Observation

Today I observed the computer lab room in the Robins Center where many of the University of Richmond student athletes study. As I sit at a table slightly away from the computers, a variety of people fluctuate in and out of the computer lab. Two basketball girls, Sam and Rachel come in and smile and say hello to me, then they go to a computer and sign in. They seem in a rush since they came into the computer lab room winded, and after a few minutes, I realize that they had only come in to check their e-mails and then they are out the doors again, with their uniforms on and off to practice. A few minutes later a very tall basket ball player (wearing long shorts, Jordan shoes and a jersey) comes into the computer lab room and approaches the proctor of the lab, who sits at a table at the head of the room, overseeing everyone who enters. The two sit there, and the proctor prods and questions the basketball player for roughly twenty minutes about his grades, classes and teachers. The proctor, maintaining eye contact throughout his entire lecture, has to prompt the basketball player to speak up and clearly answer him when he asks questions such as, “have you gone into your teacher to talk about that last paper you got?” When the basketball player looks up and says “no, not yet-“ the proctor cuts him off and tells him that he better get in there or he will not pass his classes. Clearly we see that not only is this man the proctor of the lab, he also monitors and checks the grades of the men’s and women’s basketball teams, making sure that they keep up with their work, as well as their sport. Finally, when the proctor is satisfied enough with the player’s responses, he allows him to go so that he is not late for practice.

As other athletes come in and out, most all of them say hello to the proctor, hold a quick conversation concerning small talk, and then hurriedly sign onto a computer before the proctor sucks them in for questioning. Most of the athletes who come in with their sport’s uniform on are there for a quick visit, usually just checking their e-mails. However, the athletes who are not dressed in uniform tend to stay longer and many of them have iPods in their ears when they study. For most of the time in the computer lab it was very quiet, and the only talking that was exchanged was between the athletes and the proctor when first entering, and the occasional whisper to a neighbor, and of course the tapping of keyboards and printing of paper. However, I have been in this computer lab before when the proctor is not around, and it can be very loud and sociable. Clearly this computer lab can be a great place to study or to just quickly check your e-mail, since it is conveniently located next to all of the athlete’s locker rooms. However, the lab may not always be a reliable source for studying if a proctor is not present. My observation served as a representation of the average students’ behavior and work ethic when they are being monitored by an adult who has authority and power over the study environment.

Since we are training to be writing fellows, how can we gain this authority when working with students? And more importantly, how can we intrigue and gain the interest of the students we will be working with later in the semester, who may be more discouraged with their writing than the average student at the University of Richmond? Since we are going to these students in an environment foreign to us, how will adjust to our new surroundings and create a working atmosphere that allows the student to focus and be serious while also having fun and enjoying the writing process?