This course has really taught me a lot about what is going on in New York. To be honest, I didn’t know much about the issues New York faces before I took this class. In previous Macaulay seminars we learned about the art and history of New York, but never leaned about present day New York and its happenings.
I got to learn about the affordable housing crisis more in-depth than I ever had. Also, while doing research for my group’s final presentation about local shopping streets, I learned a lot about the dangers they face with the new generation and chain stores, and how we can try to help the local shop owners. But the topic I think interested me most was talking about technology in the workforce. I had always been a techno-pessimist when it came to technology and machinery in businesses. I always thought they were going to replace human workers and widen the gap between the rich and the poor who would not be able to find jobs. But while doing the reading I learned a lot more on the topic, not enough to change my perspective just yet, but enough to make me consider rethinking certain things. Also, I really liked the trip we took to Civic Hall. It opened my eyes to the benefits of technology and how it can be used to make people’s lives easier and better, such as the Benefits Kitchen app. I think this is a must-see for future classes.
The other students’ presentations at the Macaulay common event were not quite like ours and they didn’t hesitate to point that out. Most of their presentations were very factual, using a flood of numbers, percentages, and statistics but it made them less captivating. One group even proposed a new form of currency (I think it was virtual currency, like BitCoin) so that banks would not be needed anymore. But while our group was taking questions and comments, we got comments that the students liked our presentation because it was unlike the others and more relatable and heartfelt. It really got them thinking about what they could do to preserve local shopping streets.
