ONE NIGHT STAND!

For those of you who don’t know about Tech's workload let me sum it up in one word “Painful". The homework, projects, tests and exams are very tough and frustrating. The week before the finals which we call "Dead Week" is basically a week of no homework and time dedicated only to studying for the finals. This week is very low and the campus is literally dead. Everyone is back in their rooms preparing themselves to face the ever so hard final exams.

In order to help the students to remain healthy Tech hosts its annual one night stand. This event is held during the Friday of the dead week in the CRC (campus recreation centre). On this day the CRC has all its facilities open till 4 am. Featured events include an Ultimate Frisbee tournament, a Dodge ball tournament, 3-on-3 Basketball tournament, Table Tennis, Poker, Halo 3, Scuba Diving and Soccer. For all those who are tired of studying long hours and those who want a break from their books. This event hosts several tournaments for the students that take place till 4 am. Not only is this a good change for the students mind but attractive prizes can be won like an iPod, LCD TV’s and digital cameras. 

For all those students who are planning to pull all nighters for the finals must definitely use this event as a change and have a good time. I will be attending The One Night Stand for sure and I hope to see you all for a fun and exciting night.

-Abhi 

GT spring class scheduler!!!

While checking my facebook wall I found several posts saying “an easy way to schedule classes for spring 2010". At first a few of my friends and I had to go on to coursecritique.com and search GPA's for all our Professors and then check what timings he or she teaches that class. After that to make an excel file plotting all our class timings. This long process was very tiring and frustrating. So to help all your readers from going through what I had to, here is the link for the GTschedule. 

This scheduler gets its data from both Tech and coursecritique.com databases. The scheduler uploads data of all class timings and even gives the GPA of all professors. It also gives you the number of free seats in that class. Apart from all this the scheduler also plots the classes in a neat excel table for which the user may download it for other use. The scheduler apparently only works during registration time but if you are not using a GT network it still works. 

After all that trouble that I took to find the right classes this scheduler will be so much easier and helpful. I hope everyone gets the classes that they want for the next semester.

-Abhi( GO JACKETS!!!)

You're bored in ATLANTA? seriously?

     That is a question that I recently heard someone mention at a bus stop. Incredibly enough, I could not help the sad fool with any answers myself. "How could you not notice the many fun activities and places waiting for you in such a shining urban community?" Even Georgia Tech President "Bud" Peterson recently wrote a passage relating to the great number of activities in Atlanta. Thus I decided to rid myself and any Atlantan reader of this crippling ignorance. You're out of the lifeless sprawl ghost towns now.

Introducing an incredible catalog of activities:

ATLANTA.net

     Here is a well-designed Atlanta tourist website. However, the vast information provided goes well beyond a simple tourist itinerary. For example, one page (called "50 fun things to do in Atlanta) leads to a wide variety of places worth visiting - the viewer may even specify which category he or she is interested in, such as a sporting facility or a nightclub.

50 Fun Things to Do in Atlanta

     One may even sort by a section of the city, such as Midtown, Downtown, or Buckhead. Plus, for the overwhelmed tourist, clicking on "Custom 50 Fun Things" will lead the user to preset visit guides sorted by interests.

For fun seekers who prefer being bombarded by information, there is:

AccessAtlanta.com

 

     It reads like a news-site, and that is where it shines. Partnered with renowned media outlets AJC and WSBTV, Access Atlanta hosts the latest news, events, and anything else you would expect from a well-established news source. What sets AA apart is the focus it has on the city. The search bar on the top of the page integrates choice, flexibility, and convenience for any city-goer.

     One visit to any of these sites is enough for someone to realize how stupid it is to dub Atlanta "boring". The rich history, culture, and overall community of the city defies the nature of boredom. Atlanta is not suburban sprawl crap, is not worth missing out on, and is definitely not boring.

