Furniture in Greenbelt :: Interior Design Furniture Essays

Furniture in Greenbelt A Sign of the Tough Times A view of the front of a typical housing project in the planned community of Greenbelt. The Greenbelt community was built beginning in 1937 as low income housing for people who were making between $1,200 and $2,000 dollars a year. The houses were built at minimum cost and this means that the rooms are small. Thus special furniture was designed in order to fit into these small houses and to provide sturdy, economical, and good looking furnishings for the new residents. "Instead of following the conventional pattern of designing the house from the outside in, Resettlement architects have built primarily from the inside out." (House Beautiful 1937) Miss Elizabeth Hofflin, the technical consultant for the Resettlement Administration, was quoted as saying "We made the furniture to fit the small rooms of these low-rent units. We found that ordinary living room furniture would overflow from wall space and block doorways and windows." (Daily News, April 20, 1937) "The furniture you see was built for these rooms and for these rooms alone."(House Beautiful, April 1937) The furniture that was designed for Greenbelt needed to be very affordable. "The idea was to provide essential items of furniture which will fit into a minimum amount of space and at the same time make them attractive, low-priced and extremely durable."(Daily News, April 20, 1937) Miss Hofflin explains, "we concentrated upon strong construction and simple design, which can be made with the least expense with factory machines. We used the three cheapest woods--maple, oak and gum; we have no acquaintances at all with mahogany and walnut." The government was able to furnish the Greenbelt community for very little money with careful planning and very frugal designers. And the furniture was affordable! In 1939 a resident of Greenbelt was able to furnish his entire household for $239.97. The full amount was paid off by the resident over a four year period at $5 a month. There was also a 3% interest charge payable in monthly installments of $2.50. This was an excellent deal for these New Deal residents. The federal government assisted the original Greenbelters, first, by building them an inexpensive home and, second, by enabling them to furnish their houses economically as well. In this way, the government provided many families with an opportunity to set up housekeeping on their own that they otherwise would not have had. Kimberly Myers expresses similar views on the government helping out the people in her exhibition on the construction of Greenbelt.

