The aura around public schooling especially Chicago Public Schools – or Chicago in general – is not necessarily always a positive one. Therefore, my topic proposal for S2 will somehow be centered around [Chicago] public education. While yes, this course is titled, “Speaking of Bicycles,” we spend a lot of time speaking, analyzing, and drawing connections between everyday life either to bicycles literally, but mostly ( in my opinion figuratively). Thus, I shall do the same. The concepts of space, the complexities of simple mechanics, and overall perception are all concepts that can easily be explored through the public education crisis in Chicago. In terms of gathering information, yes I will obviously use numerical evidence to support my claim – because for Chicago the numbers are just outrageous – but primarily the pathetical and logistical aspects of my speech will be what I intend to focus on. Just like situations/concepts surrounding bicycles, a lot of it has to do with personal experience, benefit, loss, and logical/reasonable use.
Like every person in SF, my friends and I wanted to escape Sunday’s heat. We decided to go to the beach, but not the typical beaches SF people go to, because we knew that there would not be any space. As we made our way over the Golden Gate bridge you’re categorized as a: vehicle, bicyclist, or pedestrian. Obviously we were pedestrian, therefore we were confined to the right side (outbound side) of the bridge. In the middle were 6 lanes going North and South filled with vehicles – easily speeding 70 mph – on the far left side were bicyclist going from 5 (the tourist) to 25 mph. But the question then became was that enough.
Bridge rules separated the three modes of transportation, but it did not solve the problem of congestion. As Zimmer stated, “cars aren’t the problem, but the way we use them,” thus, how can we find a solution to 21st century congestion. Is there a way to be speedy, but yet enjoy life’s offerings like Carlsson describes with his bike? Zimmer quote, “Transportation doesn’t just impact how we get from place to place. It shapes what those places look like, and the lives of the people who live there,” partially highlights the difficulties around our ability to coexist. Because there are so many variances across urban cities and preferred/realistic transportation methods, our ability to coexist imparts social barriers that continues the need for a new “transportation revolution.”
It was only last October, I remember getting off the phone with the Communications Department at Chicago Public Schools and running to my Journalism teacher to tell her the good news. The news of granting a student journalist access to school board meeting as a member of the press; as long as I had a press pass. Minutes after relaying the news, there I was, with it in my hand – my school ID card with a few added graphics with the added line “PNN Reporter.”
I brought my press pass with me to USF, because there are memories and experiences that are attached to it. Whenever I was going through a rough patch in my few weeks here, I would just look at it and remind myself of those times. That piece of plastic truly transformed my life. My whole senior year, that press pass not only granted me access to some of Chicago’s most elite events, but interviews with prominent politicos/influencers. Top reporters from various news outlets and print publications treated me as if I were on of them – someone who’s been in the game – and even offered me shadowing opportunities and personal contact information. The ability to learn from them and their communication methods continues to inspire my decision to become a communication studies major.
The longing to be the voice of reason for Chicago Public School only solidifies inside of me…
How do you organize/structure/arrange ect your writing?
Whenever given a prompt, I open up a new word document and just write anything that is associated with the topic down. In a middle of a paragraph if I experience writer’s blog or lose my train of thought, I tab and start a new paragraph. After about thirty minutes, I go back and check the formality of each paragraph and see if the style works well for the prompt. If there are clear paragraphs that go off on tangents, before deleting them i look for good ideas or diction I can use later on in the prompt. By hour’s end I usually have a formulated introduction and two to three body paragraphs.
My speech definitely overlapped between casual and problem-solution, however in the future it may be more impactful if it were to overlap between chronological and problem-solution. How over time our perception of problems change and how the impacts our decision making. Thus, it would allow for a more conceptualization of my topic. Because the problem isn’t necessarily something dangerous or scary. but one that impacts another person’s life, therefore there must be a viable solution or alternative (what biking sharing is – an alternative).
Three minutes definitely went by much quicker than expected. I felt that at times I could barely gather all my thoughts, maybe because I was speaking to fast. I did feel as if my body was swaying side to side a lot and my arms being crossed at times may have given off the wrong impression. Also, the paper did give a false sense of security at times just because when I would refer back to it, it felt as if I staring back at some foreign writing/language. Next time I will try to use different tones of voice and maybe a graphic.
Hectore did a great job projecting his voice in a calm and confident way that was easily understood and garnered attention. Even though at times, like many, his body language showed him being nervous, he always seemed to have control of his speech.
Bike sharing is a concept that has exploded worldwide, exciting cities around the world, for they are able to offer a service that benefits them both short term and long term, while still putting the needs of its residents first. There are currently over 600 bike-sharing communities in the world. And when you think of that on a global scale, it really isn’t that much. However, only about half are in where you’d expect them to be – heavily populated – urban cities. And when you look at the other half, they are not only in developing countries but cities who seek to market their city for the global economy. And when you consider these up and coming cities many of their citizenry already use bicycles as their mode of transportation – primarily because of their affordability. But now, bike sharing programs are presenting them as a sense of security and comfort in knowing that a mode of transportation will always be at your disposal in a safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainable way.
I’m going to use Chicago’s bike sharing program, Divvy, as a prime example. If you are a Chicagoan like me, you are no stranger to bike frames chained to posts with missing parts – like wheels, seats and other parts, for bicycle theft is very common in Chicago. So when Divvy was introduced to Chicagoans back in the summer of 2013, it offered a peace of mind to those considering changing their means of transportation or to those already using bicycles. The concept of convenience, affordability, and sustainability were what CDOT emphasized to gain public support for this program.
Divvy’s vision is to ensure that Chicago continues to be a vibrant international city, that successfully competes in the global economy …And in doing so it’s vital that the unique neighborhoods Chicago offers is appealing and accessible to visitors and residents, while still being sensitive to Chicago’s communities and environment. And a part of that commitment to Chicago, Divvy implemented an expansion program to all neighborhoods and surrounding suburbs in Chicago. They also invested in the relationship between residents by offering a $5 annual membership versus the $99 annual membership fee to qualifying Chicago residents…impart ensuring that the unique experiences and goals of bike sharing is as available to residents as it is to visitors. So in short, everything Bill Strickland covered in “What Every Kid Wants,” – cultivating experiences, is essentially the universal vision of bike sharing operators worldwide, thus “What Every City Wants.”
We all grow up wanting to explore the world. We have our own means of doing so – some of us choose to do so through video games, sports, the arts, road trips, and biking. We do so to structure our understanding and interactions with those around us. However, many of us don’t truly value mass transit as a means of transporting us beyond physical capacity.
