Mr. Stamford

Write it down: Final reflection

2010-08-12T14:54:00.025-04:00

I played my part. I played a role. I found a plan. I learned to write like this to keep my audience looking for more. I liked being the devil’s advocate. I always voiced my opposition to the argument. This summer I enjoyed writing that voice.

Take it back. Half in this time. I’m not done. I have to keep rewriting. That sentence can be better. Those were the thoughts I implanted into my head since the beginning. I got rid of an unnecessary “the” and cut a sentence short. I enjoyed what I wrote about and tried to keep it simple. I cleaned up the clutter.

I learned how to be myself through writing. For the first time ever, I created a bio sketch and summed myself up in three sentences.

I’m reminded of the Forrest Gump line “From that day on, if I was ever going somewhere, I was running!” Instead of running this summer, I was writing. I just kept writing. I continued to write about myself. I conversed with my unknown audience and got into a rhythm.

I get late shows delivered to me all the time at work. They’re consistently late because production companies are tweaking them up until the hour it airs to make it perfect. I did the same with my posts. I read my sentences over and over until the minute before submission.

AGAINST THE GRAIN

I learned to write outside the box. I have always been told to write an introduction, body and conclusion. I broke the rules and it felt natural. The sun is brighter when I enjoy writing about a topic.

I narrowed my thoughts and concentrated on the necessary details. Examining both sides of the story and making an argument opened up doors with endless possibilities for me. I am still an amateur writer but I learned to break free of restrictions. I thought small and learned that after every draft, it was still not perfect and might not ever be. But I found my voice.

A thesis is no longer a boring investigation. I had an idea and argument and created my personal niche.

ONLINE IDENTITY

At the beginning of the semester, my Facebook account and name in an alumni directory amounted to my only online identity. Now I have Twitter and LinkedIn accounts and a blog that serves as an online guide to my hometown of Stamford.

I did not know what to write about because every writing assignment I ever had before this class was always about something other than me. Who am I? What was I about? I found it and put it at the top of a Google search.

I did my research. Start out with a pile of information and use the process of elimination to prove my argument. I told a story and wrote my conversation. This conversation was informative and I found myself. I picked a city that surrounds me everyday. I wanted to be that storyteller to someone else so they can look into my personal experiences. I had a purpose.

My niche was my hometown of Stamford, Connecticut. I chose this topic because this is my life. I am interested in it. I am Mr. Stamford. I plan to incorporate this niche into my Master’s Project. My original idea was to create a website on historic Stamford. Now, I might create an interactive guide based on my work from this summer. I am more confident with this topic and I have already created my online identity on it. The word is out.

On my blog I created a budget guide to exploring the city, its impact on Hollywood and a pitch presentation on Stamford’s hidden secrets. I included photos and videos for a clearer representation. I enjoyed being a critic.

I expanded my niche to Twitter and included new announcements on Stamford for a larger audience. I used to hate Twitter. There was no point to it. Now I am following and being followed by many Stamford and Connecticut organizations and bloggers. I learned that by establishing a voice online, the virtual world finds you. Conversations start.

I created my presence about something that I know a lot about. I would have liked to learn more technical issues like creating Meta tags for my blog posts but maybe that will be waiting for me in web programming.

My Google identity has begun and now my audience can see the relationship between my presence and me. This was my first chance to practice who and what I am. This class gave me that opportunity.

I know what to do and what not to do. I created a video presentation for my pitch and spruced it up with music and pictures. I learned how to engage the audience. I simplified my life.

AND IN CASE I DON’T SEE YA, GOOD AFTERNOON, GOOD EVENING AND GOOD NIGHT

I hated writing before this class. I had motivation to write after the lectures. It was a Dead Poets Society motivation. I never thought Twitter had a purpose but now it does. I enjoyed the research, I enjoyed the time.

Even though I did not pick the “Students for the History of Stamford” project as my pitch, I am still interested in starting a program to encourage kids to explore their local history. I can spearhead projects. I can successfully pitch an idea.

I despised reading and writing before this class started. Now I feel comfortable. I need to keep writing. I followed Zinsser's advice when he said, "Go with what seems inevitable in your own heritage. Embrace it and it may lead you to eloquence."

Target. Engage.

2010-08-09T20:59:00.009-04:00

My online presence deals with the community. Since Facebook & Twitter are online communities, they are perfect programs for my online social presence. Residents and visitors of the city of Stamford can have conversations similar to ones seen on Facebook and Twitter pages for Boulder. Announcements on a farmers market, concert or new Stamford restaurant can instantly be posted on Facebook or Twitter.

People are choosing online social networks over the newspaper. The majority of people have a Facebook and/or Twitter account, so accessing a guide to Stamford, Connecticut is very convenient.

Just like the cities of Miami and Las Vegas, I can post pictures and videos on Facebook. Consolidating all information on one Facebook page is easier than going to Flickr or Youtube to check out pictures or videos on that information. If they already live in Stamford or come to visit, a Facebook or Twitter page is the perfect online meeting square.

People comment and learn. They learn what the best experience would be for them by engaging in a conversation through commenting. The word of mouth, or I should say keyboard, helps others. Everyone learns through interaction.

The core of the presence is the Stamford website. The branches of the site are found through social networking. They establish a connection with the users. The users feel apart of Stamford.

After I examined the pages for the Greenwich Police Department and city of Boulder, I learned that they shared one common purpose: Establishing connections through an online presence. The police use Facebook to catch criminals and reach out to the public. Boulder uses Facebook and Twitter to promote highlights of the city.

A successful guide to Stamford relies on the people who live and have visited the city. They come together and share their positive and negative experiences. They critique what is out there.

People turn to the virtual community to learn about a real community. Facebook and Twitter create a perfect online piazza to serve these needs.

Online Stakeout

2010-08-06T11:34:00.009-04:00

Are you a fan of your police department? In Greenwich, Connecticut many are, on Facebook. Approximately 92 are. You read correctly. People are having conversations with the police department after they recently launched their own Facebook page.

When searching around local social media pages in the area, I came across the new page.

The digital community is helping to solve crimes, attend department sponsored block parties and look at pictures of K-9 and patrol units. They chose to use this medium after police departments in Vermont and FBI created pages last year. Greenwich police are the first to do so in Connecticut and have established an online social presence.

In addition to its wall, photos and information on the department, the page has a discussion tab where local residents can interact with members of Greenwich police. They encourage suggestions to their website and Facebook page. One woman took it a step further and wrote:

"I am so glad that someone in the police department did this. I would just like to say that I needed some help from the Greenwich Police department a few weeks ago and the officer that helped me out was very kind and understanding and I would like his bosses and everyone else to know that Police Officer JD Smith was so kind to take the time out and help me and to hear everything I had to say...Be safe and careful all you guys."

On the wall, they post wanted posters for fugitives. It is a smart move because it gets the word out and the community generally checks Facebook more than the Greenwich Police Department website.

According to the Greenwich Times, "The goal has been to improve the department's intelligence-led policing by embracing new technology and social media."

The Greenwich police are keeping up with new technology that everyone is using. They are using social media to fight crime and create a friendly connection with the residents of Greenwich. A social presence is changing the way the public views police and increases communication. People have the freedom to express their feelings and frustrations and get feedback from a social service.

When I visited the website, I noticed there were no links to its own Facebook page which is a drawback. Since it is still a work in progress, Greenwich police will probably expand their services to Twitter and mobile alerts. It is a step forward with online social media and community interaction.

Facebook conversation is taken to the next level. It creates dialogue and broadcasts information to the public. People feel more comfortable posting on the wall than calling the police station. Since people check Facebook or Twitter more often than the newspaper, this is the perfect place to share mug shots and important information.

Improved presence

2010-08-06T11:28:00.006-04:00

When I graduated from the University of Colorado, social media was beginning to hatch out of its egg. Other than e-mail and a simple website, the city of Boulder had no way of connecting to students and general public. The site has changed since then.

The site bouldercoloradousa.com is a comprehensive guide by the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau. The main page has tabs for everything from accommodations to calendar of events. On the bottom of the page are links to its Facebook page, e-newsletter sign up sheet and live webcam of downtown Boulder.

