Final Sense of Place

       Sense of place is differently for every individual but according to social scientist there are five definitions from five different fields. One is Anthropology which is when people share emotional effective meanings to a particular place.The second is Environmental psychology where a person feels a particular experience like feeling excited and happy. The third is Geography is when the person loves a certain aspect of the place. The fourth is Landscape Architecture/History is the result of habit and custom. Lastly is Sociology according to David Hummon "personal orientation toward place, in which ones’ understanding of place and one’s feelings about place become fused in the context of environmental meaning". Overall I decided to show the difference types of ways people might feel why a certain place is their sense of place. It can either be because of history of the place, the way it makes you feel, the particular aspect that are beautiful about the place, the environment or the meaning the place.

          In the town of Salem my sense of place will be the environment. For example I loved the parks that I went to it was very beautiful and relaxing. That is what is more important to me when talking about sense of place. Being in a tranquility environment and being able to enjoy every second of it is great and that is how I feel about Salem especially the parks. Also another sense of place will be the interacting with people and events. For example the farmers market there was many people there and it was all good vibes everyone seemed like they were having a good time and for me having a place will people get along is good for a sense of place.

This is one of my nature drawing for when I went to a park in Salem.

 

This is the farmers market

         At SSU campus a sense of place I felt towards it was that it was very welcomed and helpful. I live on campus so I was very nervous living somewhere else but once the campus started doing activities I was feeling better because you get to meet new people. Also I got a job in campus so I also met new people who are nice. It was also helpful in a way that they have many places like first year office, academic excellence or writing center, advisers, mentors who really help students and it is very good. Many college students especially students who are first generation to go to college who barely know anything about college can get any type of help for them to have a good experience in college and have everything set.

                                        


        When I started college in September I was very nervous being the first of my generation and being an undeclared student. But after talking to friends, family and teachers they help me notice that it is okay to not have a major because I have a chance to explore around and then after decide what I want to do. Those type of advises really help me stay motivated and focus on my classes. Right now I am finishing up my first fall semester and very determine about what I want to do in the future. After going to activities in campus, having a job and exploring around, really helped me as a student to decide what to do in the future. In the future I hope to be a nurse and will be living in a sense of place that I picture as a relax place where is very welcome to diverse people and where the community does many activities for the people to interact etc.
                                                  
   






                                                                           Cite
    By Jennifer E. Cross What is sense of place
http://western.edu/sites/default/files/documents/cross_headwatersXII.pdf

Reflection on college wide event

     The event that I went to was called hair politics and it was not one of the events that I thought I would go to from the begging of the course. It was a very fun event a lot of people came and there was food and a panel of professors or other women talking about their hair, their history, the way the style it and also things like how society played a role. I believe this event contributed to my sense of place because we were all together interacting having a group discussion and talking about where we are from and our culture and hair and I think it is important to have a diverse community. At the end we also had a raffle and students got to win hair products. The only reason I learned about this event was because since I work at the diversity and multicultural affairs center I knew more about it and I also help set up the place before students came.

        

Thanksgiving

     For this thanksgiving break I went back home to Lawrence and I was very excited because not only did I see my family but also I get to go eat at my favorite restaurant Jaqueline's. I am a Latina so I love to eat pastelitos which you can see it in the picture above the chicken. I love the food here it is very delicious and every weekend when I go home I make sure I at least get to it some chicken and french fries before I go back to my dorm. Also everything I eat there just reminds me of where I am from it is something I always look forward to every time. But it is not just a restaurant it also a store where people can buy anything from chips to dishwasher soap etc. Also it is near my house which is awesome I can just walk over there. Overall I had so a good time back home. 

The other park trip

The trip on Monday to a second park was not my favorite but the view was pretty. I felt like the other park was better but I did still like the park because the view was great and also because walking as a group to the park the weather was nice and also the bike path looked amazing in the fall.

 But it did brought a sense of place to me. By having a view and the type of peace and quite that the park offer contributes to my sense of place in Salem as well as other places meaning that any place with a nice view and peace contributes to a sense of place for me
We where at a park but it was not like a park with swings it was a park to walk your dog and have a nice view as well. But when we got there and had to do a project using an iPad I did not like it because the iPad camera was not great so we used a cell phone to take pictures and videos. But overall this experience was great and fun. Not only did we do our project but we also communicated with each other and had good conversation.

