Kyrie Hoover ENG 1102 Assignment 2

Summary: The figured world I chose to observe is the 10th & 11th floor of Holshouser. Holshouser is a high rise style dorm located in the front of University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The dorm is called a high-rise because it is 11 stories high. The purpose of this dorm is to provide living space to students ranging in age, major, background, and gender. The dorm is set up so the floors rotate between all guys and all girls, the even floors are girls floors and the odd ones are the guys floors. I chose the 10th floor because I live on that floor and spend most of my time there. I also chose to observe the 11th floor because the two are much related and people interact between the floors regularly. This floor consists of four different hallways separated by doors, which might as well be worlds of their own. Another area included in the 10th floor is the "common area". This is where I expect to draw most of my observations from, because guys often come down from the floor above to hang out there as well as girls who live on that floor. Different activities or literacy practices can take place throughout the floor. A literacy practice can be defined as actions which relate to written, spoken, or visual literacies, among others. These practices include studying, friends hanging out, and different types of games, meetings, parties and a number of other things. In people's rooms they have their own kind of world, especially if living with a roommate this would create a discourse community of its own. Throughout the building people divide into cliques, this becomes present as they pass through the floor, or the common room. As people join in different groups, different specialized language will be used. Specialized language relates to the word choices the people make base on the people they are interacting with, or the environment which they are in. Slang would be the most common specialized language that is present through the whole dorm. People shortening words and using abbreviations are some conventions of slang. Common slang used in Holshouser include referring to the dorm as Hoehouse, the word swag is used frequently, as well as yolo standing for: you only live once. Depending on the activities which they take part in, people could use other specialized language as well. If involved in Greek life, terms such as rushing or bids would be appropriate. Artifacts are also present in this figured world of the 10th & 11th floors. An artifact may be a physical object, idea/concept, or emotion that people create to serve in their figured world. Some physical artifacts would be computers, phones, studying material, food, games, and a number of other things. Some ideas and concepts present would include friendship, betrayal, secrecy, and tensions between people, romantic involvement, and a sense of enjoyment. Emotions that would

go along with these would be obvious ones such as happiness, and anger. Other emotions common in college students include depression and anxiety. Appropriate behaviors would be talking, watching TV or movies, doing homework, playing music, having fun in different ways, and relaxing or sleeping. Inappropriate behaviors would be people yelling at late hours, big fights occurring, people partaking in illegal activities, or just breaking any of the rules. Some of the rules that are set in place throughout every floor of Holshouser include, respecting quiet hours which go from 8pm-7am on weekdays and 10pm-8am on weekends. Another rule is no underage drinking, or other abusing of substances. Also no one can throw things out the window; people are also prohibited to jump from the 11th floor to the 10th. We also have to respect our RA, especially when it comes to noise levels. Throughout the dorm, there are both formal and informal learning present. According to Gee in is article Reading, Specialist Language Development, and Video Games, these differ in that formal learning usually involves an educational environment and specific lessons while informal learning is a casual atmosphere that may not teach educational lessons alone. The formal learning done at Holshouser would include homework and studying that may be done in peoples rooms or the study rooms. People also take online classes and may actually be taught from their room. The informal learning could include communication with others, especially while relaxing in the common room, or going to events hosted by the RAs where different information is taught. I expect to see different people interacting in various ways especially throughout different times of the day. These people would be categorized as actors, using the definition Bartlett and Holland provide in Theorizing the Space for Literacy. According to Bartlett and Holland, actors are people within figured worlds that behave according to the conventions of that world, and can adapt their behavior for different environments. Usually there is drama started between people on the 10th and 11th floor, which I also expect to see during observations.

Observation Days and Times: 1. 2. 3. Thursday March 21st at 5pm Sunday, March 24th at 8:30 pm Tuesday, March 26th at 10 pm

Observation One: I started my observations at in the common room, at 5 pm. There was not anyone out there, probably because people were out eating dinner. I decided to go through the hallways and discover what was going on there. In my hallway, a group of girls are in one of the rooms with the door open, they are singing along to music. In this way, they are within their own figured world because they are oblivious to things going on outside the room. These girls are actors who are behaving in a way that is appropriate to their surroundings. It would not be normal to burst out singing in the middle of the library, but in this area they are safe to act this way. They would be able to adapt to the environment of the Library if they needed to. An artifact present in this environment is the idea of having a good time. Their joy is an emotion that would be considered another artifact. In the next hallway several of the doors are open; one features a couple girls studying together. They throw around words such as derivative and limit approaching zero it is clear that they are studying calculus. They are informally learning, by working together to better understand the terms of that class. The specialized language they are using are the math terms that people would not regular tie into everyday conversation. Two doors down there is a get together where several people are watching a movie. Some people are cuddled up next to each other, and the beds in the room are pushed together. This gives off a vibe of friendship and community, both concepts that would be artifacts to them. Up on the 11th floor, there is a group of guys in the conference working on homework and just hanging out. They are being really loud, but somehow they are still getting work done. This shows how people engage in literacy practices in different ways. I know that most people require quiet to be able to work effectively, but they are engaging in literacy practices in a way that works for them. It is now 6 pm, and I decide to go back to the common room to see if there is any activity going on. There are a few people sitting out there talking, and playing on their phones. The phones are examples of physical artifacts. The communication going on in the room is both oral, them talking, and digital, by texting. All in all, there were some interesting things going on this evening, I will continue by doing my nest observation on Sunday.

