Author Archives: JayG

New Route to School

1 Reply

When making the trip to and from school, I usually go with the route that gets me from the train station to the school building as quickly as possible. The fast route however, is somewhat stressful. When you take into consideration the clusters of people, the constant chatter, the sound of honking cars, and an oddly overwhelming need to walk as quickly as those around you, you’ll soon realize how this short five minute walk can lead to increased levels of stress and a lack of focus in the classroom. I happen to be an anxious person, so having to deal with a hectic speed walking crowd every morning isn’t exactly desirable. My heart starts pounding, my palms start sweating, and my mind begins to race. Anxiety is the feeling of excessive worry – something I experience daily as a result. When I’m walking with that large group in Jay Street, my anxiety causes me to focus on every sound and move that is being made around me which muddles my mind quite a bit. Though the walk only lasts about 5 minutes or so, the anxiety doesn’t end immediately after the walk. I then have to take an elevator that may or may not be crowded because they’re generally faster than taking the stairs, and I don’t do well with crowds.

I found a new route that – though very time consuming compared to my established route – is leagues ahead of my current route in how relaxing it can be. This new route takes me through Columbus Park which has a very wide walkway where people can sit on benches on either side and simply relax, which is a heavy influence for how I feel while I walk through that park. But unless it’s lunchtime the park is empty and I can stroll through without a care in the world. This route allows me to enter on Adam’s street which grants me access to the Atrium building which then allows me to access the stairs that is seldom used. And considering the fact that I’d only be taking this route if I have time to spare, I wouldn’t have to rush up any stairs on my way to class.

Being left with a jumbled mind after taking my usual route leads to a state of disarray in my notebooks and the quality of notes that I take. The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) – introduced by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan (professors of psychology at the University of Michigan) – states that being in nature or nature-based environments increases cognitive function. This boost in cognitive ability – especially in the case of early morning classes can be the difference between a pass or a fail on an exam. Not only does nature increase mental output, but it can also act as a form of stress relief. So for students who have early morning exams, a walk through nature is not only aesthetically pleasing, but is beneficial in terms of performance.

A study done by Henk Staats and Terry Hartig (professors of psychology at Leiden University and Uppsala University, respectively) found that a walk through nature left subjects who had been mentally fatigued with a considerably positive outlook. Interestingly enough however, those who weren’t mentally fatigued at the start of the nature walk didn’t experience much of a change (for better or for worse) by the end of it. This only feeds into the idea that taking a walk through nature when stressed is more beneficial than when in any other state of mind.

While taking a quiet, relaxing walk through nature may seem to be something you’d do unaccompanied, there is evidence to suggest that nature walks with a group can be even more beneficial – and for longer periods of time. A study done by the University of Michigan and Edge Hill University in England found that walking in groups resulted in less depressive moods. The professors who conducted this experiment recommend taking short but frequent walks through nature to really see benefits. When on the subject of how forming a habit of walking through nature affected those in the study, lead author Sara Warber said this:

“After 13 weeks, those who walked at least once a week experienced positive emotions and less stress”

Warber and her co-authors recommend walking through nature at least 3 times a week. They also agreed that by taking short but frequent walks not only will people notice a decline in their stress levels, but they will also have an increase in overall positive emotions.

The benefits of nature are based on empirical evidence that can be vetted and verified by any and everyone. Nature can benefit more than just students with its ability to brighten moods and bring forth mental clarity, which is something that everyone could and should make use of.

Works Cited:

Kaplan, Stephen. “The Restorative Benefits of Nature: Toward an Integrative Framework.”Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 15, no. 3, 1995, pp. 169–182., doi:10.1016/0272-4944(95)90001-2.

Marselle, Melissa, et al. “Walking for Well-Being: Are Group Walks in Certain Types of Natural Environments Better for Well-Being than Group Walks in Urban Environments?” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 10, no. 11, 2013, pp. 5603–5628., doi:10.3390/ijerph10115603

Van den Berg, Agnes E., Terry Hartig, and Henk Staats. “Preference for nature in urbanized societies: Stress, restoration, and the pursuit of sustainability.” Journal of social issues 63.1 (2007): 79-96.