Salem Diner

 For the triad project me and my partner went to the Salem diner because we both have not been there before and it was a place where it is very close to campus which made it easier for both of us to go over there. We chose this place because personally I think it also represents Salem since it is a very old building and it has been around for a while.
 In order to go to the diner together we set up to meet each other on Wednesday in front of Meir hall. Before going to the diner I called the diner to see if we can interview a waiter or waitress and they told us we had to get permission from Chartwells first.
  The questions me and my partner came up with where:
How do you like working here?
- I really like it my coworkers are nice and the customers as well. 
2. How long have you been working here?
- I have been working here for about two years.
3. Who comes more often to the diner?
- Mostly SSU students come here but sometimes you see other people.
4. When was it first opened?
- It was first opened in 1941.
5. What is your favorite thing to do here?
- My favorite thing to do here is interact with the customers and have a conversation with them. 
6. When did Salem State University bought it?
- It got reopened in January 2014. 
7. How do you like here living in Salem?
- I like it especially when it comes to Halloween you get to see many people around having a good time in downtown.  
 
     Above is the picture of when Salem State reopen the Salem Diner you can see that the president of Salem State is there as well as the mayor, chief police etc.

   This triad experience for me was fun and a new type of experience that I did. What I learned the most is coming up with questions to ask a person also how to communicate better with others. For example I am taking a course called oral communication and it has help me grow into a better speaker. Also while going to the diner what I found most interesting is the way the building is shaped because I have never seen a diner shaped like the Salem diner is as you can see from the picture above the way it looks. But there was really nothing that I did not have interest in everything was new so I mostly looked around.
    Another thing is since it was my first time going to a Salem diner I was amazed of how it looked like on the inside because I have gone to other diners from where I am from and they are completing different from the Salem diner. Ways they were different was like the Salem diner was more of a cozy place and the diners where I have been to are more spaced out, bigger and more modern.
    Going to the diner I believe it did contributed to a sense of place in Salem because it is basically a very old building that still people go to and interact with each other and having that type of atmosphere makes it a better place to be around.
   At the end I decided to do my research paper topic about how women get treated differently from men in the work place. I chose this topic because we interviewed a worker who is a female and it reminded me of things I have read online about sexism and how women do not get treated equally in the work place. So I decided to research on why women do not get equally paid the same amount as men. It also plays a role in sense of place in any city, country, state because equality is very important making everyone feel like they belong somewhere.
   I couldn't read the assignment due November 14 because it is not published but me and my partner are thinking about like a trivia game and I will bring like a prize for the wining group.

Sense of place at the nearby park

    Connections human have with trees is that we breathe oxygen because tree produce it. The sun gives the trees life. Animals eat of the glucose the trees make. The weather like rain will make the tree grow even more.
    Going to the park was very good. I felt relax and at the same time happy because of the peacefulness that is there. I definitely value the park because not only do the trees provide us with food and oxygen but also because it is a place where people go and have fun with friends and family. But since global warming is happening people need to notice that they need to value or know how worthy nature is.
    This park plays a role in my sense of place in Salem because of the way people go there and find it a place to relax and enjoy with friends or family. I think a huge part of sense of place is feeling the nature and connecting with the environment surrounding you. So by going to the park it shows the meaning of enjoyment for people to go to.
    Overall this field trip to the park in my opinion was awesome because it reminds me of my nephews I always bring them to the park and also how peaceful it is there. I like that when I got there and had 20 minutes to do our assignments it made me feel more happier just sitting down and observing and also it made me less stressful. But what I did not like was the weather I was really cold but that is my fault for not wearing a better sweater.
     I definitely will go to another far trip like this I really enjoyed it and liked it.

