Response to "A Place for Stories: Nature, History, and Narrative"

We have two very distinct views and options on the Dust Bowl.  One option, by Paul Bonnifield, is very hopeful and optimistic, while the other, by Donald Worster is very bleak and sad.  Bonnifield looks at the positive side of the story.  He looks at the people of the Dust Bowl and congratulates them on their “ability and talent… resourcefulness, fortitude and courage (page 2).”  Bonnifield goes on to talk about what the people did during those hard times when they were under the wrath of the dust storms.  He ends the paragraph with “Because those determined people did not flee the stricken area during a crisis, the nation today enjoys a better standard of living( page 2).” 

I recently was at a conference for Resident Assistants and one of the sessions I attended was all about creating a vision statement.  A vision builds on the positive things that have already happened and represents something bigger than a group of people can achieve together.  A vision statement needs to inspire others, be focused on the future, and be written with the end result in mind.  I think that Bonnifield has done a great job illustrating the people of the dust bowl.  With their help and determination, the nation “enjoys a better standard of living (page 2)."

            Worster’s point of view on the Dust Bowl is very negative.  He states, “The Dust Bowl… was the inevitable outcome of a culture that deliberately, self-consciously, set itself [the] task of dominating and exploiting the land for all it was worth (page 2).”  Worster’s point of view seems to say that dust bowl was created by the people because of their greed for the land and their lack of knowledge of what would happen if they tilled the land. 

            The Dust Bowl happened, and yes the people may have helped create the dust storms, but it is what they did afterward that counts.  The people’s ability to adapt or not also counts, some people where able to adapt to their surroundings while others moved to more stable environments and communities, such as California.  I think that it is the ability to take a negative situation and look at the positive outcomes, which is what Bonnifield has done.

Response to Blurring the Boundaries and Making Things Public

Response to Blurring the Boundaries

            “The public sphere is depicted as a ‘space of democracy that all citizens have the right to inhabit.”  Yet “women and workers… were excluded; they were not ‘citizens.’”  In some aspects I think that women are treated with a little less respect then men.  Women’s restrooms are suppose to be four times larger than men’s because we take longer, but still everywhere we go the restrooms can’t accommodate us.  I think that the idea around workers, otherwise known as blue-collar workers, is that most of them haven’t gone to a higher education school and aren’t capable of going to school to get a white-collar job.  But in all reality, all jobs are needed for the good of the public and a blue-collar worker could a very well have gone to school to get a degree.

Response to Making Things Public

This reading was very thought provoking.  The first quote is “Arcades, shopping malls, multiplex cinemas, leisure centres, multistory car parks, hotels, restaurants and bars have taken over their role as foundatioins of public life… these are often not publicly owned spaces… This means that the best part of our public space is located within the private domain.”  I think that this is completely true.  This also made me try to think of public areas that are used for private spaces every once in a while.  The one thing that I came up with was Farmer’s Markets.  These temporary spaces take over a public area or park for a day or two and sell their private goods.  This could also be considered a private vendor making a public appearance, but I think that it could also be a public space being taken over to sell private goods. 

Project 4: Ubiquitous Elements - Study of Benches

A bench is a piece of furniture that may be located outside or inside.  A bench is able to seat many different people at the same time.  Benches vary in the material that they are made of, in shape and features.  Materials can include wood, metal, stone, or a synthetic material, such as plastic.  The shape will vary based on the furniture designers concept, what I’ve noticed is that a bench usually related to the space in which is occupies.  The different features also depend on the space that the bench will be placed within, but a bench can have armrests, backrests or none at all. 

Stylistic Benches have been around and developed since the non-nomadic times.  The bench was common seating for people who weren’t as important as the people who sat in the reserved chairs.  During the Roman Empire, the bed was used for everything, from eating, and reading to writing and socializing.  This idea of the “bed” being used this way is similar to the way a bench is used.  Today’s uses are similar to that of the “Roman Bed” along with a couple of other uses such as sitting (which is a major one), gathering, reading, sleeping and meeting.

