Veteran Gravestone Cleaning

 I got the opportunity to clean graves for veterans at the Maplewood Cemetery. It was interesting to see how dirty they were and cleaning them off was surprisingly difficult. I really think this is important so that we show our appreciation for the veterans. They have done so much for us and I think it is good to return the favor. 

What Goes Into the Construction of a Stadium?

 I have always wondered what goes into the making of stadiums and what factors that they have to watch out for. After some research I came to the conclusion of the certain factors that come with constructing a stadium. 

LOCATION: This is the first thing architects have to think about when making a new stadium. Location is important because people need to be able to access the stadium easy from wherever they are. Deciding whether to put it in the city or the suburbs both have its pros and cons. The city has easy access to transportation but it is going to be more expensive to make and there might not be enough room for everything that is required. The suburbs is less costly but transportation will be more limited. Besides the consumers, architects have to also watch out for the quality of land that they will be building on. 

DESIGN PROCESS: This is the factor that is most important because the design is what people see when the stadium is done being built. This process seems easy but it very hard when you have to consider additional factors when making the stadium. If you want a lot of seats, you are going to need to support that and the depending on the sport, lighting is very important. For stadiums with open roofs, how is the lighting going to spread in the stadium. For indoor stadiums, there cannot be too much light going on. In addition, one important feature for a stadium, the jumbotron, has to be contracted very well or else it will fall. There are also plenty of other minor factors like where the electricity line will go, where the concession stands and bathrooms will be, and many more. 

MATERIALS: This part will not take as long as the design process but materials is very important in terms of keeping the stadium up for long term. Probably the most important factor for materials is the geography of the place. If it is more north where snow is very common in the winter, then you need materials that can sustain the cold easier. If it is more south where is very hot all the time, you need materials that will not melt at high temperatures. There is also the environmental factor where you are using materials that will benefit the environment. 

CONSTRUCTION: Lastly is the construction. Building something like a stadium from scratch is going to take a long time. Firstly, before even any construction starts, you need a permit from whatever city you are building in so that you have permission to actually build. The construction itself takes around 1-3 years depending on how big the stadium is. 

Overall, stadiums take a lot of effort and time to build. With all these factors, the stadium will operate routinely and attract a lot people to attend games. 

My Experience with my Internship

So far I have started my internship with RD Architectural Studio. Here is the link to the company website: https://www.rdarcstudio.com/  

RD Architectural Studio is focused on drawings of construction buildings, mainly residential houses. They also do commercial buildings and office buildings. 

I have enjoyed what I have done so far which is doing a floor plan for my top floor of my house. Although I am not done yet I can show what I have done so far. 

It is nice learning new things about something you are interested in which in this case is architecture. 

Lyrical Connections to Real World

 Music surprisingly has many connections to the real world and its creation, specifically hip-hop music. Today, rappers are getting recognized for their clever wordplay that brings up social issues. Kendrick Lamar received the Pulitzer prize in 2018, Jay-Z was inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Nas’ Illmatic was inducted in the Library of Congress.

Take Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid M.A.A.D City. The whole album is portrayed as a movie going into the perspective of a young Kendrick in Compton. The scene is depicted as if Compton is a place of constant gang affiliation. However, Kendrick portrays himself in the sense that he had many warnings about doing good but does not listen as he is pressured into dealing drugs. 

The song “Compton” serves as present day Kendrick looking back on his actions of his younger self and also encourages young kids to do the right thing.

"Now everybody serenade the new faith of Kendrick Lamar

This is King Kendrick Lamar

King Kendrick and I meant it, my point intended is raw

Fix your lenses forensics would've told you Kendrick had killed it"

Artists have a tendency to pay homage to their hometown and see how different it is from when they were growing up. Jay-Z has shown this on many occasions. The Brooklyn Native has gone into vivid detail about the Marcy houses and the activities going on there in the song “Where I’m From”. 

"I'm from where niggas pull your card, and argue all day about

Who's the best MCs, Biggie, Jay-Z or Nas?

Where the drugs czars evolve, and thugs are at odds

At each other's throats for the love of foreign cars

Where cats catch cases, hoping the judge R-and-R's

But most times find themselves locked up behind bars, is that all?

I'm from where they ball and breed rhyme stars

I'm from Marcy, son, just thought I'd remind y'all"

Along with his own song, he has referenced many buildings around New York like the Empire State building (Title), Yankee Stadium ("Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game

Shit, I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can"), and the Statue of Liberty ("Statue of Liberty, long live the World Trade") all in the song “Empire State of Mind” which is basically a love letter to New York. 

Even though these may look like Artists trashing their hometown, it may be an attempt to bring attention to the situation going on and making the city better. Artists know that they are very influential and want to bring attention to situations they want fixed. In “Everything I Am” Kanye West brings up a statistic of Chicago having a high murder rate.

“Just last year, Chicago had over 600 caskets

Man, killing's some wack shit"

At first glance, hip-hop might not have any real lyrics to display but you would be very wrong to say that. The genre is filled with creative lyricism from many talented rappers who demonstrate their pen game by paying homage to their hometown while describing their relationship with it in a way that attracts the listener.