-Jaron Gao

Georgia Tech Intramurals

In my opinion, one of the most interesting things to do for fun here at Georgia Tech are intramurals. There are so many ways to get involved with intramurals. The intramurals program is divided up into several leagues: fraternity, sorority, co-rec, and independent, graduate student and housing. The entire program is set up, organized, and mediated by the CRC. Several of the sports in which intramurals are available actually take place in the CRC's main building; these sports include: volleyball indoor soccer, wiffle ball, basketball, water polo, racquetball, squash, ping pong, badminton and many more.
Some sports take place outdoors or at other locations these sports include: flag football, outdoor soccer, corn hole, stickball, baseball, field hockey, and many more. Usually, a student can get involved through a Greek organization if they are part of one, a student organization, a residence hall, or just a group of guys interested in forming a team together. There is usually a small fee associated with registering a team into a league, but once the fee is divided up among the team members, it is reduced to a negligible amount. The sports are decided into phases, phase 1 and 2 in the fall semester, phase 2 and 3 in the spring semester, and phase 5 in the summer semester.
In conclusion, intramurals are just one option out of many to have fun at Georgia Tech. It is important to have fun as a means of de-stressing.

-Abhi

Food brings the Community Closer!

SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD!

      Eat Buford Highway is a blog that focus on the many different restaurants and foods around and along Buford Highway. As one explores the blog one must ask why would someone make a blog like this? Why is it important? Most importantly what kind of neighborhood is the author trying to express. What is the author's view of a good neighborhood?

     The author uses food as a connection between the people and it's community. With so many restaurants located right in the heart of the city right next to each other, walking to them is not an issue. This leads the reader to believe that the author supports a traditional neighborhood. Restaurants are viewed as a place were people can discuss and bond while enjoying good food. It supports community fellowship. The author knows that food is something most people are able to connect with.

     What makes a good neighborhood? Well for the author of Eat Buford Highway, a good neighborhood is one where the members of the community can sit and relax and experience something new. Having people sit around a table and dine on good food and allow for people in the same community to bond.

Hungry ???

Food is definitely one of the most discussed issues in university. Initially upon moving into college a student might relish the food, but believe me this feeling doesn’t last very long. They are only a certain number of days that you can regularly eat similar kind of meals. To a college student this can very easily become a reason for depression and a slump in academic performance. Therefore addressing this issue is of extreme importance.

More often than not incoming freshman, or for that matter students who join a university in an environment foreign from their own, are unaware of the whereabouts of restaurants and eating joints. So blissful glutton does the task of assembling various information on several food types and presents all of that in a compact reader friendly manner. Blissful glutton acts as a valuable tool in aiding people finding the whereabouts of their favourite cuisines. The blog’s main goal is to establish a real time based community between restaurants and consumers. Having a guide that will lead you to your favourite restaurant is definitely worth it. It is convenient as it can be accessed online, without wasting much time. 

The blog also consists of pictures that play a role in influencing the readers mind. In other words they are a means by which restaurants can advertise themselves. The multi modal approach is very beneficial as it helps the reader visualize the content of the text. The use of different modes of communication i.e. text, images and videos is also critical because it plays a tremendous role in avoiding the monotony of having to just read tones and tones of text. 

-Abhi

Clusterf*ck Nation - one view of NOT community

     Clusterf*ck Nation is a blog maintained by an author named James Howard Kunstler. Anyone familiar with Kunstler's works could accurately state the author's views of community before an initial view of the blog. As one may assume from the blog title, James H. K. overtly emphasizes his distaste towards modern suburbia and sprawl. Though Kunstler writes primarily about economic issues in his articles, he manages to point out multiple times that the cause of such problems almost always relates directly to sprawl.
     Rather than explaining what a community should be, the author writes of the opposite. He clearly states that the current status of American housing manages to stray far from being an acceptable community and  that inefficient suburban planning provides a horrible foundation for a down-turned economy.Thus, a good community is one that does NOT include endless pavement, little land value, bad purchase decisions, or a group of people unaware that they are part of a bad community. Most of all, a good community does NOT become born from a single or few greedy, callous "developers".
     The multiple modes the author employs provides a sense of credibility towards his word. The layout of the site tells the reader that Kunstler is a "no-nonsense" speaker who strongly believes his words. At the top of the site is a picture of the author who does not seem to be bothered at all by his leanings. He establishes further credibility from the multiple denotations of his works around his pages. Kunstler takes full advantage of the electronic medium. Not only does he incorporate pictures and links into his blog but his entire blog is a piece of his main site. This method connects his web log with his other electronic accessibility, such as his podcast.
     The blog's recurring themes include Kunstler's analysis of economic downturns, views on updated political matters, and reminders of the absentmindedness of suburban Americans - all revolving around the author's perceived absence of an American community.