The welcome section on its Facebook page immediately encouraged me to join in on the conversation. It has links to its Twitter, YouTube, Trip Advisor and live webcam pages. In order for me to interact with Boulder through its many social media portals, I have to go through Facebook. It is not accessible through the main site.

The main wall on its Facebook page has active conversations through comments on the posts. It includes interactive polls to vote on everyone’s favorite activity in Boulder. Local residents, students and vacationers post their recommendations on the best place to eat or favorite mountain trails to hike.

Ten years ago, the only way to find out the best places to go was word of mouth. Today, local businesses post daily happy hour specials or information on the farmers' market. The city of Boulder has come a long way in expanding its social networking outlets.

I examined its Facebook page. I examined its Twitter page. The information is useful because of the positive and negative comments on local shops, events and nightlife. A city site has to include all of the comments so it gives the freedom to share ideas and experiences about local businesses. If every comment is available, it leaves it up to the visitors of Boulder to experience it. They ultimately determine if their experience in Boulder is good or bad.

The Facebook page incorporates strong social tools but leaves no room to comment. The photos tab has albums of local dining and local events but does not include the option to comment or discuss the photo. The videos tab offers the opposite. There is no consistency. For both the photo and videos section, fans of the page can add their own photos and videos of Boulder. That encourages conversation on the wall.

The meetings tab provides links to meeting groups and venues back to its original site. Going back and forth from Facebook to its many tabs on the main site can get confusing.

Moving to the Twitter page under @BoulderCVB, I found it to be very useful. They are following over 900 people who provide constant updates:

One hour ago: “Boulder has more museums than one may think! Be sure to check one (or more) out today. A couple are even outdoors!”

Three hours ago: “A reminder to check out the Farmer's Market happening today at 4!” More posts and little conversation fill up this page. As this week’s lecture said, “We do not converse to learn, but to show off.”

Local businesses use this social media outlet to advertise and show off.

A city or town anywhere in the world must have an online presence and be available on social media outlets. It attracts tourism and is the best way to advertise. Conversations among local residents and visitors provide real feedback. They come up with the best reviews. Sites for the city of Boulder, including its official government page include links to Twitter, YouTube and Facebook. All encourage conversations.

Some travel sites like Las Vegas and Miami take it a step further and have a page on Flickr or MySpace and even created their own blogs. People immediately turn to the online world when planning a trip to an unknown destination. They want to create or watch conversations about the place they plan on visiting.

The city of Boulder has adapted to this need. The cities of Las Vegas and Miami have too. They have fans. The government page for the city of Boulder has adopted this idea from bouldercoloradousa.com. They provide Twitter updates throughout the day and encourage their followers to report incidents such as traffic or power outages.

People go elsewhere if they search for cities like Helena or Juneau and find no social media links. They look for interactivity through the means of conversation. They arrive prepared and know the best places to eat or sites to visit.

It is impossible to ask a stranger in person who lives across the country about a city you wish to visit. Social media makes it possible. It engages the curious. People are attracted to the sights and sounds of a place they booked their tickets for. They want their questions answered from conversations, not guides.

This is a new era. The public does not want the city of Boulder ten years ago. They want to know everything about anything and the resources are available through this site.

UndercoverStamford.com

2010-08-02T23:35:00.009-04:00

Video can be found here

UndercoverStamford.com

OPEN

Visiting Stamford, Connecticut?

For Business?

Or Pleasure?

What do you do?

Have no fear.

UndercoverStamford.com is here.

MISSION

UnderStamford.com is an interactive online guide that outlines all resources off the beaten path to enjoy the city of Stamford, Connecticut. It provides information on everything from restaurants to real estate.

The idea is to get residents and visitors involved to learn the best-kept secrets in exploring the city of Stamford.

Stamford welcomes visitors from all over the country and world. They come for business because of its large corporate sector. They come for pleasure because it lies along Long Island Sound near New York City.

UndercoverStamford.com consolidates and organizes information taken the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Special Services District and review sites. It takes that information and provides reviews from local residents. It is an easy solution to the visitor or new resident.

PROFILE

I was born and raised in Stamford. I live and work in this city. I know the shortcuts, good neighborhoods, bad neighborhoods, places to eat, places to shop and best views.

Since I have lived here for most of my life, I know the types of neighborhoods, people and businesses that are around Stamford. I have learned what the best and worst local businesses are.

PROBLEM

Visitors arrive by rail or by car. They come for business, to visit or to live without knowing what to do or where to go.

Co-workers who commute from out of town come to me for advice. Neighbors who just moved in from out of state come knocking on my door asking about the new and best places to eat and visit.

What about others who don’t have me a resource? What about those people who just landed a job in Stamford from out of town and have no clue where to go or what to see?

SOLUTION

Provide them with a resource that is easily accessible. Provide them with a site designed and updated by a lifelong resident who knows the ins and outs of Stamford.

There’s more to what you see from the highway. Make them feel like they are one with the city.

FEATURES

UndercoverStamford.com shines a spotlight on the secrets of the community. The site offers guides on what to do without straining your wallet.

It covers secret deals found outside usual tourist attractions. A feature called “The Frugal Stamford” provides different guides outlining what to see around the city based on the total amount entered.

A calendar of events will not be limited to Stamford but include surrounding towns as well.

UndercoverStamford.com combines local information and conveniently features them on one site. You find help from local residents and past visitors. This is the best resource in providing accurate information to help you plan your next trip.

The site will be listed on best of the web directories so that it is at the top of every search list. Getting the attention of local corporations, small businesses and real estate companies for promotions is key. The content on the site will be advertised on well-read channels.

WHAT WILL THIS COST?

The development and maintenance of UndercoverStamford.com will be provided by the time given by its volunteer contributors. As site administrator, I will design and program the site and will rely on the use of donated help and available tools when necessary. Local businesses and organizations will use the site to advertise. This will cover domain and site advertisement costs. A simple design and functionality will attract local support.

BENEFITS THE COMMUNITY

The site provides a benefit to small business and well-known attractions in Stamford. It makes you feel apart of the city. Visitors get the best taste of what Stamford has to offer.

The site proves this city can be as much of an enjoyable experience for a visitor as it has been to me.

It represents, strengthens and unifies the Stamford business community.

Visitors get quality information for the best deals on UndercoverStamford.com. The site creates an enjoyable experience so that you embrace the city of Stamford, Connecticut.

All in one night

2010-07-29T10:30:00.020-04:00

A grand night without spending a grand. That's the premise behind A Grand Summer Night. It is held every year in downtown Stamford. This year it falls on August 11th.

To promote the flourishing independent restaurant business, the “Friends of Stamford Downtown” organize this annual fundraiser to promote fine dining in downtown Stamford. Proceeds from the event are used to purchase outdoor art for downtown Stamford and help reduce the costs of significant downtown art exhibits.

I've attended this event for the past two years and highly recommend it. When you RSVP to the event through Downtown Special Services District, you are given a list of downtown restaurants. You choose one that you would like to have dinner at. Dinner and non-alcoholic drinks are included with the ticket, which is $80 per person. The price is a steal for some delicious courses and you'd be supporting the arts. It should be fine if you decide to wait until after the July 29th RSVP deadline but the following recommended restaurants might not be available:

Aria Restaurant
Capital Grille
Mitchell's Fish Market
Market Restaurant

The night begins at UCONN-Stamford (above picture) for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. Mingle with residents of the city while enjoying great eats. Wait, there's more. Complimentary gift bags filled with assorted goods from Conair, Avon Theatre, Stamford Town Center and Saks Fifth Avenue are provided for each guest. All restaurants are within walking distance of the university. Who can beat all of that?

A silent auction is held before dinner. Some of the prizes offered are from local craft stores, golf courses and travel companies. I recommend bidding on DiMare Pastry shop Dessert of the Month, Dinner at Strada 18 in South Norwalk or the UBS Parade Spectacular Family Package. You get a local taste of Stamford for a reasonable price with those best bets. At Latham and Columbus Park, pieces of art will be available for purchase.

