MANIFESTO : final project april 28

MANIFESTO (train station)

In order to find out about people in the world who are respectful of their space and place, we must observe, understand, discuss, and form opinions. When forming such opinions it is expected that we personalize areas and make sure they have a connection with ourself either spirital, emotional, or physcial. When venturing to the train station, we all are affected with the area because we all live within the vicinity of this campus. Some of us even choose to take the train. The train station is a network, although we have not always lived with trains they now are prominent to many in society today(C++). On the train everyday there are a variety of people from workers to homeless people, businessmen to immigrants, and students to senior citizens. Each person in the place of the train station is taking up their space in their own way (Yi Fu Taun). Whether a commuter is travelling to work, school, or even smuggling drugs, or trafficking people, we all are somewhat in communication with them.

Without any knowledge of each person’s travels in particular, there are signs posted on the train and in the ticket sales station that read “If you see something, say something”. This is a score that directs a person to follow a simple step in fixing the safety or danger of others around. Scores are found in many spaces. Proposing that a person should act out the score proves that the space we think we dwell in is movable (Of Other Spaces). We have also created scores on the posters we have placed which give a suspicious person the directions and number to call if they see the missing person we have profiled.

Within the perimeters of the train station we have learned the station itself is a heterotopia that we must be familiar with when travelling from one area to another. “At present cyberspace does not consist of one homogeneous space; it is myriad of rapidly expanding cyberspaces, each providing a different form of digital interaction with communication"(Introducing Cyberspace). In life today such forms of cyberspace, virtual, and common space are affecting our means of communication, in trains specifically.

By following the trains routes it is inevitable that we follow people. We concentrate on people’s reactions in relation to the pictures. What did they do when they read the sign and saw the person in front of them? This act of following is out of our boundaries and attempts to follow and create extensive spaces and places to live by (A Different City for a Different Life).

Within this following, we also are mapping. People take the train and we mapped out pictures along the way on the roads that Sunny/Cassandra were walking. Maps can be used visually through or tecnologically through the phone calls made, opening up a field of possibilities (Counter Cartographies).

In the process of mapping and following it is important to make note of the emotions everywhere. What are peoples reactions when looking at the posters and seeing Sunny and Cassandra walk by them. The people were scared, hesitant, and concerned, while few of them did not bother. People directed their attention toward Sunny and Cassandras actions while sitting in the station, reacting with confusion and worry.

The final and most important concept to work in is that of profiling. You mus concentrate on who is observant. What category of person, age group, sex, ethnicity is most likely to combine the pictures with the person? Who is most likely to call- a homeless man or a CEO on his way to work? Are people more likely to call because it is a males picture or for a female? Is a woman more likely to call or is a man? These are the certain concepts that must be looked closely into.

When looking into a person and understanding works into the first introduction to the class of what I carry with me. What you bring with you, the precense you create for yourself, and the way you react to situations is also how people who interpret and judge you.This investigation is an eye opener. You and I must learn that people are nicer than we may think. The homeless man was genuinely concerned about “our missing friend” when was the last time we saw her and where she may have gone. An older woman spotted Cassandra’s picture then her riding the escalator and could not help but look. An african american woman saw Sunny sitting and held his picture in her hand asking him if it was true. A college student spotted him and called the number after convincing himself it was definitely him. The surprising responses of people all the same were helpful in understanding that the train station is not as scary as it may seem. Although intimidated by the appearance and vast variety of people who walk the steps every day, mostly everyone who saw our posters stopped to look and felt for the picture, really concerned about this strangers well-being. I guess when people see something, they really do say something.