{"id":1706,"date":"2019-04-08T21:32:48","date_gmt":"2019-04-08T21:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/?p=1706"},"modified":"2019-04-08T21:32:50","modified_gmt":"2019-04-08T21:32:50","slug":"dining-at-davidson-how-what-we-hear-decides-where-we-eat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/writing-project-3-the-davidson-soundscape\/dining-at-davidson-how-what-we-hear-decides-where-we-eat\/","title":{"rendered":"Dining at Davidson: How What We Hear Decides Where We Eat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There comes three times in a Davidson student\u2019s day where they make a vital decision on how they will fill their sleep deprived, empty bellies. Most of the time it\u2019s actually only twice (exclude the pre-8:30 a.m. class breakfast). There are, however, a limited amount of options when it comes to this decision. For on-campus dining, Union and Commons are the only two choices. However, when a student makes the daring decision to escape the barriers of Davidson\u2019s campus and enter the town of Davidson\u2019s Main Street, there becomes options galore for dining purposes. One of the most popular destinations for Davidson students is The Famous Toastery. When I embarked on my journey to explore these three different locations, I focused on the different audial connotations and how they each shaped my experience. Bringing in critical context from R. Murray Schafer and Emily Thompson as well as Richard Cullen Rath, I wanted to find out if what I observed and heard in these three spaces gave me a better understanding as to why a Davidson student would choose one over the other on any given day. Each location brought me to very different conclusions, and I found that the audial surroundings in each definitely do affect our decisions, whether we realize it or not.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each of the three dining options has a very different cultural atmosphere. The histories, physical set up, and social life all contribute to making each space unique. I had some preconceived notions of what each space would tell me going in. However, I allowed myself to focus on what I heard in tandem with what I saw, leading to my conclusions and analysis. R. Murray Schafer emphasizes my understanding by explaining that \u201ca soundscape consists of events heard<\/em> not objects seen<\/em>\u201d (Schafer 99). I intended to let my hearing lead the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Alvarez Student Union is full of socializing students, moving back and forth from the cafe itself and to their tables full of friends. However, there remains a cohort of students who use Union as a study space. They sit quietly on their laptops, headphones in, focused on the work at hand. The unique audial choices offer such different experiences: one is full of inaudible chatter and distinct soundmarks, like the yelling of random names like \u201cJim\u201d or \u201cSarah\u201d from the chef behind the counter that fill the space with life. According to Schafer, a soundmark \u201cpossesses qualities which make it specially regarded or noticed by the people in that community\u201d (Schafer 101). The repeated yelling of these names is heard and noticed by everyone in the cafe, adding to the audial experience of dining in Union. The other audial choice is filled with the music and privacy the headphones give the student, blocking them out from the hectic surroundings. I, for one, chose the more social option of the two and stuck myself right in the middle of Union at a table. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Where I listened in Union<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

At first, it was hard for me to decipher certain voices and conversations. The open floor plan of Union allows for voices to travel far and wide, creating a space full of indistinct noise. Shafer defines these noises as \u201cthe sounds we have learned to ignore\u201d (Schafer 95). I realized this to be true; as I sat at my table, everything seemed to blend together; however, after truly focusing in on my listening, I could pull out different and specific conversations that the people around me were partaking in. I heard a few upperclassmen discussing their \u201cMarch Madness brackets,\u201d as a friend of mine, William Yeo, strolled by and said hello. He seemed to be in a hurry as he walked towards the doors that led outside to the football field. I then realized that many of the people in Union were only partial occupants; many of them were in and out: grabbing a snack or picking something up. Most of them were out in a matter of minutes, hardly contributing to the soundscape itself at all, keeping to themselves and exiting the premise. I heard the different keynotes: the distant sound of the piano and tv. Schafer describes keynotes as sounds that “are overheard but cannot be overlooked, for keynote sounds become listening habits in spite of themselves” (Schafer 100). All of these sounds contributed and butted into the broader conversing that dominated the space. These people who decided to stay and converse filled the space with energy and vitality, making Union a unique soundscape with three distinctly different experiences unfolding into one environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I travelled to my next location, Vail Commons, I walked in thinking about the unique social and historical context Commons offers compared to other dining options. Commons is somewhat of a landmark on campus, being one of the most recognizable and popular buildings for students and visitors alike. It is also one of the older buildings on campus and has a richer and longer history than that of Union, contributing to a more communal feel. As I walked in and began listening at my table, I noticed the larger groups of people that filled the seats around me. Commons is set up with long tables that seat around 20 people, and many of these tables fill up as bigger groups of friends, teammates, and classmates sit together and form more group oriented conversations. As I focused on my listening, it was harder to pull out distinct conversations and soundmarks. Similarly to Union, Commons has a wide open floor plan, allowing for sound to travel and mix together and create a soundscape that is full of noise. \u201cLike a landscape, a soundscape is simultaneously a physical environment and a way of perceiving that environment\u201d (Thompson 117). Thompson argues here that the physical space around what I hear affects how we hear things. This physical set up, combined with the larger conversations, created an environment that emphasized community more so than Union. I noticed people coming in in flocks, listening to large groups of at least 5 or 6 students who seemed to share some type of connection. Whether it was a group of teammates after practice or a large group of friends after class, it was clear that these groups planned together to eat at Commons. One asked, \u201cHow did that test go for you? I thought it was hard.