Day Fifteen, Sam's Entry

More editing. We're almost there, having picked out the music we're gonna start with and we've decided how to censor the movie to make it PG-13. Instead of beeping out the profanity, I recorded random words which we'll play over them. Good times. 

Day Fourteen, Sam's Entry

Editing continues. We've managed to get it to under thirty minutes, which will be the version we display on Wednesday. At some point, if possible, we'll make a shorter version which we will put on Youtube. Other than that, not much happened. The process of editing is turning out not to be as intense and thought-provoking about the project as I thought it would be. I suspect that's because we've already thought about all of this stuff at length. Because we are so genius.

In other news, Austin Bening has officially forfeited his stake in Blog Race '09, because he is dumb. Sam wins the trophy. Hooray.

Day Thirteen, Sam's Entry

We just finished filming our conclusion bit for the video today. We realize we're going to have to write reaction papers as part of the project itself, but we felt like this was necessary as otherwise the film would just end all of a sudden. We came to some interesting conclusions.

The stuff I talked about mostly had to do with how the internet is wearing away at people's personal relationships and their ability to interact with other people face-to-face in a meaningful way. So much of getting to know another person is the way you react to their quirks and physical traits, not to mention the way they talk. This stuff can all get lost in blogs or other text online.

This stuff applies to our generation in particular. We're the ones who are really embracing these new methods of communicating, and it presents an interesting paradox. With just a cell phone, people can be constantly connected to other people, but they aren't really connecting. They're good ways to keep in touch, sure, but it's hard to base meaningful relationships on text messages and facebook wall posts.

Austin talked more about the idea that people are very much afraid of rejection. We don't say hi to people who look interesting on the street or hot girls at parties because we're afraid of what they might say. And that means we're shutting ourselves out of so many different opportunities for such a stupid reason.

In addition, we both came to the conclusion that loneliness is a choice. The only thing keeping you from talking to other people is you. Which is to say, get over that fear of rejection and take a chance. The worst that could happen is you experience an awkward moment, and if that happens, it'll be good practice, because life is just full of them.

I don't want to say too much more because we cover all this in the video, which we will be posting to youtube, in addition to a longer version that we'll display at the project showcase. Stay tuned.

Day Twelve, Sam's Entry

Not much to say about today (or for the rest of this week) as we're going to be editing for most of the time. This process does lend itself to plenty of introspection, though, as we're basically going to be watching and re-watching what we've done, and then watching it again.

For example, during our conversation with Bob at the Sunrise retirement home, while we were talking about the courts and the system of checks and balances, one of the attendants, a guy in an orange shirt, said as he was passing by, "It's to keep the USR out of our USA." All any of us could do was laugh nervously. Later, and completely out of nowhere, he talked about how he just hopes they give police and firefighters all the money they need. It was such a sharp contrast between Bob, who as an older person is expected to be sort of out of it but seemed very much his own man, and the attendant, who was maybe in his forties and didn't seem all that bright, really.

We're going to go out for one more day, I think, and the rest of the time will be devoted to editing and composing our final reactions about the project. There's also this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VcV6Jvhso4

For the record, it wasn't my idea.

Day eleven, Sam's Entry

We set up at Sunrise Assisted Living, an old folks home in Gahanna, today. We went into this day with pretty high expectations, and Austin's mom, who runs the school's service board, had close ties with this organization, which meant we would be in a very receptive atmosphere. In fact, the woman who we contacted to get permission, Yolanda, made sure to inform people that we were there and told them what we were doing. We only had an hour there, as they wanted us out because of a music guy who was going to perform, but we still managed to have some very interesting conversations.

The first people to approach us were Bob and Betty, although Bob did most of the talking. He said he'd just come out of a Bible study, and his first question was how we felt about the phrase "under God" in the pledge of allegiance. At first we were kind of wary about how we answered, as we figured we might have another super-intense religious person on our hands. But the next time he talked, it was about the courts overstepping their bounds, and as an example he cited the 2000 election. We could both tell that Bob was very much a free thinker. Both he and Betty realized that we needed the courts and why, but they both also didn't want them to intrude too much into the legislative arena.

So they were pretty cool. We also talked to Ray, and I say talked because we did most of the talking. Ray couldn't seem to think of any questions, but he seemed content to just have someone to listen to. He apparently had been at a nursing home previously, and cherished his newfound freedom, as at the home he had been dressed, was showered personally, his meals were all served in his room, etc. We then met Rosemary, a woman who was unable to walk after surgery confined her to a hospital bed for 4 months who wanted nothing more than to go home. We also spoke to Leo, who used to work in a Mormon church and told us a bit about that.

