Alumni Glen is found on the North side of the creek, across the road from Glenn Hall.
Alumni Glen is a small area dedicated to the peace an serenity of campus. Although there is a heavily traveled route right above it, something about the way Alumni Glen makes it calm. It is accessible from three different points, all which lead down to the main part of the glen where there is a circular cement area with cement benches surrounding it. The cement benches command attention ti the large school symbol, the trinity sign that faces the creek. As you continue to walk east from the west entrance and pass the trinity sculpture, you will find a large patch of grass as well as other shrubbery that appears to be lightly contained to enforce the natural aspect. There is no need for artificial shade-makers, large trees with grand canopies cover the glen with just enough area to create both shade and sun patches. Paths lead from the main level of the glen down to the creek, one of Chico State's most iconic aspects of the campus. As stated in Framework Three, place attachment is how we develop a connection for a place. Our group formed a strong place attachment to the Alumni Glen through it's natural feel and detachment from the rest of the campus. Often times it is easy for college students to get consumed by stress and fatigue through the many activities that they dedicate themselves to. As our group looked for a special place on campus, we came to a unanimous decision that the Alumni Glen effectively provided us with an atmosphere to recuperate. The Alumni Glen provides us with this attachment through the theory of the tripartite organization of place attachment. According to Scannell and Gifford, place attachment can be broken into three parts; person, place and process. Within the person part of place attachment, there is the subcategories of individual and group. On an individual level, we have all had positive experiences of reflection and relaxation at the glen. I remember a time last year I had a huge project due, and I decided to take a break and go sit at the glen to refresh myself. Afterwards I was able to return to the project refreshed and ready to knock it out of the park. The place part of place attachment can be broken into social and physical categories. Alumni Glen associates best with the physical aspect because its biggest characteristic is the nature feeling. Alumni Glen has a keen way of detaching students from a busy campus to a serene nature-scape along the creek. The process part of place attachment can be broken down to the categories; affect, cognition and behavior. The affect category is seen in the happiness that the glen has provided each of us. In my earlier example, the glen was able to help me finish my project after a long a peaceful nap in the glen. This left me really happy, allowing me to further become attached to the place. Cognition talks about the different memories that one associates with a place. In this case, we were able to share good memories that we had all enjoyed at the Alumni Glen. We all have a strong attachment to the Alumni Glen thanks to the tripartite organization of place attachment, but some subcategories of the tripartite organization aren't represented. Alumni Glen is a great place to go hang out by yourself or with a small group, but it lacks the ability to form attachment through the group and social aspects of the the tripartite organization. Often times, other individuals are in there for various reasons. If a group was to go in and do something, it would throw off the balance of the glen. I think this could be fixed if the glen was made larger with separate sections made, almost like rooms, created by natural materials like shrubs. References: Framework Three. (n.d.).Blackboard Learn. Retrieved October 20, 2013, from https://learn.csuchico.edu/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab_tab_group_id=_2_1&url=%2Fwebapps Scannell, L., & Gifford, R. (2010). Defining place attachment: A tripartite organizing framework. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 30(1), 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006 |