Pacing

There are several meanings to the word: Pacing. I can think of it in terms of pacing back and forth when I am processing thought. It doesn't really serve any particular purpose; save dispelling some pent up emotions or relieving some kinetic stress. Then there is the pacing one does when one is trying to conserve energy in any particular drill.

I guess that, lately, I have been doing both. I am fascinated by my work in school. There is great opportunity and challenge here, if not particularly as I might have thought. I am learning most, it seems right now, about the process of Architectural education. I pace. And I am pacing myself in anticipation of the opportunity to really dig into some deep topic in Architectural Theory.

One of my instructors started out with great enthusiasm and the possibilities appeared quite good. The front page of the course syllabus has a quote from Peter Eisenman: " When music teachers teach their students, they don't teach them composition by having them compose. Instead, they have them listen to music. In architecture schools very few people listen to the music, as it were. They're thrown right in and asked to design."

This is the same instructor who gave a 48 hour Case Study of a Super Hero assignment, and immediately followed with the resultant 5 day assignment to design the Lair of the Super Hero and create a scale model of the design (see prior post). Thrown right in, all right. Where is the listening in that? (To be clear, there is a Field Trip on the docket).

I continue to be grateful to other studio-mates who have been enormously helpful in directing me to resources, stimulating thought about solutions, and sharing ideas about education and career. There is a camaraderie here that is wonderful. I hope I can live up to the challenge and provide my share of assistance in the future. The scales seem un-balanced today as there is so much I need to learn.

An example of this is the large amount of technology which must be gotten under control. When last I used a Scientific Calculator, the alternative was a Slide Rule. Does anybody know what that is anymore? I asked a dear friend if she was familiar with a Slide Rule and she replied "Is that something like an abacus?" Not quite, but close in concept, if not in age. Oh, and the Newfangled Scientific Calculators were $179.00. The one I just purchased was $12.99. Another example is the need for AutoCad and other computer graphics packages.

So I sat down to take a quiz in my Statics class earlier this week. I was prepared; or so I thought. I knew the process to resolve the effect of two different forces on an object. I knew the parallelogram method. I knew the formula (from trigonometry over 35 years ago) thanks to a brief refresher on the first day of Statics. So I wrote out the solution and then turned on my new Scientific Calculator. There was a code in the window that I did not understand. And the calculator would take no inputs.

I sighed heavily, embarrassed to the core, and took my plight (and the calculator) to the instructor's desk to explain why I was going to fail the quiz. She offered her super-duper extra fantastic Scientific Calculator for my use and gave a quick lesson. I returned to my desk thinking perhaps the day was saved. I struggled to do the calculations and began to throw in the towel. The instructor returned my calculator to my desk, saying she wasn't certain how it happened, but the code was gone, and the calculator was taking inputs. Hallelujah. With a clickety clack of key strokes, I was done in a flash. Thank goodness for small favors.

I realize that I am somewhat of an albatross in the class room. I ask questions. Challenge the teachers on matters of importance to me. Wonder about the outcomes of this or that process and the inter-relationships of all the new things I am learning. I am certain that I will be challenged to find ways of learning that suit my perspective on life. And thank goodness there are others around who share that desire to learn. I love listening to the music.