Elements of Stress

Stress is a state of tension created when a person responds to the demands and pressures that come from changes in daily life. Because of this, stress consists of many elements: its causes, effects, and ways in which to cope with it. Therefore, stress has significant impact on people. Stress isn†t a condition that just came out of the blue, like everything else in life; it was caused by something. There are four major causes of stress, each of which have their own distinct characteristics and individuality. Physical appearance and general well being is one of the four major causes that everyone has experienced at one time or another. For the most part, adolescents and older women experience more physical stress related causes than others do. This is because of extreme hormonal changes such as, puberty, menopause, etc. Puberty in adolescents also causes increasing concerns about weight and perfection in beauty. (Whittlesey, pp. 19) A model is one person who exhibits a lot of stress because of the need to strive to be thin and beautiful. This is not to say that different age groups don†t also experience this. The second major cause is social situations and interpersonal relationships. For the most part, this category applies to everyone. Peer groups are one of, if not the most, frequent stressors around. These groups influence opinions, judgements, and other pressures to an individual. Therefore causing an increasing level of unwanted stress. Peer pressuring one another to do drugs is a prime example of peer groups in relationship to stress. Sexual relationships are another stress causing agent. Sexual relations cause tensions and sexual frustration, which can cause stress. In younger adults, these stressors can be greater because of frequent question about sex and other s prying into the personal sexual matters. For instance the gossip of whom slept with who and so on. is because of added tensions and frustration. An uneven balance between the two partners increases stress. School is another major cause of stress. (Mendelson, pp. 29-37) This is another stress that everyone will eventually have if they have not already experienced it. As for school, competition, usually within grades, is a major concern. Competition brings a person down from their original state of being. Students can get so infatuated with academic competition that they result in the slipping of grades. With older students, SAT†s, ACT†s and other college entrance exams can usually cause stress levels to rise. (McCoy, pp. 104-107) The greatest stressing agent in the school environment is from that of the teacher. (Joy, pp. 84) Teachers create undue place frustration, aggression, and confusion on their students. Some teachers have no compassion for their students work load and schedules. Most students have notably full schedules, whether it is schoolwork, sports or other extracurricular activities. These feelings are not the only things that teacher create. The responsibilities and expectations the teachers put on their students add to the amounts of stress from school. No wonder school is one of the major stressors in a person†s life. The last stress factor is family relationships. The most prevalent form of stress in the home is that created by divorce or remarriage. Although this form is newer, it involves a great deal of the population. In the Untied States, â€Å"45% of all children during 1983 and 1984 have experienced the divorce of their parents and will spend some of their growing-up years in a single-parent home. † (Joseph Alper pp. ) Pain, suffering and tension are feelings brought on by the separation or remarriage of one†s parents. Divorce is not the only type of family stress; death or serious illness of a family member can contribute to the formation of stress. Responsibilities at home also can create stress. The daily hassles of chores and responsibilities all add up to stress. Stress therefore can be found in many of our daily activities and problems. Sir Isaac Newton was correct in saying the statement, â€Å"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction,† because it applies to everything, especially stress. Stress, as an action, creates two common types of reactions. The first effects are emotional effects. Anxiety if the most well known of the emotional effects of stress. â€Å"The feelings of uneasiness or apprehensiveness experienced by anticipation of a threatening situation† is known anxiety. (Mendelson, pp. 43) Butterflies before taking a major test or nerves when one is flying on an airplane for the first time are two principal examples of anxiety. Depression is another well-known emotional effect of stress. Low self-esteem or something-tragic happening in someone†s life can construct depression. Not only does stress cause that, but it also creates mental illnesses. These can range from mental confusion to serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and possibly even suicide. Emotional effects are not the only stress-related effects. As referred to in the preceding paragraph, the second type of effects of stress is physical. In recent studies it was stated the â€Å"two-thirds of all visits to a physician are from stress related illness. † (About Stress Less: Stress Facts, pp. 1) The most frequent illness seen is that of a headache. Headaches can because by many things, but stress is at the top of the list. One illness is not as frequently seen as the daily headache, is insomnia. Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, is another good example of a stress-related disease. About 5 out of every 10 Americans suffer from stress-related hypertension. In relation to hypertension is Coronary Heart Disease. This illness is another one that is quite familiar with the American public. Not only are there stress-related diseases, but there also stress aggravated diseases. Diabetes is one of these diseases. Another stress aggravated diseases is psoriasis. This disease seems to â€Å"flare† when a person aggravated or â€Å"stressed out†. One more major stress aggravated disease is alcoholism. Some if not all of these physical effects can lead to dismal fate. â€Å"More than half of all US deaths between the ages 1 and 65 result from stress-related lifestyles. † (About Stress Less: Stress Facts, pp. 1) â€Å"42. 6% of adults 18= years old experienced adverse health effects from stress. † (About Stress Less: Stress Facts, pp. 1) Stress can be a cause or an effect, but anything of either nature needs to be coped with. Just like the effects, there are two different types of ways to cope with stress. Healthy stress management is one of two ways to deal with stress. The art of breathing is a good start when discussing stress management, because it helps to control anxiety. Singing is one immense type of breathing technique. Music ties right in with singing. Not only are both relaxing, but you can practice both without even relaxing it. Mediation is also another peaceful, relaxing why to cope with stress. An example of this is yoga. Just like mediation, exercise is also excellent for stress reduction. You can burn the fat, and relieve daily tension all at once. Along with exercise is a healthy diet. The right foods can improve your physical, mental, and emotional state of well being all at one time. The most important way to cope with stress is having friends. Friends are there to make you laugh and cheer you up (more ways to cope). If you need to talk about a problem, they are always there. And you can tell them anything. There are many healthy ways to cope with stress, which are not all listed above. Therefore there is a variety for each individual to choose from. Stress can be coped with in many was both positive and negative. The second way to cope with stress is unhealthy stress management. Overeating is one of these ways to deal with stress. If one chooses overeating as their outlet they will probably generate more stress for themselves because of low self-esteem or obesity. Unsatisfying sexual relationships with many lovers is another way to cope with stress. This choice can lead to low-esteem, possible STDs, and maybe even unwanted pregnancy. The most popular unhealthy stress management is drug use. Not only illegal, such as smoking and drinking, but also legal use, like tranquilizers. Choosing drug use can lead to drug abuse and other harsh consequences. So, there are both unhealthy, as well as healthy outlets to cope with stress.

