Dickinson Nepal Mosaic

I chose examine the street outside of the Quarry using the lens of landscape as habitat. The most notable feature of this habitat right now is the construction in the middle of the road, blocking off one of the lanes. The street is littered with cones, a small crane, and the occasional construction worker. In the background, the crossing guard guides students across the street and in the foreground construction workers guide cars through the intersection. Across the street is the Holland Union Building and on my side, further up the street is Althouse. Both sides of the streets have flower beds and patches of grass with trees.

Examining this landscape through the lens of habitat was somewhat difficult and depends on what you describe as nature. On one hand, Meinig describes altered landscapes as “man’s selection from earth’s great bounty and his reworking, retraining, rearranging in to desirable forms.” This is true of the landscape I observed. We paved streets and sidewalks to make it easier to travel between locations, built buildings to protect us from the elements while we eat and study, and even kept some trees and flowers so it would look pretty. The construction workers are actively engaged in rearranging something underground so it works better for human use. There are clear examples of man “altering [landscapes] in productive ways.”

However, what I found difficult to grapple with was the idea of man working towards symbiosis with nature. From what I was observing, the habitat I observed has almost no relationship with what I would consider to be natural. There are a few trees, flowers, and grass and while I could hear the birds and I know there are squirrels around, there are no signs of the other animals and plants that must’ve lived here before we paved it over. I also struggled with Meinig’s idea of man as both the steward and cultivator for earth. He uses those two words as if they are synonyms but I don’t think they mean or imply the same idea at all. A steward is somebody who protects and perhaps uses responsibly, but a cultivator is somebody who utilizes or harvests something for personal gain. If I had gone into my observations knowing I would be using the gaze of landscape as habitat, I would have shifted my gaze further left of the road where there is a lot more natural, green space between Althouse and the Quarry. The paths there are narrower and the greens pace bigger. It still serves our purpose of ease of passage, but retains more of what I think of as the natural world.

Meinig, D.W., “Landscape as Habitat.”

Common Area of the Treehouse

A space can be observed through ten different lenses, each of which offers unique insights to various attributes of that space. One of those lenses is examining a space through the eyes of ideology. The observer views characteristics as outputs of underlying values, ideas, and philosophies of a particular culture. I chose to view the common area of the Center for Sustainable Living, also known as the Treehouse, through the lens of ideology. I wanted to see if the individual objects, setup, and architecture of the space could communicate the culture of the Treehouse and it residents.

I first looked at and thought about the space itself, as in the walls and open spaces. Anyone entering the Treehouse must pass through the common area to access their own private room, which increases interactions among residents. The open spaces contain comfy, welcoming armchairs and sofas for people to lounge on and socialize. They are arranged in a rough circle to facilitate open discussion and participation. Furniture can be easily moved around the common space for flexibility in activities. The walls are covered with posters and artwork covering a diverse array of topics and mediums. Many of them focus on an issue of sustainability or social justice. A piano in the corner is covered with paint, photographs, newspaper cutouts, and glitter. Two metal ventilation pipes layered in a plethora of colorful stickers dominate the central space. Large windows with heavy dark curtains can be opened for a sunny and breezy open atmosphere, or they can be closed for a darker, more intimate and warmer space. The choices offered to residents in changing their surroundings creates a dynamic space that can shift to meet the needs of a social, active and creative group.

The various elements of the common space in the Center for Sustainable Living illustrate a philosophy and way of viewing and interacting with the world particular to the culture of the Treehouse residents. There is an obvious acceptance and encouragement of sustainable habits and thinking. Clothing is hung on clothing lines on the building’s ceiling. Banners and paintings feature trees, nature, slogans proclaiming action on climate change, and activism. But beyond a green lifestyle, collaboration is also celebrated in the Treehouse. By being encouraged to include their own stickers or artwork on the walls, residents grow to feel a responsibility to respect their home. The space becomes more personalized and friendly. The relaxed atmosphere and eclectic assortment of furniture and decorations supports a culture of expression and open communication. What others may view as disorder is utilized as living spaces for casual and creative thinking and learning.

The residents of the Treehouse cannot avoid displaying key components of their culture through the objects making up their common area. They are also in turn influenced by the space itself in how they interact with each other. The ideology of prioritizing eco-friendly living, creativity, cooperation, and self-expression is apparent in analyzing what is included in the common area.

Britton Plaza: the heart of campus. How has this area changed through history? When completing this assignment, I imagined hands of a clock spinning back in time. 50 years. 100 years. 1000 years.

First, I observed the nature. I imagined the dense forests, spanning for miles, only to be cleared and turned into the buzzing hub of activity it is today. I see several large oaks are placed tastefully in the Plaza, perhaps a century old. Next, only a few feet away are young saplings. How will these look in a couple hundred years? Will they still be there? Or will time and advancement drive them away as it did for their grandfather trees? I then turned to the woodchip walkway. Once large trees as well, they are now chopped and grinded, simply for our aesthetic and walking convenience. Why has this nature been manipulated throughout history? It tells a story about our human needs and what we believe is important for the center of our campus.

Then, I turned to the people. I imagined the original students of Dickinson College, walking through this area, whatever it may have looked like. I then pictured the subtle changes over time- styles, mannerisms, technologies, and areas of studies changing. I imagined the innovation and ideas accompanying this time lapse.

I then turned to the buildings in this area: the HUB, the Library, and Biddle House. I observed and noted their vast differences in architecture. Biddle House, a former private home, is tasteful and elegant, whereas the HUB and Library has a more severe, practical vibe. I imagined how striking the difference in architecture would have been at one point, only to fall basically unnoticed today.

This exercise helped me realize the vast amount of history and information stored all around us. Each landscape tells an ongoing, different story. While we cannot know the exact time and date of every major occurrence, if we open our eyes, we can look to the landscape to provide us with patterns and insight we may have originally overlooked.