Statue Criteria

Leave a reply

On August 11th-12th, a ‘Unite the Right’ Rally took a violent turn after white supremacist groups clashed with counter protesters ranging from members of Antifa, an anti-fascist group that is dedicated to “supporting oppressed people” and fighting “the amassing of wealth by corporations and elites” (Jessica Suerth, CNN.com) and ordinary civilians when a car plowed into a crowd of counter protesters. The incident left a woman dead and over a dozen injured. What were the groups fighting over? A statue. After the incident, Bill De Blasio, the mayor of New York City, said on Twitter, “After the violent events in Charlottesville, New York City will conduct a 90-day review of all symbols of hate on city property.” With this action, a question has been in the minds of many Americans: What about the person, group, or ideal should be taken into consideration when creating a new statue or monument? The person’s impact on a certain event in American or world history should be taken into consideration when statues in America are being created. The individual(s) should also be relevant to the area that their statue/monument will be placed. A final piece of criteria would be taking into consideration why an individual may be celebrated by different people.

Every monument or statue dedicated to someone or a group has some sort of historical or religious significance. The statues that don’t represent people will usually represent a certain ideal. For example, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was a symbol of democracy, enlightenment ideals, and the abolishment of slavery in America. But, as with many monuments, the meaning and story behind quite a few statues are interpreted differently by many. For the majority of those 14 million immigrants that entered America between the years of 1886 and 1924, the Statue of Liberty represented not democracy and the abolishment of slavery, but a sign of ‘welcome’ that told them they were about to begin their new lives. It’d be quite difficult to argue that the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of hate, so we’ll mention a famous controversial symbol: the Confederate Flag. The Confederate Flag is seen by many Americans as a symbol of hate. Conversely, Americans in the south see it as simply part of American (specifically in the south) history and a form of southern pride. What is called the Confederate Flag is a battle flag, it is what confederate troops marched to, fought in the name of, and died alongside during the Civil War. Some southerners celebrate the flag to pay homage to their ancestors that fought for a cause they believe in whether the cause was just or unjust, and that’s reason to celebrate in itself. (Ben Jones for NYpost) It is, however, important to explicitly state that modern American values are not that of the values of the Confederacy. What should be supported is the spirit of fighting for a cause and the celebration of ancestors, not the archaic philosophies that have proved to be outdated and generally looked down upon. The Confederate flag can not only serve as historic symbolism, but an ode to revolution. The Confederate flag is significant to American history and there’s no denying that fact. Though the symbols may still be flown in support of unjust and immoral actions or beliefs, keep your mind open as to what else the flag may mean to others.

The removal of statues in America isn’t a new phenomenon. Jacey Fortin from the New York Times claims that “just five days after the Declaration of Independence was ratified…soldiers tore down a gilded statue of King George III in Manhattan.” The toppling of the statue was in the name of defiance to an old ruler. With that statue destroyed, the patriots felt a bit freer.  Another statue is at risk of being toppled. At the center of national controversy is the Robert E Lee statue in Charlottesville, Virginia. Lee was a general in the Civil War on the side of the Confederacy and was widely known for his military expertise. Some believe that Robert E. Lee is undeserving of a monument because of his position on slavery (in support of it) during the Civil War and because of that, he is a symbol of hate. Because he is considered a hate symbol for some, he is one of many controversial figures facing threats of the toppling of monuments and the renaming of places that were previously dedicated to and named after him. Because of the fact that we as humans have emotional impulses, I believe it is very important to look at what history an individual brings to a specific place. For example, Robert E. Lee was a prominent figure in the Civil War, and he was known for being from and representing Virginia during the Civil War. Residents of southern states are usually proud of the statues they have, not just because of the aesthetics of the monuments, but because the monument makes the state of Virginia – and in this case Charlottesville, VA – historically significant.