Unfortunately, that was about when we had to leave. That truly was a shame, because we met some of the most interesting people of our project there in my opinion. I really hope we can go back before next week ends.

Day Six: Austin

Hey look, my name's Sam Korda and I write up-to-date blogs. Butthole

When we first began this project, Easton was the first place we really thought of. Easton hosts an eclectic group of people in a shopping environment where they have oodles of free time to just wander and hopefully ask us questions. But, being the Easton nazis we all know, when we asked if we could set up our stand, we were met with some interest, and then a resounding no. However, we did find a way around said road block by writing "I will answer any question honestly" on the front of white t-shirts.

As we made our way though Easton, we were asked very few questions, which leads me to believe people aren't terribly attentive or interested in what others are wearing. Eastoners asked us such insightful question as: Do you like llamas? Why do cats sound like they're dying when they mate? and What movie should we go see today? While we stewed over these brain busters, we did have one of my favorite questions so far: What is your most cherished memory. It seems quite simple and mundane, but that was the first time someone has asked us a question like that. Usually people ask about the most embarrassing moments, and sadly I was able to respond a lot quicker to the embarrassing than the most cherished.

 Tired from walking, we decided to pop inside Brookstone to sample their message chairs While sitting and being pampered, we had a great conversation with a Brookstone Employee named Patrick. We talked about public vs. private schools, the feel of the north vs the south (since he was from texas), and how we thought Obama was doing in office.

Days nine and ten, Sam's entry

We spent the past two days editing rather than setting up shop anywhere. Good thing, too, because we started out with about 220 minutes of footage, and it took us practically all of Wednesday just to get the video onto the computer.

Good news is, the editing was pretty smooth. Austin and I were in agreement over most of what to include and what to cut,although we still need to add titles and in some cases subtitles. These past two days have allowed us to step back and gain some perspective on the project and how we're dealing with doing it. The senior project in general is an odd period of time, just because I have so much free time I don't really know what to do with it. Austin and I decided that because of this, this week is alternately the best and the worst week ever. 

During the editing process yesterday, I was very into it. I was pacing back and forth, getting pretty animated, and the librarians had to tell us a couple of times to keep it down. Then when we were done, I was suddenly exhausted. Which was odd, given that I hadn't been the least bit tired at any point of the day until then. That's pretty much the best indication available that apparently I love our project. Not that I didn't know that already.

Day Eight: Austin

Oh it's on big boy, it's on like donkey kong

I decided to write about today instead of day six because the events of today were pretty extraordinary in my opinion and I want to write while they're still fresh in my mind. Today we ventured into the short north area with my good friend Ethan Newman who's brother is the inspiration for our whole project. We set up two blocks north of Yoga on High right across from Magnolia Thunderpussy, which is a record store. To our left was a big stone building that had very few windows and made for a terrific spot to set up. Across the street, hanging out on the sidewalk, was a group of 6 or 7 men who all looked to be pretty poor.

So we sat at this spot and waited. Our first few questions were merely about the stand, general curiosity. Then a man from the other side of the street who had been looking at us for sometime came over. He asked what we were about and asked general introductory questions. His name is Red. Red is a man about my height (5' 7'') but deffinately has a mix of races to his background. He has a bald head, dark skin, and a lot, I mean a lot, of freckles. Red promised that if we gave him a dollar, that he would tell us everything there was to know about Columbus, his service in the military, and anything in general about his life. I gave him the dollar and asked what he could tell me about Columbus, more specifically High Street. Red pointed to the large condos they were building down the street and asked "how much you think those things are going for? Hundred thousand at least." He remarked that Major Michael Coleman thinks the only way to make a city better is to build nice condos. Those condos weren't going to help regular people at all. I think he saw it as an invasion on his home. As an official kicking out. I asked if he knew what investment would make the city better. "I think I'm gonna go think about that." He went and bought his smokes and sat over on the other side.

Some other guys came over and asked the eight ball questions about their girlfriends, whether they were gonna get paid, and if they were going to have a good day. Once those guys had finished, Red came back over across the street and asked us "Did you know that sittin over there, there's a convicted murderer and a child molester? How does that make you feel?" Talk about blowing my 18 year old prep school mind. All three of us looked at one another with bewilderment. I asked him why he told us and how he felt about sitting over there with people he knew had committed crimes our society pretty universally judge as unforgivable. He also was at a loss for words. He didn't want to disclose details, but he did comment that one of the crimes was understandable with context, but the other was not. "Why a child, something so innocent and pure?" No one knew the answer, we were all pretty baffled.

