Project 1 Reflection: Growth

[Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Arizona. Taken by Paul R. Kucher]

In my project 1 process I thought I analyzed the meaning behind Wells Fargo and the signs external and internal fairly well. Spending an hour looking at the building didn't feel like an hour at all just because the size of the building is so big, each section I observed felt as if it were its own place. So that made it easy to analyze the different parts of the building: outside, concourse, arena (actually gym), and to think about the function and purpose each place serves to the people who use it. Also because the concept of a performance arena already lies with two concrete perspectives, athletes and spectators, the lenses were pretty easy to come up with and explain how each side sees what they see.
I struggled with the organization of the essay, I guess I always have, even though the topics I came up with were pretty straight forward, for some reason I couldn't organize my thoughts nicely in the essay. I also struggled with looking through the lens of Mark Twain. I found myself just relating my observations to his without really looking at them as if Twain was. Throughout the project I learned how to looks through another lens that isn't my own. Through reading other peoples observations they posted on their blogs, it was neat to see the amount of things that go on daily if you just take an hour of your time to observe. I learned that through analyzing places there is much more that goes on beneath the surface, like what people do in a period of time, or how they react to things and why they act the way they do. Another thing I learned while writing the essay: first and final draft, is that when the teacher gives you three weeks to complete a project use your time wisely. Typically I would leave the final draft until the night before it's due but this time, with the like two weeks I had to review and edit my rough draft I didn't leave it for the last second. During this time I had, I learned that doing a little but everyday isn't just good for time management but it also adds more information to the paper. Everyday I had new thoughts to add to my essay and it was refreshing to think differently about something I usually just have the same thoughts about. So I guess, through this learning process I found a way to alter my usual essay writing process. I will spend a little time on future essays everyday and complete a rough draft and maybe take it to the writing center for someone to edit and help me then I will be able to write a final copy error free!
Specifically to the project, I feel that I did not quite reach the depth of analysis I could have, probably because I feel like there can always be more analysis, comparison and contrast. And also because my focus was more on the different perspectives that Wells Fargo could be looked at from. Instead of having multiple perspectives, I will focus on one or two that I can deeply analyze through the lenses of an author and myself. I am not sure how I will apply my work to the world outside of ASU. Perhaps I will look at other things differently, and try to see things and situations through other peoples eyes and in that way broaden my perspective of how I think and look at new or old things.

Analyzing a Place

Project #1 Worksheet                                                          

Your Place: Wells Fargo Arena

What are the intended functions of the place? The intended functions of the arena, are to hold sporting events including; basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and wrestling. It serves as a place for large gatherings on campus, for example the Freshman Welcoming and B.O.B Concert.            

What overt messages does the place send (i.e., openly communicated through signs)?
Welcome to Wells Fargo Arena
Home of the Sun Devils

What covert messages does the place send (i.e., hidden messages)?

Opponents are not welcome- the sun devil spirit, colors, pitchfork- a weapon
Get as many people involved in the athletics and sun devil family- via the @thesundevils #fearthefork (social media)

Have previous users left traces behind in the place? Yes, spectators- garbage left in the bleachers, worn seats.
Other teams- legacies, retired jerseys, "Ned Wulk Gym" the murals and banners emphasis past victories

Has the place been re-appropriated (i.e., beyond its original functions)? Not really, its function was to be used as a performance arena for multiple sports. It still is, that's all that really goes on there. It gets used as a space for large assemblies and such because of the amount of seating, but I feel like it always has been used for that purpose.

What social or cultural customs did you observe (i.e., rules governing appropriate behavior)?

Sportsmanship between athletes and spectators, fair play, referees keep everything in shape.

Who has access to the place?  Are there insiders and outsiders?

Athletes for training and playing, spectators who have sun devil cards or tickets. Athletes being the insiders I suppose, and spectators being the outsiders, so yes both.

Who owns the place? Sun Devils!!

Is the place in transition, a changing place? Yes, throughout the different sport seasons the arena transforms from volleyball to basketball to wrestling to gymnastics.

What conflicts or tensions are there in the place? Team pride, the devils need to protect thier house from enemies (U of A) and other PAC 12 opponents. Lots of sport conflicts.

What is the place’s history?  Do you see evidence of the past there in the present? History of successful teams and players from the banners from the ceiling and different teams who have won or accomplished big things such as making the NCAA tournament.

How does this place differentiate itself from other places?  What other places is it similar to, but how is it different from those places? It is unique to the indoor sports. comparable to the sun devil stadium, but not for football. Also the baseball stadium, just not baseball.

Key Features / Profiles (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 165-166)

An interesting subject.  What is unusual about your place?  Alternatively, is there something ordinary about it that you can show in an intriguing way? Its big and round, kind of a landmark.

