Kwame Anthony Appiah argues in his article, What Is the Point of College? published in the New York Times Magazine on Sept. 08 2015, that college has two visions: – Utility and Utopia.

Utility, in economics, refers to the total satisfaction received from a good or service. Is a path consumers will strive to maximize their utility.

Appiah states that “college can be useful – to its graduate, to employers and to globally competitive America”, meaning, that college is the modern vision of how to achieve the American Dream; work hard to rise your standard in life no matter what you have to sacrifice. Make money is the main motivation to assist and invest in college under this vision.

On the other hand, the term Utopia is based on John Stuart Mill theory  “experiments of living.”  Understanding Utopia as egalitarian principles in a fair society. Appiah’s Utopia refers to a “Liberal Art” vision; go to college to enhance knowledge and feed the soul. As the author claims, “the pursuit of happiness.”

But how a photographer, in this changing society and college environment, could resume these two visions in a couple of single stills?

The first idea is about isolation-distance to escape-hide of our own self. Technology is the answer to reach the new American Dream.

The picture will have, as its main subject matter, a technological presence in its composition. The picture will be take in a college room with modern computers on tables that resemble production lines from the industrial revolution. The human factor will be present, will be distant, absorbed by technology. Technology that promises too much but takes much more.

The Utopia U picture will a reverse view of the room. It will talk about freedom and knowledge. A partial body image of a girl in the foreground, getting ready to ride her bike. It is a free space, contrasting with the oppressive environment of  the classroom full of computers. She carries a backpack, symbol of freedom and rebellion. In the bike’s handle bar we see an empty food container inside a bag.

Lines in the Utopia picture composition, contrary to the Utility picture, project to infinity. In the Utility picture there is a wall in the background that stops them, creating a trap to the subject in the picture.

As we see, Appiah’s vision of Utility U and Utopia U are two interesting but challenged subject matters.

Gabriel Flores

August 28, 2017

They are  two methods of Colleges and Universities .  Utility U is a method where the cultivator cultivates for the reward. A curricular of studies in preparation for getting an occupation that satisfies the efforts and expenses that attributed towards that academic success. Utopia U focuses on the individual. The objective of a student whose uses such method develops not only their skills, but also their personality, and directives as an attribution of ideals and ideas for future developments.

I’ll have the student show a more relaxed happy body language for the Utopia photo and for the Utility U photo the student body language will show someone who is tired and maybe feels forced to me in school.

Utility U is focusing on the major that you want to be develop for a job in the future. basically. you go to a college is to learn what you need about the job. you will not waste time to learn something not include in your gold.

Utopia U is for getting experience around your community. then you could learning more and more new things. at the same time, you find yourself what you want to be in the future.

For my Utility U image, I have a few different ideas.  I will see how each idea works out and go with the one that I feel does the idea most justice.

1.) Encompassing books/papers with the model somehow.  Utility U means utilizing information so using books or papers would help get this message across.

2.) Looking at a job board/image board located at the school, considering the end goal of college is to join the workforce and get a good job.

For my Utopia U image, I think my image ideas have less to do with other props and more with the model.  Utopia U has to do with pursuit of happiness and how you grow as a person and, to me, that is more conceptual.

1.) Sitting on a staircase, looking off into the distance.

2.) Outdoor location, looking towards another location. Model standing and a road leading away from them.

I definitely think the Utopia image is harder to convey and I’ll see what I come up with at the end.

For Utility U, I am thinking of emphasizing the idea of money and having to pay for college in an exchange for something. So for one shot, the student can be handing off money in an exchange for a book or something that represent school/learning. Or maybe another idea could be throwing money like is a cap and gown. Or a dollar sign shape as a cap.

For Utopia U, the idea of being free and finding oneself seems like an interesting focus. So perhaps, the idea of meditating in a school chair with the idea of being free. Maybe someone laying down on the floor surrounded by paper. The pursuit of happiness, could be something as simple as drawing a happy face on a paper. Maybe books stack up in a ladder format representing moving up?

What is the point of College?

The point of college to me has always been to lead a successful career in the future. Well now that future is very close for me and I have come to learn that there is more to leading a successful career than just the end goal of gaining a Bachelors degree. It is to learn about yourself, to set goals, and of course to gain knowledge.

Utility U is to to go to college to get a good job that makes paying so much for college worth it.

• My photo ideas for Utility U would be: someone sitting at the computer, writing an essay, highlighting an entire paper, appearing stressed.

Utopia U is going to college to find yourself, to learn to do what you love and meet people who have great outlooks on life.

• My photo ideas for Utopia U would be: someone sitting by the window with a notepad, talking in a group, hanging in the cafe, reading outside, appearing relaxed.

After I read the article I lern two new Utility U and Utopia U, this two word have describe the result of what college do to you. The first word Utility U, this word means if you go to college your goal is to develop a skill for you to get a job, this could mean helps you change your social status as worker class move in to middle class. The other word Utopia U means college is a place for you to better understand your self through out the relationship with classmates and teachers, better understand the meaning of life through out knowledge in different academic area.

In Utility U, the student has more restrictions on what to learn in order to gain the upper hand in the job market. In Utopia U, the student has more freedom on what they want to learn but by doing so might learn something they might not be able to get a career in.

For each week’s problem, please write and post a project brief before the class photo shoot. There are 10 problems total. Each entry is worth one point towards your final grade.

Each project brief should include:

1. A summary of the text or texts
2. A clear definition of the communication problem. What is it that your photograph(s) need to convey to the viewer.
3. At least two different image ideas. You may in addition post an image by another photographer (with credit of course) that shows the style or something about the idea that you are considering.