The bench has most defiantly changed many, many times over the course of its history.  The bench started out as a place to sit and relax after a long days work and has progressed from that through the stages of seating based on class rank, “bed like” lounging, to today’s modern use of sitting, relaxing, gathering, meeting, and sleeping if a person is really that tired.  People come up with some very create ways to use benches, and furniture designers come up with new and inventive ways to create the bench that a person will occupy temporarily.

Response to Cities in Evolution and Response to Megaform as Urban Landscape

Response to Cities in Evolution

As I read the reading, Cities in Evolution, the same idea or theory kept popping up in my mind; the idea that there is always more then what you seen or read.  A couple of quotes struck me the most.  The first being, “Doctors are far too easily satisfied when their patients are out of pain, and call them cured when they are able to get out of bed and move about again.”  This one was a bit more person than the other quote, because my five years ago I was extremely sick; I had a temperature of 104 degrees.  I’m going to guess and say that my doctor didn’t know what was going on with me, so he just sent me home without explaining what was going on with my health.

            The other quote that stuck out was “the Catholic reads this verse, so he cuts the lilies, and puts them on the altar; then the Protestant comes along and throws them out! … both types of would-be Christians have seen little…”  I, myself, am Roman Catholic, and the one thing that I have learned and is evident in this quote is that there is always more than what you read.  You can’t just read and go by the words, you have to interrupt the meaning behind the words.

Response to Megaform as Urban Landscape

The concept of a mega-form was first seen through our experience from the air.  The observer sees the landscape in its nature form, since many of the building structures tend to be viewed as ant size if seen at all.  Le Corbusier used this idea to create “Plan Obus for Algiers.”  He used the inspiration of the “volcanic topography” to create a concept for the plans.  This idea is different from the method we used to observe Copley Square because Le Corbusier surveyed the land while we surveyed the people, but both used only observational skills.

Dewey Square - Occupy Boston

October 10, 2011

11:30 pm

Name: Nikki

Age: 21

Occupation: Student studying Social Movement at Bridgewater State College

From: Bridgewater

Q: How long have you been here at Dewey Square?

A: 24 hours

Q: Why is a real “in the streets” protest necessary when the Internet provides an alternative forum?

A: The Internet isn’t the same as being together.  The desire and need of the people isn’t seen on the Internet as visible as actually being together.

Q: How does Dewey Square facilitate or hinder the needs of such a protest/ occupation?

A: Facilitate -> The location is great, since it’s right next to South Station and the lights from the surrounding buildings stay on at night.

Hinders -> The space we are occupying right now is too small and need more space, and we aren’t allowed to have an open fire.

Q: How have you coped with living in public?

A: Humble enough to given up yourself to do great things, to give up self-freedom for group.  You always need to worry about public spaces to use the bathroom or shower.

Q: Why have you decided to take part in this protest?

A: Why not.  Since 1980 the government controls more.  Corporations control the government and corporations don’t have they people’s interest in heart.

Q: What do you do in a typical day at Dewey Square?

A:  It depends on the day, but usually there is a schedule of what we can do during the day.  There is usually some type of leadership training, and everyday three times a day there is a General Announcement meeting.

Name: Kate

Age: 25

Occupation: Fourth Grade Teacher

From: Somerville

Q: How long have you been here at Dewey Square?

A: 1 Week on and off

Q: Why is a real “in the streets” protest necessary when the Internet provides an alternative forum?

A: On the Internet you don’t see the people, only the thought is visual.

Q: How does Dewey Square facilitate or hinder the needs of such a protest/ occupation?

A: I don’t see anything wrong with the location, because they have medical, education, and the functionality of the community.

Q: How have you coped with living in public?

A: I haven’t spent the night, so I come to support, balance people against issues that people can relate to.

Q: Why have you decided to take part in this protest?

A: I’m doing this for my students, because they are the future and I have to fight for them.

Q: What do you do in a typical day at Dewey Square?

