Monroe Park Psych Analysis

Location: Monroe Park

Time: 9:20 AM

This assignment was one of few throughout my school career which I attacked with genuine interest. The monotonous stack of papers and due-dates never ends, yet this task was one which I enjoyed undertaking. Around 9.15 AM, Monday, February 13, 2007, I decided to venture out into Monroe park and see just what exactly goes on day to day, most of which I miss in my hurry to or from class. I took a seat on a bench across from a statue, overshadowed by the immense cathedral behind it. Already I was using my eyesight, watching hordes of students walk back and forth along Laurel Avenue, many cutting back and forth across the busy street, heading to Shafer Dining Court, the Commons, or the various school buildings on the other side of campus. On my far right, almost 90 degrees from how I was seated, was Brandt and Rhoads hall, teeming with kids entering and leaving the complex. In front of me, a little to the right, was Johnson hall, the sidewalk in front bustling with students. It was almost as if I was the only one not in a hurry to get somewhere. Directly in front of me stands a statue, though the (apparent) homeless man seated at its base draws more looks than the 25ft+ bronze structure. Directly ahead, at the base of the church, a bicyclist narrowly avoids a group of kids, his shouts diverting my sight from the indigent man yards away. As he rides off, the flow of cars comes to a halt, and a flood of students begin to cross. The honk of a horn on my far left, by Gladding Residence Center draws my attention, but the action is over. Three red cars drive by in succession, one of them a 350z, its engine roaring as the gas is pushed.

The beep of my watch alarm tells me its 9:25, and time to switch to another sense. I set my alarm to alert me at 9.30 and close my eyes, drawing in the sounds around me. Immediately I notice that the drone of cars passing by on the streets surrounding the park is endless. The roar of another sports car from the right fills the air. As it drives away, most likely down Franklin Street from the way the sound traveled, a large vehicle pulls up to the intersection directly in front of me, maybe a bus or a truck from the sound of the engine. As it sits at the intersection, a girl walks by, most likely chatting on her phone, since there’s no response to her remarks. She must be close, I catch a few words, but then she is gone. I try to listen harder, but the stoplight must have changed, as the drone of the bus/truck grows and fades slowly away. The swish of a bike driving by passes by and is gone in the same moment, barely registering in my mind. The alarm on my watch informs me that it is 9.30, and I open my eyes, looking around to see if I can spot the cyclist, or the girl, but both are gone by now.

I decide to combine the last three senses into one long observation. My logic is that there is very little to taste/smell out in the park, beyond the air around me. First I decide to open my mouth and stick out my tongue, drawing in the park air, letting it drift across the roof of my tongue and into my mouth. Though I hear and see cars and trucks around me, the air tastes fresh and cool, and I welcome it into my lungs. I can notice a difference between the taste of the air outside in the park and the air in my dorm, and though it’s damn cold, I prefer the crispness of the morning breeze.

To my surprise, I smell nothing; the park smells no different than the rest of the campus. I close my mouth and let air only pass through my nose, analyzing the fresh air to the extent I best can. Honestly, I notice nothing. I find this disappointing, but when I think about it, there really isn’t any outstanding smell that is filling the air. No street vendor cooking hotdogs, no old vehicle pumping exhaust into the air. The homeless man gets up and takes a seat nearby, but my sight observation period is complete, and he isn’t omitting a stench. I decide to focus the rest of my efforts on the sensory of touch.

First off, it is extremely cold outside. My face is practically numb, my ears beginning to burn, a sign of mild exposure