Notes From Crimson

These are my notes from sitting and observing for fifteen minutes in the Crimson Dinning Hall at Bridgewater State University.

It is seven O'clock.
There is a giant clock on one of the walls.
People are walking in and leaving at a steady pace.
Most people go straight from entering Crimson to stand in line.
After getting orders they sit down at a table.
Most everyone is sitting with someone else.
A lot of conversations, sounds like just noise.
There are four stations to get food from.
You can smell the types of food being cooked.
The most prevalent smell is that of burgers and fries, most likely because I am sitting closest to them.
Some people are very concentrated on eating, while others are having conversations and watching TV.
The workers seem casual about making food, even though there are a lot of people.
I notice alot of laughing and smiles from people having conversations.
It is now seven fifteen.

After looking over my notes I find that I think i need to be more specific. I have a lot of descriptions of what I see but if I were to be even more detailed it would help in having more details while writing a paper. I need to add more things like how the seating is set up, where in relation to other objects am I sitting, and details about the colors textures and lighting of objects. Another aspect that I could improve on is that of using my other senses to describe things. Keep more notes on smells, and what I hear. By having more of these it will make a fuller picture of what I was experiencing at the time.


 

Lay of the Land Essay

The essay “Lay of the Land” develops the ethnography site as an actual place the reader can experience. Throughout the essay the most prevalent writing technique used was description. As I read I could visualize in my head the way the people and bowling alley looked. Aspects like the descriptions of Hank, the owner of the bowling alley “Hank appears to be the oldest man bowling here tonight.  He is tall and thin, with glasses, and is wearing faded blue jeans with a sweater.” and “He speaks to me in a very monotone voice and doesn’t express any emotion or gestures of friendliness.”  These descriptions not only tell the reader what the person visually looks like but also the personality and characteristics that make the person who they are. Organization was also a very important aspect to this essay. The way it was told from the beginning of the night to the end creates good flow throughout the essay. It did not jump around at all or have details that did not belong. Overall this essay was excellent for the purpose of explaining the site of the bowling alley.

Project Site

For my ethnography project I have decided to use the Tinsley Center Gym as my research site. I know several things about the Tinsley Center from previous experiences. The gym has several sections to it. They include a weight lifting area, basketball and multi-purpose sports courts, track and a track. The weight lifting area is equipped with free weights as well as machines weights and cardiovascular machines.

                Even though I do have some knowledge about the Tinsley Center I have many questions, especially involving peoples social reasons for attending the gym. What are the main reasons people go to the gym? What activities do people participate in while at the gym? Do people go to the gym alone or with friends? These are just some of the questions I am planning on understanding by completing my ethnography on the Tinsley Center Gym.  

Iowa 80 reading

The author of the essay of “Iowa 80” incorporates many writing techniques that help to make the paper a great research ethnography. Description is used throughout to translate everything he sees and experiences into his work. From the description of the food, “fish fried light and crispy” to the description of the truck stop and even the truckers themselves the author is able to give readers a firsthand experience through the essay. Another very important technique that the author uses extremely well is that of the interview. He writes out his interviews with people without writing down the question he asks. This allows him to smoothly transition through a conversation with someone without breaking it up and making it sound unnatural. The way he uses the interview also contributes to the reader’s new understanding of the society presented in the ethnography. Knowing what the truckers are thinking and the way they view their own society enables the author to describe the true issues within the truck stop of Iowa 80.