By Greg Kunkel
Everyday they can be seen, students sitting on the granite topped retaining wall outside the entrance to the library.
Students gather along the wall to study, to eat or just relax in the open air with their friends.
Some students, like Shannon Dames, 20, a sophomore from Ogden, Utah majoring in humanities, congregate on the wall 2 to 3 times a week.
“We come here to study Italian,” Dames said.
Other students, such as Chad Luke, 22, a junior from Elkhart, Indiana majoring in film, refuse to sit on the wall.
“I think they are a bunch of jokers, and I wonder if they have anything to do at all,” Luke said. “Without the right of amount of surf wear, I wouldn”t feel comfortable sitting on the wall.”
According to Jed Johnson, 22, a junior from Oakland, California majoring in physics, some students refuse to sit along the wall because of the type of image it represents.
“It”s a soar scene along the wall. People seem to hang out there just to be seen, and lots of people don”t want to be a part of that,” Johnson said.
Juli Kelsey, 20, a sophomore from Eureka Springs, Arkansas majoring in Spanish, frequently visits the wall with her friends for lunch and agrees that different social groups do exist along the wall.
“There are social groups along the wall. Over there is the skater part,” Kelsey said pointing to her right. “We sit here for its aesthetic value.”
Some students, such as Che McDonald, 22, a junior from Austin, Texas majoring in physics, are open to the idea of sitting atop the wall, but feel intimidated by those already present along the wall.
“I”ve sat there, but not when anybody was there,” McDonald said. “Sometimes I walk faster past the wall and avoid eye contact so as to avoid awkward encounters.”
Mary Noble, 19, a sophomore from St. Louis, Missouri majoring in accounting, said she used to feel intimidated by those perched along the wall in front of the library, but soon realized that no really cared. She now visits the wall with her friends three times a week, and even sits on the wall between her classes.