After a couple more comments, Red again returned to the other side of the street. Just as Red had left, we were addressed by a man who's watch would give Chris Gardner's a run for its money (and a pinky ring to boot). He said he liked what we were doing, liked our stand, even called us "hustlers". After talking to us and finding out a little more, he explained that he was a starting this new TV network thingy and he wanted to let us know if we wanted to shoot some videos and help out with the project (he told us of his high ambitions and told us how we could play a part). He wanted us, the three of us, to shoot video for him and send it in for one part of the network. He even invites us to see the studio. A little weary of the validity of what's going on, we follow him to the studio, which indeed gave the impression of authenticity. The opportunity was really cool and exciting, but the thing which really struck me was the stark difference in person one can meet on one street corner just by answering questions, honestly.

Day Eight, Sam's Entry

BLOG RACE '09: SAM IS IN THE LEAD!!!!

Ahem.

So today we set up in the Short North, right across from Skully's. We went out with Austin's friend Ethan just for kicks, and didn't get much traffic. Most of our talking was done with two guys. The first was Red.

Red was a homeless guy who claimed he'd served in the military, one of a few who were standing across the street from where we were set up. Also across the street was a building under construction that would likely house condos. This pissed Red off in a big way. He was angry really at the gentrification that was occurring in that area in general, and it's understandable. He also mooched some money off of us for cigarettes. Also used the phrase "straight talk" a lot. Honestly, not that sure how I feel about Red. Didn't seem educated, but wasn't stupid and definitely had opinions he was willing to share. This city is afraid of me. I have seen its true-sorry.

The second guy we talked to was a very vocal businessman who was interested in us maybe contributing footage to his "internet-based TV station". I don't want to go into the details too much, because they are going to launch soon but haven't yet, but suffice to say, he was rather ambitious with his aims, and was somewhat determined to get us to sign on. This could be interesting, or it could be a dud. We'll see.

Day Seven, Sam's Entry

We had gotten in contact with the people at Easton, this giant shopping mall in Columbus, over spring break a few months ago. The guy we got in contact with actually seemed pretty cool, and said he was interested in what we were doing. Then we got turned down.

This wasn't surprising in the least. I think it was Steve Carrell who said in an interview with the Columbus Dispatch that one time when he was visiting Easton, he threw a pebble in the air and was approached by security for disturbing utopia. It was still a shame we got denied, though, because Easton can play host to a fairly diverse array of people.

The good news is that Austin came up with a way around this. We both wore plain white t-shirts with the trademark phrase written on them and walked around with a video camera. We weren't approached by nearly as many people as we were at other places, and part of that I think was that we were mobile for most of the time, walking around rather than sitting at a bench or something.

We did get some questions, though, mostly when we went into stores and looked around at stuff. We actually got into a lengthy conversation with this sales guy at Brookstone named Patrick. Apparently he was from Texas and had been in Columbus just a few months, and he'd observed in his time here that people up north/in the midwest seem to be more concerned with themselves, whereas he found the people down south to be more outgoing and friendlier in general.

We talked about some more topical issues with him, such as when he asked us about the legalization of marijuana. Austin and I actually handled that pretty well with a tag team effort. He covered the economic side, and I handled the policy issues. Other than Patrick, we didn't have that many in-depth conversations, but it was still worth it, even if only just to see how this method worked as opposed to our regular way of doing it.

That, and we set some of the Apple store's laptops and iPhones to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ndx_IdlUQU

Good times.

Day Five: Austin

Our second day on the O.S.U. campus was a much more successful venture. We took the advice from Denise and brought along a jug full of water that we gave to people if they answered a question. Luckily it was a really hot and sticky day on the oval, so we got a lot of takers for water and a lot of questions. We started off the day with a really philosophical question "If you know nothing, but you are aware that you know nothing, what do you know?" Then a couple of shirtless guys came over and asked if they could have some water, but I told them they had to answer a question first. So while Sam was responding to the very deep question, I was answering Ohio trivia (what's the state flower? how far did OSU soccer go in the playoffs two years ago? etc). Seeing the deep indepth discussion between sam and the first kid, the shirtless wonders asked what his question was and I told them. "woah dude, that's deep?" and then they walked away.

