Our Perspective and Our Environment Interact

I can’t believe that my brother decided to go to Washington State University in Pullman. There is nothing in Pullman but Washington State University. I remember the time that we took a 6 hour drive to get Pullman. Almost the whole drive over there was nothing but barren lands. I don’t why my brother would want to go to a place that there is nothing but the school and a couple miles west in Idaho there is a mall and the only supermarket in Pullman is Walmart. In Pullman, there is no natural view, Pullman only has barren land. Pullman is in the middle of nowhere, there is nothing to do in Pullman.
Although Pullman is in the middle of nowhere and there is nothing to do in Washington State University, Western Washington University has the Bellingham Bay to relax. When I first saw the Bellingham Bay, the view was relaxing and calming. Before I started living here in on campus in Bellingham, communities and the places you could visit are very different.

The first time I visited the Viking Union was on a field trip the Western Washington University, in my senior year in high school. I thought that if goes here I get to see this view of the Bellingham Bay, every day. There were many reasons why I choose to come to Western Washington University because Western Washington University offers small classes and I could easily walk to the Viking Union to see the Bellingham Bay.

Now, I could easily walk to the Viking Union to see the Bellingham Bay ,I use to live in the suburbs Bothell area, in between Bothell and Mill Creek. In Bothell, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get to any beach or any pretty view. So living here in Bellingham and being able to walk 15 to 20 minutes to see a beautiful view at sunset. I can’t wait for spring and to see the bay during the day and again at sunset. I never get tired of the view, the view seems to be the one constant in the ever changing environment. I know that I have change since I have arrived to Bellingham because I have learn to do chore, manage my time and interact with other when there is an issue.

Many people may think that being called by a nature is odd or wired. But I don’t think so, I felt that Bellingham bay was calling me to come to Western Washington University. The feeling that nature is calling you to a certain place often goes unnoticed. I have never felt so drawn to a place than I have to been to Bellingham Bay. I thought about how Washington State University is barren land and there is no place to go on campus to enjoy nature. Our perspective have change through where we have been, and through what activities we have done. Meaning that the perspectives of a student of Western Washington University and Washington State University are completely different. Washington State University doesn’t have much to offer their student beside the classes they offer. Just thinking about Washington State University where the school is located led me to the question: “To what extent the Bellingham bay influence our perspective as Western Washington Student?”

Many may disagree with me that the Bellingham Bay influence our perspective as Western Washington Students, you may think that a place doesn’t the way on how experience or shape our opinions or that nature or Bellingham Bay doesn’t matter in terms of our perspectives. I know that not everyone has the same background or come from the same communities. People even who come from the same communities have different life experiences. The way we perceive life and event differ from person to person. Not everyone can see the underlying meaning, I understand that not everyone is the same as me, but I believe that we all change a little every day. Many may claim that they haven’t changed or don’t know if they changed or not. Little by little, people change into the people that they are meant to be, these changes are not notice by the person themselves but by the people around them. Moving from one place to another, allows for change not only environment but allows you change your personality or allowing yourself to open up.

Even though moving one place to another, allows for change not only environment but allows you change your personality or allowing yourself to open up, let’s go back to Washington State University in Pullman. Since Pullman is in the middle of nowhere. Based off the location of Pullman, which is almost in the middle of nowhere, the closest supermarket is a Walmart, and to find the closest anything (mall, Walmart, restaurant, etc.) you have to drive for like 30 minutes. Beside the fact that you have to drive thirty minute to get anywhere, Pullman’s population is mainly Washington State University students. Pullman’s population is mainly Washington State University students, meaning that the town or even the school doesn’t have diversity in the opinion, there is no inspiration. Besides having no inspiration, Pullman and Washington State University seem to be inclusive into that small area.

Pullman and Washington State University seem to be inclusive into that small area, Bellingham is more free an open place. The one thing that drew my attention to Bellingham Bay was the beautiful sight when I saw the view for the first time. I first thought of the Viking Union was just a place that you could grab lunch and enjoy the view of Bellingham Bay. I never thought of it as a place where many different people go to find inspiration for class or just go to take a break. Although some find inspiration for class or just go take a break, then some may think that there is inspiration for English or an art classes. For example, Western Washington University’s art student may visit the Viking Union for inspiration for their painting.

Western Washington University’s art student may visit the Viking Union for inspiration for their painting, I start to wonder do people really change in a short time that they are away from their home town. Many people may not believe that they have changed in the past few month but these are kinds of changes that go unnoticed by the people themselves. Some people say they haven’t changed at all, other say that they don’t know if they have changed. I know for a fact that I have changed for the best, because I have had to improve my time management skill.

Everyone has their own opinion on what picture, quotes or even art pieces and say what the author meaning behind the picture, quote or art piece. People opinions are normally affected by the environment around them. Even though, we are affected by our environment, we tend to affect the how we interact the people around us and the opinions of others. Depending on where you grew up, affects how you think about life and sometime how we think of other people, who live around us.

