My built environment
I think my living arrangement this year is a great example of how the built environment affects who I am. I live on the West Bank, Middlebrook Hall, Floor 10, Room 47.
First off, I feel like I really connect with the people on my floor, and the building in general. I think a big reason for this is because the structure of the floors allows for grouping honors students together. I’ve been able to live with peers who are also in the CLA honors program, and this has undoubtedly affected who I am and who I associate myself with. These smaller communities serve as an important framework for me to feel at home within the larger clockworks of the University as a whole. The people on the 10th floor, and some on the 8th, have almost become family in a way. It has also provided me with a social niche that I feel comfortable in.
Also, the location of Middlebrook, within the larger context (or framework) of the West Bank Arts Quarter, has been important in shaping who my friends are, what I do in my spare time, the classes I'm taking, and even what major I have declared (Studio Art).
Due to the location, I’ve been able to meet more people interested in the arts than I probably would have had I lived in the Super-block this year. Also, because I’m so close to the Regis Center for the Arts, I’ve been able to take many art classes, and have been able to frequent the art galleries and attend interesting lectures and events. Being involved and connected to this framework of creative people has been important to me finding a niche academically.
The West Bank almost acts as a small city in itself, and I feel intimately connected to the flow and atmosphere. Also, every day I’m able to look out the window at the Minneapolis skyline, an important reminder of the real-world that I inhabit and the larger system that the University serves.
In my room are several things that I really associate with my identity. I have posters of my favorite bands-Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, Bob Marley, and the Beatles.
These bands have become an important part of my identity; I really connect to music in general. Also, they represent my friends at home and summertime to me. Every summer we all go to a couple concerts together, sometimes camping when it is a ways away. I look forward to this every year, and these posters remind me of these god times.
Also, I have some of my artworks in my room. I love art, and I love being able to live with my own artwork. Also, I have many books that I love to page through in my spare time; its nice to have my own mini-library with me. These posters and other things in my room really make me feel at home, and create a sense of place that is uniquely my own.