We also met two sisters who were out sun bathing. They were laying out right in front of us, one was a freshman and one was a junior. When they had their backs facing us, I noticed that the freshman had a tattoo of the globe on her back. I was a little puzzled by this choice of body art. I thought she just must get lost a lot while she's traveling, but the tattoo was on her back, which would defeat the purpose of using as a map. They had a lot of different questions and were very nice people, I just didn't understand the choice of tattoo and it bothered me, a lot.

One of my favorite moments occurred while sitting in the Oval. Another one of the many shirtless guys asked us a question that had been bothering him for quite some time apparently: "So let's say the hottest girl in the world comes up to and says she'll have sex with you, but only if you let her stick her finger up your butt. Would you go along with it?" Sam and I looked at each other, both a little bit surprised. We clarified that this was indeed the hottest girl in the world and she didn't have razor blades for fingers, and then both agreed we would both go along with it but were a little worried about what else she would want to do if that was one of the stipulations. His friends then came over and asked what question he'd asked. "Ok so the hottest girl in the world comes up to you- then his friends interrupted " Come on, not the butt hole question again. Apparently this was a popular query of his.

I never realized how much of an attraction the OSU campus was for christian solicitors. There was one guy who was there when we got there and still there when we were finished. He sat in a lawn chair, bible in hand, and with preacher like rhetoric and rhythm began to pontificate about abortion. I went over to listen to the guy, and I really didn't listen to much of the hot air he was blowing but I did find out that he came here quite often. His record was apparently 8 hours, and he always seemed to bring around a crowd. Half the time I couldn't tell if he was serious, and I still question whether he actually believed the stuff that was coming out of his mouth or he just saying stuff to get a rise out of the students who were vehemently stating their cases. We were also approached by the man Sam described in his entry who was also another christian solicitor. Sam and I had planned to go to a church, but it seems all the christians are coming to us.

Day Six, Sam's Entry

I figured before we set up at the Asian Fest that if there was one place we were going to get kicked out, it would've been there. Strangely enough, numerous cops walked by, looked right at us, and didn't even ask what we were doing or why. I think either they really didn't care, or in an atmosphere like this festival, things are so tightly controlled that if someone just sets up a table like we did, everyone automatically assumes we're supposed to be there.

We got plenty of interesting questions, not the least of which came from various Academy students who came by. A married couple asked if China would infringe on Vietnam in the next five years. We had to defer to the Magic 8-Ball, and found the answer to be yes. We also met this one group of guys, the one who talked to us the most being from Coshocton and probably the most knowledgeable of the group. That group asked us if we knew of any written texts that predated the Bible, and Austin pointed to the literature of ancient Greece and Rome. It wasn't until we'd settled the matter of oral vs. written stories that we realized we'd discounted the east. Like Asia. Which was the sole subject of the festival we were attending. Whoops.

At one point it started raining, so we weren't able to tape all of the questions, but it was quite refreshing given how punishingly humid the day was, and we managed to get some good footage anyway. Also, the reason there was no blog post about Saturday is because we've decided to take that day off. Now you know.

Day Four: Austin

I know, I know, I'm now three days late, get over it. On Thursday we decided to venture down to the O.S.U. campus. We set up the table right outside the fitness center where we thought would be a primo spot because of the bus traffic and the high concentration of people going in and out of the gym. Boy were we wrong. Our first question came in a record 5 minutes. We were approached by two guys, one who also had a camera. We quickly explained what we were doing and then he asked us to wait while he set up his camera. I got really excited, I thought we were going to be on the news or in some cool documentary. So the guy with the camera directs his friend to approach the stand and ask a question: "How do I improve my credit score?" Sam and I looked at one another, fumbling with what to say and advertising our blatant ignorance. So they did a second take and told us to say something around the lines of using protection when we file a credit card report, I'm not too sure. So our first question was a shot for commercial, which was exciting and new, but it was the only question we received for an hour and a half (ball park).

We were invisible to the O.S.U. students. They would look at our sign make some movement of the eyebrows, and then quickly fix their gaze back to the ground. It seemed as if there were secrets or beautiful works of art etched into the pavement because people studied it as if it were scripture. It even got to the point where we would say "any question you want, really" when they even glanced at the sign, but we were still ignored or denied.

However, we did meet one of my favorite people so far in this location. Her name is Denise, she's a grad student at Ohio State and she's working on a double degree, that means double the work in the same amount of time. She found her way into the army reserves after what she told us was 12 years of total wandering. She said she could take the years from 19-31 and burn them all away and there would be no change. "You can always make more money, you can always get back in shape, but you can never get back the time you've spent." Wise words from someone who feels like she has a lot of regrets in her life. She said she lacked a direction, lacked a focus, and because of that she spent a lot of time wandering, not knowing what to do with her life. It was too bad we didn't get to talk with her longer because her ride came and she had to go (oddly enough her ride was Academy alum from the class of 96'). Denise also gave us a lot of great advice and encouragement, thanks Denise.

