The Icebreaker (Day 1)

The coolest part about today was the icebreaker.  We all gathered in a circle and shared different things about ourselves:  misconceptions we have/had about Detroit, how we view Detroit differently after going to Wayne State, our most embarrassing moments, our favorite place in Detroit and even a power we would like to have as a superhero.  This gave us a chance to learn a lot about each other seeing that we are going to be together for the next 5/6 days.  The bus tour was great because our tour guide was very educated and we covered a lot of ground in a short period of time.  I learned that Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his first “I Have a Dream” speech at Cobo Hall in 1963; before giving his speech he led over 200,000 people in a march down Woodward Ave.  I enjoyed riding past the Riverwalk and observing some of the future innovations of the city:  a building that is being renovated to become an amusement attraction which will include rock climbing and a pathway to Eastern Market that will stretch to the Riverwalk.  The Indian Village housing district shed light on some of the housing history of Detroit.  I took pictures of my favorite houses.  
Belle Isle was great because we got to get out of the bus and take pictures right off the water.  The tour guide informed us that Belle Isle is even larger than New York’s Central Park, which I wouldn’t have imagined.  We also visited Berry Gordy’s ‘Motown’ house.  I had no idea that that was actually his real home and he turned his garage into a recording studio.  Information panels outside of Motown gave specific dates and songs that led to its success.  We also went bowling at the majestic bowling alley which is the oldest bowling alley in the United States.  Everyone had a great time and people were dancing, joking and enjoying themselves.  Many of us took pictures and video to capture these great moments.  I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store.