Final reflection Prompt

Aleksandar Dekic

Impact of studying New York City architecture out of the classroom. Should more students get this opportunity? Why and why not?

 

My major is Hospitality Management, and I choose this class because it is an ID class, and it is required. But I also choose it because I find myself interested in history and is there a better way to learn about the history of the city where I live then taking this class. And for my future profession, it is remarkably important to know and understand the place where I live and work.

The first class was phenomenal, and it buys me instantly. All those documents about the first settlers, and then quickly run through the time with the pictures and blueprints of the city. Amazing! But during the second class, I felt like this is one of those classes where professor is going to throw at us million of information, and we will end up stuck with it, without real knowledge and with one-dimensional pictures and data that will be hard to understand, especially for me because I am not architect student. Then, the professor takes us outside, where we could experience the real life of the city, firsthand. Everything that he was lecturing was right there, in front of us, amazingly unwrapping every place and building, and unfolding those stories about them. Professor Montgomery allows us to see the things that we see every day with different eyes. Thanks to him, now I know the importance of air and sun flow between the buildings, street grid and its deviation in certain parts of the city, reliefs, and seatbacks and how they are important, and the way how different styles and materials were introduced in architecture. All this in front of students, right on-site, where we cannot just see the examples, but touch it and feel it in a 3-dimensional way.

All this historical analysis of the city’s infrastructure, development and planning was much better explained, “out of the box”, with such architectural passion, than it will be in the classroom, and it holds my attention during the class time, no matter if it was raining, snowing or if it was nice day outside. I was exiting to participate in every class, not just because we get the lecture, but it is a free walking tour, which costs at least $20, and we did 12 if I am not mistaken. And, professor Montgomery is the best tour guide you can get, with so much knowledge that reaches to the very soul of the city and its architectural history from the village to the present role of the city as the commercial and cultural hub of the nation. I am definitely for this kind of lecture, especially because our college is in the city and it does not cost extra money to go and visit places, everything is minutes away, which students from other cities and regions can’t afford.