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Figured World Observation Rules and Conventions The figured world I am going to be observing is the Norm's loft. The purpose of this place is for students to meet and do homework, study, and also relax during time in between classes. People who usually gather here are those that share similar interests with each other, and have usually been told about this place by others who hang out here. If you are there during the morning it is usually a more relaxed place so you can more easily find a quiet corner to do any assignments. Later on in the day it becomes near impossible with the large amount of people playing board games, electronic games, watching shows, and hanging out to find a secluded spot. Since there are so many people in Norms loft it tends to get loud, especially when there is special event going on that a lot of people get involved in. With so many people in a small space it sometimes becomes quite hard to find a place to sit, but it is usually accepted that you can just rearrange any unused furniture however you see fit, as long as you don't damage someone elses belongings or move them without first letting the person know. Within Norm's loft there are usually 4 different groups of people during times of high traffic. There are those who play fighting games, those who play classic/rpg games, those who play card/board games, and those who just hang out. Some people do belong to more than one category and some are in all of them, it just depends on each individuals preference. Actors Students of UNCC One hundred percent of the people within my chosen discourse community are students of UNCC or former students who still have friends they come to hang out with. The students range from freshman to senior and there is no discrimination between the years. Artifacts Gaming Consoles Brought in by the students and usually the center of attention among people in the discourse community. Notably the consoles were not just restricted to the newest generation of gaming systems. I had seen everything from Wii U to a Nintendo 64 to an arcade emulator for fighting games to a PS3. Furniture Something worth fighting for when there are over 40 people in a room meant to accommodate 15-20 students. There were many times that I saw people try to jump into an open seat after someone had gotten up, and when the person returns they would then have to wait for a spot to open. Furniture is especially important for those wanting to play card/board games since you need a large amount of room and seating to play them.

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Board Games Board games are brought in at different times from different students so they had a large selection to choose from if they want to play. Discourse Communities Video Gamers Those who play games on consoles that people bring to Norms Loft. They are usually the loudest, but a majority of the people who are at Norms are a part of this discourse so people do not seem to mind. Board/Card Gamers From time to time there were groups of around 10 people playing games such as UNO, Monopoly, BANG, poker, Magic the Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and many other assorted games. People who come to hang out The second largest discourse community from my observations in Norms Loft were those who just come to relax. This group consists of people who just converse with each other and watch others play games for fun and participate from time to time. People who come to do Homework There was a small percentage of time spent doing homework by the students during my observations but it was still non-zero so I figure it is worth mentioning. Observation one (11:00am - 12:15pm) Noon During my first observation there about fifteen people in the Norms Loft. This is under the normal amount of people, but it is also a popular time slot for classes so many of the students who frequent Norms may have been attending class during this time. The lights were still dimmed and there was not much noise. Of the discourse communities in this figured world the majority of students would belong to the board/card game discourse community. There were many tables set up with 3-4 people at each table with people playing one on one with a few others watching or waiting for a turn. The few other students were sitting on the couch with the TV off doing either homework or browsing on their laptops. At this time there was no game console set up until the end of my observations. Once the game console had been set up people flocked to the couches around the TV to queue up for a turn of their own, or to just watch as others played. The most popular game played while I was there was Super Smash Brothers Brawl, which is fitting since it can have up to four players that can swap out between relatively short games (5-7mins). As more and more people came the different discourse communities I had found became more and more distinct. Observation two (2:00pm 3:15pm) Afternoon During the time from 2:00pm to 3:15pm there was about the maximum number of people I had seen in Norms Loft. I had counted roughly 40, it was quite difficult to keep

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track since everyone was moving around, partaking in a variety of activities. Referring back to artifacts the limitations on space and furniture were most relevant during this time. Every table top was being used for something and every seat was filled during my entire observation. It was also very loud but surprisingly most of the noise was from a game of UNO. There were only 4 people who appeared to be doing homework and they were all the way down the hall that connects the Norms Loft to the central staircase of the Student Union. Near the beginning of my observation a large group of about 12 students left and returned about 10 minutes later with Wendys choosing to eat in Norms Loft instead of in the cafeteria. Observation Three (9:15am 10:45am) Morning The time period from 9:15am to 10:45am was the most relaxed you could say. There were only 3 people during this time so Im sad to say there wasnt much to observe. One person was face-down on the sofa asleep, and the other two were at opposite ends of the room on their laptops. Since it was so early in the morning it can be assumed that most students would be in class or have no reason to show up. From the two previous observations it is clear that the highest density of students is in the afternoon. Interview The interview was conducted with a randomly chosen student at norms loft during the first observation. Why do you choose a place like Norm's to spend time in between classes? I like having a place to go where I can hang out with friends and not have to worry about doing any work. And I get to play Magic the Gathering with a larger group of people that I would normally anywhere else.

How did you find out about this area inside of Norm's? I was with a friend who wanted to work on some webwork problems and he took me up here. By the time we had finished there were people playing Mario Party and a bunch of other things. I wouldnt have ever believed there would be a place on campus like this just for students.

If you could change anything about Norm's, what would it be and why? I would probably want more chairs up here so that I dont have to worry about my seat getting taken while Im away to get food or when I go to the bathroom.

What is your favorite part of hanging out in the Norm's Loft? Like I said earlier coming up here to play games with everyone. I wouldnt come up here anymore if I didnt like the people up here or the things they do.