Chris's North Avenue Experiences

Monday 11/09 at 12:20 P.M.

The weather is currently cloudy but the temperature is comfortable. There is a slight breeze, and judging by the weather I would expect more people to be in the courtyard than there are. I guess this is a common problem with Georgia Tech though, not enough time to enjoy yourself because you're so busy with classes. I notice that the whole area works more or less like a machine. People pour out of their respective residences and make a B-line for the turn around, where they either sit on benches and wait for their bus to arrive or get directly on the bus that is there waiting for them. Vice versa, people stream off the buses and head directly to their residences. The courtyard itself is much more a medium for passing through than it is a space to be enjoyed at this time of day. The people that walk to the turn around are usually alone, rarely being in a group of 2 or at most 3. I'd imagine this is the same deal as most school days at 12:20 P.M. It should be noted that the main area of congregation seems to be at the benches in the bus turn-around.

Monday 11/09 at 4:25 P.M.

The weather is still cloudy like it was earlier but the clouds are more menacing and the air has gotten a little colder. The wind has picked up a bit as well. All of the courtyard is silent except for the near-constant rumbling of the Stingers' engines. Sounds from the highway can also faintly be heard, while the occasional emergency vehicle's siren echoes off all of the interior walls of the North Avenue courtyard. There are more people walking around the courtyard at this point. All of them seem to be walking through instead of enjoying the space they are in, but they do not look to have the same expression of stress on their faces. Instead they are walking more in groups now. Many groups are obviously wearing sports attire and heading to the gym. There are a few people using their cell phones in the courtyard, kicking various things around them and fiddling with their environment to keep their bodies occupied while their brains are absorbed in conversation. The main difference between now and four hours ago is the difference in destinations that the people inhabiting this space seem to have. That and there is a more social aspect to the space. People are walking in groups instead of alone.

Tuesday 11/10 at 11:30 A.M.

The weather is very different today than it was yesterday. Rain is pouring from the sky, soaking all inhabitants of the North Avenue courtyard. There is a gentle white noise produced by the rain which makes the space seem more calm, but the frustration being worn plainly on passersby shows that it is not enough. People are more hunched over than they were yesterday, folding into themselves more and not allowing for much social interaction. On the other hand there are a few couples of people that walk together under one umbrella. There are a good many more lights on in the apartment buildings, people holing up away from the weather outside. It would be a good day to look out the window if I lived in one of these apartments.

Chris's Story

Peter wakes up in his North Avenue apartment to the sound of rain falling outside. "Oh great," he thinks as he rolls out of bed and ponders how best to tackle the rain. He has a twenty page paper that he has to turn in today as a hard copy. Regardless of how hard he tries to keep his backpack from getting wet chances are his paper runs the risk of getting wet. Frustrated, Peter walks into the kitchen to brew a cup of coffee. After starting the brew cycle, Peter looks through his iphone into the courtyard outside. A magnificent tree sprouts up near the turn around on his phone, negating the weather's dismal effect. It may not be much, but the sight of a sunny tree covered in singing birds is enough to get Peter's day off on the right foot. He puts his iphone away and starts gathering his materials for class.