As I went into the sewing lab, all eyes were focused on me. I realized that I was being judged the second they heard my footsteps. As I scoured the room for an open seat, everyone looked at me from head to toe. They observed my outfit and did not give me verbal critique because many of the students were preoccupied with sewing their own garments. As I observed other students sewing, I noticed that they made elaborate garments that I could never make (i.e. jackets, dresses, skirts). There were three main things that I noticed about the students at the lab:
- Everyone had a great sense of style
- Everyone kept to themselves and were quiet
- If a student looked up, they were looking at what other people were doing
From these observations, I began to think that this environment was very tense and competitive. A few hours later, a couple of teachers come in and ask how everyone is doing. The second the teachers came in, the tension in the room had been broken. As an observer, I did not know why suddenly the teachers made everyone happy and vibrant. To me, it seemed as if the teachers held so much power in the field that the students felt the need to please their every thought. I was not able to speak with the teachers because various students were always conversing with them. It was nice to see the environment in the room change because of another new face.
Overall, my experience was unique. It was not as fascinating as I thought it was going to be, but it did give me a taste of what I would have to be immersing myself in more detail in the future. I also enjoyed my experience because I learned more about sewing than I knew before!
"Let's go to the mall, today."
Andrew Kunz
Wow. I'm really impressed you immersed yourselves in a community so close to home for all of us. You had a lot of courage to go into a classroom to be judged like that. You seem like you really learned a lot from your experiment. Great Job! :)
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, great idea to go into a classroom and see up close what your going to be doing. Even if it may have been uncomfortable for you to sit there, you hung in there and observed the change in mood when a professor showed up. That is a very good thing to catch, and very interesting.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you observed a community that you will spend the next few years with. You now have an outsider's perspective and you will soon know what it is like to be a member of that community. I agree that the change in attitude when the professor arrived is interesting. You would think it would be the other way around. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete~Jenny
I can't say that I'm super good at making garments or anything, but whenever I break out my sewing machine, I always feel relaxed and at ease. Granted, my future isn't resting on the pillows or bags I'm making. I think it is really cool you completely immersed yourself in the community, especially one that sounds pretty intense and judgmental. Good luck in the fashion world! Maybe I'll buy some of your clothes one day!
ReplyDeleteThat would be an awkward situation to be in at first! hopefully as the observation went on the people didn't seem as snobby. It is weird that when the teachers came in they started to act so happy. Its also a good idea for you to check it out and make friends with what seemed like snobby people but might turn out to be really good friends!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post. You've somehow transported me into the sewing lab. I was actually somewhat terrified. By the way that you described the atmosphere there... the only word that I can think of that accurately sums that up is "tense."
ReplyDeleteAppearance is not everything but it does mean a lot because of choice. We "choose" what clothes to wear as a way to express ourselves and our own individuality. Thank you for allowing me into your "fashion community." It was definitely very intriguing.
Oh. And Happy Belated Birthday to you as well! I hope it was amazing! :D
I still really like how your experiment relates to your major and now your community also prepares you for your major and that is a really good way to do it, at least I think.
ReplyDeleteAlso like the How I met your Mother comment at the end there, Robin Sparkles, LOVE that show, best ever.
This is a great, detailed post. I was really able to play a video in my mind and I think that is what made it the most successful. I wonder how your views will change when you interact with these kinds of students on a daily basis!
ReplyDelete