ETHNOGRAPHY

              Quotes & Messages

           

There is clear difference is the air from the first time I sat at the Bell Tower and the last. Crunchy red leaves are falling and piling around campus, swirling in the wind as students commute to class. The grass is dull, and the bushes are beginning to thin, a clear message that fall has begun. Cold, and sharp, the wind fiercely gusts around me. I notice that the people walking by have started to dress in bulky layers, and the odd few pass still dressed in shorts and flip flops, unable to let go of the idea that it will warm up again. Unfortunately, as these shivering individuals pass by, I reminded with each icy blast of wind that things will only get colder. The air about campus has drastically changed. Gone is the free-spirited, care-free essence that summer brought out in us all. Now, a sharpness, more focused atmosphere has fallen over campus. Some see fall as a bad thing, but I prefer say that things are just falling in place...or so I hope. People continue to rush by, and almost everyone is carrying a white cup full of Starbucks coffee, now well equipped for the weather. Vote early posters and campaigns adorn the lawn, and pamphlets are being passed out. Some people pass by, too focused on the latest text message, e-mail, or media update to notice the happenings going on around them. People walk by with their portfolios decorated with stickers, and slogans. Just as some people have chosen to adorn their book bag with political, humorous, and thought-provoking quotes. It is clear as I sit in one of the most central places in campus, there are quotes, messages, and interpretations to be seen.