People watching is such a fun activity. The library at Mercy University is the perfect place to do this. The library has different zones that support different types of study or work. But the windows also overlook the athletic fields and fans.
This Sunday was the perfect day to people-watch. The library had many characters, but it was still pretty quiet. There was a women’s soccer game, which allowed for even more observations.
My roommates and I decided to go to the library during this time to catch up on work from the past week andwatch our other roommate in the game. When we got there, two of our teammates were already there, so we all sat together.
I did not know what to write about, so I asked my roommates for some ideas. Jaime chipped in an idea and said I should write about what it’s like when women are in a man’s field and how dangerous it is. “Kind of like a police officer”.
With a smile on her face and uncontrollable laughter, she couldn’t believe what just came out of her mouth. While dying of laughter, she hit the table. Alyssa was fed up because she was trying to study. So, Alyssa nipped acomment at her to calm down.
We all threw out ideas, but ultimately, the one they were most interested in was the observations we could makewhile we are here. Out and about. You never really know with this group if we are going to get a lot of work done or just talk the entire time.
Observing people in the library is very interesting. Some people have headphones on to either stop others fromtalking to them and create a space that is just for them, while others can work without them. There are people who haven’t touched an assignment yet but have had their computer open for 30 minutes, with no plan to start soon. Or people who are completely locked into their studying, almost as if the information will run away if they look up. Some people have their assignments open, but check their phone notifications as they pop up. There is a group that seems tobe studying together but has just been catching up on life the entire time. Several people are sitting by themselves, super focused on their work, and have not been distracted.
Outside, the weather keeps changing. It has rained, been super sunny, and then cloudy on a repetitive schedule for the past hour. The weather is influencing the fans; some leave and sit in their car. Others are standing because the ground seating is wet. The coats go on, then they come off, just to go back on. Every so often, you will see a good play, but also a bad one. When the game ended, the parents were ready to get out of the weather, and many rushed to their cars before the players were done meeting with their team. The girls hurried to clean off the field so they could headhome. Though once everyone cleared off the field, the sun finally came out for the night after a long day of rainy weather.
In the library, after an hour, everyone in my group has finally opened their assignments.
The phones are still out, but the assignments have been opened. My group of friends hasn’t really talked; there is small chit-chat here and there, though everyone seems to be in their own bubble, and no more than a few words get shared atonce. The crowd in the library left, yet there are still a couple of groups and a few stragglers. However, it is quieter, to the point that the loudest sound is people typing and the air conditioner.
The library is usually empty on the weekends, but it was definitely busy for a Sunday, though nothing compared to the middle of the day during the week.
