HIST 100: Engineering The Past

Reflection

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I think that Boise State courses are preparing me for the work force in terms of time management and commitment. It was taught me how to juggle everyday life and school and still being able to take care of myself for my needs and for my wants as well. It has given me the opportunity to potentially shadow and ultrasound tech this summer because of the connections that I have made. 

I think this course would have definitely been a lot easier done in person. I only say because of the confusion I had during this semester and the topics never really seeming interesting to me, sad to say. I think personally, I would have been more motivated to complete things to the best of my ability if I was face to face with my professor instead of reading and trying to figure out what is expected from me or what point is supposed to be crossed over from my end to the reader. I think if the videos we were expected to watch or the material that we were supposed to retain were to be taught in a classroom setting, rather than wherever we were at the time it became convenient for us to work on our homework, it was have been able to stay locked away in my brain for further use a lot better.

I’m not saying this course was bad, because that is the opposite that it was. It was actually kind of interesting to learn about he Natives, and learned about certain other things, just did not catch my interest. I think highly of you and I respect the fact that your really do love what you do and it can be seen with how you present articles. Some people, history just isn’t a strong suit, and that is definitely my case here this semester.

Features of the Fair

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Of all of the exhibits at the World’s Fair, the Ferris Wheel was by far the greatest. It was the Eiffel Tower of Chicago; it was an innovative structure portraying some of the newest and greatest engineering strategies to date. Although a slow and gentle ride, there was an element of danger. The structure was constructed based on careful calculations and expectations of what its design and materials could support; there had never before been such a structure, and it was untested against unpredictable elements that you cannot account for on paper.

 

The definition of engineering is “the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.” This closely fits my own definition of engineering, and the Ferris Wheel falls into all of these categories. It was idea that combined creativity, imagination and wonder with design, engineering and architecture. It was fell into all three categories of a machine, a structure, and an engine (for an engine powered the giant creation).

 

Larson’s view of the feature was one of excitement and some apprehension. The anticipation of the structures completion was being talked about all over the world. The entire fairgrounds stopped to watch the giant wheel take its first turn on the giant axle. The successful first turn resulted in a push for work to be faster and for the project to be completed; it was truly going to be the “Eiffel Tower” of the fair. This interpretation of the fair is why Larson portrayed the wheel in this way; the entire project of the World Fair was based on being grand and exciting and impressive, and this was its main feature.

 

The Book of the Fair describes the Ferris wheel from more of a structural standpoint, and talks about the history behind the idea. It goes on to describe the cars, and the splendor of the wheel when viewed at night. Finally, it compares the Ferris wheel to the Eiffel Tower. This author described the structure from a more neutral and unbiased viewpoint. I think this is because while Larson in the book describes the Ferris wheel as someone who is experiencing the fair and the people involved and their emotions, the author of the Book of the Fair is describing the structure from a more objective standpoint.

 

The final source was a description from the Smithsonian. This description was briefer than the other two; it is a secondary source that does not have as much detail as the Book of the fair, nor the narrative element of Larson. There is a description of ideas that came before the final proposal of the Ferris wheel. Numbers drive the impressive size of the wheel, rather than an adjective description. It ends on a relatively negative note, in the Ferris wheel’s ultimate destruction.

 

I think the best description of the wheel was Larson’s. It describes the wheels key features and many of its structural qualities, but also captures the emotional aspect of building such a structure. It was a time period that we don’t and won’t fully understand, with such great growth and new technology coming to light. Such things have already been built, so although we may be impressed, we do not feel the danger and excitement like people did then. Larson does a good job of capturing this excitement, while bringing the Ferris wheel to life for the reader and maintaining the historical accuracy.

 

By Madison Klein, Amanda Lennox and Jake Sparhawk

 

Sources:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-ferris-wheel-180955300/?no-ist

“The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson

“The Book of the Fair”- http://columbus.iit.edu/bookfair/ch24.html

Two Perfect Pages

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The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times. In all, there are 38 timing rooms held within the Hagia Sophia complex and all were utilized for telling time and most were also used for praying due to the time being kept for that particular reason. Within a muvakkithane (timing room), can be found  muvakkit, also known as a teller of time. These were specially trained individuals whose sole purpose was to stay within the time room and keep the time for everyone else. They were well trained in the science of telling time using cues such as the sun.

As technology has progressed, the muvakkithane (timing rooms), have become less integral a part of buildings due to the invention of clocks and no need to measure the sun to keep the time. Because of this, many of the time rooms have now been utilized for different purposes, some even sold to create cafes or other public meeting places. Many of these timing rooms were the most beautiful parts of the Hagia Sophia.The timing rooms within the Hagia Sophia were prepared for the intent of keeping the time in order to instruct those within of when to pray within their walls. Prayer was integral to the Islamic traditions, which made the muvakkithane (timing room), extremely important to those inhabiting the Hagia Sophia. In part because the Islamic religion centered around praying five times a day, and with the help of time rooms keeping the time, they were able to stay on schedule and pray all five times at the correct times.

The muvakkithane were typically in the court yards of the larger Hagia Sophia. This gives them the sunlight that is needed for the telling of time during the day and night. There is also the moonlight that is let in through the windows as well that helps tell time and keep track during the night as well as the day. Interestingly enough, some of the muvakkithane doubled as observatories during the night. Depending on the level of intelligence of the time keeper, they could observe the stars at night. But if the intellect was not high enough, it was only used as a prayer room.