There are these transmission towers that are shaped like people. They are theoretical (for the time being), but they represent so much more to a group of academics and community figures from Fairbanks, Alaska. As you may or may not know, Alaska is a force need not be reckoned with. The bitterly cold winters, isolated villages and towns, and extreme costs of living make being a student at the university much more difficult than one might imagine. This group of women began to notice that their writing materials and assignments were not well suited for their students, considering their hardships from simply living in Alaska often times prevented them from finding success in the class room.
These transporters (shaped like people keep in mind) are shown with arms up. This shows empowerment and strength. None of the transporters have extended hands ready to receive without giving in return. The professors saw this in their students. They saw the transformers interact with their environment, again, like their students. The students reminded their professors by their limited connections to the world around them. Often without roads and frozen conveniences (literally), Alaskan students are limited in their worldly interactions. The heartlessness of the transformers reminds this group that their students need to make room for their community.
I was so happy I got to hear the group graduate students, professors, and community leaders at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I wish I had been able to stay for the whole talk to see how they tied the transformers into their lectures, assignments, and interactions with their students and how this tied into third space.
Jaron Thomas 