This weekend I spent some time on the E line of the Denver Light Rail system going between campus and the Elitch Gardens/Pepsi Center station. I observed many different people and even got the chance to ask a couple some questions about how often and why they use the light rail system. On my way to work at about 9am, there was significantly fewer people at the stations and on the train than there was this afternoon when I came back. Most of these people were either individuals or young familes. One woman I interviewed said that she was on her way home after going grocery shopping at Target on Colorado Blvd. When she doesn't have a great deal to buy, she likes to take the light rail instead of driving because it saves her money and sometimes time if the traffic is bad. Another man I talked to was riding with his wife, baby daughter, and two young sons. He said they their family vehicles are somewhat small and with three kids, it can get noisy, so they like to take the trains downtown on the weekends to spend time together. Today they were headed to the park by Union Station.
On my way back to campus this afternoon the majority of passengers were younger people who were riding with some of their friends. One group of students who I spoke to said they had gone downtown for the afternoon and were now headed back to the Metro Campus Village student housing building. They do not have cars at school, so their only form of transportation is RTD, but they didn't seem to be bothered by that. "It's free and dependable," one girl named Amanda said. During the 40 mins that I spent on the Light Rail this weekend, it became obvious that a great variety of people use this system of transportation for just as large a variety of reasons.
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This weekend I allotted 50 minutes to observing everything that occurred within the immediate proximity of Nagel Hall. At the entrance of Nagel is a group of red, metal chairs that are bolted to the ground and serve as somewhat of an outdoor patio for those looking to eat, study or just take in the sun. I chose this location because people accumulate within this region quickly and utilize it as a social and work-related setting. Because it was Saturday, it became very clear that many of the students residing in this area were nursing ailments that likely correlated to a night of collegiate debauchery. Big sunglasses for the girls in an attempt to hide possible bags under the eyes and many of the guys were reminiscing about their escapades from the previous night. Some students were simply eating lunch and others had headphones in while they read or jotted notes. Just beyond the tables is an open field of grass where three guys were throwing a Frisbee and investigating innovative ways to throw and catch the plastic saucer. I noticed a girl seated alone in one of the corner tables who was seemingly having a very serious discussion with someone on the phone. The conversation apparently did not end well as she stormed away at the culmination of the call obviously frustrated and upset. The general ambiance of this area was laid back and unassuming, everyone (other than the aforementioned girl) looked and felt at ease and were more than happy to answer some questions. I asked a student, who was sitting in his chair while methodically rolling his long board back and fourth under his feet, why he liked this area of Nagel. “ Its nice to just come out here and relax after a long night, and usually if you stick around long enough your friends will come around too. Its just a good spot to run into people you know… or met last night [he laughs].” It became evident that the value of this area was in its simplicity. How a conglomeration of a few simple seats can turn into the central hub of an entire social networking system is intriguing and is precisely what had happened
ReplyDeleteOn York Street and Iliff Avenue there is a small but charming house by the Newman Center here at DU. The house is perfectly normal, with the symmetrical arrangement of a typical home. In essence it is a rectangular prism with a pyramid-shaped roof. The color of the edifice seems pretty uniform as the outer walls are colored with a light-brown shade, and the window frames are painted with a strong red color. There is a staircase leading to a red door and a ramp for the handicapped. All of this is surrounded by a patch of grass, a couple small trees and some bushes. Even though this house goes unnoticed by most pedestrians walking along the sidewalk, there’s one distinct sign that unfolds its true nature.
ReplyDeleteSpecial Community Programs Office
Office of the Provost
2335 South York Street
This space turns out to be something very different to a house. Once you step inside, there’s a primitive form of a front desk and the visible adjacent rooms show a nice and clean office arrangement with computers, printers, and all sorts of details. As some students started entering the office one can notice a wide array of ethnicities involved in this particular space. These students do work study in this office. One of the students confided that this place was not just her working place for DU, but that it was a community of people who come from similar environments even though they are “ethnically” different. She said that it was a place where she could escape the exhausting college routine and share time working with people she regards as family. Even though I wasn’t able to interview more students at this location due to my time commitment, it appears that this “space” serves a much higher purpose for students than just another office where DU students do their work-study hours.
Right after class on Thursday, I headed right to Jazzman's because I was utterly intrigued as to see how people would react in the space surrounding them. After getting an ice cold drink, I sat down at one of the little tables next to the giant wondows overlooking the BBQ pit. Having looked around Jazzman's area I realized that all the action was happening by the BBQ pit which was my next destination. I arrived at a table that overlooked the food stand as well as all of the other tables giving me a perfect view in order to collect some useful field notes. The scenery was quite inspiring as a soft wind wrapped around each and every person allowing everybody to relax and enjoy their lunch. Although wind's cool presence was noticeable,it was the mouth-watering aroma of various delicacies that drew the crowds in. Ranging from cheeseburgers to brauts and overwhelming smell of onions to mustard, the BBQ stand appealed to everyone's food preferences. Since everybody and anybody felt like enjoying a burger, before I knew it, the sea of red seats disappeared and now many were left standing. However, there were no objections revealed on any faces as if they were satisfied enough with their meal and nothing else mattered.As I came out of a hypnosis that the food and its delectable aroma had on me, I began observing human behavior around me realizing that we do the oddest things when we don't take into account that we might be watched. The BBQ area varied in its inhabitants as there were a group of girls at one table giggling at a table across from them which comprised entirely of guys. It is funny to see flirtacious tendacies at display even at such a simple place as a food stand. The two tables enganged in a combative game of throwing napkins at one each other. Although they created quite a mess, it was evident they enjoyed themselves in this simple activity. Aside from the two, child-like tables, the other tables were sparsely filled with a person here and there. Then I thought to myself, here I am taking up this whole table by myself starting to feel bad but I realized that the other 3 tables were occupied by single students helplessly staring at their computers. One of the guys was using his computer as a pillow was his head dropped on it tirelessly. For him, this area was his odyssey in a sense that he could nap and ironically enough not be disturbed by all of the blending aromas and not to mention the intense volume of laughter, music, and screaming. Although I did not get a chance to ask anybody questions regarding the importance of this place, I could infer it maybe. Most importantly, it provides food and delicious food at that and secondly it is an area that provides entertainment and it is useful in order to relax in that one hour break before heading to another tedious class. I know it because that is how i felt! Even though I was there working on a class assignment, I was very entertained, relaxed, and full as well!It is amazing how much comfort a simple place like this can provide for a variety of people.
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