Courtyard

Yes, that's right! Smack dab in the middle of CSUSB... well middle and toward the front. In my opinion this might be one of the most public, and yet private places in the whole school. The courtyard is an open canvas for the public to use, and they do indeed use it. From the yard you can see banners on almost every building, the clock tower is within easy view, bards sit under shady trees slipping fingers over strings, ladies gather in the places hidden from the sun to gab and jabber, and even some of the trees speak saying: "John was here," or encapsulate two pairs of initials inside a heart. The publicity of the yard does not cease there either. Many a time the yard has been host to clubs/frats/sororities hoping to drag in new victims, or to host some rally or event. Despite all this public access, that even a casual wanderer might stumble onto, there is a certain privacy to it. Seldom does one raise their voice to stretch it across the courtyard, or makes unwarranted spectacle of themselves, and the conversations held typically lie in the hushed registers of our human volumes. The courtyard is a screeching public, but also a private murmur.

The Parking Lot Polka

Often when we think about “public”, we think about ourselves as a member of a community or group of people. We may think about parks where we play and relax or city halls where we voice our thoughts and concerns. Or maybe we think about “public” in terms of information, the status updates we make, blogs we comment on, web pages we read, all in all, it’s obvious that “public” is a term that is incredibly broad and encompasses so much. So what exactly embodies a public “sphere” where people participate, share, access information, and invite others into the conversation? Is it simply at public parks? Libraries? Schools? Yes and no. All are regularly considered public spheres however, in some cases, as Chelsea beautifully explained there are private components within that sphere. Public and private aren’t often mutually exclusive. For instance, I observed Cal State San Bernardino’s parking lot. From first appearances, we might not necessarily recognize a parking lot as a public sphere but, boy is it! Students are able to access this space, other students have the opportunity to use it as well, and there is a sharing of space. Information is giving to you in this space, like, “Stop”, “Exit”, “Staff Parking”, and “30-minutes only”. Yet, as much as it is public, there still are private components; “Staff Parking” is for THE STAFF, “30-Minute Parking” for those planning to be in the spot 30 minutes or less. There are limits to this access within the public sphere of the parking lot. And the space within a person’s car is “private” but, once they roll down those windows and blare Miley Cyrus around the parking lot, they have “shared” information about themselves and their musical preference. They have unconsciously invited people into their very own car. Someone in the parking lot could tell them to “TURN THAT SHIT DOWN” or simply sing along; they have “invited” and given people an “opportunity” to “participate” in their dialogue. As I observed the parking lot I couldn’t help but think about what we consider public and private. Is it really possible for something to be exclusively private or exclusively public or can both spheres fluctuate between the two at different points of time or instances?

The school library, public or not?

As we said in class, it is important for a "public" sphere to have three attributes which are: access, invitation, and opportunity for involvement. I decided to spend a bit of time in the library, just looking at the way that things are set up and the different ways that it can be considered public and private. The library is accessible, it invites people with the appeal of knowledge and internet possibilities, and it allows people to participate in the many activities that are supported by the facility. It is private in the sense that it is only available to those who are students or staff on the campus; however, it is public in the sense that anyone who is a student or staff member on campus can use it. The way that the computers are set up gives a very private feel; the person next to you can not see what is on your monitor unless you give them permission to do so, or they have some excellently sly peeping skills. On the other hand, the tables and chairs that are set up (either for studying or just lounging and reading) in square groups of four chairs with a table in the center. This set up allows for the possibility of discussion and visiting, which gives the library a public feel. The types of writing in the library range from notes in personal books to status updates on facebook. The school library, is it public or not?