Day Five, Sam's Entry

Yesterday we set up shop at the oval on OSU, not 50 yards away from a loud, inflammatory preacher. But he wasn't the issue. Phil was the issue. We had gotten a few questions when he arrived, no doubt fostered by the free water we were giving away. He came over and began by asking what we were doing, then followed that up with "If you were to remove every course from school but one, which would it be?" I replied with history. Somehow, it didn't seem like that was precisely the answer he wanted.

I started to get an idea of where he was coming from when he asked about globalism, the idea that the world is moving towards a totally unified government, with no more nations and all power resting in the hands of one man. (It's crap, by the way. The power of the ego is one of the strongest forces in existence, and it is most prevalent in the field of politics.) That one man, by the way, would be the Anti-Christ.

Then he asked us if we were good people. We replied, basically, yes. Then he asked us if we'd ever lied. We said we had, but when I tried to clarify that it was when I was younger, he said it didn't matter. The example he then gave was of a man who murders someone and gets away with it, but twenty years later is found out. Shouldn't he still be punished, he asked? Of course, we said. Because he's a what? asked Phil. He's a murderer, we answered.

By that logic, then, Phil claimed we were both liars. Also thieves, if we'd stolen. We'd looked upon women lustfully, especially since there were plenty of ladies in bikinis on the oval that day, and according to Jesus, that was a sin because God judges one's heart. We'd used God's name in vain. But he understood we were repentant, and he made a point of mentioning that we seemed like good guys. The key, he said, was that we had to accept Christ's love and be born again, or we would be damned. He didn't say that last bit explicitly, but that was basically it.

We talked with this guy for an hour. Or rather, he talked to us. Our setup meant he was able to ask every leading question he'd memorized, and the worst part was, at the time, I didn't realize he was doing it. I was frustrated, but didn't know why. In fact, as we were packing up, I accused Austin of letting him control the conversation. What I didn't realize was that we were both complicit.

What Phil said was that we're still good guys because of our consciences, and our conscience is "written on our heart by God". Whenever we brought up the fact that parents and society, as well as religion, play a huge part in shaping our ethics from a very young age, not to mention the fact that people who had never heard of Christ even after Jesus's death led ethically sound lives, he would brush that aside. It was God.

He brushed aside most of our arguments. Especially those concerning the fact that one of the major tenets of just about every religion is the fact that it is the true religion, and none other. Obviously, they can't all be right. And Phil said as such. But he said that it was in the Bible that God was the way. And the Bible was written by God, so it must be true. And how does he know that for sure? Why, because it was in the Bible, of course. We ran in circles like that for a whole hour without even realizing it.

As we were finishing up, Austin went to talk to a friend who was passing by and happened to see us, while Phil and I continued the conversation. He informed me that the end times were near, and God had probably sent him my way so that I could make the right choice and save myself, and I might not get another chance. I asked him how he could be so sure the end times were near.

He said first that the media was a big part, because the mainstream was so biased. I replied that when I think of the mainstream (which doesn't really exist anymore, but I didn't bother mentioning that), I think of CNN and Fox News, which go in completely different directions. I also pointed out the internet, which allowed for a practically infinite number of places to get information. He said something about it being "grassroots", then changed the topic. Did that a lot, too. He said then that when he was growing up, his tuition to go to this school (OSU) would be something around $260, but now would be so much more expensive.

So forget climate change, nuclear weapons, mass starvation, economic collapse, pandemics, or any other of the numerous reasons the news throws at us every day for why the world is going to end any second now. The real harbinger of doom is inflation.

Ordinarily, I'd be asleep now (I am, after all, a crotchety old man at heart). But I couldn't sleep. Something about what Phil had said was nagging at me from the moment we left. But I realized, it wasn't what he said. It was how he said it.

I've already devoted enough thought to the possibility of an afterlife, and the possibility that God is judging my thoughts. First of all, I'm a deist, which is to say I believe basically that God set the universe in motion, but doesn't interfere. Second, I can't believe in a God who would lump me into the same boxcar to hell as the people committing unspeakable atrocities in Sudan (in the name of the Lord, mind you) because I couldn't help but stare at a hot girl in a bikini and I lied to my mother about brushing my teeth when I was 11, and I haven't gone to church so an old guy can get all excited and yell at me so I can pass out from heat exhaustion. No, it's more than that. I refuse to believe in a God who says to himself, "Well, he was a very nice man with a loving family who gave to charity, never stole, and led an honest life, but he's Muslim so he didn't accept Jesus as my son so he's going to hell." Or how about, "You know, even though he was an upstanding family man, who raised his children well, mentored several troubled teenagers, and managed to devote himself to community service while he was at it, but he did kiss other dudes, so it looks like he'll be spending the rest of eternity in a pit of fire and anguish. Hey, those are the rules, pal. Tough shit."

