The effects of maintaining an appealing appearance
Granville is a small town founded in 1805 (HistoricHomes). It occupies only 4.71mil^2 and has a small population of only 5,773 (DataUSA). Although small, Granvilles average income is very high sitting at over 92,000 dollars (DataUSA). Granville has a lack of large restaurant operations. Some of the few large restaurant chains that are present in Granville include 1 Subway, 1 Wendy’s, and 1 Donatos. The change in infrastructure is low. A map of Granville Seen in Denison University depicts the town of Granville in the year 1938. Many of the prehistoric structures shown on the map still remain today in the exact spot shown on the map (David). When looking at the financial department of Granville, the obvious conclusion made is the amount of expenses going towards non-profit recreational activities. Funds include the Opera House Park improvement, Bryn Du mansion, Pathway reserve, parkland reserve, and Municipal Building reserve fund. A total budget of $385,794.00 goes towards these funds on average each year (Finance). The Municipal Building reserve fund had a budget of $120,037.00 (Finance). The purpose of this fund is to have set balance of revenue saved for future renovations for the Town Hall (Finance). Granvilles effort in maintaining the appearance of a unique look is very prominent in the structures that remain in downtown Granville today. Why does Granville place such importance on the appearance of its current stature? The importance of Granvilles appearance is an entrance into a variety of techniques that have a great effect on individuals outside of a Granvillian lifestyle.
The importance that Granville places on its stature can reflect on what its means to be a Granvillian. Taking a closer look at their parks can be an easy way to determine the importance of maintaining a unique appearance. One park in particular comes to mind when I think of a Granvillian; The Opera House Park. At first glance of the park, an outsider would assume it to be an open lot. A closer look at the park transforms it into a message of improvement. Flowers and trees blow in the wind as the cars pass by. Families are often seen having picnics surrounded by honeybees as they pollinate the plants. A moss covered bell lies in the grass with the name Opera House Park. The Opera House Park is dedicated to the great fire of the old Opera House in 1982 (GranvilleHistory). The bell represent much more than a memorial for the Opera House. The bell, flowers, and trees represents the overwhelming message of “growth”. Granville built the park as a way of pushing Granvillians forward from the past. The parks size is made small to represent a message that all Granvillians follow. Persist past our mistakes and focus on improvement made for the future. The Granville Opera House depicts a wide variety of messages through it’s symbolism. The first thing that an individual notices is the old bell laying in the grass. On the bottom of the bell lies a small layer of moss. In the center of the bell a large crack. The bell is small in compared to the catastrophic event that occured. Granville did this on purpose in an attempt to symbolize that Granvillians favor the safety of the future over the past events. The crack in the bell symbolizes the preservation of the idea. That at once Granville was broken, and the community should always look back at the mistakes that we made. The second thing that an individual will notice is the type of people visiting the park. Picnics with families enjoying food and the company of their relatives. You hear laughter from the kids as they play through the grass. This depicts how All Granvillians operate as one unit. It could also stand for the focus of Granvilles necessity of having children. The nature that surrounds the park provides a message for the community of Granville. Every year the community replants new flowers in the park. A small thin layer of moss lies on the bottom of the tree trunks. In this a person can depict that a Granvillian represents the strive for growth. In which every person should provide and nourish the community.
When taking a closer look at the buildings of Granville, one will realize that they can see more than a message, they can see a purpose. The age of houses in Granville are relatively older and do not follow the current trends of modern houses. Houses covered in old moss and plates on the front porches seems to be common trend that Granville has to offer. Granville maintains a posture that is rural and festive. This unique look is what makes Granville pop from other towns. The old candy shop next to subway that allows the mind to relax. The attraction of Granville has been spurring in the last decade. In writer in the Granville advocate speaks about the inspired artists upcoming in the show impression of Granville and states “Granville’s historic ambiance is admired by many who live outside the community, including artists. Gahanna painter Anastasia Horowitz’s attraction to Granville resulted in her exhibiting in last year’s show” (Impressions). Artists are seen adoring the unique look that Granville has to offer. Although Granville is depicted as a festive historic ambiance is, is Granville attempting to preserve the history of Granville for a reason? Looking at the average age of Granville, one will find that most of the buildings were built before and after WW2. In the Granvilles Bicentennial, building age range can be seen from 1800 and 1900. Most of the buildings remain in the same spot today in perfect condition. Buildings such as Bryn Du mansion, which was built in 1865 by Henry D. is still being renovated and used today (HistoricHomes). When looking back on the average income of a Granvillian civilian, the amount is far higher than the average income in Ohio. A further connection can be made from the correlation of Granvilles old style with civilians with higher wages. When looking at today’s economy the age and current state of an object can have an effect on the rarity and cost. Granville attracts a richer taste based off of simple economic trick. While maintaining the age that many Granville houses have to offer, The price rises in which only few can take part in. However aside from the price of these houses, the houses age creates a rare phasad in which attracts richer folks. A study on Business insider shares commonly bought items from 2016. While some of these items included flashy cars and watches, the majority came from things such as old stamps, old preserved wine, and rare paintings (BuisnessInsider). The majority of those included irreplaceable items that cannot be replicated. I believe this to be the same case in Granville. Since the age of the buildings in Granville are relatively older, Richer individuals flock to these buildings in attempts of gaining rare living style. When taking a closer look at the unique style of living that Granville has to offer, one can perceive that Granville maintains it as a purpose of attracting higher paid individuals.
