Nothing Moves Me

Blog # 9: Goal 7 Analysis

2008-05-08T17:12:30Z

The proposal of group 7 to ensure environmental sustainability at the Riverside Plaza was a good idea for conserving energy but I do not think that this would fully improve the slum. This may help for a short time to improve the lives of the low income families who live here to save money and to make things more convenient but I do not think it would completely improve the area. I have seen many public-housing projects that were built to conserve energy but this does not mean that they will improve the area. The McDonough Homes in St. Paul for example were not built long ago but the attempt to improve the lives of the low income families who live in them only succeeded for a time. Now the area is run down with rust stains on the houses, and furniture and garbage strewn around the lawns. Ensuring environmental sustainability is important. It is smart. But creating a sustainable environment will not solve the problem of a slum. A house is nothing but a “shell,�? it is the families inside who make it a home and they can chose to care for the home or not.

If only looking at the short run outcomes of creating environmental sustainability in Riverside Plaza, the proposal was good, but I do not think the idea was fully thought through for improving the slum in the long run. The ideas that were thought about for conserving energy were good and the slideshow was also nice.

Blog # 8: Goal 8 Analysis

2008-05-08T17:09:49Z

Living in the United States, people tend to take objects that we use on an every day bases for granted. I could not imagine life without my cell phone or without the internet. I do not consider how important these things are when I am using them but hearing the presentation the honors section did on developing a global partnership for development made me realize how important this technology really is. The United States has been widely developed and part of this has to do with communication. When I heard that only 10% of people in Somalia use mobile technology, I was shocked. Wireless technology makes things so much easier and it provides an easy access for acquiring knowledge. Before the internet was created people would have to do so much research about a subject by going to a library to find book after book and now with a couple clicks they can learn about anything they want. By having this technology Somalia will be able to be a better developed country. The group for goal 8 mentioned the “One Laptop for Every Child�? program and I think that this is a good way of providing a good learning experience for kids. Also the solar panels that can be constructed are a good way of providing energy and they are good for a place that not all people have electricity. This would be a good way for Somalia and for other countries to be able to develop and to prosper.

I thought that this presentation was very insightful. I learned a lot from it and I think that the ideas that were discussed were a good way of accomplishing goal 8. The slideshow was aesthetically pleasing and having one of the computers was a nice touch.

PYCY Day 4

2008-05-01T22:46:35Z

PYC was low on staff today so the kids got to play computer games for 45 minutes. I was watching and giving feed back to two boys who were playing Super Smash Brothers. It made me laugh because it was the OLD version of the game when Nintendo came out with one of its first systems. Anyway, they got bored of that game and started playing Carbon Auto Theft. I didn’t see what the game was called when the started playing it. It looked like an interesting game. I thought the object of the game was just to try to get out of a parking lot without hitting other cars. Then their teacher came around and saw that they were playing the game and told them to stop because it was not an appropriate game to be playing. The kids did not know that what the game’s object really was. I felt bad because I did not pay attention to the name of the game and the guy who was driving the cars. I hope their teacher did not think I just did not say anything to them about playing the game because if I’d known what it was, I would have. I thought all the websites that were given to the kids that were games were “kid friendly.�? I guess not. I’ll have to be more careful if they go to the computer lab to play again.
The rest of the time I played math games with a group of kids. The game was teaching them about fractions. I tried explaining to them why 1/2 is larger than 1/12. I don’t think they understood though.

PCYCDay 3

2008-04-18T19:45:14Z

It’s too bad that the kids have to be in school for such a long time. I remember getting fidgety waiting for 3 o'clock to roll around for so I could home, or at least to go play. I can't imagine having to stay at school for another two hours doing more work. The kids that I work with get bored of the math games quickly and they already dislike doing math anyway. There has to other types of games that will get the kids to be more interactive and to have more fun while still learning. Like some type of game that will get them to run around and get rid of some of their bottled up energy because I can tell that they get fidgety also. I wonder if the projects that we made last semester for PYC are being used. My group made a game for helping kids to read and spell. I think some of the other groups did games for helping with math skills. I might ask if we can play some of those games next time I go.

PCYC Day 2

2008-04-07T20:05:30Z

Getting to PCYC was very difficult today because my bus broke down so I was 15 minutes late!

The day went well. I like hearing the kids read to me because it brings back memories of when I first started reading. It’s hard sometimes helping them sound out words because they don't want to try to read the word by themselves. I think they pick out easier books to read so they won't have to try to read long words.

