Research

TALLEY STUDENT UNION & PARK SHOPS

It’s no secret that college students are very busy—between classes, clubs, work, and everything else, having moments to slow down for a cup of coffee in between classes can be a big part of keeping the day moving. At NC State, Talley Student Union and Park Shops are two popular places for students to hang out between classes to grab a cup of coffee or some food, and maybe get a little homework done. However, both Talley and Park Shops have limited seating that can make taking a snack break difficult. Between tables being full and tables being occupied by one person, it can be really difficult to find somewhere to sit in a timely manner.

RESEARCH

We both researched theories and studies about territoriality in public spaces, especially coffee shops, as well as the importance of personalization in public spaces. This was confirmed in our observations of students spreading out their belongings on tables as if to claim their spot. There was a trend of people using mobile whiteboard panels to barricade themselves away from others in Talley. We also saw many students move furniture to fit their needs. TJ Willis, the director of operations at Talley, said this of his own observations, “ I think people intentionally shut people out, so it’s weird that people would want to come to Talley and feel connected, but then they disconnect themselves through that; by spreading out, by putting earbuds in, by saying ‘Don’t bother me, I’m just here to watch you. Don’t come talk and interact.’ So that’s the hardest part, is how do you encourage that community.” Through multiple observation sessions and exhaustive interviews, we gleaned a lot about how students use Talley Student Union and Park Shops. We each studied a different place and realized that there were many commonalities in the purposes and actual uses of the two public places. These are both high-traffic areas where many students congregate for socializing, working, studying, eating, and taking a break between classes. Both provide the needed resource of free space to students to carry out daily activities, though there are drastic differences in size. Talley offers a large variety of types of seating while Park Shops is limited to small tables pushed closely together. Even Talley is seemingly full much of the time, leading students to sit in unconventional loactions.