1. Who are the Situationists?
The Situationists were a group of people interested in the politics of the situation. They created different situations and experiences which were meant to comment on society.

2. What does Debord mean when he says “One measures the distances that actually separate two regions of a city, distances that may have little relation with the physical distance between them.”
Debord is referring to the massive variety of people, things, ideas, or places that may exist in a city. The “regions” he speaks of can represent equally as many things: groups of people, differing ideologies, ethnic backgrounds, religious associations, or other divisions that exist in society. The life of a company CEO is vastly different from that of the homeless guy that lives in the alley next to his company’s building. Their proximity might be close, but their existences are very different. The beliefs of people of two different political parties are just as different. People exist in many different ways, although the space of the city brings them physically close to one another. Therefore, the “distances” he describes in his statement are not of physical space, but rather of variation in ideas.

3. What is the underlying purpose of the American settlement and playground movement?
The underlying purpose of the American settlement and playground movement is to create an environment which promotes the mental, social, and physical health of a child. It is meant to equalize people of different classes and backgrounds through play and physical recreation.

4. What is their argument towards the need for play?
Their argument towards the need for play is that play creates better character. Having structured play creates citizens that are responsible, loyal, good leaders, and better parents. They felt that play improved society overall by improving the children who would someday inherit it.

5. What is the difference between “play spirit” and “low” forms of recreation?
“Play spirit” is play which leads to spontanaeity, joy, and exuberance. It is the intrinsic, positive essence of play. “Low” forms of recreation are commercialized, with “movie theaters and dance halls” used as examples. The difference between them is the level of interaction involved and the way in which a positive, pleasant internal feeling is produced. Recreational activities like movies are a sort of “one-way” experience; you are given an experience and told how to feel about it. While it might be pleasurable, the pleasure is built into the experience and designed for a specific purpose. Other forms of recreation, like playing games, are more interactive and more representative of the “play spirit” because positive feelings are achieved through personal accomplishment.

6. How has the social function of playgrounds changed today?
The social function of playgrounds has changed in that playgrounds are becoming something different. There are differing opinions about what a playground should be, and the safety of the equipment on it, which some say leads to less imaginative play. A movement to change playgrounds into “playscapes” which are less structured, is currently becoming more popular. As a result, children are encouraged to make their own games and forms of play rather than being told how to play. Parents and other individuals are invited into the space, where previously they were placed on the sidelines. The environment is changing, which is changing the way the space is used and who is using it.

7. Suggest an idea for a UB campus derive that would interrupt or intervene in the daily routine of campus life.
I almost think we should take our derive somewhere outside of North Campus. Maybe we should all jump on a bus to South and do something there. It seems like the point of a derive is to experience something out of the ordinary, and we are all probably very familiar with North, moreso than South. Or maybe to Ellicott, I don’t really know.