A:  I help anyway I can, usually unloading and talking to people.

Name: Doug

Age: 23

Occupation: Nurse Assistant

From: Grafton

Q: How long have you been here at Dewey Square?

A: 2 times

Q: Why is a real “in the streets” protest necessary when the Internet provides an alternative forum?

A: When you’re out on the street you see all the determination.  They need to see the mass of people .

Q: How does Dewey Square facilitate or hinder the needs of such a protest/ occupation?

A: The location is great for public gathering space where thoughts are expressed.  It’s a little discouraging when you hear comments from people who aren’t protesting.

Q: How have you coped with living in public?

A: I haven’t been affected.  I post pictures on Facebook so that others know what is going on.

Q: Why have you decided to take part in this protest?

A: The government doesn’t answer to the people.  They spend too much money on the campaign and then the candidate with the most money wins.

Q: What do you do in a typical day at Dewey Square?

A:  I take pictures and stand with a sign, but today I will march on the Commons.

Name: Doug

Age: 28

Occupation: Substitute Teacher

From: Reading

Q: How long have you been here at Dewey Square?

A: 6 times

Q: Why is a real “in the streets” protest necessary when the Internet provides an alternative forum?

A: The Internet gets the word out, but we still need people to come out and stand up for what is right.  Capitalism is corrupt.

Q: How does Dewey Square facilitate or hinder the needs of such a protest/ occupation?

A: People come to fight for a cause and the space is prefect, but the ceremonies are to long

Q: How have you coped with living in public?

A: I come to support, but the threats are not a worry.

Q: Why have you decided to take part in this protest?

A: I want to make sure there is a non-capital voice.

Q: What do you do in a typical day at Dewey Square?

A:  I speak my mind, shoot video, talk with people and help any possible way.

Name: Bob

Age: 65

Occupation: Retired

From: Norwell

Q: How long have you been here at Dewey Square?

A: Today is my first day.

Q: Why is a real “in the streets” protest necessary when the Internet provides an alternative forum?

A: I regret never doing other protests when I was younger.

Q: How does Dewey Square facilitate or hinder the needs of such a protest/ occupation?

A: Being next to the traffic is great, because everyone sees us.

Q: How have you coped with living in public?

A: I look for the shade and a cold drink.

Q: Why have you decided to take part in this protest?

A: Because of the lies.  No more lies

Q: What do you do in a typical day at Dewey Square?

A:  I answer questions.

Project 2: Copley Square - Sound

I also have a CD of sound clips that I will bring into class that corresponds with the map I have posted.

A Response to "Prove It" and "Counting (on) Change Property"

Prove It

It used to be that people would flock to the cities to find jobs and work, but as technology grows the need to live and work in the same city is no longer needed.  People can now live in the suburbs and commute into the cities by automobile and public transportation.  Boston is a great example of this, because the MBTA runs deep into the suburbs connecting the smaller towns to the big city.  Another way that living in the suburbs has become easier is the fact that companies and jobs have moved to the suburbs and rural settings.  For example my family and I live in the “City” of South Portland, Maine.  The “City” is more like a town, because it’s not nearly as big as major cities in the United States.  Instead of commuting into the City of Portland, my dad travels 20 minutes in the opposite direction to the town of Gray, where his office building is the only office building for about a mile or two. 

Counting (on) Change Property

What I gathered out of this reading is that architects and planners need to start thinking about the as a whole and how it will be used in the future and leave most of the conceptual thinking of buildings behind.  Yes, we still need to take into consideration the wants and needs of the client, but we have to think about how the space will be used for people in the future and the economics of the building.  How much is it going to cost the client and how much will it cost the client to keep up with the maintenance of the building?  Over this past summer I shadowed in architect and when he and his team began to select materials for the project they were doing on a local highs school, they thought about what materials would wear slower and which would cost the school department less in the long run.  During one of the meetings I attended we talked about the cost and maintenance of VCT versus rubber tiles.  In the long run the rubber tiles would be more cost effective and would last longer than the VCT.