January 23, 2015 - 20:17
So this ended up being a bit difficult, because there were a lot of choices to be made in figuring out my take (and speaking for plants) on these locations.
For me, I felt happiest in 1) Dalton staircase, 2) Morris Woods, 3) Mineralogy lab, 4) English House I, and 5) Campus Center parking lot. A major influence on how I felt in each of these places was the specific moment in which I visited. I did a loop to the locations around dusk, so most were deserted, and I was the only one there. I was most comfortable in Dalton, because it felt safe and protected from the elements. That which I thought would bother me--the modern, cold architecture style--did not, because the main feature whild sitting in a nook on the top floor was the view through the windows. It was like being outside, without having to brave the cold. Actually being outside was the next best thing, and I enjoyed my time in Morris Woods because I could keep moving. I had so much space to stretch out and explore. This also influenced my next choice: the Mineralogy lab/classroom. The Mineralogy lab is a bit unusual; like most of the geology department, it is located in the oldest section of Park, and some of the equipment and specimens in the room are as old as the building. There, I also felt like I could explore. It would be difficult to get bored and lonely, given the intriguing make-up of the objects in the space. Still, it ranks lower because the room itself is not very aesthetically pleasing and at dusk is just a little bit creepy. English House I ranks fairly low on this list, because it was such an empty space. The ticking clock is the most obvious feature, and while I have fond memories of class there, at that moment, I couldn't stand to be in a space for very long where all I noticed was how alone I was. The Campus Center parking receives the honor of last place, because every second I spent there, I was paranoid that I would get hit by a car.
Plants were more challenging. The ranking: 1) Morris Woods, 2) Campus Center parking lot, 3) Dalton staircase, 4) Mineralogy lab, and 5) English House I. This was a tricky question, because my first instinct was to ask more questions: since many places didn't have plants in them, are we assuming these places as is or what they could potentially be? are these imaginary plants being tended to by people? and are these hypothetical plants local? I may have overthought the question a bit. I started with Morris Woods because there were many plants that were thriving well or at least dormant. They had water, sunlight, and soil, and although some places were mowed down or trampled, it was still the place with the most plants. The parking lot was next, as I judged it by the same criteria: water, sunlight and a fair bit of soil. The presence of cars and lots of foot traffic, however, made it less than ideal. Dalton staircase was where I got into some of my hypotheticals. It looked like it would function well as a greenhouse, so with the advantage of sunlight, it had the potential to make plants happier than the other remaining locations. It also had a lot of space and some beams, so that plants in there might be able to spread out or climb. The Mineralogy lab ranked above English House simply because it contained more. It had more windows, so more sunlight, and some possible resources for human aided maintaining of plants, like a sink. English House I had very little to make plants happy, with only basic classroom amenities and only a handful of windows, and the room was relatively cramped.
Both humans and plants I think enjoy space. Space to breathe, grow, and explore. I think that both also are happiest with some bit of protection, even if at the very least that is simply setting aside a specific place for them. As evidenced by Morris Woods and my reaction to English House I, plants and humans do not thrive when they are alone or feel alone. It is something that I never thought about previously, but a sole indoor potted plant seems much sadder than a forest, and even though I was alone for my entire walk, I liked the places where I did not notice that I was alone.
Humans definitely have different needs and wants than plants though. For one, as I was walking through the woods, I was getting a bit cold. This will be a bit of a generalization, but native plants here are adapted to cold winters, and while a brisk walk can be refreshing, I think that humans are less happy in the elements. Many plants need the elements though; they are able to grow and flower more if they have a period of cold weather to hibernate. I also think that humans get restless, or at least I do. I also wanted some sort of stimulation in my environment to be happy or comfortable. It did not have to be much, for it could simply be people-watching through the windows of Dalton, but I did rank a place higher if there was more for me to learn or explore there.