What scared me was the fact that Phil was completely convinced he was right. I could feel the self-assurance and self-righteousness seeping off of him, as well as the deep entrenchment. Whenever he was in danger of losing ground or having to concede a point, he would change the subject or repeat himself (usually something along the lines of "it's in the Bible, so there"). Whenever Austin or I tried to clarify our responses, he wouldn't let us. There is no gray. There is what's in the Good Book, which is right, and what isn't, which is wrong.

 

I understand why he would feel this way. It's so easy not to have to worry. To have your life laid out for you and to know instantly how to feel about any issue, because it's in the book, and if it isn't, someone will be along to tell you right away. It's that same sort of mentality that can lead to scary actions, because someone told you to do it, and they are right, no question. You know this in your heart, so why bother wondering about anything? What's more, he mentioned men like Hitler and Alexander the Great, and it just occurred to me that they were worshipped with the same fervor Philip believes in God for the same reason. People like to think that they have a large amount of control over their lives, and that they are involved in something greater than themselves. If they're feeling distressed, they'll believe whatever hype gets thrown their way, because at least it's something. And if that something just happens to proclaim that it is the only true thing and it will save you, so much the better.

When Austin said that it's all about following your own path, Phil agreed. Then he proceeded to tell us why we must choose his.

Day Four, Sam's Entry

OSU yesterday wasn't the best. In fact, it was probably the worst. We didn't tape anything because there wasn't much worth recording. We set up in front of the fitness center, which we figured would be a good spot because it was a pretty busy bus stop. Potential askers would literally be dropped off at our feet. The only thing that was wrong with this plan was the fact that apparently most OSU students are GIANT JERKS.

For the first hour, no one approached us. But let's be clear: we were quite visible. What would happen is, students passing by would notice our table, read the sign, and keep walking while making every effort possible to avoid contact with the two of us. At one point someone raised their eyebrows, but that was about it.

After about an hour of just sitting there, we were approached by a woman. She was in her early 30's and in the military, and was going to college on the GI bill. Which is to say, not your typical OSU student, which is probably why she came up to talk to us. She talked about how she regretted wasting twenty years of her life, and how now she's trying to fit in two degrees in the 36 months before her battalion deploys.

After Denise, there was a middle aged woman who asked about why bullies do what they do. But then we were approached by a black kid who looked to be a freshman in college who asked us what we were doing. When we told him we went to Academy, he said he went to St. Charles, and when we explained the goal of our project, he stepped to the side and started to think.

Then he said something that pretty much explained it perfectly. He said that OSU is basically an urban environment: roughly 50,000 people packed into a square mile or two. That sort of environment is very impersonal, which means people will be less likely to take time out to engage in something unconventional like what we were doing. This also explains why when we set up in Bexley near Capital we got so many people.

So, not the best day yesterday. But Denise told us we probably should try this on the Oval with a big cooler of free water, so that's what we're going to do. With any luck, we'll get more than five people today.

Day Three: Austin

After sweating my balls off at Creekside yesterday, I have concluded that old men suck. I would say there's only been one guy (joe who was mentioned in out last post) over the age of 50 who's approached us in our three days of answering. I don't know what it is about old men, but they refuse to approach us let alone make eye contact. We were sitting in the middle of creekside yesterday, in plain sight, and three groups of old men going to lunch passed us without even the vaguest sense of acknowledgement. Old ladies will at least chuckle and wave, but old men lock their eyes to the ground and quicken their pace as soon as there's a chance to possible make contact with someone who they don't know.

To say the least, creekside was a flop. We hardly had any new people come to us and ask questions, but thankfully our loyal academy friends stopped by and used the time to ask very thought provoking questions like: How much do you masturbate? When was the last time you masturbated? Would you make out with Ben for $20? I've found there is a large difference in questions from the people who you know and the people who you just met. Thanks everyone who came out yesterday, and a special thanks to the Zitsmans who brought us water and kept us company during the day.

Question of the day by Howard Zitsman: Why am I not more like Confucious?