-Jaron Gao

Photographic Knowledge

As part of our English course we were given a tour of Georgia Tech's Library. Being a student at Tech not once had I used the library apart from registration, which was mandatory. But things have changed a great deal from that day. Surprisingly the very same library has now become one of my preferred hang outs.The library has all the features and resources  that a student may need. Books, movies, tutorials, printers, computers and  numerous extremely useful gadgets. It even has a presentation room which allows groups to record their presentations and view them later for reference. The  24 hr coffee shop aids students to work through the middle of the night in order to complete assignments and study for exams. My favorite place in the library would undoubtedly be the compartments designated for group study Out of the several gadgets that the library has to offer, I'm going to talk about the digital cameras and camcorders.

The library has several cameras that can be  utilized by students who want to use it for presentations or personal reasons. Based on the type and usage of a camera the check out time for each camera varies. The low quality cameras can be checked for 2 days only. These cameras are very easy to handle and are of a low quality. They do not have in built microphones, this is the main difference between them and camcorders. The high quality canon camera's which have an in built mic only go out for a day but if its not in demand you can extend the check out period.

Along with the cameras and camcorders other gadgets that are available include; tripods, memory cards readers and different cables that one may need. After a student has recorded his/her video or pictures onto their camera the memory card reader can now be used to copy it on to a laptop.  The desktops in the library are also available for usage. These consist of the latest software and so prove to be assets for students.


I would like to conclude by saying that the library at Tech is truly one of the most valuable resources we have on campus.Both students and faculty will vouch for this. Without the library Tech would definitely not be anywhere near as successful as it is today.



Even the GT band is praising the Library.......



-Abhi

ALL WORK AND NO PLAY MAKES JACK A DULL BOY!!

Being a Georgia Tech student I try very hard not to be JACK. All the work that Tech gives you it’s very hard to actually go out and have fun. More than having fun it is very essential that one must work out or get some sort of physical exercise to keep the mind healthy. For all Georgia tech students one place to work out is the CRC (campus recreation center).

The CRC is every student’s favorite hangout place. The CRC has all the facilities for people of all ages and interest. Right from lifting weights with your friends to swimming. The CRC is 5 storey high building which was home to the 1996 Olympic swimming meet. Once you enter the CRC you can see the gym and the racquet sport courts. The gym is equipped with all the latest machines. The courts include squash and racquet ball. There is also a 2 storey rock climbing wall.

The 1st floor also bears the swimming pool entrance that is open to the public. There is also a pool for kids that have a slide as well. On the 4th floor the CRC has 6 basketball courts with 6 rooms for club meetings and specialized exercise like ballroom dancing, break dance, karate etc. The basketball courts are also badminton and volleyball ready with provisions to put up the nets. It also has table tennis tables and an indoor soccer field.

Apart from all this the CRC also has an outdoor field which has 6 grounds for sports like flag football, soccer, ultimate Frisbee etc.

For all those students who are tired of all their course work I highly recommend the CRC as a stress buster and a place to get rid of all your worries.