When it comes to monuments being divisive, the only “fair” way to deal with a statue is to keep it where it is or to either transfer it to a museum or destroy it. So, in light of the recent events, many polls were done to assess how Americans felt about Confederate monuments. A poll done by Marist College found that 44 percent of African Americans, 65 percent of Latinos, and 65 percent of white Americans believe that the Confederate monuments should remain as they are for the sake of historic symbolism. Eleven percent of African Americans said they’re unsure while 40 percent said to remove the statues. Twenty-four percent of Latino Americans and twenty-five percent of whites said that they could be taken down, respectively. While that poll was done after a racially fueled incident in 2017, another poll was done by CNN on the 26th-28th of July 2015, 10 days after the Charleston church shooting by Dylan Roof. After the shooting, images of Dylan Roof posing with a gun and the Confederate circulated on the internet, portraying the flag in a very negative light. Despite this, the poll found that 57% of Americans oppose “redesigning state flags that feature Confederate emblems or symbols to remove references to the Confederacy”. This shows that even today most Americans, in the face of a demoralizing situation would still allow the flag to be flown or for statues to remain because of not only their historical aspects, but because of what they main mean to those in the south.

In all, the historical importance, the location of a monument relative to their impact on an area, and how a certain symbol can be interpreted should be criteria when evaluating statues. One cannot simply think about all of a person’s faults in their evaluations because then one can argue that Martin Luther King Jr. doesn’t deserve a statue because he cheated on his wife and is therefore an immoral figure. I say that the person’s historical impact, be it by way of discovering land like Columbus, fighting for civil rights like MLK, or even by creating military strategies like Robert E. Lee, is the most important thing to pay attention to when considering these statues and monuments for removal. It’s also just as important to have the location of the statue/monument coincide with the person’s historical endeavors (areas they were known for occupying or where they were born) as it wouldn’t make much sense for there to be a Henry Ward Beecher statue in Montana if he never impacted that area. Finally, how someone interprets a symbol is important. Yes, people use the confederate flag when committing acts of violence, but that doesn’t mean that it’s a symbol that only incites violence. For some, the American flag represents unity and freedom; for others, it represents the very evils that corrupt this world such as greed and narcissism. In cases like this, it’s just a matter of perspective.

 

Works Cited

“Americans take a stand: Leave ’em up.” The New York Post. (August 18, 2017 Friday ): 167 words. LexisNexis Academic. Web. Date Accessed: 2017/10/10.

Blasio, Bill de. “Charlottesville.” Twitter, Twitter, 16 Aug. 2017, twitter.com/NYCMayor/status/897926610271166464.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Standford University, kingencyclopedia.stanford.edu/encyclopedia/encyclopedia/enc_federal_bureau_of_investigation_fbi/.

Jones, Ben. “The New York Times Company.” The New York Times, The New York Times,www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/06/19/does-the-confederate-flag-breed-racism/the-confederate-flag-is-a-matter-of-pride-and-heritage-not-hatred

Randall, Amber. “POLL: Most Black Americans Don’t Want Confederate Statues Removed.”The Daily Caller, The Daily Caller, 17 Aug. 2017,  dailycaller.com/2017/08/17/poll-most-black-americans-dont-want-confederate-statues-removed/.

“Robert E. Lee.” Civil War Trust, Civil War Trust, www.civilwar.org/learn/biographies/robert-e-lee.

Suerth, Jessica. “What Is Antifa?” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 Aug. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/08/14/us/what-is-antifa-trnd/index.html.

 

“The Immigrant’s Statue.” National Parks Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, www.nps.gov/stli/learn/historyculture/the-immigrants-statue.htm.

Statue Criteria (Project 2 Part 3)

Leave a reply

In the past month there’s been controversy surrounding statues of “questionable” figures and whether these individuals deserve monuments that pay homage to their achievements and the impact they’ve had on America. Some recognizable individuals in question include Robert E. Lee and Christopher Columbus, both of which have had profound impacts on American history. My group and I have compiled a list of criteria that we believe should be taken into account for an individual to have a statue or monument in their honor:

  1. Their historical significance/relevance (Has this person impacted American/world history?)
  2. How they went about impacting the world/America (Did they wage war or discover land or did they protest an injustice? etc,)
  3.  How did their actions contribute to the world at large? (Did his/her action improve upon the rights of an oppressed people, or did he/she squash a revolution with the intention of keeping a group oppressed?
  4. How do we view them now? (Has our opinion of them changed? Were they misinterpreted at the time but are now thought of in a different way?)

