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Event of Interest: LAST Extra Credit Opportunity

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Infrastructures of Labor

Dec 8, 2014 | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Infrastructures of Labor

Infrastructures of Labor explores how infrastructures are not just technical artifacts but are comprised of human labor. From networked infrastructures in the global North to do-it-yourself “people as infrastructure” systems in the global South, the panelists will present research considering how human bodies and communities are interwoven with the built environment and its technological systems. This exploration will illuminate the forms of dirty labor and exploitation that infrastructures depend on, the informal systems through which people make their cities conform to them in unpredictable ways, and the insurgent politics that may arise from rebelling through infrastructure.

PANELISTS
Kafui Attoh / Assistant Professor of Urban Studies / The Murphy Institute / CUNY
Catherine Fennell / Assistant Professor of Anthropology / Columbia University
Malini Ranganathan / Assistant Professor / School of International Service / American University
Rosalind Fredericks / Assistant Professor / Gallatin School of Individualized Study / NYU

MODERATOR
Penny Lewis / Associate Professor of Labor Studies / The Murphy Institute / CUNY

About the Political Infrastructures Series:
Far from being neutral technical elements of the urban landscape, infrastructures are political in all sorts of ways. Urban infrastructures, including housing and architecture; public services such as water, waste, electricity, and transportation networks; and data systems are key sites of conflict and contest between government and urban dwellers. They can serve as key performative elements of governing as well as sites for claims-making by elite and disenfranchised citizens alike. Urban infrastructures can crystallize patterns of uneven development and injustice, highlighting the city’s vulnerabilities and producing political dissent. This series takes a critical approach to understanding the politics of infrastructure by thinking through the different ways that urban infrastructures are implicated in citizenship struggles, urban labor questions, planning practice, and resilience strategies for uncertain futures. It will bring together people thinking about the design, function, break-down, and even demolition of infrastructures in a diverse range of cities in the global North and South for insight into how the material city shapes lives and urban possibilities.

Date + Time Dec 8, 2014 | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Location 20 Cooper Square | 5th Floor Conference Room
Category Urban Democracy Lab
Open to Public? yes
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Values At Play book launch- NYC event

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I’m sorry I’m posting this a day late!

Values At Play in Digital Games

When I was a mere week into college, my interdisciplinary seminar professor recommended that I attend a book launch pertaining to digital games, after learning of my intended concentration in game design. Two weeks later when the day came around, I was so terrified I almost didn’t go. Luckily I did work up the courage, and luckily when I got there there were a couple equally nervous looking poly freshman to guide me, and I’m glad they were there because without them it would have just been too much for me and my head would have exploded. It started when I overheard the conversations between other attendees, which pretty much all went something like “yeah, after working on (insert critically acclaimed game here) I skipped around and helped out with (insert studio I have worshipped since I was a child here) and now I’m teaching at (insert famous university here)”. This was casual conversation between titans. And we later found out that the person sitting on the couch next to my new poly friend was none other than professor Frank Lantz, the director of our NYU Game Center.

 

Now that I have gotten that out of they way, on to the actual book talk.

Values At Play in Digital Games is a book co authored by Mary Flanagan and Helen Nissenbaum, which discusses the prevalence of human values in videogames from a design standpoint. Specifically, using values as ways to bring about the extra emotional response. I didn’t really understand what they meant until they brought out examples of games that used this.

An example that stuck with me was a game called Hush, created by Jamie Antonisse, Chris Baily, Devon Johnson, Joey Orton, and Brittany Pirello. According to the site for Values at Play  “Hush is a game set in 1994 Rwanda, during a Hutu raid on a Tutsi community. You play a mother who must calm her baby by singing a lullaby. You must type out the words of your lullaby calmly and evenly to keep your child from crying and maintain your rhythm while you are bombarded by the increasingly disturbing sounds and images of the genocide just beyond your window. If you fail to keep your child from crying, you will be discovered and killed. If you can keep your child quiet, you can survive the violence and escape.”

