But, because I don’t want my grade to suffer as a result of not answering the question, I will critique the two groups to the best of my ability.

Since I wasn’t able to view the final document, all I have to base my critique on is the final presentation. But, again, my group didn’t have to worry too much about our presentations, so I think this is going to be a very incomplete critique, just like the guidelines we were given for the project that’s worth 35% of our grades, which I believe is completely unacceptable.

Well, here it goes:

The rainfall group from Section 2:
I thought this presentation was planned well (who was going to say what, when, and how it was going to be delivered). They really had an idea ahead of time of how they were going to present their findings. As a result, their presentation, I thought, was done well and organized, even though the presentation wasn’t supposed to be a big deal.

I don’t know how their document turned out or how well they worked together. Their idea for the solution of the contaminated rainwater, however, was insightful (sloping the roofs and collecting that uncontaminated water).

The members of this group seemed to get into the project, and it seemed like they really wanted to make a difference and implement this solution. I don’t know if this made their actual document better or if it was just that they took this project to heart, but it was nice that they actually saw how this non-architectural project related to an architectural class.

The Mosquito Nets Group from the Honors Section:
I thought the presentation itself, for this group, was excellent. They used different statistics and stories that got you to really care and stay attentive to their presentation. For example, they told you how many people die every year, every month, and every minute due to ineffective living standards (mosquito nets and medicine).

With this being said, however, I can’t say that I remember what exactly their solution to the problem was. What I can recall is the severity of the problem they dealt with, but I can’t remember what they proposed as a solution. This just may be that we had to watch basically the same presentation (with a different problem and solution, though) over and over, that after the first two or three, it just became somewhat dull.

Again, I didn’t see their actual document (unless their PowerPoint was the final document), so I feel unqualified to critique the main part of the project.

Overall, I don’t see why I am supposed to critique two groups based solely on a five to ten minute presentation from a semester-long term project. I think it’s incredibly unfair that I’m supposed to provide my input for the TAs (and possible Ozayr, depending on the extent to which he is active in the grading process) as to how they should grade these projects. If this is the main reason why I’m supposed to critique two groups (to help the TAs grade the projects), then I believe the TAs did next to nothing in this class – they were only hired to be a help to the professor and showed a lack of guidance to the students.

Honestly, this is how I feel: the TAs did next to nothing to promote my success in this class. At least for my TA, the first quizzes were graded as if we were graduate-level architecture students; however, once she realized we weren’t graduate students, then she eased her grading style for the quizzes a little. Also, as far as the projects, it seems as if the TAs will be grading them as if we had known EXACTLY what we were supposed to research and include; it also seems as if the TAs will base a part of the grades on what the students write in this response, both of which I think are quite unfair.

I realize that I digressed from the topic of the blog response quite a bit, but this is because I was really dissatisfied in this project, as well as in this course as a whole (and I know I won’t be able to write my full opinion solely during the course evaluations next week). I criticized this project three days ago when I had to provide my opinion on the project as a whole, and I intend on critiquing the course again on Tuesday during the course evaluations.

This has been my longest blog response to date for this class, and most of my words have been used to express how dissatisfied I was of this project, of my TA, and of this class; I think this speaks louder than the actual words I used in describing my disapproval of this class and project. Not only did I think the project was unacceptably unorganized and unrelated, but I don’t see the point in me telling the TAs how I think they should grade the other projects based on a ten minute overview of maybe ten projects. Overall, I was very disappointed in this class, in the leadership of this class, and in the structure of this class. Maybe next year, instead of finding a problem that relates to the United Nations’ Millennium Goals and proposing a solution, students should gather information from this course, experience the problems first-hand, and then write a 30-page paper of how they would correct the problem of this class.

Images:
- http://tulanepadova.pbwiki.com/Water+Resources+in+Italy
- http://archive.idrc.ca/books/reports/1996/01-06e.html
- http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3381591.html

Overall, I spent at least 10 hours helping the students at the Seward east Tower. For the most part, I worked with one student in particular, Michael, because he was one of the only boys and it was fun working with him as well.

The biggest problem I had with working with these children was that I didn’t know how to teach them simple topics in math or reading. I’m majoring in math, so I’ve already taken the entire calculus series, so when my roommates have questions, it’s about derivatives or integrals, not word problems that cover multiplication and division. It’s a completely different experience trying to teach someone when to multiply, when to divide, or even what the problem is asking.

The greatest reward, however, was knowing that you were helping someone that hasn’t had all the opportunities in the world succeed at something meaningful and useful. Here at the university, professors have office hours and are pretty much available anytime. In elementary school, it’s either before or after school; if these students have to take the bus everyday, they don’t really have extra time to talk to the teacher about how to do certain problems. Then, when you have people older than you telling you how easy it is and just giving you the answer, it can get quite frustrating. However, I was able to help these kids with the problems they had so they didn’t get frustrated with one another or, most importantly, with themselves.