It is known that Granville uses its appearance as a technique of displaying a message and manipulating the type of people that live there, other places around the world are using the same technique. It is widely known throughout culture that a strive for a style of uniqueness is hard to maintain on an everyday basis. With new locations changing everyday, only few locations are able to comprise a preservation environment in attempts of displaying their culture. After rethinking the idea of preservation of appearance, maybe preservation of appearance can be seen in other things such as attractions. One attraction that comes to mind is the Tim Linhart ice music. Tim Linhart is a man who has derived a new culture of music. His band makes instruments out of ice and performs in a cold environment. The way that the ice is able to reflect off the colorful lights creates a mystical feeling. The ice dome that surrounds the audience creates a protective atmosphere away from the outside struggles. This band is using preservation as a way of bringing together a new group of people who enjoy its unique sound and design. While maintaining the appearance of it’s ice, the ice music band is able to create a new style of music. In a video created by national geographics Tim Linhart states “the ice instrument is made frozen water were made of melted water, and that physical connection opens a door for a spiritual connection (NationalGeographic)”. His uses the ice as a way of expressing the importance of preservation. Without the preservation of the ice people would never get to experience the true nature of ice music. Some complications that occur in maintaining a new culture of music occurs within the structure of the concert. Tim Linhart states “the ice is always sublimating away into the atmosphere, as they play the instruments heat is transferred into the ice (NationalGeographic)”. He also states “He realized that he needs to build his own architecture that can ventilate the heat away from the audience away from the orchestra (NationalGeographic)”. The preservation of the ice is a struggle and takes science in order to maintain its appearance. Maybe the importance of appearance is just at important as the sound that comes out of it. The unique sounds that the ice instrument creates allows the audience to forget the extremely cold temperature that surrounds them.
The importance of appearance is widely discussed phenomenon in today’s society. A simple appealing look can make or break a persons liking of its given topic. When choosing a location for your family to live, the number one question is whether it’s appealing to you. While sound and smell are aspects, the most prominent deciding factor is the appealing sight that a place gives you. Just like a fish, humans are attracted to unique variety of appearances. Some enjoy a plane habitat while others enjoy a exciting habitat. Using this people are able to create a technique of luers in order to shift the current of revenue. Just recently in 2018 Granville passed an income tax that goes directly to schools. The income tax is 1.25 % tax on the your houses total value (Tax). For some that have smaller houses, that tax has no impact on the user. But for most Granville citizens who own a house on average $323,400.00, it becomes a big deal (Tax). Teachers are now benefiting off the average higher wage citizens of Granville. Indirectly the amount appealing buildings that comprise of Granville were reasons why richer individuals moved to Granville. Without its appealing appearance Granville would not be able to tax as much as they do, as a result Granville would not be a successful town like today.
While appearance is a important feature in Granville, evidence shows that some aspects are promoting the opposite. Appearance is how a person perceives a given object or place. Rather than looking at the physical aspects of Granville, bad views come from individuals outside of Granville. Recently in april of 2016 lead was found in the water of Granville schools. The reason was not stated but a conclusion was made that some fountains collected more lead when sitting still (LeadFountains). As a student of Granville I spent most of my time hanging out in the gym. I consumed the drinking fountain water on a daily basis. To hear that my school contained led in the drinking fountains concerned me deeply. When a person gives trust to an individual, that person should keep that promise and never put that person in harm’s way. My view had changed from that day forward. I was scared to take anything from the school; food, water, and even vending machines food. The amount of trust had faded and turned into a survival of the fittest. The appearance of Granville was shifted into hatred from the irresponsibility of its staff. During the week the school also included that fountains that were built before and during the 1990 would have to be replaced (LeadFountains). The school didn’t have the common decency of building new fountains. This entire event changed the appearance of Granville forever. The lack of trust the students had for the school and staff had faded. It will be long struggle to gain that trust back.
The appealing appearance of Granville is a prominent aspect that brings in people from around the world. So what, maybe Granville was attempting to display a message. So what, was this message negatively displayed. So what, maybe Granville was using the appearance as a technique of bringing in richer people. So what, maybe they did this to make programs effective. So what, tax income is generating more wealth. So what, other places around the world are using appearance as well. So what Granville is among a pattern of communities using this same technique.
Work Cited
Burchard, D, and D. Michell. Denison University, Granville Ohio. 1938, David Rumsey Historical Map Collection. https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~292113~90063958:Denison-University,-Granville-Ohio
McDonald, Craig. “Granville Schools Weigh 2018 Tax Options.” The Advocate, Oct 02, 2017. ProQuest, http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/docview/1947681767?accountid=9783.
Miller, Brian. “Granville Impressions.” The Advocate, Sep 24, 2006. ProQuest, http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/docview/441950752?accountid=9783.
McDonald, Craig. “Granville School Plan Targets Lead in Fountains.” The Advocate, Apr 27, 2016. ProQuest, http://proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy.lib.ohio-state.edu/docview/1784561794?accountid=9783.
“Granville, OH.” Data USA, https://datausa.io/profile/geo/granville-oh/#intro
“Finance Department.” Village of Granville, March 21, 2019. www.granville.oh.us/finance-department.
“Historic Homes of Granville.” Granville Bicentennial, 1805-2005.
Smith, Matthew Nitch. “These Are the 11 Things the ‘Ultra-Rich’ Are Spending Their Money On.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 2 Mar, 2016. https://www.businessinsider.com/things-rich-people-are-buying-more-of-in-last-ten-years-2016-3#wine–the-ultra-rich-not-only-enjoy-drinking-the-best-wine-in-the-world-they-also-like-to-invest-in-it-the-index-showed-a-241-price-jump-in-wine-spending-over-the-last-decade-the-report-notes-that-many-investment-grade-bordeaux-wines-have-now-started-to-recover-from-the-slump-induced-by-the-sharp-drop-in-chinese-demand-2
Geographic, National. YouTube, YouTube, 3 Feb, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL-8zxvuuyE