I actually ended up liking the conference a lot more than I thought I would. While it seemed some classes had slightly different assignments, I still found most of the presentations interesting. During the discussion periods, I was also able to talk about ideas that other groups in my class researched and contribute even more to the discussion. If I had to criticize something, I would say Macaulay should do a better job communicating to teachers just how important this conference is and what exactly they want groups to prepare for it.

The conference was more relaxing than I thought it would be because it involved mostly other students that were in similar positions to me as a presenter. I learned much as a presenter and as a listener. One thing I took away from the conference was how people trust in the knowledge of the presenter and when one has something informative to speak about they lend their ear. One negative reaction that I had was the little time we were presenting. Something which I worked on all semester deserves more attention and I wanted to speak about it more. All in all, though this conference was a good experience because of the skills and information attained from it.

I think that the event was different from what I was expecting. It certainly didn’t start off great, it never feels good to have to travel across New York City when its raining (and no food provided .-.). However when I got there, it wasn’t that bad. The first thing I noticed when the groups started presenting to each other, was how different this project was between different classes. Some of the groups were more of a historical research presentation where they discussed existing projects and issues with it, rather than proposing a new one. While other groups were more similar to ours where they were proposing new ideas.

Ultimately I was happy with the outcome of the event and our presentation. One, I got to learn about some cool things that NYC is already doing, and new technology to look forward to. Two, our presentation went pretty well. Other than the fact that our presentation ended at 10 minutes on the dot, our project also initiated a big response from our audience. And it made us realize that our project is something that greatly effects many New Yorkers and is something we need to be considering. The questions weren’t trying to find holes in our proposal, but a few students brought up really interesting arguments that we had not considered before. Overall it was a cool experience and felt more like a conversation within a classroom rather than a conference.

Overall, my time at the Future of NYC Conference was a super gratifying experience and amazing weight lifted off of my shoulders! I feel my group delivered the best version of our presentation yet, with only 8 seconds to spare before the 1o minute limit was up! Our exceptional performance spoke to our incredible hard work as a group, and I left proud of my research and innovative idea I was lucky enough to share with other students like myself. It was super intriguing to receive feedback from not only other students but professors themselves, all of whom suggested different rationales on how to implement the ideas we presented and provided great questions or reasons for concern to consider in future research. I was grateful to learn a lot about what other students did in their own IDC classes and felt everybody successfully shined a spotlight on different and varying ideas to help the future of our city.

Overall, I thought the Futures Conference went smoothly. My group was very prepared to present and to answer questions which showed in our presentation. We focused really hard on cutting down our presentation time to make it just right and I’m glad that we accomplished it in the end. The event was organized really well as every room was diverse and very open to discussion. It was diverse because they mixed Macaulay students from different schools into the same rooms which I really liked. Students from different backgrounds could come together to share their groups’ ideas. Every group had 10 minutes to present and then a Q&A session, which gave every group a chance to speak equally. During the Q&A sections, the environment was very open for anyone to ask their questions. I was happy to see everyone engaged in discussion on the big-picture problems. The two hours went by relatively quickly in my opinion as there were 7 groups packed together, each with an interesting topic.

My group and I went on Sunday. I liked that all the groups presented in my session had different ideas on what sustainability looks like. Some were very detailed and informative. For example, one of the groups presented a case study on Amazon’s HQ situation in NYC and another presented their solution on the housing crisis. One of the groups presented yoga as a solution for mental health and we did a short breathing exercise, which was cool but little weird. My favorite part was the ending reflection/discussion when things got little heated over the whole Amazon Headquarter case in NYC. It was an interesting experience to hear opinions on the issue from students from a tech background vs. students from liberal arts background.

When I arrived at the Macaulay Building, I was surprised to find each panel’s setting to be so intimate. I pictured the conference as a nerve-wracking panel discussion in a large room with a large audience. Relieved to be in a classroom with several other groups, I felt much more comfortable with delivering my presentation. I also really liked how we were delivering proposals that were similar to other groups on the panel. Naturally much more engaged, the groups in the audience were eager to question the presenters because they were already invested in similar issues. Overall, I thought the experience was really enjoyable, and I gathered vital presenting skills for the future.

While at the conference, I was actually really surprised at how they organized it. The topics were extremely varied but grouped together based on an overlying scope. There was a presentation on microgrids directly after our presentation on water tiles. I think the methods were innovative and the length of presentations was very different. There were different topics from documentaries, to sanitation. I think there should have been more questions, however, it was still an interesting experience. The other conferences I have been to were a showcase type. This was a presentation. Throughout the semester, it was really nice to be able to work on something step by step to ultimately be able to present it and who knows? Maybe some of the ideas we have can be established in the future.

Attending the Futures Conference was definitely an interesting and informative experience. Most of the groups were eager and ready to discuss their topic and engage with our own presentation by asking questions. It was interesting to see how the future of NY and sustainability was interpreted by each group from across the Macaulay campuses. One group did a case study of the High Line which confused me initially. They then presented as important for the future as a template for parks and public spaces on the city. I do think that there was a bit of a disconnect between the groups on each panel as they didn’t really relate one another. However, it was important to hear about topics of a different nature and learn about others way to improve the future of the boroughs. The conference brought different issues, like flooding in Red Hook and the zoning in Williamsburg, to my attention. Overall, I think the Futures Conference was and enjoyable and educational experience.

The last conference really ties everything that we’ve learned throughout the 4 Macaulay seminars. I remember learning about NYC and its people, arts, culture, lifestyles, and even climate change these past 2 years. The presentation we had on reducing congestion touches upon a little bit of everything that I’ve learned, like New Yorker habits and lifestyles. Overall, the presentation was executed smoothly. The audience was completely absorbed by our topic and we had lots of meaningful engagement with the other students. The timing of our presentation was impeccable. It ended exactly at 10 minutes.

I was also able to learn from the other Macaulay students. One group even presented about building a new stadium for soccer players, something that I would’ve never even considered for a sustainable New York. Other groups focused on climate change and touched upon topics like shoreline resiliency and CO2 emissions. The conference was a great showcase of our understanding of the city and the 4 seminars. It has been a long journey exploring our city and I’m proud to say that this newfound knowledge has truly made me a New Yorker.