During ARCH1281, I didn’t quite understand why we were volunteering (besides that architecture is a service, but I thought there was a better reason than that which I never found). Still, in ARCH1701, I didn’t quite understand why we were continuing our volunteering service, but it wasn’t a chore to go to twice a month. It was actually kind of nice to get out of my room for a few hours every other week and not have to worry about my own life or my own homework; it was just nice to leave it all behind for a little while at least! I’m actually kind of glad that we were ‘forced’ to volunteer for this class. Not only was it personally rewarding, but it’s also something that will definitely help me when applying for a job!

Images:
- www.vaskorubbish.com
- http://www.lexham.org/resources.htm
- http://www.jupiterimages.com/popup2.aspx?navigationSubType=itemdetails&itemID=22189269

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I don't know if the links above will work on all computers. I have a Mac, so if it doesn't work, could somebody tell me how to replace these images on the site? Thanks!

* Source for title page 1: http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/iraq_map.cfm
* Source for title page 2: http://www.autobloggreen.com/bloggers/art-vatsky/
* Sources for title page 3: http://www.wwindea.org/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=177&Itemid=40
http://www.faqs.org/docs/factbook/flags/iz-flag.html

PowerPoints would be a great way to present the information and solution that needs to be presented in the final product. Not only do PowerPoints give a person easy access to display both text and images, they are incredibly helpful and organized for group presentations of the research. IF DONE CORRECTLY, PowerPoints can be visually appealing and provide a vast amount of information and images to help the viewer understand the solution to the problem for the project.

Websites are another way of presenting the information for the Millennium Research project. These, like PowerPoints, can be very visually appealing by neatly incorporating text and images on the same page. Websites also can include different links and pages so a group can separate the problem from the research and the research from the solution. Also, websites are more accessible than written reports and PowerPoints, so more people would be able to see what plausible solutions to the goals are. Websites are a permanent thing and could be updated with further research and thought after this class is finished.

Yes, that is a gold-plated MacBook with diamonds in the apple logo.

Similar to websites are blog pages, which are another possible way of presenting the information to a large audience considering most people are connected, or at least have access, to the Internet. And, since everybody in this ARCH:1701 knows how to create a blog page, this option shouldn't be difficult at all. Also, similar to websites and PowerPoints, this is an easy way of neatly displaying and organizing both text and images. Also, again similar to websites, are permanent things so these could continue to be updated as a group/person comes across more information; after all, these goals aren't going to be met by the end of May - it's going to take years to fulfill these goals and even longer to maintain the outcomes.

One final way of presenting the information that is gathered during the research of the problem is to model the solution, especially if a group is looking at the problem in the eye of the architect. If a possible solution is to build something, make a model of what you plan on building. If a group is looking at the response of the architect, this probably would actually be the best way of presenting the solution because it allows the viewer to see EXACTLY what a group is proposing as a solution. It isn't just a matter of TELLING how to build something and what to build it out of, it is a matter of SHOWING how the building will be constructed. It gives the viewer something real to look at instead of just hypothetical possibilities of solving a problem.

In this regard, the concept of “things� is extremely important. We need to go beyond the fixed purposes of these things in order to see what these things could be. In the real world (the non-architectural world as I like to call it), an object is just that – there is no reason to look beyond the primary function. For example, if a doctor is in the middle of an operation, he or she isn’t going to, or at least I would hope not, concentrate on what other functions a syringe could have; the object serves one purpose. However, in architecture, an architect can’t, and shouldn’t, just use the same materials for the same function. This becomes too repetitive; architects are supposed to think outside the box.

The interior of the walls, frameworks of the building, I would suppose, doesn’t really matter as much as far as being original and innovative. The main reason, though, is because this space isn’t visible, but its purpose is to provide structure so the building doesn’t collapse. In this respect, the framework of a building should be more reliable than innovative. If someone would find a more efficient way to support a structure, that’s great. But until we do, I think it would make more sense for a structure to be reliable than for it to be aesthetically pleasing or “outside-of-the-box.�

The entire phenomena of architecture, in my opinion, epitomizes the aspect of critical thinking. Architects need to constantly push the limits of what objects can be used as, what they can morph into, and what they can do. It isn’t simply enough to just keep using the same object/material in the same way, but architects must think of new ways to cantilever, build, plan, or design.

The reason why I am taking this class is obviously because I plan on majoring in architecture. A better question to ponder is probably why am I majoring in architecture. The reason as to why I am planning on majoring in architecture is because I have always loved math. I also really enjoy art and figured the best combination of the two disciplines is architecture, which combines the math and dimensions, art and drawing, critical thinking skills of math, and the social aspect of working with a client.