Teachers must have so much patience to be able to teach kids how to read. It's really important that kids learn how to read well. I had to read a book once a month and by doing this at home, it helped me comprehend a lot more things and I learned a lot from the books I read

Blog # 7: Ideas for Title Pages

2008-04-03T16:15:57Z

Blog # 6: Simple but entertaining

2008-03-13T17:05:21Z

I am confused about the Millennium term project. I don’t really know what the goal of this project is. But when I do find out the goal, I have thought of a few ways to present research on combating HIV. The most important thing when doing a project is the presentation. It is important that you capture the attention of the audience while informing them of your topic. The best project can be ruined if it is presented poorly:

A few ideas that I like:
Portfolios that I’ve seen and like most have a lot of white space. I used to be afraid of white space when I would make projects before but it does look very nice, clean, and organized. If you have too much going on in one page it will be harder to get your point to the reader.
Power Points are a good way of showing a large audience visuals and information. Having too much text on a slide is not good. There should be few words on a power point and the presenters should have rehearsed what they were going to say.

Looking at some of the issues of PRINT magazine, I have seen that simple is good. Not everything has to be bold and flashy. If it is simple it can still get the point across to the audience.

Picture found at:
http://www.antonine-education.co.uk/ICT_A2/Module_4/topic_4_files/image007.jpg

PCYC Day 1

2008-03-09T02:50:35Z

This Monday was my first day back at PCYC for this semester. It would have been my second day but two weeks ago was President's Day. I forgot that elementary students have the day off and I spent one hour trying to figure out how to take the bus to get there. After 30 minutes on a bus, (I got lost,) I finally ended up at PCYC to discover that they had no school. (Why don't we get President's Day off?)
My first day went well. I love kids even though they can be crabby and get upset for the littlest thing. I forgot that it wouldn't be as easy dealing with them as it is with my little sisters. It's easy to deal with my sisters because they have to listen to me. These kids really don't care if I say "I'm going to get Dad if you don't stop whining." My sisters have stopped that anyways because they don't like getting in trouble. Do parents tell their kids to stop whining anymore? It doesn't seem like it to me. I was playing with a very cute little girl and she started whining because she wasn't winning at Chutes and Ladders. I calmly told her to stop or else I wouldn't play that game with her anymore, and then tried explaining that it's just a game. After she stopped whining, she began to cheat so she could get ahead of me. Little kids are funny.
After playing, I went helped the second and third graders as they played a math game. After a while of arguing who would go first, they began to play.
Even after the frustrations, I enjoyed seeing all the kids again.

Blog # 5: ?

2008-03-06T17:52:07Z

How does the built environment affect who I am?

]]> I like reading, drawing, eating chocolate chip cookies, dancing, and sitting around talking to close friends. I am a Christian. I am shy when I want to be, which is more often than not, but sometimes I can be really outgoing when I am with the right people. The people who best know me would probably describe me as a little kid. I am amazed by almost everything and I wonder about why everything is the way it is. This is who I am.

The built environment does not support or detract from who I am but it adds to my curiosity and to my wonder.
I walk around almost always wonder why things were built the way they were. People have so many ideas and different way of looking at things and have come up with beautiful designs. The designs all seem to mimic the natural environment. Either how the buildings look or how techniques in how they were built. Humans are inspired by the natural world around them, by natural phenomena. For example: Parks that are created mimic forests that are have been around for centuries. Even Rapson Hall mimics the body’s design. (Fingers interlocking.) It’s interesting that even though humans have such great minds, their creations tend to imitate a greater design.

The other thing that amazes me is the structures and buildings that face oppositions. How did people first begin to learn how to carve into rock to make shelters without it collapsing? How did they first set a building on a mountain on a steep grade? How did people first learn how to build skyscrapers so that they wouldn’t fall over when the wind blows? I also like seeing how people can be helpful during catastrophic phenomena like Katrina by creating a better built environment. People came in and helped to rebuild the environment of the residents of New Orleans with ways that would prevent another horrible outcome if another disaster were to happen. I find it amazing of what the human mind is capable of when facing obstacles. Though the built environment does not affect who I am, it does create a lot of questions that I would like to discover the answers to. I don’t think I will be able to find all the answers to all the questions I have but that does not stop me from asking them. These unanswered questions just fuel my curiosity.

Being able to withstand time:
When I look at man made structures I also am curious to know how people come up with buildings that have been so wonderfully constructed. The Great Pyramids were built in 2500 BC and are the oldest man made structure that still stand. The stones weigh 1 to 7 tons. The Pyramids are aligned more precisely than any building pointing to true north. How did people build the Great Pyramids so long ago with the technology of the time?