You then continue on your fine dining journey to your chosen restaurant. A unique Downtown Stamford experience awaits you.

Famous faces, familiar places

2010-07-28T16:40:00.016-04:00

Stamford is home to UBS, RBS, Ernst & Young, YES Network and WWE. Under that corporate shell is a city that is or was home to many famous Americans. You might bump into some of them on a night out in the city. As a resident of Stamford, I thought I would brag a little and provide a list of “I Bet You Didn’t Know” Stamfordites:

TV Personalities

Food Network star Ina Garten of “Barefoot Contessa”

Earl Hindman - played "Wilson" on the TV show "Home Improvement"

Entertainers/Journalists

Walter Cronkite

Actor Gene Wilder and Singer Cyndi Lauper

Actor Christopher Lloyd (“Doc from Back to the Future”) and band leader Benny Goodman

Pop/R&B singer Rihanna

Will Shortz, puzzle editor of The New York Times - Organized the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament held in Stamford until 2006.

Artists

Gutzon Borglum, sculptor of Mount Rushmore

Painter Nicholas Krushenick

Politicians

U.S. Senator and Vice Presidential nominee Joe Lieberman

Former U.S. Representative Christopher Shays - Served on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs, Financial Services and Homeland Security Committees.

Sports

Knicks assistant coach Herb Williams and former Yankees/Mets pitcher David Cone

Baseball legend Jackie Robinson

Football Hall of Famer Andy Robustelli

Former Mets manager Bobby Valentine - Owns a sports bar downtown where he frequently visits if he's not on ESPN.

Former NBA Commissioner J. Walter Kennedy - Also elected to two terms as Mayor of Stamford. The football field at Westhill High School is named after him.

Circus Circus

2010-07-23T15:37:00.046-04:00

It is not 1913. Nor is it 1941. It might as well be. The last time the circus came to town was during these two years. Stamford was a town back then. Now it is a city. The tradition continues.

“Long before the conception of a shopping center, the land where Ridgeway Center is located was filled with people coming and going…only with different activity. Children played, people picnicked, and at least one day a year, Stamford residents gathered between Summer, Bedford and Sixth Street. The great Ringling Brothers Circus came to town complete with three rings, two stages and dining tents set apart on Summer Street south of Sixth Street."

Elephants might not be walking with trunks tied to tails parading down Atlantic Street but the large, white tents displaying the Big Apple Circus sign now stands.

For the past month, the newly renovated Mill River Park (see separate post below) has host the Big Apple Circus entertaining a Stamford audience in the center of the city. Acts include gravity-defying acrobats, juggling clowns, dancing dogs and a daredevil grandma. A daredevil grandma? You have to go to the show to see what that one is about.

The circus brings back old Stamford. Photographs and articles from The Daily Advocate show a small town with annual parades and circus acts. The Stamford Town Center now stands in the old circus parade route, but that doesn't matter. The past has made a comeback. The downtown looks different but the trapeze acts remain the same.

The community is once again coming together to celebrate the tradition of an old American pastime. In a state where P.T Barnum was renowned for his traveling circus, the Big Apple brings that enjoyment back for all ages.

After this weekend the circus is leaving Stamford so be sure to visit and make a day out of it. The setting may have changed, but the excitement has returned.

Photos and citation compliments of the Stamford Historical Society

The Heart of the City

2010-07-21T09:59:00.027-04:00

Many major cities lie by a river. They were founded along that river. For Stamford, it is the Mill River. The first meetinghouse in 1644 was by that river. A school was built in 1702 on its west bank. A general store was at its mouth. Manufacturing in the 19th century relied on the mills laid along the river:

"Relying on the water power of the Mill River as water fell over the dam near Main Street, between 1850 and 1852 George Watson operated the only pottery known to have existed in Stamford."

I remember the Mill River as a collection of sedimentary waste. It was ignored in my childhood. There was the pink tent festival in Mill River Park and Japanese cherry trees planted along its banks, but the river remained dormant. They covered up the foundations of the city. The history of Stamford lay covered in neglect.

People ignored it everyday as they drove along Washington Boulevard. The park was home to abandoned shopping carts and plastic bags. The city's proposed plans sat on the table for years. Hotels and offices sprung up in the area but the park laid in dismay.

Action began with the revitalization of Columbus Park in downtown Stamford on the eve of the 21st century. In 2009, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers moved in to restore the river's ecosystem. The Mill River Restoration Project began.

They removed a 100 year old dam and revived the heart of Stamford. Engineers chipped away at history and opened up the river so that it flows back into Long Island Sound.

Industry moved elsewhere since the 1800's and no longer relies on the Mill River. Exotic plants and species are back. The city's natural settings have been restored. More buildings surround the river since Stamford was founded, but nature made a comeback. The first meetinghouse is now the Trump Tower. The general store is now the Government Center. The school is now the Hampton Inn.

The downtown looks different. What a difference a river can make. Stamford has only seen taller buildings and a wider skyline. The only thing that has been restored to its natural beauty is the Mill River, where Stamford began 400 years ago.

"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of those rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters." - River Runs Through It

Works cited

http://www.stamfordhistory.org/made-in-stamford.htm

Pitch #2 - LiveStamford.com

2010-07-19T14:39:00.008-04:00

Pitch Sentence

LiveStamford.com is a comprehensive guide that explores all essential information needed to live and learn about the city of Stamford, Connecticut.

Elevator pitch

The city of Stamford, Connecticut has a lot of visitors every year. They come for business because of its large corporate sector. They come for pleasure because it lies along Long Island Sound near New York City. They come to “The City that Works” wishing to make the best of their time.

LiveStamford.com is a website that combines all other websites on Stamford. It consolidates and organizes information taken from the Stamford Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Special Services District and review sites. It then takes that information and includes reviews from local residents.

The site will organize everything from hotels and restaurants to local events and real estate. It will provide only the best and accurate reviews. Visitors to the site will have access to the history of different neighborhoods as well as the best restaurants and local attractions.

It will also cover secret deals found outside the usual tourist attractions. An extra feature called “The Frugal Stamford” will provide different guides outlining what to see around the city based on the total amount that is entered.

The site will be a simple, low cost design with easy usability and will incorporate videos, pictures, personal experiences and interesting facts for these places. Support for the site will also come from local ads on the web pages.

The city is growing and being restructured everyday. LiveStamford.com provides an easy solution to the visitor or new resident who wants to explore what resources the city has to offer.

Promotional Release

LiveStamford.com is an interactive online guide that outlines all resources needed to explore and enjoy the city of Stamford, Connecticut. It provides information on everything from restaurants to real estate for the visitor or new resident of the city.

The site includes a calendar of events for every season and budget, and offers guides on what to do in Stamford without straining your wallet. Reviews from local residents and past visitors will accompany this material.

In addition to these unique features, LiveStamford.com combines local information and conveniently features them on one site. The visitor will find real help from the people who live in Stamford. This is the best resource in providing accurate information to help you plan your next trip.

For more information visit www.LiveStamford.com.

Pitch #1 - SHSF

2010-07-18T22:59:00.012-04:00

Pitch Sentence

The Students for the History of Stamford Foundation (SHSF) will educate students in the Stamford Public School system on the historical importance of the city through hands-on activities and projects.

Elevator Pitch

Students need to learn the historical importance of their backyard. Every square foot of Stamford, Connecticut has a lifetime of history. Every footstep a student takes around the city tells a story.

The main goal of the foundation is to have students use the knowledge and lessons they have learned on the history of Stamford to help them become future leaders in any facet they endeavor.

In partnership with the Stamford Historical Society, the SHSF will provide lesson plans for Stamford Public School teachers on famous historical landmarks around the city. The lesson plans will also show the historical significance each topic has had on American history.

Through exhibits in the classroom provided by the Stamford Historical Society, students from all grade levels will learn how Stamford has changed throughout the centuries. Topics studied will include: Transportation in Stamford, changing neighborhoods, schools and parks as well as memorials and famous landmarks.