Any necessary background.  What background information will you need to include about the place in order to situate readers? Maybe what wells fargo is- a bank, who ned wulk is? the court is named after him.

An interesting angle.  Rather than trying to tell readers everything about the place, what angle(s) might you use? Angles from outside, inside the concourse, the arena, and the locker rooms where the magic happens.

A firsthand account.  Did you interact with people in the place or participate in some way?  What experiences did you have there that you can write about using “I”?  (Yes, first person point of view is encouraged, especially for this paper.) I played volleyball spectated by lots of people, the experience was amazing, having everyone cheer you on, you really feel at home, especially coming of U of a earlier in the week.

Engaging details.  What specific information must you include in your description of the place? The location, the colors used, the size, the history shared with previous athletes who competed in the same place. What do you want the dominant impression to be? That the wells fargo arena is the home of the sun devils and shall never be dominated in their own house.

Generating Ideas and Text (taken from the Norton Field Guide (Goggin and Bullock) Chapter 16, pages 168-169)

Explore what you already know about your subject.  Why do you find this place interesting? I don't really, I'm just there for half my day everyday and it was the only place that really worked for me to use. What did you already know about it? everything I use, the courts, locker room, secret bathrooms, the tunnels, bike racks.

Do additional research.  Does your place have an online component?  How else might you gather additional research? http://www.asu.edu/tour/tempe/wfa.html If you Google wells fargo arena Tempe, there is much information on the arena. But you have to include tempe because there are other wells fargo arenas.

Analyze your findings.  What patterns, images, or recurring ideas or phrases did you use to describe your place?  What contrasts or discrepancies do you see? The colors, the fact that it is the house of sun devil athletics, the banners and murals and different levels and spaces used differently by different sports.

Come up with an angle.  What is most memorable about your subject?  What most interests you?  What will interest your audience? The different views everyone has on it. I get to experience both because I only play one sport, I get to support the other sports by spectating it, and therefore have both perspectives on it. Whereas if you're not an athlete, you can only have one view.

Wells Fargo Arena Observations

Wells Fargo Arena

OUTSIDE

·         Large, circular building

·         Gold lettering “ASU” logo Wells Fargo Arena

·         Palm Trees surrounding it

·         Ramps for easy access to the concourse, mezzanine and main entrances- north south east and west

·         Garbage cans at the top and bottom of every ramp

·         Red brick and beams that make the top stick out like a muffin top

·         Top is tan cement and the roof is brown

·         Green manicured grass surrounds the building with beds of rock with vegetation

·         East and West Tunnels (wide for vehicle access) to access the lower level of the arena

o   Two doors on either side of the tunnels and a garage door in the middle

INSIDE

·         Arriving in the tunnel entrance: down sloped ramp to the court/gym floor

·         Yellow-painted walls with maroon trimmed doors.

·         Sparky painted on the wall

·         Garbage cans and a beverage vending machine

·         Entering the west tunnel on the right is the hallway with many doors to a variety of different rooms .

·         Hallway/tunnel is all painted gold with maroon doors and trims

·         “ASU” logo on the floor

·         Tunnel goes all the way around to the east tunnel entrance

·         Also stairs to get up to the mezzanine

ARENA

·         Hardwood court/gym

·         Basketball court boundaries are dark woodstained with ARIZONA STATE on one thick baseline and SUN DEVILS on the other in maroon lettering

·         Volleyball nets are up and the boundaries are taped on so that they can be removed for basketball games.

·         Walls are painted gold while the seating is all maroon.

·         The Arena is round with seating on all sides.

·         A set of seats to pull out from the wall to conserve more space for training purposes.

·         Rows of seats in the middle that go up to the mezzanine

·         Rows of seats above the mezzanine accessible by the upper concourse

·         Being set up is a cloth banner that goes around the entire arena on the upper seating area.           

o   Gold background with maroon pictures of athletes in victorious moments

o   HOME OF THE SUN DEVILS

o   Seating sections are indicated on the banner since it covers the indicators on the walls behind it.

·         Banners hanging down from the ceiling with retired basketball jerseys

o   Caldwall #32

o   Scott #11

o   Lever #12

·         Banners hanging down with past ASU Champions of PAC 10/12 conference as well as national champions and NCAA Tournament Appearances

·         Big Bright lights to light up the entire arena

·         PAC 12 logo and Wells Fargo logo and Sparky painted on the court

·         A giant pitchfork lines the middle court

·         Garbage cans at each entrance to the arena

·         Jumbo tron with screens on four sides hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the arena

o   Arizona State University lettering

o   Two jumbo tron screens at each end of the arena

·         Painted on the sidelines of the basketball court is @thesundevils and #fearthefork for social media access

CONCOURSE

·         A directory and seating chart at every entrance to the arena.

