Reflections on City as Text- Maddy Oritt

At our floor meeting this past Sunday, Carlie asked us all to think about the past semester and how everything went. We talked a little bit about City as Text, which made me think more about the class and what I got out of it. Overall, I really enjoyed the class. I think the concept is very interesting, and it was a great way to explore the city and learn more about it. I think everyone learned things they didn't know, regardless of whether they were from here or elsewhere. When you are looking for specific things, which are different from the things on which we normally focus, there is so much to be found! The walkabouts were my favorite part for these reasons. Also, I really liked spending time with my group. I don't think our group could have turned out any better. Group dynamics usually mean that one or two people get stuck with all the work, but all five of us have equally shared our group work and been equally involved in everything we have done. Also, the five of us are all very different from one another, so it was fun to spend time with and get to know a variety of people. Our final project has been a good experience as well. It was interesting to focus on the topic we chose. We got out of our comfort zones to conduct interviews, but they turned out to be very informative and kind of exciting. Overall, I would say City as Text has been a good class. I didn't like the timeslot, though. I didn't like having to go to class on a Wednesday evening, but I understand that that could have been the only time that worked. Also, the class has required a fair amount of work (actually, more work than one of my 3-hour credit classes!) The work has been stimulating, interesting, and enjoyable, but I think it merits more than just one credit hour. Altogether, I'm glad we had this class this semester; it was a great way to meet people and explore the city in a different way, as well as do work that was creatively challenging and thought-provoking.