The budget for this foundation is low. Volunteers from the Stamford Historical Society will assist teachers who will incorporate these lessons into their curriculum.

The impact business has had on the changing face of Stamford has been very crucial to what the city has become today. Learning about the past produces valuable ideas for the future.

Promotional Release

Educate students using resources found right in the city of Stamford. Its extensive history shows how the city started as a small farming village and rose to a center of industrial growth and prosperity.

The Students for the History of Stamford Foundation (SHSF) provides lessons to teachers on the history of Stamford and raises awareness of historical preservation. It encourages students from the Stamford Public School system to learn important historical information on various landmarks and neighborhoods.

Through interactive exhibits and lessons, students learn the changes different innovations have had on the growth of Stamford. The design and content provided by the foundation explore categorized time frames providing a historical and educational benefit for the schools and community.

For more information on the SHSF and its programs, please visit http://www.stamfordhistory.org/students.

Eat & shop there, not there.

2010-07-15T16:02:00.016-04:00

At some point in our lives we have found ourselves in a city or town not knowing where the eat or shop. In America national franchises like TGIFridays, McDonald's or Home Depot have provided us with the convenience of a familiar place where we already know what's in store. Literally.

We type the name into our GPS or cell phone to find the address and voila, we feel like we're home again. In Stamford, many national chains have overrun the city leaving the mom and pop places empty. These small establishments are ten times better and provide you with a friendlier and more complete Stamford experience.

If you visit Stamford, I have provided a list of some mom and pop alternatives staying away from the monopolizing chains:

Eat here: Colony Grill
Not here: California Pizza Kitchen

Shop here: Karp's Hardware/Keough's Hardware
Not here: Home Depot

Eat here: Sunny Daes Ice Cream/Gofer Ice Cream
Not here: Carvel/Baskin Robbins

Eat here: Fusaro's Italian Market
Not here: Boston Market

Eat here: Sierra Grill
Not here: Taco Bell

Shop here: High Ridge Farmer's Market
Not here: Stop & Shop

Eat here: Ocha Restaurant
Not here: P.F. Changs

Eat here: Villa Italia Restaurant
Not here: Olive Garden

Shop here: Palmer’s Market
Not here: Whole Foods Market

Shop here: Springdale Florist
Not here: 1-800-Flowers

Eat here: Capriccio Cafe
Not here: Cosi

Eat here: Crabshell Restaurant
Not here: The Capital Grille

I go to these places frequently. It makes Stamford feel more like a town.

WWIII: Stamford

2010-07-14T10:53:00.013-04:00

"Nice to meet you. Where are you from?"

"Connecticut"

"Where in Connecticut?"

"Stamford. Right outside New York City. I don't know if you have heard of it."

"Sure I know Stamford. It was just recently blown up. There were many explosions and a war there."

"Excuse me?"

I was caught by surprise when I had this conversation at a wedding in Virginia last weekend. I met the cousin of the bride who informed me of a war in Stamford. Apparently there were many explosions and massive fighting in the streets. With a confused look on my face, I immediately thought the cocktail hour got the best of him. Unless something happened right after I left and the thousands of news outlets around the country refused to cover it, this guy had no idea what he was talking about.

Turns out he was a big comic book fan who runs a comic website out of Brooklyn. Apparently Marvel Comics took the city of Stamford and made it a battleground for a civil war. The story was also made into a video game. In Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, explosions rock different parts of the city.

That could explain the massive holes in the ground across the street from the mall and on Washington Boulevard. Apart from a random street that I don't recognize, Stamford High School is beautifully recreated and then blown apart.

The producer must have been an alum of rival Westhill High School (where I attended) so no tears were shed during that shot by me.

In the entertainment world, Stamford is not limited to the big screen. Apart from being in the pages of comic books, the city has attracted not only film studios, but the interactive gaming industry as well. With its unique architecture and small downtown, the setting of the city provides a unique backdrop for gaming designers.

Hopefully this publicity will attract the organizers of Comic Con. I'll be looking for it at the Holiday Inn in 2011. If there is a Stamford left before then.

A pizza my mind

2010-07-12T15:15:00.020-04:00

Exactly one year ago in July of 2009, a group of students from the University of Michigan decided to conduct a pizza tour. They were graduates of Westhill High School in Stamford.

Their goal: To find the best slice of pizza in Stamford.

They started the Stamford Pizza Tour. What they came up with proved to the residents of Stamford that they knew nothing about the unique flavors of pizza found around Stamford.

The tour came to a conclusion that Amore Restaurant on Hope Street was the best slice in Stamford. Angry yells and screams erupted from every neighborhood as soon as the results were published in the Stamford Advocate.

The majority of the population quickly rejected their findings. "It should've started and ended with their Burrito Tour in Ann Arbor," said one anonymous resident.

While I won't go into their specific conclusions that can be found on their site, I decided to go on my own tour. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion and taste buds. However, the cliff notes of what I found matched perfectly with my friends and family who have eaten pizza around Stamford for 40 years:

Amore Restaurant - Burnt crust and overpriced. Same as an average slice in any other state.

Remo's Pizza - Without going into too much detail, the taste is similar to biting into a slice of cardboard.

Colony Pizza - Best slice in Stamford. The Colony Grill has been around since the end of World War II and has a special thin crust that differs from any slice of pizza in the United States. An online poll conducted on the Stamford Pizza Tour site named Colony the clear winner.

As you can see, Stamford takes its pizza so seriously, the battle ought to be on Food Wars.

Shortly after the tour was conducted, Coalhouse Pizza opened up on High Ridge Road. I sampled some of their unique combinations of toppings. The pie is cooked in coal-fired ovens that gives the dough a soft and sweet hint of sweet flavor I have never tasted before.

Result: Colony has some competition.

The Application

2010-07-12T11:46:00.010-04:00

A co-worker of mine who moved here from Florida had his girlfriend visiting Stamford last weekend and asked for recommendations of what they should do around the city. I suggested some new and upcoming pizzerias as well as local events such as farmers markets and music festivals. At the end of the weekend he said they had a wonderful time. She was impressed and he mentioned that I needed to design a mobile phone application for visitors to Stamford, Connecticut. He said I should call it the “Cheech App.”

Although I’m months away from learning how to design an app (possibly after the Web Programming class in the fall), I can start with my original niche idea. A guide to the city of Stamford is what it will be. I was born and raised here. I have seen businesses fail and succeed. I decided to come back after college in Colorado because of how good this city has been to me. Even though it has its problems as I mentioned in my first and second devil’s advocate posts, Stamford has shaped my life.

I have embraced Stamford. Most of my family is here. Most of my friends live here or visit often from New York City. My college friends who live in Denver, Washington D.C. or California know that I am all about Stamford. My friend from California was taking a bus from Boston to New York City and passed through Stamford on I-95 and called to say he thought of me when he saw the downtown Stamford skyline.

I want my online presence to be the same as it is in the physical world. I want the public to know that if they come to visit or a national news story about a chimp attacking a woman breaks out, I’m the contact to answer their questions, to fill them in. There are Zagat guides for restaurants and national news outlets, but outsiders would rather hear it from a local resident instead. The aforementioned stories have proved that.

I have traveled to many states and countries from South Africa to Vietnam. They have been incredible experiences and I would definitely consider visiting some of those places again. However, I would not consider living there. Stamford has prepared me for life in the city and country. I grew up in the woods of North Stamford but now live in busy downtown Stamford. When I think of what embodies me as a person, I can’t think of a better place.

Since I have lived here for most of my life, I know the types of neighborhoods, people and businesses that are around Stamford. So far I have written about how to see the city in one day, what I love, what I hate and what I see living in this city. I would like to take it a step further and increase my presence. I want to take the advice of my co-worker and provide an interesting and informative online guide for my hometown. Stamford is a strong industrial center that welcomes visitors daily from all over the country and world.

My steps to deliver this presence:

1. Change my blog title and Twitter account to reflect my online presence so that they show up in a Google search. A relation with my name and the city will help to accurately reflect my intended niche. This change can also serve as a signature when I comment on other blogs and articles.