Another interesting example was where some designers wanted the player in their game to have to rape a character in order to obtain information to move forward. This was to create player guilt that would have lasting effects throughout the game (though the game studio was split on whether to adopt this or not). The authors also talked about problems with this approach, as it generalizes individual values.

In conclusion, this book expands on some of the underlying motivations of gameplayers while playing different types of games, and talks about ways that designers can (and already do) consciously incorporate these player values into their games.

All in all, it was amazing to talk to people who are in the positions that I aspire towards. And once I read the book and have a greater understanding of using values in games I will update the post to talk more about it.

Announcements

Event of Interest: Extra Credit

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Dean’s Roundtable with Brian Sirgutz (BA ’01)

Oct 22, 2014 | 12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Using Digital Content to Drive Social Change

Participate in a conversation with Senior Vice President of Social Impact at The Huffington Post Media Group/AOL Brian Sirgutz (BA ’01) around the idea of “doing well while doing good” and the impact of digital content as a means for social change. Learn how Sirgutz developed a critical component of The Huffington Post’s Pulitzer Prize-winning program “Beyond the Battlefield,” and how he came to lead all development of social impact-related business and product development innovations on The Huffington Post’s platform.

Brian leads all aspects of the company’s impact editorial content and engagement strategy. Brian founded the Impact, Education, Good News verticals which reach over 20 million people on a monthly basis.

Register here:

http://gallatin.nyu.edu/utilities/events/2014/10/briansirgutz.html

Reflections

Blacklisted

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Amjad Nasser was unable to physically come to NYU because he was detained at Heathrow in London. While there he was put through rigorous questioning to which the American homeland security agent who he was talking to over the phone already knew the answers to. Because he was on the blacklist as a result of some political agitation that his works caused, he was unable to fly to America as the American homeland security agent told him. American dominion presided on British soil. As Amjad put it in his essay on the matter, he was unable to come to New York, but corrupt government officials, thieves and drug lords can fly to New York. The injustices he faced need to be recognized by the community. I think that his speech through Skype relates to our class because he spoke through a new media technology, Skype. Without the invention of this technology, we would not have gotten to hear him speak and see the way he read his poetry so passionately. The way his body moved with his poems and the cadence in his voice all conveyed his devotion to his work.
Technology has increased the awareness of political dissent as it creates a widespread distribution of ideas. In Amjad’s case this had negative consequences and he was unable to fly to America because of the perceived threat of his ideas. Although Amjad was unable to physically come to NYU, I was still able to experience his poetic brilliance through Skype.

His novels and poems detail the riveting wars and divides among Arab nations. Specifically in his novel Land of No Rain, he describes what it is like to be an exile of a country and how one forms his identity through this. Being an in-betweener or a “ghost” who doesn’t fit in anywhere, the protagonist is forced to create his own new identity. Giving insight into the strict regimes in places such as Jordan, Amjad creates political sentiment while describing the effects of a split land. His poetry has inspired many to think outside the lines that they are used to. This led to a rise in questioning of authority. Amjad was put on the blacklist because he made people think. He made them question their authority and who they trusted the power to. He did not commit a crime or harm anybody, he simply made people think. How come our world has come to this where freedom of expression isn’t truly freedom?

 

Announcements, Resources

Advertising Week at Gallatin

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Here is the event I mentioned in class on Wednesday:

http://gallatin.nyu.edu/utilities/events/2014/10/prototypeyourlife.html

Prototype Your Life: Advertising Alumni Panel

Oct 2, 2014 | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM

Advertising Week

Hear from marketing and advertising trailblazers and learn how to focus your passion and sell your talents—and your Gallatin degree–and discover what it takes to be a 21st century Don Draper.