In these ways, the built environment really adds to my understanding not only of architecture, but to my understanding of the world around us. The designed environment teaches me to see architecture in as many different ways as possible, and these lessons can be further applied to the rest of the world. We, as future architects, cannot just look at every object and see only what it is usually used for; we must look at every object and see what it has the potential to become. This is what I have gained from enrolling in “the designed environment.�

This, essentially, is the idea that a box isn't only for storing materials, but can serve another, uncommon purpose of being imagined as a car.

Before I answer this question in full, I must repeat that I am already going to major in math regardless of my decision in architecture, so this question is quite easy for me to answer now. I would, obviously, be majoring in math in more of a university setting (lecture classes, homework, and tests) as opposed to architecture in an "architecture school" (with hands-on/studio classes, thinking of solutions to environmental problems, and final reviews/critiques). In this regard, I would most likely become a math professor at some university, and not an architect in the real world.

As far as the parallels between math and architecture, I can say that the structures of the two are quite similar. In both fields, a person (or book, in math) comes to you with a problem and you (as the designer or student) need to figure a way to solve that problem. The main difference in this regard is that designers need to think and brainstorm of a unique solution to a particular need/want, whereas in math, there is a set formula or process one uses to arrive at the solution. The curriculum of each would be different as well, since math is more about equations and architecture is more about finding a unique/optimal solution to a particular problem.

Artistically, architecture and math would be VERY different because math isn't too artistic in the sense of art. Sure, it's an art if you consider knowledge and teaching arts, but that's about the only way I could consider math an art - it's more of a humanity/critical thinking subject. Architecture, on the other hand, deals a lot with art, from drawing up a plan, to the art of construction, to the aesthetic appeal of the building a person constructs. In this regard, the artistic impact on my environment from math would be drastically different from that of architecture; my life would be almost completely void of the true sense of the word art. I wouldn't have to worry about being green or designing anything that has a positive or negative effect on the environment; all I would need to do is worry about teaching people in a good and effective manner.

Bodily is another way I would interact with my environment about the same whether I was a math professor or an architect. Either way, my environment would be the people I would be working with, whether a client or a group of students. In this regard, I would be working either with a client to provide a solution to his/her problem, or I would be working with a (group of) student(s) in order to solve an equation or problem. Either way, I would be interacting with my environment, which is either one person or a small group of people.

I think lyrics would be similar to the bodily way in which I interact with my environment because in both cases, I would need to present either my ideas or the solution. It's just that if I were to go the "architecture school" route and become an architect, I would be pitching my own ideas to a selection committee or an individual about how I would solve a particular problem; it I were a math professor, I would be sharing notes and the processes involved in trying to solve a particular math problem.

As I stated earlier, I would be able to get away from the "architecture school" idea very easily by just switching universities, or even just by switching colleges within the U of M, or even easier by just taking different classes. I would still be attending the U if I was just going to be a math professor after I graduate from college, but it wouldn't be difficult at all to completely leave the "architecture school" behind.

I know there isn't a correct or incorrect way to answer this question of getting away from the "architecture school," but this is how I would avoid the "school" and how this would effect my environment. Again, I know that I am not wrong, but I just hope that I interpreted this question a legitimate/feasible manner. But, if I were completely void of an "architecture school," I guess I wouldn't have to worry about this, now would I?

As I have already stated, my focus for this entry is education. More and more children all over the world, and even here in the Twin Cities, are growing up without a sufficient level of education. I think the worst of this would exist in Africa, and I believe this simply because that's the continent that seems to have the most problems, be it diseases, poverty, or almost anything else. I see (proof that help exists for) this lack of education every other week working with my volunteering community because I see a group of children who wouldn't have a (for lack of better words) "good" education if they didn't live in the facilities they do.

Another reason as to why I chose education as the goal I would most want to work with is because I feel as though I am VERY fortunate to have been brought up in the family that I have. My family values education (and other things, but those aren't relevant to this entry) very highly. I am very fortunate to have been given the opportunities to graduate from middle school, high school, and attend a university with ease. My family has instilled in me the feeling that education truly is the greatest gift a person can receive.

Educational quotes:

"A mind once stretched by a new idea never regains its original dimensions."
- Anonymous

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops."
- Henry Brooks Adams

"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field."
- Niels Bohr

"Education is not the answer to the question. Education is the means to the answer to all questions."
- William Allin

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
- Albert Einstein

I had to re-read and think about this last quotation a few times before I understood it (or felt as though I had a good grasp on what the main idea is). At first, I thought it was completely absurd because the sole purpose of going to school is to get a good education. But, after I though about it a little longer, I realized that you don't need to learn something in a school for it to be considered "educational." In fact, dictionary.com defines the word "education" as "the act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life" - this definition gives no thought to anything close to the word "school." So, after reading the above quotation by Albert Einstein, I would have to say that I agree with him. Education is what we learn along the way because chances are, I'm not going to remember everything that I learned in school.