Interview 1: Nichole (freshman, lives on 10th floor) Q: Did you choose to live in Holshouser? A: No I didnt choose to live in the high-rises but I was put in Sanford and did not get along with my roommate so I chose to live in Holshouser after meeting and getting along with people there.

Q: What is it like living here? A: Its like a soap opera, its fun, I like it half the time because you see the same faces, so its easy to meet people but if you dont like people it can be awkward having to see them all the time. Everyone knows everything about everyone, nothing stays a secret.

Q: How would you describe the environment on the 10th and 11th floors particularly? A: Fun, welcoming, theres always something going on, its like a big, dysfunctional family.

Q: What are the interactions between people here like? A: We all love hugs, everyone gives hugs, we love to insult each other in a joking manner, we are always joking and never really serious.

Q: What is your favorite thing about living here? A: A majority of people are friendly and you do interact with a lot of people, who are very diverse and from everywhere, its a good opportunity to become social and have a good time.

Q: What is your least favorite thing? A: Everything, the building is falling apart, the bathrooms are not the best, and there is never paper in the printer and the construction in the mornings!

Q: Do you advise incoming freshmen to live in the high-rises? A: Yeah, because you do meet a lot of people, around your building and its easy to start conversation with those people. In the house especially everyone knows each other, if you are willing to meet people; you will make a lot of friends.

Reflection on Interview: After interviewing Nichole, I thought about how her answers aligned pretty well with what I had been observing in Holshouser. She was able to give an inside opinion, so that others would know what living there is all about. Being a resident of Holshouser as well, I compared my own thoughts and feelings with what she had told me. I think the answer I most agree with of hers, is that living in the dorm is like a soap opera. While it may not be as dramatic as some of the soaps seen on TV today, from experience I have learned that living so closely with other college students does bring about its fair share of drama. Everyone is always talking about who is fighting with whom, or who is hooking up with whom, its like no matter what you get pulled into the drama. I hope to incorporate this perspective into my documentary because it is a big part of living there.

Observation Two Sundays are usually very relaxed days; the title Sunday fun day is often associated with Sunday. This is ironic because the thing I witnessed most around Holshouser was people working on homework. The same kind of specialized language was used depending on the subject that people were studying. On the 11th floor a group guys were studying engineering, they threw around words such as AutoCAD and the latent heat of condensation students who are not engineers would not understand this vocabulary. In the next hallway there was another group of men throwing around a football. These guys were displaying behaviors of actors by partaking in this activity and following the rules of the game. The obvious artifact here was the football, but an idea present was a sense of comradery that existed in the room. If people wanted to join in this game, but did not know how to play, informal learning would take place in order for them to learn the rules of football. Sunday is a day where people usually make a lot of noise, which is apparent from the amount of yelling that I heard. I figured there would be people in the common room so I ventured down there. Sure enough, there was a group of both guys and girls playing a game of Apples to Apples. This was a great example of a discourse community within the figured world. First of all, it was a diverse group of people who were all united by a common interest: the game they were playing. Second, they were partaking in a literacy practice by knowing how to play the game and playing it accordingly. They also could be classified as actors who were using specified language that related to the game. This game taking place was a great example of the true environment within the 10th and 11th floors, the feeling of unity and of having a good time with all different kinds of people.

Interview 2: Rasha (10th floor RA) Q: How long have you been an RA in Holshouser? A: Only a year, this is my first year.

Q: In one word describe the 10th floor of Holshouser. A: Can I use two? I would have to say diverse and unique in a good way, because everyone is different no one is the same, Ive met tons of different kinds of people. I learn new things about people that I can connect with.

Q: What kinds of things do students struggle with while living in the high-rises? A: One major thing would be dealing with construction at 8 am waking people up; I wouldnt say roommate problems because I havent had any problems with that on this floor, sharing bathrooms with other people would probably be the biggest problem that my residents have, it can cause a lot of problems.

Q: Do you enjoy your residents? A: Yes I do! I like that I can connect with them and they all feel comfortable coming to me with issues or just hanging out with each other, it feels good to help them with their problems and to watch them interacting with each other.

Q: Overall, did you enjoy your experience being an RA in Holshouser? A: I have enjoyed my experience, I will miss it next year when I go to Witherspoon, I hope my residents will miss me too; I will try to make time to come back and visit over here

Reflection on Interview: Interviewing the RA gave me a whole different perspective compared to the one I received from Nichole in the other interview. Rasha sees things differently than the residents do, because she is responsible for dealing with everyone. She is the most responsible for following the rules of this figured world, because she is a role model to everyone living there. Her answers were very different than Nicholes due to the fact that she is not as involved with the daily activities of

everyone, but rather the overall well-being of the residents. She did not talk about the drama that takes place because she separates herself from that part of living in the dorm. She is able to do this mostly because people generally do not want to get the RA involved in petty dramas. Her perspective is interesting and unique to being an RA, and I may try to incorporate this into my storyboard as well.

