Fashioning the Body: Versions of the Citizen, the Self, and the Subject

My group decided to venture to A Dorm- the freshman dorm of on-campus housing. None of us had even inhabited this space, so it was a new experience for all of us to evaluate.

We paused in front of the building for some observation as well as to sketch the building. As it was around 11am there was very little activity happening while we were there. We entered (on the second floor) and took note of our immediate surroundings.

There were three bulletin boards covered in public postings for bodies to read, benches for bodies to sit on and elevators to move bodies between floors. There is an Academic Learning center there, a water fountain and a trash can. Obviously not an area that bodies spend much time in but rather a transition area. We observed that the floor was set up in a square layout with the center being dedicated to a stairwell to venture to the first floor.

Looking down this area was not very welcoming, what we could see of it, seemed to be dedicated to maintenance rather than the student body at large. We decided to travel to the third floor and put the elevators to use. Before we did so we observed a sign on the elevator which was dedicated to instructions of behavior in case of fire. There were three circles enclosed in representative flames. Within these three circles were illustrations, one of a hand pushing elevator buttons with a slash through it on the left. In the center a person (seemingly male) walking down stairs and on the right a person (again male) in an elevator with a slash through it.

*We discussed that we thought the reason the person on the sign was displayed as being male is that our society commonly defaults to using men as an example when only one person is required.*

The third floor was very uncomfortably set up. The hallway was extremely narrow to the point that two people couldn't pass each other easily. Right outside of the elevator is a large bulletin board displaying meal plans at the college, dining location, living options etc. Next to the board is the office for Campus Housing. The hallway makes a square with offices and the elevators on the inside and offices also lining the outside. Room number 302 is labeled in large lettering "DANGER AUTHORIZED PERSONS ONLY."

We found the second and third floors of A dorm to be limiting and directional/directed through both signs and physical space.