After much consideration in class, I decided I would write this paper about the Union. Decision-making is not exactly my strong suit, to put it extremely lightly, so the fact that I even chose somewhere to write about was major progress toward the assignment. I feel pretty confident in my choice because I think there is a fair amount to examine when it comes to the Union, but I'm afraid I'll be overwhelmed by all the different aspects that could be explored. I find the contrasts within the building to be of interest. The downstairs restaurant area is a place for people to study or chat, a generally relaxed and marginally noise-filled environment. The study rooms on the first floor, however, are completely the opposite: stone silent, so quiet that I even tiptoe when wearing loud shoes so as not to make noise. Nobody talks. Nobody whispers. If you cough, it echoes, and you feel awkward because it makes people glance in your direction. Compare that to Amer's, where people congregate as with any other coffee shop, some studying and some socializing. Then there are all the different events that happen in the Union, both habitual ones like UMix and one-time events for student groups. There are offices upstairs for various student groups and such. There are study rooms tucked away next to stairwells. Finally, I want to include something about the outward appearance of the Union. It has always struck me as very collegiate, tall and brick, with ivy growing on the walls and the iconic block M flag flying on top, perfect for orientation brochures and the university website. I was thinking this might be a good way to start the paper, from the outside, giving a physical description of the way the building looks before venturing deeper.
I'm not quite sure how I want to go about the actual construction. Should the narrator be traveling through the Union and commenting on these various contrasts? Should I try to focus on one or two areas? I know it's not realistic to cover the entirety of what goes on in the Union in 2-4 pages, but I don't want to leave out anything important. But would it be more effective to focus on a specific place within the broader context of the Union? I'm also concerned about making it too guide-bookish. Should I try to stay away from more obvious places in favor of lesser-known ones, or would that not provide enough material to discuss? I just really want to get at something meaningful.
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This is a cool idea! The Union is such a landmark of the University, and there’s so much to explore. I liked that you wanted to start outside the Union and travel inside. I would definitely try to focus on 2 or 3 main spots in the Union to talk about, because there’s just too much to talk about in a 2-4 page paper. Also, exploring the contrast between the quiet study room and the bustling food court might be cool. I would stick with the habitual activities that go on inside the Union, just because it gives the reader a better taste of what everyday life is like at UM. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteWhat struck me as funny in reading your description is that there really is such a wide range of things going on/housed in the Union, because the name "Union" makes it sound like everything is so together, but really, the union is kind of a hodgepodge of a lot of stuff, like a mall. The third and fourth floors are completely different from the other floors, too. The union of the Union is, it seems, somewhat forced in a way.
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