Day Three, Sam's Entry

Today we taped in Creekside, the new mall thing in Gahanna. We did it from about 3-5, and apparently that time on a Wednesday is not the time to do this. That's because there weren't that many people there, we were only approached once by people we didn't know, and it was really hot. But there was a fountain and Mr. Zitsman (who just happened to give us our first question of the day ("Why aren't I more like Confucius?")) brought us bottles of water.

We sat for about an hour with nothing happening, but Sarah Kahwash, Jordan Rhyne, and Ben Mozenter, all kids from our school, came and asked us a bunch of questions. Later we were joined by Sarah's brother Basil, Ben Zitsman, and Meg Graham, and in between the six of them, they kept us busy until we decided to pack up. A lot of the questions were more in depth than what we'd usually get, which is good in my opinion. They were questions like "How often do you masturbate?", "What was your biggest regret in high school?" and ""What musical artists are you listening to right now?"

Since we're planning on doing this at our school, I guess this was good prep. It was nice to get people who already knew what we were doing, so they would have questions in mind beforehand. But then again, we're going to be doing this at Academy next week, so it's not like we have to fit in people we know right now. So not the most productive day strictly speaking, but we did learn that Creekside probably won't be a good place to do this unless it's the weekend. Also, I should wear shorts and not jeans from now on.

Come one, come all

We're going to be at creekside the next few days (that is if we don't get kicked out), some everyone come out, tell your friends, tell your family, tell your grandma, that we're taking question at creekside from 2-5 ish area.

Day Two: Austin

Yesterday was our first day of taping. We were in the same location, right outside Capital University, at about the same time (around 2-5 ish) but were approached half as much. Only 13 people approached us, but it seemed like we had a lot more conversations than yesterday. We've started a very healthy relationship with the Bexley police. The Chief stopped by early on to check us out because apparently they had been getting a lot of calls about us. He saw no problems and moved right along. All throughout the day we had police stop, wave, or chuckle at us, which is, I hope, the kind of reaction we want from authority figures.

I don't know what it is about middle age women, but they love to have your guess their age. The count is up to five now and I'm proud to say that I got their ages all within 3 years (all of them on the younger side).

We sit outside this restraunt called Giuseppe's, which is a fancy Italian resteraunt right across from Graeters. An Italian guy named Joe who either works there or owns the place asked us a very interesting question: Of all the donors at capital, of all the professors and directors, who gets the biggest cut? Of all the politicians and the bailout bill, who gets the biggest cut? I said it was Michelle Obama because she's the one who's wearing a new pair of shoes everytime I see her. He liked us a lot and brought us drinks. When he came back we started talking to him about why he came to the U.S., to which he had a very simple reply: "The power of the pussy!" Joe you rascal you. He had apparently been quite the ladies man back in his cruise ship days where he was a chef on the boat.

On Monday, as Sam and i were just sitting patiently waiting for questions, a girl is flying through on her bike carrying a Micky D's bag. When she rounds the corner and sees us she runs head long into the fence surrounding the tree that is planting in the sidewalk. We laugh and make fun of her and we find that her name is Nora and she's from Switzerland. She promises to come back Tuesday prepared with even more question. She followed through on her promise and stopped by and ended up buying me and Sam icecream. We talked and to make a long story short we went to dinner and then watched the latest zack effron movie.

I fucking love this project

Day Two, Sam's Entry

The first person to approach us yesterday was a cop, who basically just wanted to check out what we were doing. We were at the same place as we were yesterday (the corner of Drexel and Main across from Graeter's), and he said that they'd been getting calls about us, but since we weren't blocking the sidewalk too much, were technically in the public domain, and weren't selling anything, we could keep doing it. A bit later, a cop car came by and one of the officers in it raised his fist in a sort of "rock on" or "solidarity" fashion. What this means, basically, is that the cops in Bexley like us. So if we get kicked out just about everywhere else, we'll have someplace to go back to.

Yesterday was also our first day of filming, with the camera on a small tripod balanced on our two chairs so it was just a bit below our eye level. We also didn't get as many questions today (10 approaches, as opposed to 23 on the first day), and I think a big part of it is the fact that the camera was present. But of the people that stopped by, more of them had conversations rather than just a quick question. Among the people who stopped was a lady whose daughter graduated from CA about ten years ago, an Italian guy named Joe who I assume worked at Giuseppe's, the restaurant we were in front of, and he also gave us free drinks, as well as Lora, the Swiss girl who first met us yesterday by running her bike into the small fence around the tree we were next to.

