Week 11

What are they thinking? I began the walk on the IU campus, next to Ballentine Hall. I walked out at a very slow pace, observing my surroundings, including nature, but mainly the other people around me. Most of the walkers are what I assume to be students, typically walking at a hurried pace in their athleisure clothing. Most of these students were white, and either we were wearing some kind of headphones or were intent on looking at our cell phones. I continue down across the street to the Memorial Union, noticing the two straight lines formed by the mass of students walking in either direction. I began to wonder where the staff and professors were and how their walking routes might differ from the students I see before me. As I continued towards the sports complex and across the street, I noticed this sort of silence as the young people around me rarely spoke to those who walked beside them. This made me wonder why exactly they are so silent. I began to think over what thoughts these young people might be having. Around this time, I realized that I had walked farther from the sports complex and decided to continue towards the business school. Sorry, I walked faster and arrived near the business school. I noticed more students in suits, looking out of place. I continued towards the dorms, walking more slowly, and observing people coming and going from their homes at the university. This brought me to think about certain freedoms and vices, which may be more attractive to young people at university as they get away from the protection of their friends and family and onto a campus of ideas and unique practices. I wandered back south, and upon reaching a certain road, I thought to myself how odd an experience one might have at a university if they never engaged in behaviors like these, behaviors such as socialization with peers, along with elders alike. I feel like one from Dickens, who is odd and observing these people being free while I am in my dark cage.

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