June 13th Lecture

Today in class, we went over our blog, e-portfolio, and research project assignments.

We also talked about "Mission vs Vision" principles.

Mission        
-Talks about the present
-List broad goals upon which the organization is formed

Vision:
-Talks about the future
-Where does the organization want to be

In most projects that we take on, planning is a very important function of management. Because, I am in the planning program at the University of Waterloo, I understand what needs to be done in order to accomplish something. When you plan to take on a project, goals and steps have to be set up early in advance to make sure you are on topic. If you are in a group with other members, it is important to set up a time table for completion of tasks to make sure everyone stays on track.

Our class also analyzed the different types of plans:

-short, intermediate and long-range plans
-strategic & operational plans
-single-use and standing-use plans
-contingency & crisis planning

(June 6) In Class Lecture - Professor Angela Brayham

Our professor, Angela Brayham, decided today to talk to us about the 'Creative City Movement'.


A lot of people within Waterloo do not experience the culture of the Waterloo Region. The majority of people are here for school and nothing else. Like other classmates have said, they only go uptown for food.  Most classmates would agree that uptown would need more shopping, recreational leisure activities, transportation, and free events.


In terms of Canadian culture, the Stanley Cup game on Saturday, was the most watched playoff game ever. The game was not just for hockey fans but for a way for people to come together and show national pride.

Professor Brayham also explained to us about the different categories of festivals. In Waterloo we have many festivals but the more important ones are the 'Blues' festival and Oktoberfest. Approximately $1.5 million is raised from Oktoberfest and the money goes back to non-profit organizations.

My classmates came up with other important festivals
-Canada Day                                   -Waterloo Arts Festival
-Elmira Maple Syrup Festival           -Edge Fest
-Chinese New Year                         -Wake Stock
-Art in the Park                               -TIFF

Article-Richard Florida (The Rise of the Creative Class)

In Richard Florida's article, 'The Rise of the Creative Class', he talks about a new type of lifestyle known as the creative class. Florida mentions how many of the students who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University leave for a job in another state. Even though Pittsburgh has redeveloped its downtown and added new sports complexes, people were still leaving the region. Young people now look for great nightlife, cultural diversity, and fabulous outdoor recreation. The goal now is for businesses to try and attract the creative class employees. Florida also tries to investigate how some places become destinations for the creative while others don't. He states that cities should have greater diversity, higher level of quality of place, street-level culture, outdoor recreation, authenticity, and uniqueness.

NHL Finals

Last Thursday night, my friends and i decided to watch game 1 of the finals between the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins at FrontRow Mcguiness. To me it was like another Canada versus the United States game where national pride was on the line. Frontrow was really crowded with Vancouver fans cheering all game long. It was actually somewhat of a boring game because there was not a lot of scoring. The final score ended up being 1-0 for Vancouver.  Since this term will be my last before I graduate, nothing beats having all my friends coming out and hanging out together. 

Guest Lecturer - Betty Ann Keller

Today in class, we had Betty Ann Keller who is the manager of arts culture festival and events with City of Waterloo. Keller had graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Arts Degree and has been a concert promoter for 30 years.

Keller mentions how arts and culture is way down the list on the budget for the City. There is no mandate for cities to provide arts and cultures. It is important to work with other organizations to provide money, resources, and office space. Measuring success in arts and culture is a big challenge. Keller is responsible for: public square, City of Waterloo Museum, Princess Cinema & the Twin, etc.

Waterloo is a continuously changing city.

The Power of Policies

Keller mentions how there should be a collection policy, many of the artwork is chosen based on the art/design. Right now there is lots of intensification going on and many of these projects will need a public art master plan. The major project is going on in the area beside RIM park where they plan to provide residence for 4000 citizens. In order for any policy to be approved, the councilor has to make the decision.

Opportunities and Dreams


Keller hopes to have a creativity institute where people can have the chance to express themselves. Also, improving the facilities at Waterloo park would help in bringing more people to the many festivals/events that take place within the city.

Reflection

Betty Ann Keller's lecture was very interesting because it provided her insight on arts and culture in Waterloo for over 30 years. I can tell from her lecture that Betty is very passionate about her work.

Fireworks on Victoria Day

On Monday night around 11pm, my roommates and I decided to head down to the Columbia Icefield to light up some fireworks. This was my first time experiencing Victoria Day for a while, since I am not usually here in Canada for the summer. Our group definitely had the best firework display because looking at the other groups around the field, most of them got their fireworks from the convenience store. We actually drove to a fireworks store to purchase unique types of fireworks.

Golf on Victoria Day Weekend

So my good buddy Winston and I decided to head to the golf range this morning to hit some golf balls.  It started to rain but that didn't stop us from hitting buckets full of balls. Before I left Taiwan for Spring term here, I would often head to the golf range a lot but now that I am in Waterloo, I do not have the time.

The golf range we went to was right beside St. Jacobs Market so after we finished playing, we went out to look for fireworks for Monday night. We ended up finding a fireworks store inside a trailer.