\u201d Immediately, different replies were given by his classmates, all discussing their experience that happened minutes before. I then turned to my left to hear the laughters of multiple students come together to create a simultaneous laugh, one you hear on corny television shows with the automated recordings of laughter. I then was interrupted by a keynote, the clattering of pans and dishes behind the serving counters as chefs and servers worked in close quarters to the students who ate only feet away from their workspace. It quickly became apparent to me that Commons brought a more communal atmosphere than Union did. No one was in and out for a snack or even silently typing away at their computers. It was a space encompassed by group and community, arguably the only place on campus that offers this type of environment, making Commons an extremely unique addition to Davidson\u2019s campus and dining options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Where I listened in Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lastly, and possibly the most different option of the three, The Famous Toastery was my last destination for my analysis. First and foremost, leaving Davidson\u2019s campus will automatically cause a different experience for students. Straying away from the privacy of a small liberal arts campus and going into the public adds a new level to the dining experience. When I walked into Toast, I first noticed the lack of students there. Although there were a few familiar faces here and there, the restaurant was filled with adults and families who come from outside the bubble of Davidson College. The lay out of the restaurant immediately presented a different audial experience than that of Union or Commons. Tables of only two to four people, rarely bigger than that, were close together and compact, filling a small room and tight space. As I sat down at a table for two with my friend, I quickly noticed how easy it was to pick up on nearby conversations. The table next to us, inhabited by a young man and woman (probably high school age) as well as their mother, discussed the boy\u2019s last basketball game, going over his performance and the team\u2019s win. I was interrupted by a signal coming from our waitress, asking us what we would like to drink. \u201cSignals are foreground sounds\u2026 which must <\/em>be listened to because they constitute acoustic warning devices\u201d (Schafer 101). After she left, I heard her ask the same question to the aforementioned family, coming to the realization that although her generic question may have been a signal for me, it can become a soundmark when not directed towards my table. I would actively listen to her question when it was asked towards me, but would only notice it if asked towards another table. Consequently, the smaller room made the sounds that the customers produced louder, but the conversations were more private. It didn\u2019t feel like a group affair where everyone in the restaurant shared similar experiences, but rather was encompassed by several separate individual conversations taking place all around me. I heard laughter coming from different tables, the setting down of plates and glasses nearby, and the cash register clinging when ringing up an order. Everything was easier to hear, but harder to contribute to. While being more of an investment to patronize for a Davidson student in terms of distance and money, Toast offers a more privatized environment that caters to people who desire to eat and converse with one or two other individuals. For these reasons, the Famous Toastery is very distinct from the other two on-campus choices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Where I listened in Toast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After visiting and listening to these different soundscapes, I first thought about how my experience shaped my conclusions. For instance, there is a stark difference between what I came to see versus what I came to hear. My initial findings and conclusions were based on what I observed with the people who made up the soundscape; however, these inclinations were either shifted or confirmed after solely focusing on what I heard. For instance, the people coming in and out of union: that was observed by my own eyes; however, the large conversations I listened to at Commons were heard by my ears. I combined these different observations and listenings to create what I thought was a good synopsis of each location. When focusing on the physical space itself I pondered the idea of how the set up of the area was chosen. Were Commons and Union purposely set up to create an environment that pushed community? Or was what I heard the reason for this set up? I wanted to pay close attention to how that affected my experience. Richard Cullen Rath discusses the origins of this acoustic observation when examining the past historians who studied it: “They carefully attended to the audible world when they created and shaped public–and in some cases, not so public–spaces” (Rath 131). Although it is hard to come to a sound conclusion on this question, the debate itself aided in my understanding of my surroundings. Clearly Commons and Union share many similarities in terms of being large spaces that push community and togetherness. However, what I discovered was that there are many different types of audial experiences in each location. Would a hungry Davidson student who needed to finish a paper go to Commons or Union? The answer can\u2019t be blanketed over the entire student body; however, after observing and listening to each location, Union seems like the more viable option. Would a hungry Davidson student who wanted to get lunch with only two other friends go to Commons or Toast? After focusing on the acoustics at each location, Toast seems like the more favorable answer. Although these dining options all share similarities and differences, it is important to recognize that what we experience audibly in these locations has some type of effect on where we all decide to go eat. Sometimes it\u2019s not the food itself that makes your decision, but rather the experience that surrounds your food.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Schafer, R. Murray. \u201cThe Soundscape,\u201d in The Sound Studies Reader<\/em>, edited by Jonathan Sterne, 95\u2013103. New York: Routledge, 2012.<\/li>
  2. Thompson, Emily. \u201cSound, Modernity and History,\u201d in The Sound Studies Reader<\/em>, edited by Jonathan Sterne, 117\u201329. New York: Routledge, 2012.<\/li>
  3. Rath, Richard Cullen. \u201cNo Corner for the Devil to Hide.\u201d In\u00a0The Sound Studies Reader<\/em>. Edited by Jonathan Sterne. London: Routledge, 2012.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n


    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Abstract There comes three times in a Davidson student\u2019s day where they make a vital decision on how they will fill their sleep deprived, empty bellies. Most of the time it\u2019s actually only twice (exclude the pre-8:30 a.m. class breakfast). There are, however, a limited amount of options when it comes to this decision. For […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-writing-project-3-the-davidson-soundscape","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1706"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1711,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1706\/revisions\/1711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wri-101k-s19.andrewrippeon.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}