While spending our four years at JMU, it is inevitable that you will walk through The Commons. It is located right between Warren Hall and Gibbons Hall. When walking to class on nice days, this area is usually very busy. The Commons is used to promote organizations, fundraise and voice our opinions. Many organizations on campus use this space to hand out fliers of upcoming events or use the pavement to write to their peers of what is going on during the week. With the knowledge it provides, it allows the JMU community to really get involved with the college. Also, it is a place where people are able to share their opinions. For example, in the picture I took the white board that stands to the slight right. This white board is called the “Freedom of Speech board”. This board allows people to anonymously write what they truly feel without any persecution for those beliefs. This is what The Commons stand for. Throughout the years, it has been used for this purpose of expressing people’s beliefs and taking a stand for what they feel is right. It is not only accessible to JMU students, but the public as well. With so many opinions, some can end up clashing and causing a heated debate. Though this occurs, it doesn’t take away the meaning of this space and the purpose of it. Overall, The Commons gives JMU a place of self expression and a connection between all members of our community.
-Molly Kelliher
I think this place is also used by students to meet up with friends. Everyone knows this place and I consider it as the middle part of campus. I personally use this place on my way to class. I walk through it probably five times a day, and when the weather is good it can become a really nice place to hang out; there is also music playing once in a while.
ReplyDeleteI think this picture would have been even more striking with the 1pm crowd on it.
For me, this space immediately made me think of the book Feed that we read in class. The commons is an area, as stated above, to share opinions, advertise and hand out fliers. But sometimes the opinions shared in the commons seem forced down my throat, which is similar to what the kids in Feed are dealing with. While it is not a chip installed in my brain, it is hard to avoid the commons and the ideas that are being shared there. I sometimes pretend to be on the phone to avoid getting bombarded with fliers or things of that sort in the commons. This is parallel to Violet in Feed, because just as Violet resisted her feed, this is my way of "resisting" the commons. I think it is great that JMU has a place for students to advertise and practice their freedom of speech. But, I do get annoyed with the activities that go on in the commons sometimes. (comment by Jennifer Urban Dr. H's class)
ReplyDeleteI agree that The Commons is parallel to Feed because of all the information they shove in you're face, but I also think it serves a good purpose. Without the people handing out fliers, I wouldn't have known about or joined the clubs I have, and I wouldn't have received all the free merchandise. Even though it can be suffocating with all the traffic, The Commons is a place to possibly learn something new. Just walking through the Commons can make you more aware of certain issues, events and organizations taking place on campus. The people always have a good energy, mean well and it can also brighten up my day when everyone is out there and music is playing. It reminds me how we have such a strong community at JMU.
ReplyDelete-Brittany Jeffers (Dr. H's class)
For me, the Commons serves a good purpose and brings the community together at JMU. When I think about this area and how different events and organizations are giving out information, I think back to the article by Malcolm Gladwell. He says that social networking cannot really spur social movements. Gladwell believes that physical activism is more effect than social media. I can see his point when I consider the use of the Commons here at JMU. It is a place to gain knowledge about what students are protesting, what clubs are doing fundraisers, or what new events are happening on campus. I believe this is more of a strong tie activism because it is not using social networking, but rather physical activism to gain support and recognition.
ReplyDelete-(Megan Dubs Dr. H's class)
I LOVE this part of campus. It is really one of the highlights of being a JMU student. You get to see all the organizations displaying their standpoints and raising money for their various philanthropic organizations. We see advocates for different causes like Gay M U and even the crazy church guy who tells us were are all sinners (wow can that guy really make some people angry!) It is probably one of the most memorable parts of campus for me and I can't wait to see how it changes over the next few years! Now I want to go walk by and hope they are playing some good music, always a favorite of mine!
ReplyDeleteBrittney Burgess (Dr. Connerley's class)
Agreeing with all of the previous posts on the commons area, I believe this is JMU's most public space. Members from the Harrisonburg community come to this specific spot for a reason. The location is near a dining hall, which makes it a traffic zone of students. The organizations that come here hope that they can attract a lot of attention. Just the same, they can drive away us students if we see something we don't like. When the abortion pictures were displayed in the commons, I had numerous friends who avoided going through the commons just so they didn't have to see the pictures. I believe that is what makes the Commons the most public space on campus. Anyone with anything to say, comes to the Commons to say it.
ReplyDeleteMary Pavlovskaya (Dr. H's Class)
I find this part of campus to be one of the most busy and well traveled parts of campus. Almost any student on their way to the library or on their way to the dinning hall must pass this area. I almost dread walking through it on my more anti-social days because I know that I will be barraged by fliers from 18 different organizations competing for attention. With that said, I find it to be a very exciting part of campus and one which I love traveling through for the most part. I think that the commons really forces people to interact with people and unplugg from technology.
ReplyDeleteThat last post was from George Snyder from Dr Henigman's class
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI also think that this is a great focal point at JMU. It's the perfect place for all different people to share their diversity and opinions. It's a place that almost every student passes through every day and makes for a great portal of information. I agree that this book is parallel to feed. People are constantly "advertising" and giving you brochures and fliers. They practically force you to accept whatever they're trying to "sell". The name of this space, "The Commons" is a perfect fit. That is exactly what it is, a common space for every individual at JMU to meet and communicate with one another.
ReplyDelete-Rebecca Brewer (Dr H)