Rhetorical Analysis of Place

The Arc is a recreation center on the outskirts of campus.  I usually run here to work out because it is nice to get away from all of the commotion on campus.  To me, this picture is rewarding because I like to run off all of my stress from the day.  The environment of this workout center is very comforting because it reminds me of an indoor sports comeplex at home where my friends and I played indoor lacrosse games during the summer.  Patterns to notice about this picture are the repeating lights, the same sized square windows and the slant to the roof on both parts of the building.  The repetition of these objects to me resembles unity.  Many sports teams come here to play volleyball and soccer.  Sports bring people together, and brings out the competative side in one another.  The area also has trees planted in the front and back.  Some of the contrasts in this picture are the glass windows in the front of the building, because most of the building is made of concrete.  There is a rock wall inside of the glass, making this the main attraction of the Arc.  The glass also makes you feel as if you are outdoors when you are actually rock climbing.  There are two lamposts that have not been lit yet, and are a contrast because the sun is begining to set.  The dimmer lightting of the picture puts people in a relaxing mood, and it allows me to decrompress after a long day.  At the arc, people are encouraged to be active, play sports and work out.  Being in an environment where people are competing motivates me to push myself and work harder. 

Place and Identity

The Rhetoric of Place and Identity is something that has been taught to us since we were children.  It starts in your neighborhood, when you find your first best friend, and continues all through high school, college, and adulthood.  This theme correlates with how your family, friends, and where you grow up and travel to shape you into the person that you are.  Growing up, you are constantly guided by others, generally your parents, teachers and friends, into making the right decisions.  I believe that going to college is this first huge step that allows us to step away from the giudance of others, and into a world where we are faced with our own decision making.  Coming to Ohio State made me realize the imact of place on your own identity.  My roomate graduated in a class of 80 students, while I graduated in a class of 400 students.  It didn't take long for me to realize how differently we initially viewed this university.  To her, this school was close to home and a place not too far outside of her comfort zone.  To me, this school is fourteen hours away from anything I have ever known, and would take a lot of adjusting in being one out of a handful of Massachussetts students.  I believe that home is somewhere you can always return to, but you will not always have the opportunity to leave and experience something completly new.  Every single student at Ohio State has come here to make a life of their own.  Where people chose to go from here is the key word, because where you move your life too effects who you will meet and what you will do for the rest of your life.