-Abhi


Here is a video of an intramural basketball match


Here is a video of an intramural flag football match

View Neighborhood Evaluation in a larger map

Introduction to Bridgemill:

     Out of the many suburban subdivisions catered to the upper-middle class whites, Bridgemill does not stand out as any different from the others. Located in Canton, GA, about 25 miles north of Atlanta, Bridgemill is set between a northern portion of Lake Allatoona and an intersection of two major Cherokee county roads - Sixes and Bells Ferry. Bridgemill's characteristics reflect a stereotypical "rich" neighborhood; it is complete with its own two-acre pool, large driveway McMansions, and elaborate greenery. After analyzing the defining elements of the subdivision, I concluded that Bridgemill fits every criteria of what a typical rotten sprawl neighborhood should be. Navigation is ridiculously difficult compared to a straight-road layout, and absent streets are a dead give-away to a poor social community. Thus, it is but another rotten greed-feeding waste of land with a pretty coat of thin paint and pavement.

-Jaron Gao 

Eagles Landing

Many of us prefer to live in a traditional type of neighbourhood, but those of you who like sprawl: Eagles landing is the place to be. It is a beautiful neighbourhood with a 18 hole golf course, Clay tennis courts, Swimming pool etc. Eagles landing is only 20 minutes from downtown Atlanta and is strategically placed near malls, markets.

It is the perfect neighbourhood to raise a family. It is safe, spacious and very clean. Schools are only 2 min drive and there is a park which is a couple of  minutes walk.There is no social discrimination and everyone is very friendly .

Overall the neighbourhood has everything in my criteria of a perfect neighbourhood. There is no social discrimination and everyone is very friendly . I had the opportunity to live with a family in that neighbourhood for a day and from what i observed, I sure want to be living in that neighbourhood. I also spoke to two other families who had nothing to say but that they loved their neighbourhood. An important factor is also its road and parking networking is very efficient. So if any of you are looking for a new home in a NON-TRADITIONAL neighbourhood , your first choice must be Eagles Landing.


-Abhi

WATER CONCERNS IN THE STATE OF GEORGIA

The author of this blog talks about the most important resource that the planet Earth has to offer, water.
This blog addresses a variety issues concerning the water supply in Georgia, and water in general.
The author begins with speaking about Lake Laniar and debating on whether the water level at this point of time is appropriate for drainage or whether engineers should wait till water levels rise. According to the author the fact that water levels have risen greatly in the past few months does not justify drainage. The water levels have indeed risen but they still fall below the normal level that is expected at the Lanier Lake.
According to the data provided the volume of water in the lake is still on the rise and hence it would be wiser to wait for a longer span of time before drainage is considered. Also the fact that summer months are close approaching should be a key factor in the decision on whether drainage should be conducted now.
The author then moves on to talk about the new water councils appointed for the Georgia water management. The authors displays to contrasting views on the new appointees. One for this change and one of strong opposition. Although the views displayed are not of the author but other officials working or in some way associated with the Georgia water supply.
The author has utilised a tone of concern, where he clearly demonstrates the fact that the issue is one that he really cares about, and one that affects him directly. The author has made his post a highly informative one by sharing various statistics and data relating to the water supply in Georgia.
The one draw back with this blog is the under utilization of multimedia. The author has not used any images or videos to further illustrate his point. The graph he used was highly informative, but any more of such graphs, charts ,and images relating to this issue were required. That would have definitely added to the overall appeal of the blog post.
The reason why the author is compelled to write about the water problem in Georgia is because this is an issue that he/she can directly relate to. It is an issue that's affecting the quality of life in their neighbourhood an hence for them it is an issue that requires addressing and needs to be written about.
The prime motive behind this blog is to create awareness of the issue on hand and provide various data on this depleting resource. The content of this blog is highly informative and hence has been created in order to share this information with people so the importance of this situation can be understood better.


-Abhi

Everyone loves to EAT! well..then EatBuffordHighway!

FOOD!

COME ON IN & ENJOY!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DELICIOUS TREATS! 