Finally, a list of songs dealing with the topic of education, whether good or bad:

- "School's Out" by Alice Cooper (1972)
- "What Did You Learn in School Today" by Tom Paxton (1963)
- "The Old School Teacher" sung by Frank Sinatra (1945)
- "Teacher's Pet" by Joe Lubin and sung by Doris Day (1958)
- "To Sir, With Love" lyrics by Natalie Merchant and sung by Lulu (1967)
- "Another Brick in the Wall" by Pink Floyd (1979)

As I previously mentioned, the biggest social flaw currently in the Twin Cities is the fact that a large percentage of people live on the streets. This is not to say a large percentage means that almost everyone is on the streets, but compared to the small city in Wisconsin where I grew up, it is considerably larger. I can remember maybe 1 person, 2 people tops, that was on the streets in Neenah, Wisconsin. The first time I went to up-town Minneapolis on a weekend (free of homework, mind you), I saw at least 4 people that were homeless begging for money (and that was only within the first probably hour of walking around.

With this lack of resources (not just a roof to live under, but money, friends, and other factors) comes a lack of other items. I can fairly confidently say that probably NOT ONE of these people has a good education (and by good, I don't mean "not a college education," but probably not even an elementary school education). The fact is that even if these people were to receive the resources they needed to get a hold of their lives, they wouldn't know what to do with those newly acquired resources.

Another consequence of this homeless life is a lack of personal hygiene. These people cannot take a legitimate shower, brush their teeth, or even do anything remotely healthy. They probably barely eat anything as it is. Plus, more people are probably weary of giving them anything because they don't want the homeless people to feed off it. It's one thing if you see the person once and give them something, but even after the second time they recognize you, they start expecting you to give them something (This isn't only the case with the homeless - it's the case for everybody. After you recognize a pattern, you start expecting the familiar result. People just don't want to be expected to give something.).

The reason for this situation, I think, besides the obvious fact that they DON'T have the money, is that not enough people are willing to help them based on stereotypes and maybe stereotypical facts. I don't mean that everything we are told about homeless people is real, but if some ordinary person was to just give a homeless person $100,000 (or even $10,000), I don't think the person would know what to do with it. The new money (resources) would probably bring about more harm than good because the person wouldn't know what to do with it and buy the most luxurious of everything - not just whatever s/he can get by with (I saw a situation like this on Oprah a few years ago, and the [former] homeless person ended up going in debt again because he bought a new truck, new house, and other things like that). Just based on my assumptions (and what I have seen & heard about), I don't think there really is any way to help the homeless without the proper education, but that's something that should probably be left up to the government/professionals (not just ordinary people who walk by the homeless everyday).

The scary thing about this, though, is that Minnesota doesn't even compare to what's going on in other parts of the world (Africa, for instance). At least here, other people have the means to help these people on a daily basis. In Africa and other poorer areas, they don't even have other people to even provide a little bit of assistance. The bottom line is that the Twin Cities doesn't even compare to a majority of the rest of the world, which is way as designers, architects, and PEOPLE, we need to find ways to help these people get the assistance they need and the education to do beneficial things with that assistance.

Transformation: Not too many years ago, the entire city of Neenah used to be complete farmland. Probably around the 1960’s, the city started being developed. It kept building into more of a residential-city than a farm-city. Even last year, more farmland was converted into residential areas (one of those is where my family lives today). Although Goldsworthy would have said the people should have built based on the needs of these animals, for better or worse, most of Neenah’s farmland has been converted into residential space.

Flow: The only real example of flow that I can think of is the fact that the roads were created in a manner that allows all roads to sort of flow and coexist together (if you understand what I’m saying). The roads weren’t just created without any thought at all, but, like most cities, were carefully thought out and each is necessary. Another example of flow, though not as good, is that Neenah is the city where many of the world’s manhole covers are made. This makes a reference to water, which flows (I told you it wasn’t as good!).

Energy: As far as energy, previously, a lot of energy was exerted in the farming industry. Today, the majority of the energy is spent in the industrial fields. However, looking toward metaphorical energy, I don’t know what an example of this would be. As far as physical/electrical energy, since the city of Neenah is a newly converted industrial area (farming to industry), a lot of electrical and other forms of energy are needed to produce the materials. As far as the industries in Neenah, I already stated the production of manhole covers, but Neenah (the Fox-cities) also is the site of the Kimberly Clark business (Kleenex and other paper products). Thus, my hometown of Neenah has both metaphorical and physical energy.