January 23, 2015 - 22:15
Here are the different spots on campus ranked from where I felt happiest to where I felt least happy: Chem lab in Park, Morris Woods, English House I, Campus Center parking lot, and the glass staircase in Dalton.
The lab was the place I felt happiest because it was the most exciting. There was working clutter left by students: lab goggles, things they were working on, and general supplies left lying around even though the lab was not in use. I liked reading the labels on jugs of chemicals and the information on navigating the lab that was posted on the walls. Morris woods was where I felt next happiest. It was cold and my shoes got muddy, but I saw some deer and I was glad to find the cemetary. English House I, my next ranked place, was warm and comfortable. I spent a few minutes looking at the Toni Morrison quilt and made sure to touch the blackboards. Next was the Campus Center parking lot. It's a pretty unpleasant place but I like it because it's an efficient way to get from my dorm to English House. I listened to the crunch of ice melt under my boots and breathed. The place where I felt the least happy was the Dalton stairclase. It was too hot and the air feels really dusty there. Just like the parking lot, there isn't really a comfortable spot to stop on the staircase. They're transitional spaces, which is a big reason why they're on the bottom of my list.
The same places, in the order I think a plant would be happiest: Morris Woods, Campus Center parking lot, English House I, Chem lab, Dalton stairs
It was harder to rank for plants because I don't understand or know plants as well as I know myself. I ranked the woods first, because they were already full of thriving plants. Even though it's winter and most of the trees and bushes have lost their leaves, there were some groundcover plants and lots of moss. I even saw leaf buds on a small tree. The next place I chose for plant happiness is the Campus Center parking lot. I picked it because it's outside and it's the only other location with plants actually growing in it. There was ice melt in some of the beds though, and I'm sure it's unhealthy for the things growing in them. Next is English House I. It's got enough windows to let in sunlight and it's a warm enough temperature that plants that couldn't survive winter outside could thrive. The Dalton staircase is next because there is so much natural light in adition to being a warm place safe from winter freezes. I only ranked it below English House because I worry that a plant would get knocked over if I were growing on the stairs. Ranked last for plant happiness is the Chemistry lab. Even though there are windows in the lab, it's pretty dim. Plus, there are a bunch of chemicals and every space in the lab seems like it has a purpose and is full of stuff, so I'm not where the plant could stay.
Plants and humans definitely both enjoy and benefit from clean air, sunlight, and fresh water. Too much time indoors isn't good for either plants or humans but plants are usually most comfortable outdoors and humans need some kind of shelter in order to grow and thrive.