     If there is one way to reach out and connect with people, it's definitely food. Everyone knows what food is, can relate to it, and can even put their own spin to it. This particular blog focus on the cooking and dining of different restaurants and foods located around Buford Highway. The blogger uses a wide variety of visual images that appeal to viewer's eyes. 

    At first glance of the blog, one would think that the focus of this blog is to show the different restaurants in the Buford Highway area to the viewer, but take a second look. The individual is using the blog to reveal the culture in that area. They do an amazing job expressing the culture by introducing the foods from different cultures. By addressing the culture of that community using the different foods, the viewers gets a sense of the diversity in the community. 

    Seeing how the author's goal is to connect with the viewer, the tone is not that professional and serious. By employing pictures of various appetizing meals, it seems as if the author is using a "people friendly" inviting tone. This is important because if their goal is to express and share the culture of their community, reaching out to the viewers in a people friendly way in order to connect with them is the best idea. 

    Others may look at this blog and just see eye pleasing images, but others will look at this blog and become curious in the food and culture in that area or community. That is the blogger goal. To catch the readers attention and give them a reason to come over to Buford Highway and try the food. The blogger is compelled to write about the community because they feel they have something special (in this case food expressing culture) that they can share with others. It could also be looked at as "showing off." 'Buford Hwy has great restaurants with great food! Come and check it out!' Sure the author could have said that but that does not really give the viewer a reason to actually want to go 'check it out.' 

    It's the old 'pictures speak louder than words.' In this case pictures of great food from many places reveal a variety of ethnic groups and their cultures & they want others to join in the experience. Go ahead and click the link and tell me that you wouldn't be compelled to write a blog if you lived in a community with food like that and a rich diverse community. 

Jaron & Abhishek what do you guys think? Do you think author is trying to express the culture or just plain bragging about their food?!

-Obiandu

A hardworking blog for a worthy traditional neighborhood.

inDECATURga.us homepage screenshot

     inDECATUR is an Atlanta blog revolving around the traditional community Decatur, GA. The weblog is constantly updated, averaging at over six posts a day. The author desires to inform readers of approaching occurrences in Decatur and to convince them of how lively and exciting a traditional neighborhood is. By maintaining his site, the blogger grants a stronger sense of togetherness with his neighborhood and allows this sense to permeate to his audience. By keeping his blog strong he is making his community stronger. Topics covered include upcoming events and interesting news relating to the town.

    Events range widely from fashion shows to cookie-giveaway concerts. The details are presented clearly and objectively, with many pictures of posters or the events themselves. News updates contain credible links to the sources with screen shots; the weather and headline feeds are refreshed continually. Plus, the site possesses links to other informative pages such as local restaurants, stores, and law enforcement. The overall look of the blog is astounding and very neat.

     Before reading the blog, I had very little knowledge of any at all of Decatur, GA. Now, I still do not know much about the city but I have gained insight into the fruitful community residing there.