2. Follow more Stamford organizations on Twitter like the Stamford Advocate and local blogs. Since I cannot be everywhere in Stamford at once, this will increase my interaction with the community and inform me of new developments. I can take the information and add my own perspective.

3. Even though there is a small amount of Meta descriptions found with my name and Stamford in a Google search, I would like to add more. I would like to add more tags on Twitter and descriptions in my blog. These will help someone searching for the best hotel, news or pizza in Stamford.

4. To enhance the post, I will include links, pictures and/or video. The more visual aids that accompany the information, the more interesting it is. These elements add flavor.

These additions will show that my presence exceeds other local Stamford blogs. I live, work and run errands here. I have learned what the best and worst local businesses are. My goal is to cover as much ground as I can around this vast area so that this city can be as much of an enjoyable experience for a visitor as it has been to me.

While working with the Stamford Historical Society for my capstone project, I will also be able to add important historical tidbits. Many notable people and events have occurred in the city of Stamford that affected the culture of America. I want the public to hear Stamford's story and make a connection with me and the city--a city on the shore of Long Island Sound.

A victim of urban renewal

2010-07-06T22:14:00.010-04:00

“To understand Stamford, you must go back to the beginning, before there were roads, shopping malls, office buildings, condos or even houses. To understand Stamford, you must begin in a place that is not Stamford” (Russell & Barlow). This is my hometown. I have seen grass and trees become a 37-story high-rise building that can be spotted from Long Island. I have seen one house transform into eight condominiums. I have seen a park become an office complex. I have seen the city of Stamford become an even larger city overwhelmed by corporations and multi-million dollar housing complexes. Small neighborhoods have relinquished. Streets have more traffic and people are living on top of each other, literally.

The Washington Building was a four-story brick structure on Bank Street in 1870 that sold dry goods (Lobozza). That was downtown Stamford. In 2010 in the same spot, a 130-store mall stretches 853,000 square feet across the area. The mall known as the Stamford Town Center was one of the many changes Stamford saw in the massive urban redevelopment project that changed the face of Stamford in the late 1960’s. Russell and Barlow said, “If you looked at an aerial photo of downtown Stamford taken 30 years ago, you would not see the city we know today.”

The corporate takeover of Stamford, Connecticut began. “Increasingly, many of the nation’s largest corporations are choosing to establish their world headquarters here” (Ross). What was a small farming village for 200 years, Stamford decided to trade in country for steel.

The introduction of the railroad in the late 1800’s was the first step. In 1948, the consolidation from a town to a city government was the nail in the coffin (Marcus). It grew from a tiny outpost of colonial America to a dominant urban center of Southwest Connecticut (League of Women Voters). While its neighbors to the east and west kept its small New England town appearance through the American industrialization period, Stamford dissented and opened its lands to the factories and offices. “Many longtime Stamford residents worried that such a drastic alteration of the skyline would destroy the city’s character, somehow diminishing its New England charm” (Russell & Barlow).

William F. Buckley Jr., a student at Yale in the late 1950’s described Stamford before urban redevelopment: “We found ourselves like Dorothy in Oz – inside a community of perhaps twenty-five or thirty houses, each with about an acre or an acre and a half of land, each distinctive in its architecture, the trees billowing their greenness.” What William F. Buckley Jr. found in the late 1950’s on Summer Street is no longer.

With new innovations in technology and overpopulation, I am seeing the bubble burst for Stamford. In the 1970’s and 1980’s “corporations began migrating from New York City to the suburbs” (League of Women Voters). Decades later, Stamford has not only continued to be a commuters’ paradise, but a place to call home. “The number of households increased by 54% between 1960 and 1985” (League of Women Voters).

More people increased the need for more condominiums and more space to be cleared. The Yale & Town factories and homes of the South End have been cleared for new state of the art office space and housing complexes overlooking Stamford Harbor. “Only 40 years ago, everything north of downtown Stamford was mostly woods and old houses. Now there are strip malls and office buildings by the Merritt Parkway” (Richichi). These are just more visions of a city that is showing no signs of slowing down.

The city now personifies the takeover of capitalism in America. From the first mill on Canal Street to the brand new RBS building by Interstate-95, industry has brought economic prosperity to Stamford. But it broke down the dynamic of a community. Friends, family and neighbors moved away from each other. The waves of city life, big business and development have washed away tight niche neighborhoods.

Remnants of the old town of Stamford can be found buried behind the Financial Center on Elm St. or tucked away in North Stamford. Car horns and the hustle and bustle of Stamford make it look and sound like New York City. It used to be a New Canaan or Weston or Wilton, Connecticut. I grew up with few buildings such as Landmark Square and the GTE office building but now the Trump Tower and Avalon condominiums reside where I once ate ice cream as a child.

The neighborhoods are slowly being swallowed up by big business. National franchises and corporate giants have moved in and erased what was once a small community. Small barbershops on Cove Road have turned into Supercuts on High Ridge Road. Constant traffic on East Main Street and Summer Street resemble a Los Angeles freeway making it more difficult to travel around the city.

For the first time my extended family that were born and raised here since the 1940’s have either moved out of Stamford or contemplating moving. Most of my high school friends have moved out of the city to start families. The population and overflow of people with these corporations that have resided in Stamford has spun out of control.

Every time I blink I see change. More people, more money and more concrete are being poured into Stamford everyday. My hometown has transformed around me and all I can do is sit back and watch it happen.

Works Cited

Buckley Jr., William F. “Stamford…A Reminiscence.” Stamford: 350 Years 1991: 10-19.

Business and Industry in Stamford. Stamfordhistory.org

Center of Stamford has shifted west. Stamfordadvocate.com

From the Archives of The Stamford Advocate The Week of January 31. Stamfordadvocate.com

League of Women Voters. This is Stamford 1991: 6.

Lobozza, Carl. The Changing Face of Stamford, Connecticut. 1978: 65-70.

Marcus, Ronald. Personal INTERVIEW. 8 April 2010.

Richichi, Joseph. Personal INTERVIEW. 3 July 2010.

Ross, Don. “Stamford Profile.” Stamford: Past & Present 1641-1976 1976: 79-85.

Russell, Don and Mike Barlow. “A Popular History of Stamford with Illustrations.” Stamford: 350 Years 1991: 65-71.

Urban Renewal. Stamfordhistory.typepad.com

Where the streets have no name

2010-07-05T22:01:00.007-04:00

Maybe it’s just a Stamford thing. I’ve grown up in this city and cannot give someone directions using only street names. My friends from this city are the same. My sister who grew up here is the same.

“What landmark are you near? What do you see around you?” Someone from Stamford, Connecticut will ask those questions if you call them trying to figure out how to get around the city. For the most part, residents of Stamford in Generation Y know more landmarks around Stamford than street names. Sure we know the main roads that connect to the Merritt Parkway and I-95 (High Ridge, Long Ridge, Elm St.) but once you get to streets in downtown Stamford, it’s easier to navigate your way using buildings and/or restaurant names.

Good luck if you’re on a side street. You might have an easier time getting around Greenwich Village. Stamford has a complex city grid and is known for its downtown skyline. Since new buildings spring up at least once a year, structures serve as street names to residents of the city.

Just the other day a co-worker of mine from Bethel, Connecticut wanted to know where the nearest post office was to downtown Stamford. I couldn’t give her street names but I described the post office as a building that looked like a mini Grand Central Station right next to I-95. Without street names, she found it just from my descriptions of the area alone. Turns out it was on Atlantic Street.

Ironically, Stamford is a commuter city. However, I think it would be easier to guide an out of town visitor around Manhattan. If the city of Stamford had helpful direction names describing its neighborhoods such as Upper East Side, Midtown and Lower West Side it would be more helpful. Unfortunately the urban planners of the city of Stamford had their sites set more on architectural aesthetics than simple street grids.

Friends, family, co-workers and clients have all told me that approaching the city intimidated them on their first visit. Once you get off one of the exits, you could be pulled out of city faster than driving in the Big Dig.