Opposition of physical nature:
In my opinion, Petra is one of the most beautiful structures ever made. How did people carve a shelter into rock?

Opposition of gravity:
The Dubai Tower is the tallest in the world. How are such tall buildings able to stand as gravity pulls down on them and as the wind pushes against it?

Pictures found at:
Great Pyramids: http://www.richard-seaman.com/Wallpaper/Travel/MiddleEast/GizaPyramids1.jpg
Petra: http://blog.kievukraine.info/2006_02_01_archive.html
Dubai: http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dubai-builds-worlds-tallest-skyscraper/2007/07/21/1184560114936.html

Blog # 4: Aristotle vs. Bob Marley

2008-02-28T04:23:11Z

There are many great people whose lives have inspired thousands. Their thoughts and ideas are profound and make people contemplate important things. Aristotle, Plato, and Socrates were three of the many but there are also great people who have inspired others using different methods than these three philosophers. The great people who we should acknowledge as philosophers are musicians.

]]> The way people think in our society is often shaped by songs. Musicians can express their ideas in ways that will stay in people’s minds even if they don’t agree with them. After time, people will take the musicians ideas into more consideration and will start to formulate their own ideas from the lyrics or they will completely let their guard down and have the ideas become their own. People will even recite lyrics without knowing what they mean. The public can forget about the power that music has but Andrew Fletcher explained the power of music well when he said, “Let me write the songs of a nation - I don’t care who writes its laws.�? This is the impact that music can have. It takes over our minds and if done right, the musician can get their ideas across to thousands of people. Certain songs will evoke certain emotions depending on the individual.

One of the greatest ways to have your ideas heard is through music. In an imaginary world, I would have an amazing voice and would be able to write poetry. I would use my talents to make people stop and think about my ideas about the way society should be, about politics, about religion, about life in general and about anything else that would have peoples’ minds begin to think about meaningful concepts. Even if I could just impact the life of one person, I would be content.

Blog # 3: Inspiración

2008-02-21T06:53:21Z

Whenever I think of social issues, a lot of times, the problems seem to be unsolvable. If asked why I care to do something about things such as poverty, diseases, hunger and other problems if there seems to be no solution, I would answer: “because I love people and I love helping.�? And even though I may not be able to solve the problems, I can at least say I did something. Everything that I do is based on the way I was brought up. Helping others is a reflection of the values that I was taught. Every now and then I still wonder why bad things happen in the world, and my answer for that is that there is a plan for everything.

]]> Pictures that inspire me:
In winter flowers die but come back to life in the spring with help from the sun and rain. Like the flower, people can have rough times but with help they get better. Flowers remind me that people can get a fresh start with ↓help.

Everything that happens has a reason and there is someone there to help us through it all. ↑

Quotes that inspire me:
God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into a midst of the sea; though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Psalm 46:1-3

Whether our task is fighting poverty, stemming the spread of disease or saving innocent lives from mass murder, we have seen that we cannot succeed without the leadership of the strong and the engagement of all.
-- Kofi Annan

We, who have so much, must do more to help those in need. And most of all, we must live simply, so that others may simply live.
-- Ed Begley, Jr.

Songs that Inspire me:
I Dare You to Move by Switchfoot, Trust In You by Jeremy camp, Spread Love by Bad Boy Bill, Don’t Worry Be Happy by Bob Marley, Where is the Love? By the Black eyed peas. Carnaval by Celia Cruz. (This song talks about how people should view life like a carnival. Even in tough situations, people can try to make the best out of them.)

Songs that make me want to help people:
Quien by the Kumbia Kings (Talks about poor children who do not have anyone to look up to and about poverty and what people can do to help.) Runaway Love- Ludacris and Mary J. Blige, Angelito by Don Omar (Tells of how a girl is about to die from AIDS)

Picutures:
Flower: http://www.serendipitychoir.com/Pictures/Unity_Modesto_Tulip_Tree_5.JPG
Cross: http://www.saintfranciscathedral.com/images/CrossatUnity4.jpg

Blog # 2: Its not my fault...

2008-02-14T06:35:59Z

Homelessness is a big problem in the Twin Cities. Around Hennepin County there are about 3,000 homeless people. So how is homelessness going to be stopped? If people would stop being selfish, lazy, and irresponsible, perhaps this problem could be solved. People who are more fortunate and have the capability to help the homeless, should. But wait, what about those people who are homeless, don’t they also need to stop being lazy and irresponsible?