Hellen Keller Essay - 1201 Words

Imagine what it would be like not being able to see or hear and trying to learn and be a kid. Author and speaker Helen Keller, lived her whole life with this struggle when a high fever left her deaf and blind at nineteen months of age. Take a peek into the life, education, and career of Helen Keller. (American Foundation for the Bind) Helen Keller didn’t start out with any problems. She was born a healthy child. Then, at nineteen months old she got a really high fever that could have been Scarlet fever, which can cause people to have a very high fever of up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. This sickness went away but left her deaf and blind for the rest of her life. (Helen Keller) Helen Adams Keller was born to her father Captin†¦show more content†¦So the school sent her twenty year old, Anne Mansfield sullivan. Who came to Tuscumbia to be her teacher. Anne was a graduate of Perkins school for the blind. Anne herself was blind but through a series of operations regained her sight. Therefore she was able to relate to what Helen was going through. But at first Helen did not know or trust Anne but in time she did and grew really close to her. (American Foundation for the Bind) By the time she was this age Helen used more than sixty signs to communicate with her family. March 1887 when she was almost seven years old, Helen says was one of the most important days of her life. This is when Anne came to teach her. Anne began teaching her with a doll. She let Helen hold the doll in one hand and spelled the word doll into Helens other hand. She wanted to teach her to connect objects with letters. Helen learned very quickly to form letters in order and lear ned to spell words. Also one time Anne put Helens hand under running water then spelled the word water into her other hand and Helen was able to connect cold and wet and know it was water. Eventually her temper tantrms stopped. Helen learned to read french, german, greek and latin in braille. Helen and Anne were very close and were always together. At the age of ten Helen learned to speak by feeling her teachers mouth when she talked. She was hard for people to understand but she never gave up. (Helen:Anne) Helen began at Perkins institute for the blind inShow MoreRelated Hellen Keller Essay1460 Words   |  6 PagesHellen Keller Helen Keller was born on 27 June 1880 in Alabama. Her father was a newspaper editor. She was a lively and healthy child with a friendly personality. She could walk and even say a few simple words. In 1882 she caught a fever that was so bad she almost died. When it was over she could no longer see or hear. Because she could not hear it was also very hard to speak. She was 18 months old when this happened. But Helen was not someone who gave up easily. SoonRead MoreSummary Of Hellen Keller s Three Days1112 Words   |  5 PagesHellen Keller’s â€Å"Three Days to See† exhibits that sight of the world is taken for granted. 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Like Hellen Keller, meeting Mrs. Ross is someone who I can say has greatly shaped my future. It was not until after kindergarten that I started to gain confidence in my learning experience. WritingRead MoreAnalysis Of Mice And Men By John Steinbeck723 Words   |  3 Pagesfeeling right or not. This person is the great George Washington he had a learning disability, he could barely write and he had a very poor grammar skills (famous people). But, he still let the United States to victory against the British troops. Hellen Keller, who was blind, deaf need to know how to hear and read things without looking and with the care a knowledge she got when she was young, she became the first deaf and blind person to get a bachelor degree. Some people with disabilities like autismRead MoreMath1010 Words   |  5 Pages | |Character Principle: | |â€Å"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much†- Hellen Keller | | Read MorePersuasive Paper on Pit Bulls1664 Words   |  7 Pagesdog. Another misleading statement is that most Pit Bulls are owned by criminals and are used for fighting. This is also very false. If you recall, the kids movie â€Å"The Little Rascals†, there was a Pit Bull who played the role as Petey. Also, Hellen Keller had an American Pit Bull Terrier as well as Madonna, Brad Pitt, Earl Holliman, and many other well known celebrities and historical figures. The most debated issue regarding Pit Bulls is the reaction and changes that they go through after tasting