Today we'll try to do this at Creekside in Gahanna, but we're both kind of expecting to get kicked out. It's a new place, and very tightly controlled, so we might run into some problems. Still worth a shot, though.

Day One: Austin

After yesterday's round of questioning I feel really really confident about this project. As we were setting up on the corner of Drexel and Main I started to get pretty nervous about what we were about to do. Putting one's self  out there like we are takes a lot of balls. To give you a brief description, Sam and I are sitting at a rectangular table with a round table clothe that has "We will answer any question honestly" written on it with sharpie. We set up right across from Graeters and just sat in our chairs, waiting. For the first 20 minutes there was no one. Even the passing cars didn't even look over at us. There was an old couple but the lady read it chuckled and waved while the grumpy old man avoided eye contact at all costs.

At this point Sam and I are just talking about the usual stuff Sam and I talk about when a van with two police officers pulls up right next to us. The officer in the passenger seat sticks out his head and asks "Do you boys want a ticket?" Sam and I look at each other and ask whether we're allowed to be here, if we need to move because we are very very sorry. "It's a simple question, do you boys want a ticket?" 

"Um, not really"

"Ok, that's all you had to say."

So that was our first question, which in my opinion was a great way to start out. From that point on we got a lot of people in their cars asking what we were doing. One asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, but that was the depth of the questions we received. Once one person asked, others grew curious and started to ask questions as well. It seemed there always needed to be one ice breaker and then there would be a flood of questions. My favorite from a car was from group of three young guys in a lawn care pickup who asked if we had ever considered beastiality (sex with animals).

The ratio of male to women who asked from their cars was pretty equal, and the types of questions and general crudeness was about equal as well, but there were absolutely no men who walked up to us and talked to us. I've concluded Sam and I are some great lady magnets. We talked to one women who wondered whether she would be able to sell her house. We tried to make a goo estimate but in the end we told her we could answer questions honestly, not accurately. We actually ended up getting a lot of trivia questions and questions about the future (When is the world going to end? from an elementary school kid hanging out of his school bus). Since we got so many of these questions we decided to  bring a magic 8 ball to answer all the fortune teller questions.

Today looks to be very promising. We have a lot of return ladies who said they would be coming back with new questions and one said with her daughters. We start our filming today, so stop by if you wish and bring your questions along. We'll be sitting on the corner of Drexel and main again, hope to see you there.

~Austin

Day One, Sam's Entry

So today was the first day of our project. We set up shop at the intersection of Drexel and Main, across the street from Capital University in Bexley, so that both pedestrians and drivers could ask us questions, since we were sitting right next to the intersection. It was slow going at first. Our very first question was a cop (riding in an unmarked van?) asking us if we wanted a ticket. We said no.

We stayed for 2 hours, and were approached 23 times over that period. The people asking questions ranged from a group of friends in a car passing by to a Swiss girl on a bike who ran into the planter in front of our tables. Almost everyone asked us why we were sitting there answering questions, but we also got many very interesting questions. They ranged from "Will I sell my house?" to "Should she go to prison?" to "Do you like Obama?" to "Have you guys considered bestiality?"

I should also note a lot of the people asking us the questions were women. When it was a guy asking, it was usually someone in a car with their friends. In fact, one guy actually got out of his car at the intersection and ran over, but couldn't think of a question. So his friend in the car asked "How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?" I said "I don't know," right as the light turned green, so he yelled "NOOOOO" as he turned the corner. Then their friend just stood there trying to think of something to ask, but he couldn't really think of anything, probably because he was a little concerned that his friends stranded him (they picked him back up).

I was actually more excited than nervous about this project, and today made me confident that it could be really cool, because we met some really cool people and got into some interesting conversations. We didn't record today, as we just wanted to get a feel of how this would work, but we did record every question we were asked as well as a short description of who asked it. I think the camera being present will definitely affect who asks us questions and what they ask, and it will be interesting to see what happens. Tomorrow we will also have a Magic 8-ball to consult if someone asks a question we don't know the answer to. After all, we said we will answer any question honestly, not accurately.

Overview

This is the senior project diary of Sam Korda and Austin Bening. For our senior project, we are sitting behind a table at various locations around Columbus, Ohio over a period of three weeks, and on the table is a table cloth that says "We will answer any question honestly."

We will be changing various things about our appearance and that of the table each day (some days we wear suits, some days we play music, some day we sell lemonade). We will be making a film out of this by recording the people who come up to us and who ask us questions, and will edit the footage at the end of each day. This blog will serve as our daily journal, with the two of us each making a separate post every day.