Generation Y does not know how to give directions. We rely too heavily on GPS and Google Maps. We'll tell you to go on MapQuest. If it weren’t for these breakthroughs, chances are someone who lives here might not be able to guide you around using just street names. However, ask any baby boomer that has lived in Stamford how to get around the city and they will get you to your destination. They’ve seen Stamford grow and found streets and shortcuts by accident years before technology arrived.

Prove it

2010-07-02T13:02:00.010-04:00

Always cite. Always give sources. This was instilled into my head back in the seventh grade. We made two sets of index cards for a research paper: one with primary sources and the other for secondary. My topic was the Bermuda Triangle. Do you know how hard it was to find primary sources for the Bermuda Triangle? Anyone and everyone who went into this Caribbean abyss never came out.

That assignment introduced me to the importance of research, whether for writing, producing a video, or making a presentation. I had to go out and find the truth. As last week’s lecture noted “Research is painstaking. Often it is time spent in libraries with dusty old books. But it can also be talking to whistle blowers in the shadows of a parking garage.” I wasn’t in a parking garage, but conducting interviews in Long Island and gathering nautical charts at the Merchant Marine Academy. It was a daunting task, but one that was essential to convincing the teacher and class how real the Bermuda Triangle was.

Through my primary and secondary sources, I proved to my teacher and class the following conclusions:

Aliens are not involved
Mythical sea monsters are not involved
Mother nature was definitely involved (e.g. waterspouts, storms)
Faulty technology on planes and sea vessels caused many disappearances
The Atlantic Ocean is a large area that can make any evidence disappear

If I researched the same project now, with the Internet, finding sources and interviews would be easier, and more adventurous. The lecture said that “As Americans, we automatically have adventure in our blood…When we discuss research and get into lessons about footnotes, and libraries, and peer-reviewed literature, it can be easy to forget the adventure of investigating.”

Gathering research not only backed up our argument (as crazy as the topic was) but it was also was a complex and frustrating journey.

My group introduced our topic as the Bermuda Triangle. At first, other classmates giggled and gave weird looks relating us to the tabloids and aliens. What facts and conclusions could we have possibly had gathered on this area?

With our research and substantial written conclusions, we convinced both the teacher and class that our topic was just as credible as the others. “Credibility is a judgment call. Knowledge is your call. Everything you write can be a reestablishment of integrity and facts, if you take care.”

We proved it. And we enjoyed it.

How to spend a day in Stamford for under $60

2010-06-27T20:19:00.024-04:00

If you are coming to Stamford, Connecticut on business, taking a day trip or making a pit stop on the way to your final destination, you can find fun activities and local hot spots without breaking the bank.

Make the city work for you and your wallet with these simple steps.

1. Have a GPS in your car. If you are traveling by car you should have a GPS. It’s the year 2010. You could buy a cheap map at the train station but every place will take twice as long to find. Maps are also hard to fold.

2. Familiarize yourself with the neighborhoods of Stamford. The ones by the water are Cove and Shippan. The woods and parks are in Westover and North Stamford. The other sections are Glenbrook, Springdale, South End, East Side and West Side.

3. The main streets around Stamford are Long Ridge and High Ridge roads that run parallel to each other. There is also Hope and Summer Streets. (Which run perpendicular?) These all connect to each other and will bring you everywhere you need to go on this journey.

4. Drive down Hope Street to the Springdale train station where you will find the Springdale Diner next door. Eat breakfast here. Their hash browns are the best. $10

5. Drive north on Long Ridge Road to the Westover section and hike at Mianus River Park. There are many trails along the Mianus River which are very nice in the fall. Soak in the country atmosphere even though you are in a city. Free

6. Drive over to High Ridge Road and find a little Italian deli named Fusaro Market. It’s hidden between a couple of houses. Order their fresh mozzarella and roasted pepper sandwich with balsamic vinaigrette to go. They also sell authentic Italian foods and cold cuts. Add a drink = $7

7. Drive north on High Ridge Road to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. Walk around the lake and visit the animals, farm, planetarium and observatory. $10

8. Drive back down High Ridge through the downtown area and towards the water onto Cove Road. Park your car at the top of the hill in a parking lot in front of Cove Pizza. (It’s free and you won’t get towed.) Walk down the hill to Cove Island Park. Walk on the trails that overlook the beautiful views on Long Island Sound and Stamford’s beaches. No need to dig into your pocket for a $20 day beach pass. Free

9. Drive a mile up Cove Road to Myrtle Avenue where you will find Colony Grill. This special thin crust pizza is the best in Stamford according to the people who live there. Asking for anything other than a pizza, beer or soda will let them know you’re not from Stamford and may result in a heavy stare by the waitress. A whole pie + drink = $20

10. Finish the day by driving into downtown on Bedford Street. There is an indoor/outdoor café named Capriccio Caf é. I recommend sitting outside and looking at the Stamford skyline at night. Soak up the atmosphere. Sit among the local people and taste their signature drink called the Shakerato. $6

This is how to enjoy good food and different environments all over Stamford without going to expensive restaurants and national chains.

Were you looking for a “Getting the best of what Stamford has to offer under $60: Priceless” at the end? Well, you just got it.

Bright Lights, Big City

2010-06-26T19:28:00.015-04:00

Look closely at the new release you just saw in theatres or on Netflix. Odds are one of the scenes was filmed in Stamford.

Welcome to the Hollywood of the East. No, not New York. No, not Miami. You are in Stamford, Connecticut. Hollywood has come to me. Well to my backyard. Since Connecticut passed a bill giving movie studios tax breaks for using the state as a movie set, more and more actors and actresses are being seen around Stamford.

Two years ago, I was walking my dog and saw bright lights in the far distance. We got closer and all of a sudden Martin Lawrence and Raven-Symone walked by us. I told my dog to be nice to the movie stars. Turns out they were filming College Road Trip.

Walt Disney Pictures was less than one hundred feet from my front door. That’s when Stamford became Hollywood. The Maury Povich and Jerry Springer shows moved to Stamford. Production facilities were immediately built to accommodate Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures coming into the city.

More recently, John C. Reilly was seen in the Springdale and Glenbrook neighborhoods of Stamford filming a new movie We Need To Walk About Kevin. He even mentioned my hometown on The Daily Show and sang karaoke at Black Bear bar.

Actress Laura Linney was seen less than a mile from my workplace filming the Showtime special The Big C in the Shippan neighborhood.

When I headed out to a bar in downtown Stamford a year ago, John Krasinski and Jeff Daniels were filming Away We Go right next door in Remo’s Pizzeria.

Get off exit 8 on I-95 in Stamford. As you go into downtown you will see signs with arrows on every telephone pole. These are to guide the production trucks to the next scene that is being filmed.

So save your money on a plane ticket to the west coast. There is bound to be a movie being filmed on any block around this city. Why pay for the Universal Studios tour? You can walk around Stamford and catch movie landmarks for free.

Who knows, maybe Bedford Street will have stars on its sidewalks in the near future. I might just quit my day job and become a tour guide for movie enthusiasts.

The Age of Reason

2010-06-25T20:12:00.016-04:00

Humans are curious beings. We live and learn. So it’s no wonder we try to find reason in everything using our complex brains. We try to make sense of every object or action we see, hear and smell. The same thing happens when we write on paper or a computer keyboard. Writing is a step-by-step process.

My mathematical requirement class in college was called QRMS (Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills). I was never good at math or science. If I did not attend office hours to get extra help from the professor, I would not have passed with a C as my final grade. Even though I could not solve the complex quadratic formulas and algorithms, I learned that applying step-by-step logic would help prove any argument. I must perform step A and B before arriving at the conclusion of step C. Applying logic helps to avoid problems and frustration.

I arrive at a conclusion every day just to make my next action easier. As a writer I develop an idea, practice it and then prove it. I feel like a detective on the television program The First 48. With the help of my laptop I can start writing and rearrange my piece even when I create conclusions at different times. Logic opens up the door for new ideas and procedures.

The production facility where I work is using a new software program called Mediaflex to become fully digital and tapeless. Mediaflex seems to work for every employee except my boss and me. We are trying to apply logic and incorporate Mediaflex into our work flow so that we can work with the rest of the staff, but it is not easy.