Panel and advising

    On Monday students from the first year office came in and talked to us about anything like school, Salem, classes, jobs etc. When they came in they gave the class an index card for we can write questions for them and they will answer them all in class. The type of information they were telling us is very helpful I learned many new things from how to choose classes and putting them in your shopping cart in navigator, how to check professors at rate your professor and how helpful it will be when choosing classes for next semester and also talking about their experiences in Salem and how to become a better student. What struck me about how to succeed in college is to stay focus and not get lazy with your homework to make time for school but also make time for yourself to relax and chill with friends or family. Also what struck me about life as a student at SSU is that there are many ways to get involve to interact with others and make the most of being in college having some fun etc.

     Also on Monday Justin came from advising to talk with us about degree tracker, navigator etc. He was very helpful on showing us where to go to check our courses and how many credits we have already, where to register for classes and also reviewing what you must do to graduate. While knowing what classes I need to fulfill my first 30 credits I started shopping for course for spring semester. After I was done choosing classes I decided to make an appointment with my adviser and he helped me by checking if I had good classes and gave me more information about majors and minors. I think the amount of support SSU gives is very great I feel like getting helped made my first year in college better because I came here knowing not so much about college and credits but now my knowledge is growing.   

Developing a sense of place

     Referring to the article ways that I reflect for developing a sense of palace is by interacting with others, going to activities and learning more about the place and its history. What I have done already as part of developing a sense of place in Salem is exploring around, listening to speakers talking about them living in Salem and also talking to groups of people about Salem by doing this it helped me learn more about Salem.      In the article it listed some ways to foster a sense of place by western science which is giving back to others, telling stories, naming nature etc. it is more about the nature of a place and how you can connect with it. While reading the article what I have done similar to develop a sense of place in Salem is by looking, using and communicating when I explore Salem I talk to my friends and we talk about Salem and where they have been and by doing this we learn new things from each other about Salem. But while reading the article there are a couple of things I have not done and will like to do which is naming places and listening to water. I chose those because I think that naming place will be entertaining and will help me memorize the places in Salem. I also chose listening to water because I think it sounds interesting and I would like to know if it is actually possible to hear words that I recognize in English. Also in the article there was nothing that I will be afraid to try because sometimes I am open to do anything. But something I am not interesting of doing is touching the earth I do not mind touching the grass with my hands but I will not take of my shoes I just do not like walking barefooted around.

Farmers Market

    On Thursday I went to Salem's popular farmers market and it was a new experience for me since it was my first time ever to go to a farmers market. I enjoyed it very much there was so many people interacting with each other and having fun. Also there were kids playing around and watching a group of dancers dancing to Michael Jackson thriller song. It was actually not something I expected, I thought it was just people walking around buying food but there was many fun things for the people and kids to enjoy and the whole vibe was very good.

   The reason me and my group went to the farmers market was actually to talk to one of the vendors. His name is Chris Grant and we asked him a lot of questions about his farm, the farmers market and about himself. Some questions we asked him were:
 1.When was the farm built or bought?
 2. Have you been a farmer your whole life?
 3. How long have you been in the farmers market?
 4. How did this dry summer affect your farm?
 5. Which is the most popular food people buy from your farm?
 6. Is your whole farm organic?
   His response was:
1. The farm was bought in the 70s by his grandfather.
2. He actually was a social media analyst for three months but did not liked it. He said that since he grew up around the farm it was just something he knows and likes to do and never get bored of it.
3. This year in the farmers market in Salem is his sixth time.
4. The dry summer actually effected more his vegetable.
5. Eggs is popular everyone buys them and they always run out of eggs at the farmers market.
6. Yes his farm is organic is just that it is not certified by the government yet.
   Overall It was amazing going to the farmers market. It was very fun to see everyone having such a good time. This contributed to a sense of place for me because having the town make this event for people to go and buy things and also interact with others and enjoy their time shows that Salem is very welcoming and caring to people.

   
   

Library reflection

  On Mondays trip we went to The Frederick E. Berry Library and Learning Commons at Salem State University and I learned from Jason that the library was built in 2013. The library is always getting full that they extend the closing hour and are planning to extend the closing hour again because when it closes at two in the morning they are always kicking out about sixty students. The library is a great resource to help you with anything. They have an academic advising center, a writing center, center of academic excellence etc. I also learned that in the library there are rooms called study rooms where students can go if they have a group project they can meet up there and be able to communicate and do their work without disturbing the other students who are doing their work in the library. The study rooms are so popular that Jason said "we are thinking about adding more study rooms".

