The Great Furby Project

My name's Adam Schrecengost and I'm a sophomore at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. Though I am a Finance major, my University requires that each and every student take three semesters of what they refer to as a "SAGES" course. These are university seminars designed to give students the option of learning more about subjects they would have no other reason to take otherwise and to develop critical writing skills. This semester will be my last SAGES course, and it called "Living in the Digital Age". In this course we examine the various implications of living in an ever-connected world.

But that's not why I'm writing this blog.

No, my professor somehow happened upon inspiration for perhaps the most unique semester-long project I have ever been exposed to, and it is known as The Great Furby Project. As the name suggests, it involves Furbies; specifically, caring for, analyzing, and seeing the world through the eyes of the Furby. For those who are unfamiliar with the Furby, it is a virtual pet designed for children that speaks it own languages. The toys are immobile, but have moving ears, mouths, eyes, and various sensors to detect touch. Their design is essentially that of an egg with fur, ears, feet, and a mow-hawk. This blog is my outlet for the course, and I will be updating it throughout the semester with Furby analysis, various Furby findings, and miscellaneous Furby shenanigans.

I have absolutely no prior experience with Furbies. I know them from TV, mostly as those "horrifying talking dolls", and I'm happy to report that Amazon reviews have mostly reiterated this opinion. Most of the negative reviews simply ask "Dear God what is this". I choose mine simply for the color combination, and to avoid having the same model as my suite-mate, who is also taking this course. Apparently the furbies can  interact with each other, and it will be interesting to see what prolonged exposure does to our two furbies. 

I look forward to discovering what my Furby will have to offer, even if my parents, my main source for educational funding, find the whole idea to be completely ridiculous. So far I have to say they are right. And I love it.

-Adam