Observation #1

One of the public spaces that I have observed around campus is the gym. I go there every now and then mostly to play racquetball but occasionally to do some lifting. The norm for the gym seems to be to keep to yourself and get your routine done as efficiently as possible and move on the next workout. No one really talks to each other that much and most of the people are shutting themselves off from everyone by having headphones in their ears. Most people are not their to socialize; they are their to "work out." There are certain courtesy practices as well of course. You know... wipe down the machine after you are done, put away your weights when you are done, etc. The same kind of deal goes for racquetball players. No one mingles, they came to play with whoever they came with, not anyone else. The extent of interaction among different groups of racquetball players is only when the ball happens to bounce into someone's court, and you have to get it back. This seems to be the norm when you go to the SRC or Ramshead.