This lively panel discussion will be moderated by Professor Stephen Duncombe and will feature:

Mallory Blair (BA ’10)
Named to this years Forbes 30 under 30 and Business Insider’s top 50 PRs, Mallory started her own firm fresh out of Gallatin four years ago. Since cofounding Small Girls PR, the firm has become the agency of record for technology companies such as GE and Karma, as well as the promotional arm for fashion companies such as Ann Taylor. It has never used a wire, rarely writes press releases, and never sends blanket pitches, relying instead on creative story telling and out of the box partnerships with bloggers, writers and founders. You can keep in touch with her @yourpalmal.

James Del (BA ’08)
James is the Executive Director of Gawker Media’s in-house creative and events department, Studio@Gawker. As a lifelong believer in oversharing on the web, in 2008 he joined Gawker Media Group as employee #2 in Advertising Operations. From there he made the transition to sales & marketing and eventually worked his way up to Advertising Director, overseeing all of Gawker Media’s most notable advertising partnerships and creative executions. Prior to Gawker, James consulted a variety of digital marketing agencies, including Mr Youth, Mekanism, Kadium and The Intelligence Group. He graduated from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study and once dressed up as a lion on MTV’s TRL, but never mind that.

Rachel Tipograph (BA ’09)
Rachel considered herself amongst the digerati since the moment she became an eBay poweruser at 13. Forbes listed Rachel as one of its “30 under 30 Who Are Changing The World” and Business Insider named her one of “New York Tech’s Coolest People.” After being the Global Director of Digital and Social Media at Gap, Rachel traveled the world for 100 days and is now building a media company based in NYC.

Farryn Weiner (Tisch BFA ’06, GAL ’09)
Farryn heads global social strategy for fashion brand Michael Kors Worldwide, overseeing social, editorial and digital marketing and media strategy. She led the development of the first Instagram ad ever, which ran in November. Weiner previously headed up social media, editorial content and marketing strategy for Jetsetter.com at Gilt Groupe. She’s been a panelist at SXSW, Internet Week, Social Media Week and Luxury Daily Conference, among others. Accolades include Top 10 Most Stylish Social Media Gurus in Stylecaster; 140 Most Influential Twitter Feeds of 2013 in Time; and 25 Women to Watch (Nov. 2013) in Luxury Daily.

Date + Time Oct 2, 2014 | 6:30 PM-8:30 PM
Location Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts
Category Alumni Events
Contact Lauren at lnisenson@nyu.edu / 212.992.8982
Open to Public? yes
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Announcements, Assignments

Book Traces Event

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Class,

As we discussed last week, we have been invited to participate in an amazing collaborative project called Book Traces. On Wednesday, October 8th, at 2pm we will meet at Columbia University in the Studio@Butler in Butler Library: http://library.columbia.edu/locations/butler.html. Butler Library is the main humanities library and is the large columned neo-classical building to your right as you walk into the campus from Broadway at 116th Street, not the domed classical building (that says Library) to your left. The easiest way to get to Columbia Morningside campus is to take the 1 to 116th St.

Before we go, I would like you to read the post about the event, this article from The Atlantic on the project, and the article by Dr. Andrew Stauffer which is listed under “Readings (password protected).”

Expect to be there for at least a full hour, and know that you are invited to stay until the 4pm closing event. I will meet you at the Studio with Dr. Stauffer. Class will be cancelled that evening.

For those that can make it, please RSVP in the comments with your full name. Each of you will be expected to post a short reflection about what you learned/discovered after the event (due Monday).

For those who cannot attend, I have an alternative assignment we will discuss in class. Please email me for details.

 

 

 

Announcements

Events in NYC

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Hello class,

There are many exciting events happening in NYC this semester. If you attend an event and write a post that conveys the connections between the information you learned and the topics we cover in our class, I will award you extra credit. This will be worth the same amount as a reading post (5 points), which means that this could negate a missed/late post.

For example:

Thursday, Sept 11, 6:30pm, Room 5409 : Cheryl Ball on Making the Case for Scholarly Multimedia

In this presentation/workshop, Dr. Ball will briefly overview what “scholarly multimedia” is, the kinds of peer-reviewed journals it is published in, and how it relates to others kinds of digital humanities and digital media projects. Following this introduction, Ball will focus on helping participants make the case for their (or others’) digital media-based work through an interactive assessment workshop. We will start with a single webtext, go through some of the developmental and evaluative stages of feedback that Ball uses at Kairos, and spin that example out into relevant cases and questions the workshop participants might have.