Staheli describes the different ways in which place is understood and mobilized in political studies. She would describe some of the definitions of place, and discuss them in terms of their implications for understanding the spatiality of politics. And how to examine the ways in which place is particular study has its own politics: a politics that reflects political and social goals. For example, Two of Staheli conception of place is that we should view place as cultural and/or social location and as constructed over time
When Staheli is looking at place not as the physical location but the people at the physical location when discussing place as culture and/or social location. For example, when women started to move into the workplace in western culture. During that time, women were generally seen at home, taking care of the children and house. Working at home was seen as the place women belonged. But as they moved in the work place they seem out place but soon found a place of belonging the workplace.

Another of Staheli conception is place as constructed over time, again we are not looking at place a physical place or the people who are in place. The concept of place as constructed over time is looking at place based off the activities and events that go on in a certain place. The idea of place as socially constructed is centrally concerned with interactions between “layers” and with the uses and meanings to attached to place as they influence political behavior For example, the events like blood drive, club meeting, party, and dance classes could happen at the place but different times.

One thing that drew my attention in the Staheli passage was “sense of place is often framed in metaphorical terms, and so it stands in contrast to the material framing of place as physical location.” Because it made me think about how the people affect the place and what ways people affect other people? This passage was very interesting because I never thought of place in metaphorical term so I think that it is interesting because this view of place is a new way of thinking about how the world interact or how we view the world. I thought what make my place unique or special? Do others see what I see when I visit this place or are their view of the same place differ from my view? This place bring many question to mind because the Viking Union is a place that make you think about the people and the activities but how the two interact with each other. For example, Western Washington University’s ethic clubs meet up in the Viking Union’s multiple purpose for their club meeting.

Another thing that caught my attention in Staheli’s passage was that she stated was “This way of understanding place builds in a sense of history, a sense that the social, economic, and political processes involved in place-making of times past are significant to, yet not determining of, place-making in contemporary periods. As such, a tension between continuity and change is implied in this conceptualization (see also Harvey, 1985; Smith, 1984).” When read that I thought about the activities that happen there but never thought about how the event could affect the people and how they behave around other. No matter events happen that in a place does not mean that place is defined by the actions of the people of that place. It got me thinking about all the events that don’t just happen at the Viking Union but around the Viking Union. For example, the Viking Union is multiple -purpose rooms are where many events are held. During the first quarter of year at Western Washington University the Viking Union has held event like a blood drive, Voter help session, club meeting, classes, and a welcoming party for the students of Western Washington University’s students.

For example, there was a neon party where they had the reptiles’ man, face paint, crafts and there was music so the students can dance. One room was full of Western Washington University’s students dancing with a DJ, playing different kind of music like pop, rap and many other kinds of music that student could dance to. As we become immersed the activities the place that you are in becomes the background or invisible. We stop noticing our surrounding, we are focusing on activities and not on our background. For example, during the neon party, although there many events going the on the Bellingham Bay became invisible but we all stilled knew that the Bay was there.

Although the Bellingham Bay became invisible, the Bellingham Bay becoming invisible is caused by Staheli’s concepts, that place is constructed over time and social location. Staheli’s concept, that place is constructed over time is when “layers” of events are in the same place and create a sense of history in the place. If constructed over time is to create a sense of history, then place as social location are the people in the place that gather at a place. The mixture of constructed over time and social location cause Bellingham Bay to become invisible to the people.

Mixture of constructed over time and social location cause Bellingham Bay to become invisible to the people, but how fast the activity is, also affect how fast a place fades into the background. How fast the activity is, also affect how fast a place fades into the background, For example, and during the neon party in the beginning of the year was held in the Viking Union. When you at party, you knew notice the place or object around you. We all know that when we are doing an activity that we enjoy, time seem to fly by. I believe that the environment affect the pace of activities that are going on in a certain place.

Since, environment affect the pace of activities that are going on in a certain place, let’s compare Western Washington University and Washington State University. In Washington State University there are parties with alcohol almost every night. Compare to Western Washington University the parties are only on the weekend. Since Washington State university is in the middle of nowhere, there is nowhere to besides having a party at fraternity or at Sorority. To most people Washington State University is considered the “party University” and Western Washington University is considered the Hippie school”. I feel that these names are so highly connected to two different school is because of the different environment that surround Washington State and Western Washington University Washington State University is more of fast pace environment because there no natural environment like the Bellingham Bay, to give off a calm, slow pace vibe. Unlike Western Washington University, that you can walk 15 or 20 minute and you can see the calming and relaxing view of the Bay, to a point that your worry goes away. Let’s go back to Washington State University, when you look out the window in a dorm room at Washington State University, all you see is concrete sidewalks, road, traffic light, buses and cars. In Western Washington University, we look outside and see the calming view of nature. With the calm relaxing view that on a occasion, you able to see deer walking around.

We look outside and see the calming view of nature and with the calm relaxing view that on a occasion, you able to see deer walking around. We forget to take notice of these little events that happen in our lives, this lacks of not noticing little events, that is what restricts us from doing things we want to do with our lives, and how our feeling of self-worth or what the reality of people’s opinion affect the person and how the see the world. Our background also tends to helps with how we see the world and interact other people in the real world. Some believe that if that we grow up in the same area for say, some that they have done or seen the same thing they have. Interacting with people from other not ethic group but geological landscape. The students from Washington State University and Western Washington University differ from each other because both school are located in two different areas. Western is near a body of water and Washington State is near the middle of nowhere. Meaning that our opinion on how life is and how we take care of our environment as a whole.