselves and their communities. It then shows a caption of Trump talking about his own hands and how if they were small, that means something else is small too.

For Trump’s words, it could possibly be assumed that Trump is talking about the work he has done with his hands, and if his hands were small, then that meant he was not doing much. However, you can hear the gasp of the crowd in the clip, and their reaction indicates that the clip might have been taken out of context and he could have been referring to something else (as in an innuendo). Given Trump’s comments as of late, this does not seem far fetched.

Also, in the video multiple different kinds of people were being shown, groups and ethnicities that Trump has said not so favorable comments about. A Latino man was said to be working toward naturalization, and a woman was working to support herself, Trump has said very damaging words and promises certain controversial policies about some of these groups. In light of this, it is strange that they appear in a campaign that supports him. However, it does appear that this video is quite a few months old, so perhaps Trump’s views had not been made clear yet.

I think the commercial was probably very effective in influencing the public to support Trump when the ad first appeared. However, given his views on sexuality and race among other things which he has expressed, I think if anyone saw this ad now it would fall short of convincing people to support Trump, and instead would backfire because of the hypocrisy evident in it.

The Atlanta Beltline was built to serve a culture, but it has also formed its own in turn. The Beltline and all its areas were originally a way to give old spaces new life, and it certainly has. Connecting many major parks restaurants, markets, and other resources makes the Beltline a place at the service of the public, providing access to many different areas by one direct path. Predominately a trail, the Beltline differs from much urban infrastructure by its focus on walking as the main means of travel, not a car. People now have a way to walk down one street and pick up groceries, let the kids play, walk the dog, get some fresh air, and join in any events happening while they are out. It is literally “one stop shopping,” and to have a place like this within a city is revolutionary enough to define what a city really is or could be. While being on the Beltline, one could almost forget they were in a city, it seems very removed from all the bustle that a city normally entails.

While rather new in its origin, the Beltline already is becoming an area visited by much traffic, and the number of people that come to the Beltline regularly continues to grow. The issue is now becoming one of crowds, at least on the weekends. However, the plan for light transit should be coming to fruition within the next year so moving a greater amount of people along the Beltline will not be an issue for long.

The Beltline provides an atmosphere that can easily enjoyed by everyone, due to the immediate access and diverse things of interest that can keep all entertained. As more people learn about the Beltline, the more people want to be a part of it, and the more the Beltline will expand and the culture will grow as more people come to the Beltline.

I thought this was a great portrayal of how the environment has formed in expectation of people’s needs, or perhaps in response to people being on the Beltline. Many people bring their dogs with them when they walk the Beltline, and so it has become necessary for their to be resources available for when dogs do their business. Amenities such as these help keep the Beltline nice for everyone to use.

When I first saw this, I thought about how interesting it was that so many diverse pictures were on the Atlanta Beltline. Even though this was a photography project, I wondered if there was some larger meaning to it. It seems a lot of the pictures are unrelated, seemingly put together randomly with no overarching theme except that of life. I found some of the pictures from other countries to be very insightful about how people from other countries look and act. Some pictures made me wonder how that photo was even taken, and by what means. For example, pictures of people sleeping made me think it odd that someone would give their consent to have a picture like that taken.

This camera is found under another bridge much less decorated than the one where the tiny door is located. Apparently it had a hand attached to it, like someone was coming out of the rock to take a picture of the people walking by. The hand broke off however, so now it is just a tiny blue camera. You can see on the left side of the photo all the ivy that was growing, there were a lot of tall grasses and overgrowth once the camera was passed, making the camera one of the last pieces of art before the trail turned into one more focused on nature than man-made art.

Along the Eastside Trail there are various “Tiny Doors.” When my friend first pointed this door out to me, I thought it was so cute, and it made me curious as to why it was made. I was told later that they are made for a purpose, not just for art. This one is located on the side of a bridge around a lot of other graffiti and other pieces of art, so it can easily be lost among the other things appeal to one visually.

I thought this picture was so important, literally history in the making. In the center, the one with white hair, is Ryan Gravel, the former Georgia Tech student with the original idea of the Beltline as it is now and what it will be. He accompanied us for part of the tour that my teachers gave about the Beltline (my teachers both being on the right). Many interesting things occurred within that week pertaining to the Beltline and it’s future. Ryan Gravel had actually resigned from the committees associated with the Beltline 3 days before he was supposed to meet us, as he thought the Beltline was not putting as much work in to creating affordable housing for people who lived along the Beltline before the it was ever created. On the left is Angel, a volunteer, activist, and engineer who is very invested in the future of the Beltline. That day he was working on getting the plan for light rail along the Beltline cleared so that construction can move forward, and while he was with us, he got the call that solidified the possibility of light rail along the Eastside Trail.

After our perspectives class on Wednesday, September 28th, many of our classmates got together to discuss the second part of the midterm that is due this upcoming Wednesday. We had just completed and turned in our 10 page paper, but now we have to complete 4 out of 8 long answer questions. During our meet up in the honors college  we wrote out the main ideas or points that we could use to help answer the questions, and therefore ended up creating our own outline for the midterm. Someone typed up all of our notes on a google doc to share with the class, as we are allowed to collaborate on this assignment. It was really helpful for all of us to start brainstorming and get started a little early on this project. We now have something to base our work upon, and it is beneficial for not only those who were there for the original meet up, but anyone can see the google doc and edit it if they desire.

The Beltline of Atlanta serves as a great cultural connector for many diverse groups of people. In these photos I was exploring the area near the Krog Street Market. Since I was riding a bike, I was not able to take in as much of my surroundings as if I had been walking, but I still saw and participated in the community that has taken shape on the Beltline. The Beltline is relatively new, less than a decade old, and as of now is still uncompleted. It is a 30 year project, and its design is being manipulated quite often depending on the public’s opinion and ideas they have for it. So far, the Beltline includes art, an arboretum, markets, houses, and people that make this place come to life and really give it a personality as the Beltline. The Beltline is characterized by easy access, as its purpose to link various places and items so that people can literally walk outside, walk down the Beltline and get what they want and/or need. It is a very novel idea, and one that is being replicated across the United States cities are seeking to revitalize their old unused areas and put them to work for the people. It is very exciting to be on the Beltline, there is so much color and so many people exercising or just going about daily tasks like picking up groceries. The Beltline has really put people in closer proximity to what they need, which is essential for the people who live in the city. The Beltline itself is not very advertised, mostly only the locals of Atlanta know about it. It is not designed to be a tourist destination, but rather a venue for those who live in the city to get around. Where there is people, there is culture, and because the Beltline facilitates so much traffic, the environment is a canvas to express themselves and make it into what they desire.

This is a picture of the skate park I found while walking the Beltline. There were a lot of little kids on it, which I found very surprising. Not only were they seemingly alone, but the area seemed dominated by boys younger than 15. Granted, it was hard to see because of the glaring sun, but I think I only saw a couple of adults. One of my thoughts is that I should bring my own skateboard and practice, since I’m not very good. The skate park itself seemed fun, without looking too daunting. The area to the right that is not photographed had a lot of adults playing on a grassy field. It looked like they were playing soccer, but I am not certain what it was.