Gallatin Fashion Show

 

The theme for the 2015 Gallatin Fashion Show is Literature & Fashion. We are looking forward to the many ways the Gallatin community will explore this topic! Intrigued?
Thursday, September 11 | 12 – 2 pm
8th Floor Dean’s Conference Room
 
Come to the first open planning meeting to see how you can participate.
Can’t make it? Questions? Email Tanya at tanya.gupta@nyu.edu.
Gallatin Writing Program & Writing-Related Fall 2014 EventsALUMNI ARTS & SOCIETY WITH MAIA DANZIGER (BA ’80): SYNERGY, SERVICE, AND SOUL: IMPROVISING

A CREATIVE LIFE

Friday, September 5 | 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. | Jerry H Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

A life in the arts can take many forms, and requires not simply looking for opportunities, but also reflecting on one’s potential for growth and ability to cope with change. Maia Danziger (BA ’80) was an Emmy Award-winning actress before creating the Relax & WriteTM process and becoming a certified professional co-active coach who helps writers and artists realize their personal and professional ambitions. In conversation with Gallatin Founding Professor Emeritus Laurin Raiken, Danziger will discuss how successful artists and writers use challenges to help them discover and expand their talents and develop the ability to continually reinvent themselves. The discussion will be followed by a short Q&A.

GALLATIN GLOBAL WRITERS: SAADI YOUSSEF

Tuesday, September 30 | 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. | Jerry H Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

The Gallatin Writing Program will host esteemed Iraqi poet Saadi Youssef for a reading and discussion.

Widely considered one of the most influential poets writing in Arabic and twice exiled for political dissent, is the inaugural speaker in the Gallatin Global Writers series, which aims to highlight contemporary nternational authors and the diverse literary traditions and cultures from which their writing arises.
Youssef, the author of more than 50 works of poetry and prose, will be introduced by Gallatin professor and poet Sinan Antoon, who has translated Youssef’s poetry into English. Youssef has translated Whitman, Cavafy, Ritsos, Lorca, Popa, Ungaretti, Ngugiwa Thiong’o, and Wole Soyinka into Arabic.

Wednesday October 1| 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. | Dean’s Conference Room (801)

On the second day of Youssef’s visit, he will lead a poetry workshop. A small group of Gallatin students will read from their original poetry and receive feedback.

GALLATIN REVIEW RECRUITMENT MEETING

Monday October 6 | 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. | Dean’s Conference Room (801)

Interested editors will have the opportunity to meet one another and learn about the Gallatin Review publishing process from past editors; the faculty advisor, Sara Murphy; and the Graduate Assistant, Syma Mohammed.

CAREERS IN WRITING AND PUBLISHING : SCIENCE FOR A GENERAL AUDIENCE

Thursday, October 16| 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. | Jerry H Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts

Do your interdisciplinary interests include both writing or literature as well as science, including health science and environmental science? Intrigued by the larger social and ethical issues raised by research in science and medicine? Are you interested in communicating scientific ideas to a general audience?

The Gallatin Writing Program will host a reading and discussion on these topics by prominent science writers and editors as part of its Careers in Writing and Publishing series. The panelists will be New York Times science editor David Corcoran; medical journalist and NYU Journalism School SHERPA (Science, Health, and Environmental Reporting) alumna and teacher Apoorva Mandavilli; and Gallatin alumna and author of Trespassing on Einstein’s Lawn (Bantam Books, 2014), Amanda Gefter.

Friday, October 17 | 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. | Dean’s Conference Room (801)

As a follow-up to the panel discussion, three to four Gallatin students will circulate and read aloud their own science writing and receive feedback from Amanda Gefter.

Questions? Contact Allyson Paty, Writing Program Coordinator, allyson.paty@nyu.edu