Last week’s lecture stated that “In a relative world, where there are always more arguments to be made, logic gives us the ability to make them.” I did not realize that every day I’m using logic to innovate and create positive solutions.

I never solved those complex formulas in QRMS, but I did learn that applying simple logic helps unravel the situations and pieces of software that life throws at me. It puts the creativity back in writing and makes me feel like a detective.

Mecca of Downtown Design

2010-06-21T23:31:00.005-04:00

When I was at a party at the University of Colorado, I met someone else who was also from Connecticut. When I told him I was from the city of Stamford he quickly responded with “oh the city with the futuristic buildings!” That about sums up what the downtown skyline for Stamford looks like.

The unique architecture of downtown Stamford was developed in the early 1970’s and has grown since then. With the vision from a scene straight out of a Jetsons episode, Stamford has attracted large corporations with these massive structures.

When motorists drive over the border into Connecticut from New York on I-95, they immediately see the new Trump Tower over the tree line. This new addition along with the new RBS and UBS buildings has made Stamford even more futuristic. In 2002, UBS built the largest trading floor in North America. Not to be outdone, rival RBS broke ground across the street in 2006 with its own lavish headquarters and a trading floor as nearly as large.

The city has garnished an image as the city that works. The financial services sector contributed to the construction of these buildings that lie parallel to I-95.
Landmark Square and the Stamford Marriott were the pinnacles of Stamford for a long time but have recently been overlooked when pioneering designs for corporate headquarters took over.

All of these symbols of mini Manhattan get quite a few glances and make nice views for the daily traffic that builds up on the highway.

Your topic and your argument

2010-06-18T16:02:00.004-04:00

High school instilled the image of a thesis into my head as something you don’t look forward to doing. It was trying to cure cancer. It was putting a man on Mars. I had to take something I wasn’t remotely interested in and write about it. A thesis was a boring investigation. It determined whether you could become a senior or not.

Just like Pavlov’s theory, a thesis has triggered that image in my head since high school. I can write for days if the topic is something I am interested in, especially if it is a debatable topic. I know that I am not a great writer but making it simple and interesting fosters my unstoppable personal voice on paper.

This past week’s lecture that spoke of a thesis as being both an idea and an argument has opened up the doors to endless possibilities for me. No more am I running into a stone wall and looking for extra words to fill up space to submit for my high school class.

“A thesis is not an argument out of anger, but out of curiosity.” I wish I was given that opportunity to write about a topic of my interest rather than a topic of the teacher’s choice. I was a scientist in high school.

I am anxious to examine what factors have affected my life and what I am interested in exploring. When I studied abroad in college, I was told to see the country with my own eyes and write about it. That was my homework. I developed my own thesis and enjoyed it. I shaped my thoughts based on what my brain produced.

From this experience I became my own devil’s advocate. In ICM 501, I challenged every lecture and gave myself a reputation for approaching topics from every angle. It’s not easy to pick my own brain, but I have fun doing it. It’s also better when you enjoy the topic.

Just another city

2010-06-17T15:49:00.006-04:00

“Stamford is just one big parking lot. I have driven through Stamford, Connecticut on I-95 and it’s a useless city and state. Massachusetts should just swallow it up and become one big state.”

“Have you been to Stamford other than driving through it on I-95?”

“No.”

That was a short conversation I had up in Montreal with a New Yorker this past winter. She was right. Driving through much of Stamford, you’ll encounter a lot of traffic and many bad drivers. You might as well own a helicopter or hop on a crowded train to easily get in and out of the city. But don’t judge a city by its highway.

If you dig deeper into the city, you will find a landscape with beaches and hiking trails filled with a diverse population. The downtown, once home to a high crime rate and run down buildings, has changed its image. Fine restaurants and festivals attract outsiders. Movies are being filmed in Stamford because of its unique architecture and state tax breaks.

Stamford has a rich history. A tight niche community hides behind the large corporate buildings. The city manages to stay clean and attract jobs through budget cuts and tough economies.

I was born and raised there. Many of my friendships and memories developed in the city of Stamford. I have seen it change over the years. The population has grown and more buildings have been built. Local markets and restaurants have given way to national franchises. What used to be a small town in the mid-20th century has become a mini Manhattan. It is starting to resemble Westchester County.

The small neighborhoods where everyone knew your name like Cove, Springdale and Glenbrook have given way to half a million dollar condominium complexes for commuters. High property taxes and living prices are driving many out of Stamford to cheaper towns in Fairfield County.

If you decide to travel beyond Stamford, you will find an even bigger headache. If you can get by the airline delays, cancellations, price hikes, long lines and cultural barriers then it could be enjoyable. Similar to if you get off I-95 in Stamford. It could be worth your while.

So what makes Stamford so special these days? Not that much. Many cities across the United States have the same environment. What makes this city different? It’s just another place that you drive by on the way to your final destination. It’s just another exit off of I-95. I guess that girl from New York was right.

Seatbelts are completely fastened

2010-06-14T15:02:00.007-04:00

I have decided to develop an online passport that will have an emphasis on Stamford, CT. I will also include side articles on other places of interest that I have been to in South America, Europe and Africa. There will be travel tips and reviews of restaurants, landmarks and how to pack for each destination incorporated into each article. I will include personal stories for each place so that the reader can feel more personal with the place they are reading about.

For the main emphasis of Stamford, I plan to investigate why a large city in Connecticut still has that small town feel to it through its history, education, economy and people. These are all factors that have shaped my life. I will truly make it the city that works for both you and me. Through these entries, the reader can see the cultural difference between a city in New England and cities around the globe.

What you make of it

2010-06-13T21:05:00.008-04:00

Just by living in America we all know how strongly image plays a role in our society. Our culture thrives on both good and bad public personas. Juicy celebrity personas and the private lives of politicians rule the nation. It has been this way from the first images of Marilyn Monroe to the introduction of TMZ. In order to shape your own public persona, you take risks and pay the price alongside the celebrities and politicians. It can work in your favor or get you the evil eye on the sidewalk.

Beyond the local criminals on the five o’clock news and the positive community heroes, the average person has their own persona today. Social networking (Facebook, blogging, etc.) has enlarged the images of people that would not have been noticed twenty years ago. Media convergence allows ordinary people with an Internet connection to publish and publicize their own masterpieces. The success of Youtube characterized by Beniger enables us to shape our persona whether good or bad.

This can backfire. The saying “more money, more problems” comes to mind. The more information we put out there, the bigger the security risk. This increasing danger was described well in an entry from Hallsmark’s blog. Even though it is an exaggeration, I’m reminded of the movie Enemy of the State where private information is instantly available to anyone.

Just like on that special Facebook setting, I believe you can pick and choose what you would like the public to see. Take into account the amount of information as well as selected images can have an impact on shaping the persona. The voice and actions online can have an impact on all other realms of society (workplace, bar and television). Today the virtual self is more vulnerable to public perception. How someone chooses to shape it is their own personal mission.

But now I am found

2010-06-11T18:46:00.009-04:00

Up until now, my life has been like the final show of Lost. All of the questions remained unanswered from the past years (seasons) of my life. Now I have to piece it all together and figure out who and what I am. Just like there were many interpretations to what the show really meant, there are many possibilities to what I am capable of becoming online.

We were programmed robots. From kindergarten to senior year of high school, we were apart of a curriculum developed by teachers and school administration to memorize what was presented to us and stay within the box. Then I got a job and the monotonous work every day paralyzed my brain.

This is why I had such a difficult time thinking about my niche, my online presence. What subject do I know enough about that I can pick it apart on my own?

There were some teachers who encouraged us to escape that box and conjure up coherent thoughts of our own in high school and college, but for the most part we were taught what we were supposed to be taught.

So finding my niche was difficult but when you think for yourself and develop your own personal program, the sun is a little bit brighter. I learned that living a personal experience like studying abroad or watching my hometown change over the years is a little more interesting to write about. Textbooks preaching facts or spreadsheets dulling my mind are helpful for learning, but a major obstacle when I needed to open up my mind.

