HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Bridges

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The Brooklyn Bride and the Golden Gate Bridge have been iconic since the moment they were built. Both of these bridges have stood the test of time, without having to be completely renovated. In the photographs on Flickr, the Golden Gate Bridge is photographed at a distance, where you are able to admire it’s color and length. The Brooklyn Bridge on the other hand has many different up close and personal pictures. We are able to see the bridge up close, they make for pretty remarkable pictures with all of the different cables crossing overhead. Also the pictures of the Golden Gate Bride, we are never really looking at the cities they are connecting, we can only just see the ocean in the background. With the Brooklyn Bridge, the bridge appears to be the centerpiece connecting the two important cities.

Since the Brooklyn Bridge was built first and about 50 years earlier than the Golden Gate Bridge, it wasn’t as scientifically advanced. The Golden Gate bridge is able to sway slightly in the wind, and hold much more weight at the middle causing it to flex. Another example of how science had influenced the construction, was the safety netting. Joseph Strauss invented safety netting to catch the men if they fell while working on the bridge. Of the eleven that died while working on the bridge, ten of them died when they got too close to use the safety nets. Science has played a huge role in the development of both bridges.

I think that since both bridges haven’t completely been renovated, it shows that both of the cities value the structures. The city of San Francisco wasn’t connected to the mainland and had a population growth less than the national average, but I assume it skyrocketed with the completion of the bridge, bringing much more wealth along with it. The Brooklyn Bridge was completed during a time when ferry travel was dangerous and through treacherous water. I believe both cities want to honor the hard work that all designers and engineers have put into both bridges, it would be a shame for them to dismiss such hard work and accomplishment.

Daniel Zmuda

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Hey, I’m Daniel Zmuda! I am currently a Sophomore and I am majoring in General Business. I am from Boise, born and raised.

Basically I’m the middle child between two brothers. My older brother is 23 years old, and my younger brother is 17. By being the middle child it’s easy to see that the youngest of the family will always be the “baby” no matter how old he gets, and the oldest will always say that they had it the worst because they were the parent’s guinea pig. I think that I was able to expand my awareness outside myself and really develop self-analysis because I was able to see how my family has interacted with each other. My family is “Loud”, and we basically aren’t allowed to have anything to hide. There is always someone there willing to call you on your crap, for example if anyone in the family was being an ass, someone would be willing to put you in your place. My family constantly discuss ideas about the world, be it in politics, or anything else, and I think that it has been good for my brothers and I to  grow up in a home that the parents are willing to talk and debate anything and really give there children a voice.

I like to read, and it’s the same for music for me. Unless it’s just poorly written, I don’t mind reading it. I don’t have a specific genre of music or books that I prefer, it just needs to be well done. For Christmas usually I receive a bunch of books that I can read until the next year. I don’t think I have a particular favorite book. For Music, probably my favorite artist is Nicki Minaj.

I used to be incredibly interested in politics, and current events. As I grew older, and developed more awareness about the world I realized that only the Elite can make a difference. I find it hard to rely on what our Newspapers say about what’s happening, or Fox News, or CNN. They all are big businesses and are just out there to make a big story, even if it means leaving out the entire truth. My parents are both Conservative, but I grew up in the public school system, with very Liberal teachings, therefore the information that I was taught during school and at home have helped open my eyes to both sides of the debate. I personally don’t affiliate with either party, I might even consider myself an Elitist.

I hope we all have a good time in this class this semester!