Group members: Janin (Jay), Jade, Akeira, and Joseph

Injurious

Leave a reply

Injurious (adjective): inflicting or tending to inflict injury

I came across this word while reading Plato’s Republic. The context goes:

“…and that you really agree with Thrasymachus in thinking that justice is another’s good, and the interest of the stronger, and that injustice is a man’s own profit and interest, though injurious to the weaker.” (Page 57)

Adeimantus, who was the speaker at this point in the discussion, was arguing the point that those who are (morally) just are strong and therefore should continue to be just. He also said that the weak should pursue injustice as it is the only way for them to gain power. It was already established earlier in the book that injustice can and will be punished.

The word “injurious” looks and sounds a lot like “injury”. I guessed that the definition was something along the lines of harmfulness or detrimental to ones situation or well-being because of this. Another hint was the previously mentioned idea that injustice isn’t generally beneficial to the one who commits an act of injustice. I now completely understand the word and in what context I can use it.

Project #1

Leave a reply

 

This picture is a painting of Aristotle and Socrates, two of the most famous philosophers ever. I chose this picture not only because of my fondness of philosophy but because these men represent debate. Socrates even got a method of discussion and questioning named after him – the Socratic Seminar and Socratic Questioning, respectively.

My name is Janin Goodwin – though my preference is to be called Jay – and I am a freshman at The New York City College of Technology, colloquially known as City Tech. I’m majoring in Liberal Arts solely because no other majors piqued my interest. I had been accepted to SUNY Delhi with the intention of majoring in Marketing. However, after considering where that major would take me career-wise and how the career(s) didn’t fit who I am as a person (typically quiet and secluded), I decided not to go. My high school grades weren’t the best as I never tried at all and only maintained an 80 average so my choices for a school were limited. I settled on City Tech and Liberal Arts in order to transfer to a another school that both has my major and is out of the city. The only reason that I’d stay in the city is if I get accepted to Columbia University. Otherwise, I’m looking at schools that offer me majors in economics, history, or political science.

College seems to be far more manageable than high school. Not because high school was difficult – it wasn’t – but because of the freedom and increased amount of time we have allotted for whatever we need/want to do. The freedom to choose your schedule is probably the best part about college by far. I can use the extra time that I wouldn’t have had during high school to read, write, and improve upon my photography skills. I’m also interested in learning about history, politics, and philosophy. I’ll explain why I’m interested in each of the aforementioned activities and in what capacity I fulfill my desire for each a bit later.

College seems to be a great place to meet like-minded and not so like-minded individuals, both of which will benefit me socially and intellectually. It’s very important to me that my ideas are challenged, stretched, and strained in order to solidify or alter them. I believe it’s equally important to do the same for others. I find that most people are very set in their beliefs, which I believe is a flaw. This idea of people’s ideas being set in stone is problematic as people should be open to new beliefs if new information is presented. Obviously one shouldn’t be forced to believe a certain ideal if their own fundamental truths conflict with the ideas being presented but they shouldn’t completely shut out any opposing ideals without hearing the reasoning behind said ideals. For example, if someone believed in God, I believe it’s important for them to at least consider the idea that there may be no God and either accept and reject that belief. In a nutshell, beliefs shouldn’t be axioms; question everything.

Reading

I enjoy reading because the elements that can be put into a story. With fiction, there can always be hidden meaning in stories, even with something like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. On the surface, it’s a story about Animals in harsh conditions overthrowing their human master and building their own society. In reality, it’s about Joseph Stalin and Soviet Russia both before and after he came to power and the use of military force to reinforce his tyrannical rule over his people.