]]> I am not saying that EVERY person who is homeless is lazy and irresponsible. Many of them are young children that can not help their unfortunate situation. Many are also women fleeing from abusive relationships. The people who are sincerely trying to fix their lives and become more responsible should all be helped. About 28 percent of homeless adults do have a job. Not all people are being irresponsible the truth is that many ended up on the streets because of drugs, alcohol addictions, lack of education, getting laid off and _________ (fill in the blank). According to the Star Tribune, “Nearly 40 percent of homeless people said they lost their housing because they couldn't afford rent. Mental health issues, chemical dependency, lack of education and incarceration were also cited.�? In other countries homelessness occurs because of things such as wars, diseases, poorness, not enough education and various other reasons that are also prevalent in the Untied States, but the United States is not a third world country and I find it amazing that a country that has been so prosperous can still find people out on the streets. There are hundreds of jobs that people could have instead of begging on the streets. Their begging does not surprise me though. In Mexico, the government was trying to help the homeless by supplying jobs for them but the people rejected the jobs because they made more money begging on the streets.

So what can be done to stop homelessness? In order to prevent homelessness we first must get to the source of the problem. In order to really try to fix this problem people need to start getting educated from when they are little that having an education is important. Kids who are not taught from the beginning that drugs, too much alcohol, and laziness is WRONG will have a high possibility of ending up homeless or having other problems. But I suppose that telling anybody that they are wrong is a taboo in our society. They normally choose to blame it on something or somebody else. God forbid that it was really their fault…

If we build new shelters for people, eventually more are going to be needed. I’m not saying that we should leave people out in the cold but if shelters are to be built for the homeless then they should take part in helping maintain the shelters or showing that they are making an effort to get their lives straightened out. Along with building homes for people in need, let’s go back to that old fashioned way of thinking that people can be wrong. We need to stop passing the guilt to others. For homeless people I think we should feed them, clothe them, give them shelter, but not cripple them by giving them money or by supplying shelter without them making an effort to get a job, fix their lives, help the shelter by cooking, cleaning…etc. There is an old proverb that comes to mind when thinking of this situation: “Feed a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a life time.�?

(Picture found at: http://mstabile.blogspot.com/2005/03/im-sure-that-this-homeless-man-whom-i.html)

Blog # 1: Energy Throughout a City

2008-02-04T15:33:38Z

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed; but it can be transformed from one form of energy to another.

The environment of downtown Minneapolis successfully demonstrates the idea of energy, flow, and transformation through a city. People in the city are often in a rush to go anywhere. Either they will be rushing to catch a bus, to hurry to a job, to put quarters in a parking meter, or to do various other things. The energy in this environment is very fast paced and could even be described as edgy. People are not as friendly towards others as they might be in a suburban town. Though this may not be true in all cases, materialistic values seem to embody the people of the city. Energy of the people will give either positive or negative alterations of peoples moods. The energy of one person’s mood will flow to another and is then transformed to how the person decides to take it, and how they will continue the flow of energy to the next person. If one person is negative, anyone who they encounter will either chose to let the negative attitude impact them in a bad way, or they can chose to ignore it and be more positive that their day is not going as bad as the other persons. Either positive or negative, this energy is transmitted from one person to another and it forms a chain reaction. The environment of the city is a reflection of the people’s energy. People’s attitudes impact the energy that will later be transformed to create the environment of the city.

Transportation and the design of buildings and their placement throughout the city is one of the outcomes the transformation of people’s energy has. The people’s lives in the city require fast and efficient ways of doing things to help them with their daily routines. Busy schedules cause buildings and transportation to be designed to fit the needs of the people. Buses can take a person to their destination quickly and inexpensively. Taxis wait on every street. On the corner of Nicollet and 9th Street there are two Starbucks opposite of each other so people will not have to cross the street to get caffeine or a muffin. Target Corporation is located one block away from a Target store. Instead of an employee having to stroll down the side walk and cross the street, a skyway (one of many) is conveniently placed connecting the buildings together. If the employee is in a rush to eat before returning from one building to the other they can get take out at the Quiznos between Target Corporation and Target in the skyway. They could even stop to get cash on the way there at the TCF Bank. The energy of the people’s attitudes is also transformed into how buildings are designed. Tall buildings with straight lines and edges are prominent. The Minneapolis Library is an example of how the edginess of the people is transformed into a building. The lines are sharp, as well as the cantilever that emerges from the building.

Downtown Minneapolis has a culture of its own. Energy is not lost but flows from one person to the next and is transformed into the way transportation and buildings are designed. The edginess of people’s energy is transformed into the way buildings are designed. Their busy lives dictate the environment of the city.