·         Number Checkpoints hanging from the ceiling indicating seat placement

·         Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame lines the brick walls of the concourse

·         West, north, east and south entrances with multiple doors to efficiently get many people in at one time.

o   Garbage and recycling bins at every door-multiple at every entrance

·         Slanted ceiling because above it is the upper seating

·         Stairs to get to the upper seating

·         Food and school spirit clothing booths/stores

·         Windows above the door entrances to allow natural sunlight

·         “no smoking signs”

·         At the west entrance is a trophy case of successes and victories of sundevil athletes and teams

Analysis of Image: Time Magazine Cover

[Photographer Martin Schoeller: U.S. Olympians]

This Time magazine cover puts the spotlight on a young 16 year old, gold medal winner, at the 2012 London Summer Olympics; Gabrielle Douglas. Time puts Gabby on the cover of their magazine because she has overcome many obstacles through gymnastic training and she is a role-model for young gymnasts or any young female athlete to fight for you dream and whatever it is, it is achievable. They use the play on words “Gymnast Gabby Douglas finds her balance” because a part of winning the all-round in the Olympics is the balance beam and she obviously found balance not only physically but figuratively finding balance in her life coming from a struggling family, income-wise. It’s a picture of her in action, showing that she is a dedicated athlete concentrated on her sport. The black background puts all the emphasis of the magazine cover on Gabby and keeps the topic of the Olympics simple so that the audience of who is reading it can focus on the one thing, which is Gabrielle Douglas. The fact that in the corner of the page the text says “Lochte vs. Phelps: A Team of Rivals”, says a lot about the success of the young gymnast because Michael Phelps is another incredible American athlete who has competed in the Olympics and won many medals but instead of him being the headline, it’s Gabby. The purpose of a magazine cover is to engage the audience into a captivating story about someone or something, and encourage people to buy it to find out more about the cover story or whatever pictures or text is on the cover. So when people see this magazine cover, the first thing they may see is a gymnast with perfect technique with the word “Olympics” beside her picture and since the Olympics are such a popular event, it sucks people into finding out more. In Mark Twain’s, Two Views of the Mississippi, Twain talks about learning the ways of the Mississippi river and finding out the meaning beneath certain signs of nature. In the same way this Time Magazine cover makes people curious in Gabby Douglas, Michael Phelps, or Ryan Lochte, find the story beneath their well-known victories in the Olympics and sports world.

Analysis of a Writing Situation: Economic lessons from the Olympics

The article "Economic lessons from the Olympics" written by Robert Skidelsky, talks about how the Olympics contribute to the economic status of a country- hosting or not. The economy is affected by the amount of money and effort put into the potential medal winners and their training facilities of each country and questioned whether that money should be used for something else or not. It explains the factors that affect the predictability of the outcome of winning countries which are; population, GDP per capita, previous performance, and host status. It compares the money put into winning medals, which is a risk some countries are willing to make because of past results, and putting the country's money toward other things to help build the country. As said in the article; "medals attract money" if this is true, then a country that is successful at the Olympics and that wins medals, gains not only whatever money it's talking about but also respect from the world and more money goes into the funding for Olympic training facilities for high level athletes. The purpose of this article was to compare economy and it's effect on the Olympics and vice versa. Because money is a huge deal today and so are the Olympics, and they go hand in hand the comparison was legitimate in the way that especially since recently people are caring a lot about the economy and the Olympics just happened. They are both big topics and connecting the two makes people aware of the affect they have on each other. Personally I found it fascinating how Olympic success relates to economic success. I think the writer was hoping to spread the idea they had about the connectivity between the economy and the Olympics and how it really is something that affects how our nations function. Many writers like to find the scandals and almost negative content of events, such as the Olympics, and/or celebrities or famous people, the fact that something positive comes out of this article makes me think that the writer wanted people to know that everything that goes on behind the Olympics aren't all bad, the successful teams really do come out successful personally and for their nation.

Intended readers for this article include both Olympic fascinated people and economic interested people. Purposes for reading this article may be to research the affect the Olympics have on the world and it's economy, also it explains how you can predict future medal counts in the up coming Olympics which some people like to do. Age-wise, I would say young adults to regular adults who understand the concept of economy and how different things can affect it. Also we realize the Olympics aren't just about excited sports and very talented people but it has a greater meaning of world unity and the affects it has on our national economy. Readers gain the knowledge of the relation between the 4 year event and how their nation functions and where the money goes that is earned. Also the knowledge of why countries like South Korea end up in the top 6 and what brings countries to be successful in the games. The sources of the article include the Olympic games, and its official website with the results. This source was used to explain the factors that contribute to medal predictability.The context in which this article is shaped depends on the economic factor of the Olympics.

Work Cited:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/economics-blog/2012/aug/17/economic-lessons-from-olympics