Marc Steiner's Talk

Marc Steiner’s talk had some great points. I think he’s a great person to learn from because of his rich background in the Baltimore community. I liked how Marc Steiner emphasized that we need to expose what is going on. We need to expose what is right and what is wrong through the stories we tell. That is our goal; we want the history and stories of these forgotten places to be told. In the process we will change others minds about the area. Instead of seeing only negative, they will begin to see the history and appreciate it. My mind was changed when I began my research on Farring-Baybrook Park.  Growing up I have heard nothing but negative things about Brooklyn Park and Curtis Bay. Through my research I learned the park’s recreation center serves to disabled children and adults. It also provides a place for children to go rather than spending time out on the streets. This information was masked from the negative surroundings. It is definitely something that should be exposed and brought to light. I really liked when Marc said we are the ones who are going to define where Baltimore is going to go in the years to come. He also said we need to envision the questions we need to ask when we are in the Baybrook area so we know where we will go next. Those questions will tell the stories of what is going on in those areas. I thought those points were very important in regards to what we are trying to do. We want to share the history as well as the stories and tell what is happening now. Marc Steiner’s talk was very interesting and important for our class to hear, so we can keep his points in mind while we are out in the community. 

Research and The Committee

Exploring the Farring-Baybrook Park was interesting, but extremely frustrating.  It was as if the park did not exist prior to being renamed in 1975. I only knew the park was renamed Farring-Baybrook in 1975 (I did not see any clear indication to what the park was named before) by reading the Maree G Farring Elementary and Middle schools ‘Who was Maree Farring?’ section on their website. I looked up surrounding street names, misspelled names I found in articles, and other names I found in articles. I did find out a lot about Maree Farring and what she did in the community. I enjoyed learning what I did, but I wish I would have been able to find more of the history of the park. The most enjoyable part of the research was learning that the Farring-Baybrook Recreation Center is primarily for those who are disabled. I really liked reading the articles where people would talk about what the center meant to them and how great it is for their loved ones to participate in wheelchair sports. However I am still upset that I was unable to find more on the history of the park prior to 1975. 

Meeting with my committee this week, for the time I was there, was a great time to figure out how we want the event to run. I’m excited to continue to share ideas and hear from others to get a better sense of how we want the even to run. I think the games and raffles will be a great way to bring in money. One of my biggest concerns is having enough items that people will be interested in to raffle off. From our talk on Thursday, it sounds like my committee has many great ideas for prizes. Since I left early on Thursday, I’m looking forward to reconnecting with my committee to hear any ideas I might have missed. Also, since I was unable to view the 2640 building, I would really like to hear what the members of my committee who were able to go thought of the space and hear how they think we should utilize the space, as well as other classmates who were able to go as well.