Calvin Loa
COMM 100A W13
Assignment #1: The Places of the University: RIMAC Basketball Court
For the “Places of the University” assignment, I decided to choose a place a frequent, the basketball court at RIMAC. Since I am used to the place and know majority of the people who goes in and out of the basketball court, nothing seems off or strange to me, but very normal. I got to start thinking, what’s normal? When the people I’m familiar with were entering the court and they notice me sitting down, they all came up to me and give me a handshake and at most mutter a few words. The people who were on the two courts were playing two intense games of basketball. People on the sideline were waiting patiently for their turn and trying to form teams. The “sideliners” were walking around and asking “do you have next?” Other sideliners were warming up as they practice their dribble and shots on the courts while the teams were on the other end. There were also sideliners who were there just to watch the game or to support their significant others. At first glance, I immediately noticed my friends who were already playing on the court. Next, I noticed my friends who were on the sidelines warming up and getting their ‘A’ game on. What did took me awhile to notice was the interactions between people who recognize each other, but are not exactly sure they know each other. They tend to glance back and forth at each other without really trying to tell the other person they’re looking at them. When they do make eye contact, one person eventually says “you look familiar.” I do notice that the people in the basketball court are niched. By this, I mean the students there are primarily young athletic males. Females and those who tend to be categorized as unathletic, are absent from the court. For those who are present, the way they maneuver in and out of the courts are very interesting. It’s as if the two courts had a wall around them and those who are walking are avoiding the center of the court. Those who are warming up will run back to the sideline as soon as the team moves down towards them. It’s as if a force is around the players playing and works like gravity pushing those around them away. When looking at such behavior and seeing