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.