Sunday, February 1, 2009

Lab # 2

Lindsey Said...

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Waving goodbye to my cell phone, as you can see in the photo above, was a difficult task. Being away from home I am very dependent on my cell to talk to my parents. Talking on the phone is the main way we communicate when I am at school. Although I warned my mom ahead of time I was still worried that she wouldn't remember and would call me a bunch. I felt extremely disconnected and I was concerned that if an emergency happened I wouldn't know about it. The other reason my cell phone is nice to have is to connect quickly with friends my texting. If I am meeting someone in the studios or asking my choreographer a question texting is the easiest way to communicate. Without my phone however I had to run around alot more trying to find my friends and find out where rehearsals were.

Sterling Said...

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Being without my phone for 24 hours was pretty difficult for me, but mostly I just felt uneasy without a constant means of communication. I felt disconnected from others, particularly because it was a weekend. I had to continually fight the habit of checking for new texts or missed calls, and it was very challenging to make plans. It was inconvenient to have to ask to borrow a phone, or to try to make plans over facebook. I live at home, so getting together with friends requires communication that felt limitted by being without my cell phone. In some ways it forced more communication by not being able to text (thus an actual phone conversation) but over all I felt isolated and inconvenienced.

Lab # 21

The Adventures of Fred and Lou

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Once upon a time in suburban Illinois lived two best friends, Fred and Lou.

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One day, Fred found out that Lou had to move away. He was very sad that her family had to move to Springfield and he had to stay in Chicago.

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After Lou moved they decided that it would be easier to keep in touch over the phone.
The price of gas was on the rise and driving would be too difficult.

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A few years later both of their families decided to move because taxes were too high in Illinois. Fred’s family moved to Milwaukee and Lou’s family moved to Cincinatti.

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As distant pulled them apart talking on the phone got much too awkward. They decided to resort in Instant Messaging.

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After high school, their interests took them to different schools across the country. Fred decided to go New York University and study journalism. Lou decided to UCLA and study film making.

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After this move they still kept in touch but even IMing had become a hassle. They chose to use Myspace to communicate through comments.

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Two years into their studies, Text Messaging became the popular way to “chat”. Fred and Lou jumped on the bandwagon and texted each other daily.

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After college, Lou got a job filming a movie in China. Fred studied abroad in Brazil for his Master’s degree.

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As you can see, Fred and Lou still kept in touch. But over time, advances in technology and transportation kept them apart. Their social capital became weakened just like many others in our generation.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Lab #12

Sterling and Lindsey said...
We agree that social networking sites, such as Facebook, allow you to keep in touch with old friends and friends who live far from you. It is often more convienient to use the internet rather than to seek out an individual via phone or in person, but it can also be used as an excuse to avoid confrontation or make plans. However, we also agree with this article in that such sites prevent real life interactions. This habit of social networking may prevent the development of social skills in younger generations, as they rely on the internet to express themselves. Students who will soon be in highschool now rely on Facebook and "Friend Requests" to make friends, though it can be a positive way to make friends in a new location, such as college.

Lab # 1

Sterling and Lindsey said...
We both has trouble following his initial argument. It was hard to tell where he was going with the "Places Not Worth Caring About". It was hard to determine if he thought the problem was the process of architecture or the architecture itself. As the talk went on however, his point became more clear. Sterling agreed with the section about rescaling and conserving our resources by ending the suburban sprawl. Lindsey agreed with the note about the 3,ooo mile caesar salad, our nation goes to great lengths to get products that could be grown in the state. We don't know if suburban sprawl will end but the theory would work if everyone agreed to downsize and live closer together.

Lab # 4

We set out to investigate trust at Hanes Mall. We chose to use a blue clutch (bag/wallet) that could be sacrificed- unfortunately, Lindsey’s grandmother is a little out of touch. So, we wrote a note for our potential criminals and placed it inside the clutch.

Here’s our note:

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Our first stop was the Food Court. It was very crowded at 7:30 pm on Saturday, January 17, 2009. We chose a table in the midst of a sea of American consumers. We sat and casually conversed over a “sum of money” which Lindsey owed Sterling.

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After a short while, we left our table to peruse to food options, careful to leave behind…the clutch. We observed the effects through casual glances through our peripheral vision, noting a couple staring intently at our abandoned object. We tried hard to act oblivious and continued to distance ourselves from the clutch.

Finally, the woman from the couple who had been at the table beside us tracked us down and informed us that we had left something behind. We thanked her graciously (wanting to take her picture), and reclaimed our belongings.
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One trustworthy person down.
Our next idea was to “accidentally” drop the bag and see if anyone would pick it up. One of our friends in the college program happened to be working at Journey’s Kidz (shoe store) and agreed to be our accomplice.

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Lindsey dropped the clutch on her way out of the store near the entrance and we sat on a bench to observe.


The first people who noticed were a group of three young adults who proceeded to step, repeatedly, upon the item. One young man became particularly suspicious and could not stop looking at the clutch, rather than the shoes. Many double takes later, they left the store without taking it. To our surprise, a courageous man spotted the clutch and brought it to the counter immediately. Two trustworthy citizens!

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We have put into account that the object may have had a greater chance of being stolen had we not left so close to a store with many people, but our observing points were limited in the less public areas. Our study has shown that under most circumstances, people can prove to be trusted, thus proving social capital exists within the walls of Hanes Mall.

Lab #11

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First, we visited Starbucks and photographed our surroundings. We observed the atmosphere of brand names, high prices, and bright lights in this international chain coffee shop, with 37 stores in Hong Kong, not to mention the 2,418 stores in California alone. Their products reflected their international sales, with Tazo products from places such as Portugal and Japan. We noted many promotions for new in-store drinks and products. They are following suit with the rest of the country by displaying thermoses that support the “Green Movement”. Whether Starbucks recycles or not, we are unsure. Some of the Starbuck’s locations seem geared toward a work or relaxation atmosphere, but this store was small and didn’t give the impression of a hang out. The artworks displayed on the walls were “artsy” paintings of a couple of their featured beverages. The entire store successfully compelled the consumer to make a purchase.

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Outdoor Seating

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The Menu

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High-Priced Non-Starbucks Products

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The Mugs

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The Coffee in Plastic Bags

Monday, January 26, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

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Next, we traveled to a local establishment: Krankies Coffee. We immediately noticed a difference in the lighting; Krankies’s dim lighting created a more laid back atmosphere. Most of their products were Krankies brand, or the brands of other local stores. They did not advertise for new drinks or newly discounted items. Akin to Starbucks, Krankies sold similar products of their own such as store titled mugs, thermoses, and bags of coffee beans. Krankies had a recycling bin and advertisements for local food markets.

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Outdoor Seating

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The Menu

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Local Establishment with Alcohol Rights
A Menu Starbucks CANNOT Have

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Illegal at Starbucks...not at Krankies!

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The Mugs

Winston-Salem has kept its identity as a city of its own. National and international chains continue to thrive here, but have not overtaken the appeal of local stores and eateries. Therefore proving that social capital has not been lost in Winston-Salem.

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The Coffee in Paper Bags

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Swag

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Artwork at Krankies

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A Place for Performing

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The News
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Real Recycling at Krankies!
Another example of a coffee establishment: BrewNerds Coffee

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This is in the middle between Starbucks and Krankies