sorry for the wait

As I think long and hard about this class, I often wonder: why am I here? Like I have said before, this wasn’t the class I thought it was, but somehow I can’t leave. My curiosity gets the best of me and I keep coming back for more. While I was listening to everyone talk at the meeting that was held last Friday, I felt like I was in over my head. Being the youngest is the room, it felt like I was pushed into the deep in and everything that was spoken was over my head. I’m not the best at verbally communicating how I feel; I rather put my thoughts into words. It looked like I was texting throughout the meeting but in actuality I was gathering my thoughts into something that understandable. The only thing that I could comprehend was that Drexel wants to strengthen its ties to the surrounding communities, and the communities don’t want Drexel to overshadow them. I feel like Drexel and the Lancaster community is in a game of tug-a-war and it’s only a matter of time before someone wins. I know that Drexel wants to expand its campus and seeing how more and more people are going to higher education, it’s only right for them to get bigger. What bothers me is that Drexel might push too hard and Lancaster will feel the aftermath. I would compare Drexel to an empire. It’s seated in an ideal location, but wants to expand its walls. With their hearts in the pocketbook, they do whatever is necessary to increase its already growing numbers. Those of the surrounding kingdoms/neighborhoods that don’t bend to their will will face the consequences of their actions. Those that accept that they are powerless to stop this great empire will do whatever is needed to survive. The people of Lancaster will see their community get over run by partying college students and their homes will be taken by Drexel’s professors. I know Drexel wants to handle this situation as nicely as possible, but if Drexel doesn’t get its way, it will take it out on Lancaster. I just want everyone that is involved in this process to be caution of those around, because at the end of the end, people are only looking out for themselves. 

What I Think

I honestly do not understand this class. As I said already from our first meeting, the concept behind the class was not what I originally thought it would be. I thought the class was mainly about strengthening Drexel’s tie with the surrounding community. What I have gathered from the first meeting is that Neighborhood Narrative kind of goes along that line but then does something different. They want to be involved and communicate with the Lancaster community but also want to incorporate an art element. The art that they want us to do is public art, but I do not know what public art is. I for one do not comprehend how this is possible these two can be brought together. Throughout the first meeting I was confuse about place and space that we are going to focus on. Are we going to somehow with public art and the community does something that deals with place and space? I’m not sure that I like the fact that the class has to decide what we are going to do. Isn’t that the professor’s job? I am willingly to stick with this class only because I want to see what it is actually about. I hope by the end of the term I will come to understand the meaning behind Neighborhood Narratives.