I am currently sitting in the Student Union, just past the collection of restaurants at a group of tables near the Maryland Dairy. To my left is a railing that overlooks the room below and to my right are restaurants. There are about 20 tables in the section where I am sitting.

 

Surroundings (What do you see? Where are you right now? What is this place for? What is the vibe / atmosphere? What kind of people are around you? Who is coming and going?):

I see many different types of people ranging from students to professionals. The main purpose of this area is for people to eat and socialize with their peers on the University of Maryland campus. The vibe is generally upbeat and open, due to the socialization that is occurring in the area. Most people purchase food and then eat either at a table alone or with a group of friends. If eating alone, many people have phones or laptops in front of them. Whether alone or with friends, the focus here isn’t necessarily about food; it may be more focused on getting work done (if alone) or socializing (if with friends).

 

Objects (What are their features? i.e. Paper cups, Polished tables, Unpolished floor):

The student union is designed with tall ceilings and columns that contribute to a very open atmosphere. Most notably in the area with the most tables, the room opens up to the story above where there are railings surrounding the hallway. If sitting in the main area, you will be able to see all of the restaurants offered in the student union as well as the University of Maryland bookstore that sits at the front of the room. In the area where I am sitting, off to the side of the restaurants, there is also a railing that overlooks the room below. From here you can see more people sitting at tables and also a large window that shows the baseball field across the street.

The design of the student union and the eating room in particular is definitely intentional as it promotes the atmosphere of socialization in the room.

 

Processes (i.e. Ordering food, ordering coffee, Making eye contact with people at the counter, Interviews):

Many people that are eating alone also have the same processes of people that are eating in a group. If eating in a group, many people will take breaks from their food to contribute to the conversation. Similarly, if using a phone, people will put down their phone occasionally to focus on eating their food.

 

Group of two or more people (Gestures, conversation):

At a table next to me, a group of students call after their friend, John who is currently standing in line at Chic-fil-a. He eventually hears their calls and joins their group once buying his food. Some people that walk into the room immediately begin looking into the crowd of tables. It can be assumed that they are looking for a friend or someone that they planned to meet. After scanning the crowd, they will often find the person they are looking for and walk over to their table to sit down.

 

Create a backstory for the person (Create a narrative using assumptions, figure out where the assumptions come from):

The person sitting in front of me is sitting alone, eating various items from the Taco Bell in the student union. He is wearing headphones and taking bites from his food while looking at his phone that is placed on the table. The tennis racket in his backpack implies that he has just come from a game of tennis and is now refueling his body before retiring for the night. He has just answered a phone call, likely someone wondering what he is up to. The call is brief and very soon he is back to eating and watching videos on his phone. After a long day of studying and recreation, this time is an important contrast for the person sitting in front of me. It feels good to be alone and mindless before starting the next productive day at University.

 

What are your reactions to this activity?

In regards to the structure of the student union, it seems that the layout of the building directly contributes to the atmosphere created here. In contrast, if the student union was structured like an academic building, it would lead to enclosed congregations of people that do not have any interaction with one another. Both the name, structure and people in the building contribute to its purpose.

What was most challenging about this experience?

 The most challenging part of this experience is observing the most important objects in relation to the atmosphere. Objects in general are subjective and each object within the student union will mean something different to each of the people. Determining the important objects and creating my own generalization does not necessarily mean the same thing for those around me.

 

What are some takeaways about this experience?

Finding a narrative within people and objects can be easily fabricated or misinterpreted using the proof at hand. When creating the artificial narrative for the individual person, I created a story that involved his tennis racket. It can be assumed that the person I was watching plays tennis because of the racket but he could have also been holding it for another person and not play the sport at all. Smaller objects or artifacts can be used to build an outward perception of a person that can be either fact or fiction. It will be important to regard what types of objects will be perceived by others when creating the projects for this class. The objects can be used to either drive or deter a narrative, whether intentional or not.

I observed a location in ESJ by one of the cafes that are available to students. The area is by one of the building’s entrances, and several tables are nearby. 

This is a fairly new academic building that is a popular place for students to go in between classes; it was difficult for me to find a seat. The majority of people around me appear to be students, dressed casually for class. If they are by themselves, most people have laptops out. Only a few people have food in front of them--most appear to just be working on laptops or writing in notebooks. A few people appear to be sitting with friends and talking to them. 

Objects: 

As ESJ is a new building, most of the amenities are very nice--the floor is polished, there are numerous open windows and high ceilings, the chairs and tables are very nice quality. The cafe appears to serve cold food items ranging from sandwiches and milk to coffee and pastries. Most of the objects people have with them appear to be normal class supplies--laptops, backpacks, books, etc.  Many people have their headphones in. People who are coming in from the exterior doors are wearing winter gear, such as hats, gloves, and coats.

Processes: 

People are ordering food, the counter workers are making people’s orders, several students are waiting in line. Many students are leaving after they receive their order, while other people are entering and passing by the cafe without ordering anything. Several people coming from the other side of the building appear to be looking for a seat--if one is open, they take it. There are trash cans around the corner that a few, but not many, people have stopped at. 

The women at the table next to me both eating salads while talking; the one closest to me appears to recently have switched to vegetarianism/veganism because they are discussing how she can still incorporate meat into her diet and what she can use as a meat substitute. They also appear to be friends who share classes because they are discussing a recent lecture and whether or not some assignments have been clearly labeled on the syllabus. Only one of the students has a backpack, however, which may be a matter of personal preference. As they are both eating, they are using less hand gestures than they might otherwise, though when they do, they often make gestures while holding their forks limp in their hand.  

Observing an Individual: 

A few tables away from me, there is a woman I will call Brooke. She appears to be about my age. She appears to be a college junior. She is in comfortable, warm clothes (scarf, leggings, t-shirt). She originally had out a color-coded binder and her laptop, but then put them away for what looks like a packet of long reading.Because of the length of the reading, I believe her to be some sort of humanities major, likely history, killing time in between classes. She leaned on her hand extensively as she read, so probably did not get enough sleep last night and wants to return home for a nap.