Observation three: Weirdly, I decided to start my observations today in the bathroom. I figured that it would be worthy to take note of due to the fact that a whole hall shares this one bathroom, and thus are united by a common location, when they are in need of it. Girls always tend to go to the bathroom in pairs or groups, and usually to gossip, so I figured this could be a prime location for a discourse community. I went to my hallways bathroom because the girls on my hall all seem to get along. Sure enough, there is a couple girls in the bathroom, they are putting face masks on and chatting up a storm. It seems kind of strange that you can find discourse communities in even the oddest places, such as the bathroom. They were practicing literacy, though, by sharing stories and gossiping about the past weekend. Girls use particular language when gossiping, not all of which is appropriate, but this was an example how within this community they had their own specialized language. These girls were definitely actors, Im sure they do not act the same way as they do around each other when they are with their parents or elders. After leaving the girls in the bathroom, there is talking going on in the hallway next door so I walk down there. There is planning going on for a surprise birthday party for one of the guys on the 11th floor. I was informed about the party and was asked to get signatures on his birthday card. This was a perfect opportunity to observe what was going on in other peoples rooms without being too creepy. On the 11th floor, the first door we knocked on hosted several guys playing video games together. This was another example of a discourse community with a literacy practice taking place. They used specialized language as well that related directly to the game, and a major artifact would be the competitive spirit of the game. Nothing exciting or noteworthy is really going on in any of the other rooms, just guys watching basketball games or working on the computer. About a half hour passes before it is time for the party, and everyone was gathered in the conference room on the 10th floor. Looking at the people, it definitely gave off a vibe of community, which is probably the most major artifact in Holshouser. Everyone came together to throw this party and worked with each other regardless of any differences. In the past I have seen tensions and arguments take place throughout the dorm, but tonight really showed that in the end, everyone here is like a family.

Storyboard: Episode 1 of The Dorm- Pilot Episode The Dorm is a mocumentary-style show that explores the upsides and downsides of living in the community created by dorm life. Being a mocumentary means that it is poking fun at documentaries, this means there will be an element of humor. This show will also deal with serious issues such as the fear of being accepted, that comes along with trying to find your place in a new environment, as well as stereotypes that exist in the college environment. Characters: The Lost college student The Drama Queen The RA The Frat boy The nerd Party girl The trolls Athlete The roommate

Episode one opens with a confessional of a new college student (The lost college student) who has just moved into her dorm. This dorm is co-ed and has quite the reputation. She is nervous about beginning an independent life at college, and is not sure how she will fit in with everyone else. This new college student, Abby, encounters her first problem when she meets her roommate for the first time. Her roommate has a boisterous attitude and is very much the opposite of Abby. She learns that sharing a room can be a major downside to dorm life.

Abby quickly realizes that her room is not going to be a safe haven, and decides to venture throughout the rest of the floor. While roaming the hall, she meets the party girl, whose alias sums up her attitude about life, its 5oclock somewhere! Abby decides this isnt her style and leaves the party girl to party on her own. The community bathrooms prove to be another downside to life within the dorm, while venturing into the bathroom for the first time, Abby meets another personality found in the dorm, the Drama Queen. This chick is all about drama loves to start it and loves to spread it. She knows everyones business. She gives Abby the lowdown on whos who in the dorm, and what secrets everyone has.

The way that secrets cannot stay secrets within such an environment, is another downside to life at this dorm. Abby is beginning to doubt she will find anything she likes about dorm life, until she chooses to explore the 10th floor common room. There, she meets the trolls, the athlete, and the nerd. The trolls are two best friends who were roommates last year and decided to live together again. They are called the trolls due to the fact that they troll, or use word play to mess with people. The nerd is also a freshman who takes school very seriously and proves that although the dorm can be noisy and distracting, students can still be encouraged to do their work. Meeting him shows Abby she will have someone close who she is not afraid to ask for help with school, an upside of the dorm.

Another upside she found while in the common room is that sharing a room with someone is not always bad, and can actually create some of your strongest friendships. Another character that Abby meets is the Frat boy. The frat boys identity is his fraternity, and his whole life is centered on everything Greek. She is happy to figure out that seeing him frequently will give her the opportunity to talk to him that she might not have had if he did not live in the dorm, another upside to dorm-life. The last person Abby encounters is the RA of the 10th floor, who has a negative reputation, but ends up being someone Abby can confide in. At the end of the episode Abby realizes that although she may not instantly get along with everyone she will be living with, she is going to be around them quite a lot and should try her best to tolerate them. She discovers that she doesnt have to take on a set personality in order to fit in, and that living in such close contact with other students makes them into a sort of family, united by their new home in the dorm.