The library definitely felt very comfortable having the light wood and carpet is very good. Also I personally like the view because it makes me feel relax and calm. I like what they called the floating stairs as well I think that they are very cute and it is a great spot were people can take group pictures. The location of the library contributes to a sense of place at Salem State University campus by offering the students a very welcomed, safe and comfortable place to study.

  One main thing I learned from Jason about research in the library is that they are collaborated with other libraries and if you can not find a book in the Salem State library it will show up in other libraries. Also everything is free which is very good to hear especially if you are a college student.
We also had some speakers who are in the map works organization and they talked about how map works is about taking a survey and the result will show you your strength and weakness on academic or financial aid and your rate on how you manage time etc. After taking the survey you are automatically put into a raffle and you can win prizes like $100 on clipper card cash, coupon for textbooks, a Salem State quilt etc.

The link I chose is http://greenmanual.rutgers.edu/newcommercial/strategies/senseofplace.pdf which talks about the definition of sense of place. This relates to the library and the role that it plays for the community.

National Park Services

The field trip to the Salem maritime historic site was a very fun experience. I learned so much more about Salem going to the sites. One thing that struck me the most was the eagle that was placed on top of the custom house in 1826. But in 2004 it was replaced with a fiberglass replica. I love how it had the arrow showing that we are strong and ready to fight and the olive branch representing that we offer peace.

When we all first got there the view was great. Although the ocean smell was not something I enjoyed it was still a beautiful view. With the amount of space there was by the ocean I can picture many people just walking around, boats arriving and people unloading products. 

While looking around we did one natural journal drawing mines was not very pretty but as time passes by I will get better at drawing.  

Also seeing were they will measure the spices or sugars etc. got my attention because its a brass balance scale and it reminded me of lawyers since it is something represents them. 

This experience helped me better understand sense of place in Salem. Learning the history of the Salem maritime and how people worked hard to earn money, grow a business and be successful was very interesting. But overall the amount of history, stories and the hard work of the people gave it a sense of place in Salem. 

Story telling

Today in class we had two guest speakers to talk to us about Salem, MA. One guest talked to us about how she is involved in creating activities for Salem for example being involved with the farmers market. Also the other guest speaker is a Salem historian and he talked to us about Salem and how he has been living in Salem for a while now since he started college at Salem State. But what struck me the most is the historian because he talked more about Salem and how it used to be very different in the past. I was interested in one of his story that he told us which was how he will always go to a restaurant called Red's and even have his own table there. The historian told us about Salem and the many activities it creates for the community to gather around to make Salem a better place. I think that it is very important to create activities because it is one way for people to gather around and get along with each other.

I did not ask any questions to the historian because while he was talking I will look at my questions and noticed that he basically answered them all. But it was great learning more about Salem and not only the past but also the present.

What I will like to learn more about Salem is the history of witches. Ever since I heard about the Salem witches I have always wanted to go and visit the sites and read about more about the history which I think is very interesting.

One thing I heard the visitors talk about was the farmers market and how popular it is. The farmers market is a place that everyone will go to and buy anything from produce to crafts. It is a local activity they do every year and many vendors from New England will go to sell their products and produce. It is said that about 10,000 people visited the market on a single Saturday. Also it is a great place to interact with others and I'm looking forward on visiting soon.
http://salemfarmersmarket.org/


This was very helpful ad interesting I definitely learned more about Salem. Both speakers were very helpful and also nice to us having the time to talk to us and answer any questions. Also I like how they talked to us about their history too because it helps me more to know how the people of Salem are like etc.

Having the time to prepare writing down questions for the speaker was helpful. It prepared me to be more involved on what to expect when they come to talk to us. It did make the talk more interesting because since I already knew some background information about them I wanted to see how they were when I will meet them. The speakers made me feel that Salem is a very good place with many opportunities and to always try and be involved because it will help you meet new people that can become good and friends and grow as a person. I think they could not have been better they definitely were good speakers and knew what they were talking about. Having these guest speakers impacted my engagement I used to not pay attention back in the days when guest speaker will come and speak to the class but now I definitely rate myself as a one being very engaged.