LinkedIn Profile

2010-06-11T18:27:00.000-04:00

Can be found here

He chose.......poorly

2010-06-07T23:36:00.000-04:00

The scene from Indiana Jones immediately came to mind when I read the lecture explaining word and size selection of a piece of writing through the works of Mark Twain.

This passage stresses the importance of summing up details when writing about your life or writing a story:

"Simplicity doesn’t mean you cannot enjoy language – that you cannot describe something as succulent or perspicacious, or say her eyes were like pieces of sea glass tumbled smooth by ocean-sized storms – you just need to choose your words wisely."

In this online world, the structure of an entry combined with content is important in creating a strong voice. It is interesting to note that the attitude expressed displayed in an email or message thread cannot be accurately shown as opposed to having the same conversation in person. Since we are living in a complex society filled with technology with many voices yearning to be heard, the virtual world will swallow you up if your writing is long, disorganized and filled with unnecessary errors.

Condensing life

2010-06-07T23:14:00.000-04:00

Cutting down my bio sketch reminded me of moving. When you’re driving that U-Haul truck to your new destination, you say to yourself: “Wow, my whole life is in this truck.” After packing up all of your belongings and throwing away things you should’ve never kept, you wish your life were simpler. You wish if you didn’t keep so many things, you wouldn’t have been so stressed and sweaty packing so many boxes. My first attempt at writing a bio sketch was exactly that. I wanted to include so much more but did not want to lose the reader. Then are I threw away more stuff, and then more stuff. I moved my life and made it simpler at the end, and it felt good. All of that nonsense from the first draft was clutter as Zinsser described. Now I know the highlights of my life and what is most important. I have moved on.

Mileage Plus

2010-06-07T22:55:00.000-04:00

Even though I felt discouraged when I read Professor Kalm's entry on a student writing about travel last semester, I think my interest and previous experiences lean toward that area. This proposes a dilemma since it will not help with my master’s project planned for next year. Currently (and this could change between now and then), I will be working with the Stamford Historical Society to design an online addition to their website on the history of Stamford, Connecticut. The primary focus of this addition has yet to be determined.

I am open to any ideas or suggestions about how I can tie these two together or how I can create a strong and interesting manifesto solely on Stamford. If not, I will write about the sophisticated world of traveling and all that embraces it based on my personal experiences. These include the Semester at Sea study abroad program and trips with family and friends.

I would like to reflect upon the different cultures, landmarks and food that I observed first hand in these countries. Throughout my childhood up until the present day, I have met different people from various countries and lived through some amazing moments.

I believe traveling changes the character of a person and make them look at the world in another way. Improvements in social networking have brought the world closer together but witnessing a place first hand that is thousands of miles away from your home is a different experience.

Beyond the screaming babies on the plane or the lifeboat drills on a ship are unique places that are important in someone’s life.

Biosketch Take 3

2010-06-03T10:06:00.000-04:00

Jon Richichi was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut where he currently lives. He attended college at the University of Colorado and currently works at A&E Television as a closed captioning coordinator. He is pursuing a Master’s in interactive communications at Quinnipiac University.

Biosketch Take 2

2010-06-03T09:36:00.001-04:00

Jon Richichi was born and raised in Stamford, Connecticut. He attended college at the University of Colorado. One of his most memorable experiences in life was during college in the fall of 2001. He traveled to Japan, China, Vietnam, South Africa and Cuba on the Semester at Sea program.

He currently works at A&E Television as a closed captioning coordinator.

In 2008, he decided to change career paths. He is pursuing a Master’s in interactive communications at Quinnipiac University. He is interested in the creation and development of a website. He would like to be a content manager for a web design company in a more creative environment.

He also likes playing all types of sports, traveling and laughing. Some of his favorite movies include Good Morning Vietnam, The Hangover, Rudy and Shawshank Redemption.

He currently lives in Stamford, Connecticut.

Reflections of Yesterday, Visions of Tomorrow

2010-05-28T11:39:00.000-04:00

I briefly noted a couple of important aspects of my life in my bio sketch that I wish to dig into further in this post. One is my experience traveling the world through the study abroad program Semester at Sea and how I ended up at the doorstep to the Quinnipiac ICM program.

In the fall of 2001 entering my senior year of college, I embarked on a journey from Vancouver, British Columbia to travel around the world. For those three months there were many notable experiences like visiting the Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal and meeting Fidel Castro. But after being two weeks on the Pacific Ocean in the beginning of the program, 9/11 occurred a day before we entered the first country of Japan. It was after that major event, that I truly shaped me as a person experiencing different cultures and their reactions to that event. It changed our complete route in our travels and made me see first hand the many different types of people there are in this world. It made me not only experience world cultures for the first time, but also made a huge impact on myself as a person. It was very strange to come back to a more patriotic and changed country.

Years later after being isolated in one monotonous and repetitive job, I decided I needed a change. I was still interested in media but saw both the company I work for and other mediums drastically turn towards the online world. Many of the schools close to Stamford did not offer anything close to this area so a Quinnipiac undergraduate alumnus and friend of mine sent me information on the ICM program. I attended an information seminar and looked at the class descriptions and immediately became interested. Two years and a wealth of knowledge and online design experience later, I am close to completing my Master’s Project.

These two life-changing experiences have had a big impact on my life and make me view both the real and virtual worlds in a different way.

Great expectations

2010-05-27T11:26:00.000-04:00

Even after taking many journalism classes in my undergraduate years, I still see myself as an amateur writer. I see writing as a reflection upon the character of a person and through this course I hope to make my writing stronger than what it currently is. In the past, I have been told a lot of my views and ideas are not necessarily conveyed the way I see them through my writing. As a result, I hope to develop and maintain certain skills during this class. These skills include: becoming more aware of my audience, better organization and clarity and increasing my personal motivation to write more.

There is a scene in the movie 'A River Runs Through It' where a young kid wants to go out and play but his father won’t let him until his essay is perfect. He writes and then turns it in to his father who makes changes and tells him to write it again. This happens over and over until he finally gets his essay perfect and then can go out with the satisfaction that after writing over and over, a perfect final outcome can occur. Just like the term “practice makes perfect,” I hope to achieve this same outcome in this class.

A writing ritual is what I have veered away from working in the video production field all of these years. That combined with Flash animation classes have limited my writing capabilities. With constant revisions made to my own pieces of writing during this class, I am hoping I can become more concise and create powerful sentences.

I am looking forward to the constant honest and intelligent feedback and using it to improve my skills. With all of these components and practice, I hope to feel that personal satisfaction after submitting my different pieces of writing, 3 or 4 drafts later.

Starting off 506 with a bio sketch

2010-05-26T10:03:00.001-04:00

As you all know by now, my name is Jon Richichi. I am originally from Connecticut born and raised in Stamford since 1980. I developed an interest in new technology and travel early in life. I guess that comes with having an outgoing personality and the urge to explore new opportunities. As an avid traveler with my family and friends from childhood to the present, I found to learn more about myself as a person. I was an undergrad at the University of Colorado in Boulder and studied and worked in every aspect of television production since then. In my senior year, I did Semester at Sea where I traveled around the world on a ship that proved to be one of my most memorable experiences in life. Some of the countries I visited were Japan, China, Vietnam, South Africa and Cuba. After graduating in 2002, I decided to move back to Stamford where I currently live and work.

Although I am glad I only have a three mile commute to work at A&E Television Networks and work with great people, my current position is a dead end. I decided to change career paths and extend my education into the online interactive design world with the help of Quinnipiac. I am extremely interested in the creation and development of a fully functional website that I plan to do for my Master’s Project. Ideally I would like to be a content manager for a web design company in a more creative environment than what I’m currently doing. I really enjoyed the ICM Interactive Animation class learning how to design and animate content for the web.

I would also like to add that I enjoy watching and playing all types of sports, traveling and laughing. I enjoy all types of music but my favorite is dance music from international DJ’s. I also like all types of movie genres but prefer comedies. Some of my most favorite movies include Good Morning Vietnam, The Hangover, Rudy and Shawshank Redemption.