Assignment One

Jerian Hardy
Page 1

Relevant Background Information:

The Student Union is a center for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and alumni. The student union
provides services that the members of the university need daily. The student union also creates
an environment for socializing.

* Pictures derived from uncc.edu

Figured World: A large social structure that has specific rules and conventions for appropriate
behavior.
Its been a little over two weeks since the beginning of school. Freshmen are learning more of
what the rules are in the student union. Some of them are trying to bend the rules, but they will
soon learn that following the rules and doing things the way they are supposed to be done will
assist them in having a good first year here on campus. I observed a student actually correcting
his language in the middle of his statement. I imagine although you have had rules in the past,
youll soon realize that rules and conventions change from one figured world to another. While
some behavior like, running, and yelling may be accepted in one place, it is not accepted as a
social norm in another place. I observed guys even being more appropriately dressed in the
student union. No pants sagging, well most guys, and everyone had on some type of shirt. I
observed guys being more mannerly and holding the door for females as they left the building.
The female students seem to be dressed appropriately as well. Some have a serious face as if they
are focused on school work, but for the most part everyone is still smiling as they pass through
this area. So far there have been no major behavioral issues that I could observe. People learn
from watching others. I believe that the new students have been watching others and are learning
what the social norm is here for this campus.
Actors - Someone who fulfills a specific role within a community practice

Students - People who attend this university

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Jerian Hardy
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Staff - People who work at this university; i.e.: Crown, Wendys, and Starbucks
employers; custodians

Faculty - People teaches or administrate at this university (Professors, Dean of students)

Alumni - People who graduated from this university and still come back to support or to
see how the university has changed

Artifacts - Physical objects, ideas, and emotions that have specific cultural significance within a
community practice.

Art Gallery

Permanent Art Collection

Notebooks

Book-bags

Communities of Practice: A group of people that have shared goals, interests, and shared ways
of communicating.

Art committee

Student Organizations (Campus Activities Board (C.A.B), Honor Society)

Practices of the community - Resources the community uses

Help desk - If you need help finding places, not only in the student union, but anywhere
on campus, they will assist you.

Domain - Knowledge obtained by the actors of the community

Students obtain knowledge by asking other students where certain things are at in the
student union.

Literacy Practices - A specific type of habit within the community that has to verbal,
nonverbal, written, and spoken communication.

Texting: Students uses their phone to send messages to their friends to see where they
are at and if they are coming to the student union.

Verbal communication: Male students having the confidence to go to a female and talk
to her, trying to get her phone number.

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Jerian Hardy
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The Observation:
Morning:
8:02 am: Its quiet in the student union right now. There are not a lot of people. There are a few
people sitting and seem to be studying. One person just walked through with headphones on.
8:13 am: A group of students, both male and female, were standing outside the Student Union.
One female and one male broke away from the group and went off by themselves. They looked
to be a boyfriend and girlfriend. I observed a hug and a kiss, and they proceeded to open what
looked like a text book and notes.
8:15 am: Someone laughing could be heard as I walked into the The Student Union. As I looked
to my left, I observed several female students, while standing in line at Starbucks looking at
something on one of the students cell phone. They all seen to be interested in whatever was been
played at the time. As I observed even further, one of the girls pulled out her cell phone and
presumably searched for something on her phone and two of the girls went from laughing to a
straight face while looking intently at their phone. One of the girls took out her note book and
proceeded to write something.
8:26 am: The girls have all been waited on. Three of them walked out of the front door and two
of them walked to the parking lot side, still laughing at whatever they were viewing on the cell
phone.
8:30 am: Two adults, who looked like staff members, were helping students by pointing them in
a particular direction. They took off quickly as if they were late for class. One student knocked
the books out of another students hand. He stopped and looked to be apologizing, while helping
her pick up the books. He proceeded to continue to run.
8:32 am: The student that had her books knocked out of her hand seem to be wiping tears from
her eyes as she walked slowly out of the student union. She sat down at one of the tables outside
to organize her things, she wiped her face once more and walked off.
Afternoon:
3:30pm- Did you understand what the instructor was saying? No, but I didnt want to be the
only one that raise my hand when he ask if there were any questions, and hold up the class. Me

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either, maybe when I read through my notes, Ill get it. This was the conversation I overheard
between two students while I was sitting down inside the student union.
3:40pm: I observed a group of people sitting at a tables, also on the outside with a lemonade
stand asking people to donate money to and to join their Greek fraternity. People in yellow shirts
were trying to get people to register to vote. They asked, Have you register to vote yet? I know
some students were getting annoyed by it because they probably been asked multiple times
already.
3:46pm- One male student was sitting alone on his cell phone. Others were going in and out of
the building. There were many students just standing around on the outside talking, about 5 or 6
in each group. About three people in one of the groups started to sing, and that drew attention to
that particular group. They sang for about 5 minutes. Others began to comment on how well they
sound.
3:55 pm- Students seem to be winding down from the events of the day. There seem to be no sad
faces. No one seemed to running late for any reason. It was a very nice day, 86 degrees outside,
so students were just enjoying the day!
Night:
7:00 pm- The Student Union seemed to be extremely crowded this evening. There are several
study groups of at least 5 students in each group. Everyone seems to be dressed in casual clothes,
female with hair pulled back and sweats or shorts, males in flip flops or tennis shoes and shorts.
Text books and notebooks (artifacts) are out and opened. Wendys, which is in the back as soon
as you walk into the student union, is very busy as students are getting something to eat while
they study. Some people look like they have been here for a while, as others may be just getting
their food and leaving.
7:20 pm- Not one of the study groups have dispersed. They are all still studying. Some groups
have had a few more people to join the group. It is not very loud in the student union tonight.
Many students are using their cell phones, laptops, and iPad. A few have on headphones. Many
are still eating while they work. I noticed one group, who seem to be disagreeing with something
that was said by one of the participants.
7:25pm- This one particular group is still discussing an issue, but no one seems to be getting
outrageously loud or upset; they are talking the matter through. There are 4 females; two had
pink shorts and white shorts. There were also two males. One male had on a Charlotte 49er shirt
on and the other male had on a black shirt with Nike flip flops.
7:30pm- This groups looks to have come to a resolution of the matter. They all simultaneously
write something down. We have been here for over 2 hours yall and we finally figured it out,

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Jerian Hardy
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good work everybody, see yall tomorrow. stated one of the females in the group. They all
replied with sighs, and yeah, and ok. hat was the only bit I heard. They did not all leave
though. A few of them just stayed around a few more minutes talking.

Interview questions:
1.

) What year is this for you as a student here at UNCC?

- Im a Freshman.

2.

) How difficult has it been finding your way around the student union?
- Not that difficult; I usually just come here to go to Crown Commons.

3.
) Tell me about the extracurricular activities youre involved in? (On-campus or offcampus) How often do you all meet in the student union?
- I am currently not involved in any activities or organizations.
4.
) Tell me about your living arrangements while attending school here. How does it affect
your use of the student union
- I live in Sanford Hall; that is one of the highrises in the front of the university. It takes
me almost 15 minutes just to get to the student union from my dorm. I rather come to the
student union because it has Crown and Crown is a little better than RDH.
5.

) How often do you come to the student union? For what purposes?
- I only come to the student when Im done with classes and decide to go eat at

Crown.
6.

) What do you like about the student union?

- It looks fairly new and I like that other students come to socialize, study, and eat
with each other here.

Assignment One
Jerian Hardy
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