-Jaron Gao

Nostalgia intertwined with dismissive distaste

     Sharing similarities with the neighborhood described in the first post, Centennial Place is, as it pains me to say, another definition of sprawl. Upon arriving upon another new home at age seven, I was engulfed with waves of rushing excitement and childish curiosity. What made this house different from previous addresses was the simple fact that it was not an apartment. As a child, I had not considered whether how similar looking my house was compared to the next or whether how many trees were quickly leveled in order for my neighborhood to be built. Yet thinking back, I still emotionally praise the area as lovely and welcoming, while logically I realize in reality how hollow and shallow the entire vicinity was. Out of the three cities introduced in Blueprint America, Denver shares the most characteristics with Centennial.
     It is quite strange watching a simple video could have changed my opinion of “sprawl” neighborhoods. What I once identified as feelings of comfort have morphed into channels of abhorrence towards such residential sites. Out of these three cities: Denver, Portland, and New York City, I certainly find New York City the most attractive. Simply the fact that NYC possesses a huge community and the most diversity adds an incredible amount of appeal. The city is an epicenter for new ideas and experiments, and such a characteristic combined with the wise attitude of NYC to improve its ways only further boasts its enticing value.
     My childhood suburban home did little to contradict the claims of Blueprint America. Many repetitive patterns existed back where I lived akin to the depiction of the sprawl city. Single family homes shared one of 3 housing styles, and a recurring loop of small road, lawn grass, and new house covered the terrain. It was a new neighborhood, with new houses constantly being built around ones that had unfinished basements. The entire place became a huge residential space as my neighborhood combined with two other older but still new suburbs. As a result, no one had to decide on what type of transportation. The most accessible, common, and devastation choice was the automobile, and this caused traffic to grow exponentially worse over the years. Despite having suffered through horrible traffic, the residents did not change their habits, with their middle class tendencies holding grip over their logic and foresight. Homeowners were mostly young, white families earning middle class incomes – continuing the sprawl stereotype of earlier decades. The descriptions of sprawl in the documentary fit perfectly with the place I spent my childhood in. The multiple streets of house copies, the timeless traffic, and the detached attitudes of the locals all further usher feelings of apathy towards Centennial Place.

Blueprint America: Road to the Future

-Jaron Gao

GROWING UP IN THE HEART OF CHENNAI

I would like to take this opportunity to give you a short insight on the surroundings I grew up in. I was born in a beautiful city called Chennai. For those that may not have heard of it, Chennai is an upcoming city located in the southern part of India. It currently boasts of the highest economical growth in India. Chennai being a coastal city its description would be incomplete without a mention of the white sandy beaches. In Chennai my family owned a house in the heart of the city in a street called alwarpet.

My neighbourhood( cant actually call it that!) was more of a mixture of traditional and suburban. This is because there was no cull-De-sac, similar looking houses or apartments in the city. It was more like houses, apartments, malls etc randomly in the city. On my road there were malls, apartments and residential houses . So to actually compare my neighbourhood to the ones depicted in Suburban nation is not possible.

In Chennai it is very necessary to own a car or else you are screwed because the public transportation is pretty sad and the taxis charge rip-off prices. But if you have the patience and stamina to walk in 100 degrees farenheit, everything is close by. Apart from all this the people are very friendly and helpful. You can find kids playing cricket or soccer everyday in the evening.

It would not be wrong by concluding that the neighbourhood in which I grew up is highly unique both in its geographical structure as well as nature of the people residing within it.


-Abhi

Ch. 2 & 3: Suburban Nation/Assign 26-28

Hey guys...well the first house my family ever moved in to was and is mostly likely the definition of sprawl. I grew up in a neighborhood called the Cottages of Chicopee. It was a very small neighborhood of about 11 houses; fairly new neighborhood about 5 years old. Just in that statement you may assume that nieghbors were close because the neighboorhood was so small. Well that's not the case. The neighborhood was closed off from the outside by trees. And to be honest..the whole neighborhood was a cul-de-sac. There was no oulet and all road. Since when did cul-de-sacs become a beautiful scenery. Though the houses did look different, the basic concept of the way the houses were built were similar. There was nothing unique (maybe besides color) about the houses. That just screams (SPRAWL)!

 The neighborhood was located relatively distant from some stores and the school. Let be put it this way.. if you didn't have a car..you're screwed. Though my small neighborhood leaned mostly to the sprawl side, it wasn't all that bad. Yes..i know we still had to burn gas just to buy a few grocries, but our neighborhood did give us a sense of privacy and protection. It even states in Suburban Nation that one good thing that comes out of sprawl is the sense of privacy one gains from it, but on the flip side when one gets on the road..all that personal space is gone and one is now sitting in traffic. 

Now the neighborhood was an ok one. My family is the only black family to live in that neighborhood. It's funny because surrounding the neighborhood are apartments where mostly minorities live. You can tell a status or class distinction is evident. That's one thing sprawl tends to do. It separates social class. Is that a good thing..some think so. I think it's absolutely bogus.