I thought that my group’s presentation at the Macaulay Seminar 4 conference went pretty well. We presented the information in an orderly and organized manner so the viewers who did not know much about our project would be able to understand. Our use of pictures, visuals, and text helped keep the audience interested and also aided in explaining the future plans for Times Square’s transformation. I felt that most of the people in the room were not aware of the current project for Times Square that is going on. By focusing on the effect of eminent domain on the past and present transformation projects, we gave a good overall feel of the changes brought to Times Square over the years and the role the government played in them.

In addition to the presentation itself, I felt that my group was able to answer questions very effectively. After all the presentations were done, students had several questions regarding the financial load that the future transformation of Times Square would have on the city. There was also a question about role that public opinion played in the past in the redevelopment project for Times Square. I thought that we were able to answer everyone’s questions well by using supporting evidence from our research and give them a satisfying response. There was a clear sense of interest in the future of Times Square since most of the students are New Yorkers who have definitely visited Times Square before.

In general, I found it interesting to see the various different types of presentations that were there during the conference. There were presentations on the effects of Hurricane Sandy in different neighborhoods in Staten Island, homelessness, and the way that movies are made. I found that the presentations about Hurricane Sandy were especially interesting since most of us experienced the natural disaster but had not faced it to the extreme level that people in Staten Island did. I found that the students presenting on these effects were also much more personal about the topic since they were most likely also affected by the disaster.

In the questioning portion of the conference, there were several questions regarding the aftermath and plans for recovery for Staten Island neighborhoods after Hurricane Sandy. These discussions were much more confrontational than other discussions. People felt emotionally connected to the disaster so they clearly had done their research and made strong arguments for why the government should be doing more than it has been in the recovery process in Staten Island. I personally found the presentation on the behind the scenes of movies and dancing to be very interesting since it was a unique topic in the conference. They stressed the importance of dance and suggested that it should be a required class in schools so that the art does not die out.

In conclusion, I found the conference to be very informative with many interesting presentations. It was very well organized and everything was done timely. The groups tried their best to stick to the time limit, but even if they went slightly over, the observer did not mind. The only disappointment was that there were several groups missing their group members since it left the group incomplete and unable to present to their best ability. I thought that people would be able to come since it was scheduled by them and it was the last conference. Otherwise, I felt that the last Macaulay conference was certainly very helpful in learning about the different facets of New York.