Writing

I enjoy writing  because I am able to express my viewpoints in the most creative way possible. I write about nearly everything and always try to employ a hidden meaning, whether it’s me speaking on human nature or something like nihilistic philosophy. I enjoy writing short stories though I am currently outlining what I’d like to be my first novel. I began writing in 7th grade and stopped in 9th grade until my junior year. Since then, I’ve been doing some form of creative writing almost daily. I’m in the process of writing 3 stories, one about religion, one about a militia taking over a small town, and a horror story about eyes. I hope to speak on the creation of a Godless society, usurpation in a small town, and anxiety.

Photography
Photography is an art form that has interested me since I was a very young child. Not so much as it being my passion, but a hobby. I enjoy capturing pictures of people in the darkness and the beauty of the earth when it’s coated by light. The blending of colors, tones, and angles can create pictures that’ll make your heart stop (in a good way, don’t worry). I cannot count the amount of times that I’ve seen a picture of an Icelandic mountainside,  the New York City skyline, or the Colosseum in Rome and just went, “wow”. Photography gives me a better reason to travel than “I want to experience new things”, which I find to be overly cliche.

Overall, I enjoy learning new things and having my ideas challenged. I also enjoy challenging people’s ideas, no matter how controversial. My profile has a small hint of my philosophies and what I hope to do with my current enrollment in City Tech.

Project #1

Leave a reply

My name is Janin Goodwin – though my preference is to be called Jay – and I am a freshman at The New York City College of Technology, colloquially known as City Tech. I’m majoring in Liberal Arts solely because no other majors piqued my interest. I had been accepted to SUNY Delhi with the intention of majoring in Marketing. However, after considering where that major would take me career-wise and how the career(s) didn’t fit who I am as a person (typically quiet and secluded), I decided not to go. My high school grades weren’t the best as I never tried at all and only maintained an 80 average so my choices for a school were limited. I settled on City Tech and Liberal Arts in order to transfer to a another school that both has my major and is out of state.

College seems to be far more manageable than high school. Not because high school was difficult – it wasn’t – but because of the freedom and increased amount of time we have allotted for whatever we need/want to do. The freedom to choose your schedule is probably the best part about college by far. I can use the extra time that I wouldn’t have had during high school to read, write, improve upon my photography skills, and drink coffee. I’ll explain why I’m interested in each of the aforementioned activities and in what capacity I fulfill my desire for each a bit later.

College seems to be a great place to meet like-minded and not so like-minded individuals, both of which will benefit me socially and intellectually. It’s very important to me that my ideas are challenged, stretched, and strained in order to solidify or alter them. I believe it’s equally important to do the same for others. I find that most people are very set in their beliefs, which I believe is a flaw. This idea of people’s ideas being set in stone is problematic as people should be open to new beliefs if new information is presented. Obviously one shouldn’t be forced to believe a certain ideal if their own fundamental truths conflict with the ideas being presented but they shouldn’t completely shut out any opposing ideals without hearing the reasoning behind said ideals. For example, if someone believed in God, I believe it’s important for them to at least consider the idea that there may be no god and either accept and reject that belief. In a nutshell, beliefs shouldn’t be axioms; question everything.

Reading

I enjoy reading because the elements that can be put into a story. With fiction, there can always be hidden meaning in stories, even with something like George Orwell’s Animal Farm. On the surface, it’s a story about Animals in harsh conditions overthrowing their human master and building their own society. In reality, it’s about Joseph Stalin and Soviet Russia both before and after he came to power.

Writing

I enjoy writing  because I am able to express my viewpoints in the most creative way possible. I write about nearly everything and always try to employ a hidden meaning, whether it’s me speaking on human nature or something like nihilistic philosophy. I enjoy writing short stories though I am currently outlining what I’d like to be my first novel. I began writing in 7th grade and stopped in 9th grade until my junior year. Since then, I’ve been doing some form of creative writing almost daily. I’m in the process of writing 3 stories, one about religion, one about a militia taking over a small town, and a horror story about eyes. I hope to speak on the creation of a Godless society, usurpation in a small town, and anxiety.

Overall, I enjoy learning new things and having my ideas challenged. I also enjoy challenging people’s ideas, no matter how controversial. My profile has a small hint of my philosophies and what I hope to do with my current enrollment in City Tech.