Feedback Loops

Week Four - In the upper floor of a university hall, adjacent to a major stairwell, lay a small collection of seats and tables. This is an area is perfect for a moments rest between classes, a short period of study, or a small gathering of students partaking in a noon lunch.

It would seem that this second floor alcove is a prime location for university students wanting to gossip but looking for an escape from the myriad of open ears that lie in the lobby below. While their stories and gossip are interesting to hear and talk about within this blog, I will try to keep my text limited to descriptions of how these students choose to arrange themselves around the alcove.

Early in the week I passed by the alcove and observed two students, a male and female, sitting close to six feet apart, unengaged in their surroundings. Returning to the alcove sometime later, I found that these two students had moved four feet closer, engaging in friendly conversation. As these two individuals were the only students in the area, I decided to once again leave and come back later. Close to two hours later, I returned to find that once again these same students were the only occupants of the alcove, only this time they were even closer. The male appeared to be attempting to teach the female how to play the ukulele, however judging by his body language and incredibly close proximity to the female while instructing her, I could only surmise that he had ulterior motives. Personal pace did not seem to be an issue in the quickly progressing relationship that they shared. Not wishing to intervene in their relationship, I called it quits for the day and left the university hall.

Some days later, I returned to the alcove to find that it was populated with three groups of students, and a few outliers. With such a large number of individuals in the area, these students naturally sat very closer together on the available bench seating, sacrificing personal space fro accommodation. It can also be noted that with discussion being held within each group, members of the groups appeared to be fighting to be heard. A vocal positive feedback loop appeared to occurring in the upstairs lobby. One group would raise the volume of their discussion, so as to be better heard, only to have the next adjacent group raise their vocal volume in order to be heard of the other group’s volume adjustment, this phenomenon continued until the point where the groups were members of every group were having trouble hearing student sitting three feet in front of them. The temperature of the alcove seemed to increase as the students strained their voices to be heard and one could visually notice the discomfort in the student as the adjusted their collars or fanned themselves to accommodate for this event. It soon become too much for some members of the various groups, and they turned to their personal phones and laptops for entertainment. At this point the overall volume of the alcove slowly decreased and eventually returned to its original volume. I had just witnessed a positive and negative feedback loop occur within university students. I’m sure my high school biology teacher would be proud.