Journal Entry

Journal Entry 1

1/31/16, 7:30 p.m., My dorm
Farthest: People emptying their trash, the elevator beeping, my neighbor talking outside her room to a friend
Medium: My music playing Lana Del Rey, my roommate talking on the phone to her mom.
Closest: The heater that’s on right next to my desk, the sound of my nails hitting the keys as I type.
Sound level: Medium. The only thing that’s relatively loud is my music playing, everything else is just the sound of normal, day to day activities.
One word: Ordinary.
3 Words: music, conversations, tapping

1/31/2105, 7:14PM, my dorm
Farthest: The sound of the fridge, vents
Medium: Various Skype update noises, clock ticking
Closest: Static, keyboard clicking as someone types, conversation
Sound level: Mostly medium but fluctuates as people join and leave the Skype call
One word: Entertaining
Three words: Friends, laptop, Skype

1/31/16 , 5:55pm, my house
Farthest: Roommate’s rap music, muffled conversation and footsteps
Medium: Shower running
Closest: Sound of heater next to my bed, sound of typing on computer
Sound Level: (low) although there are multiple sounds the louder ones are muffled by distance and closed doors, and the closer ones are relatively quiet
One word: Casual
3 words: heater, shower, roommate

1/31/16, 10:54 am, Student Center
Farthest: Trucks unloading materials, the truck beeping as it backs up, pots and pans clanking
Medium: A group of girls talking about their wild night, chairs sliding, a man emptying the trash can
Closest: the girl sitting next to me eating cereal, typing on my laptop
Sound level: Medium. There aren’t many people in the dining area but those that are here are quite noisy
One word: lively
3 Words: trucks, pans, chairs

1/30/16, 7:50pm My House (in my bedroom)
Farthest: Airplane over flying over my house, cars passing by on a wet road, neighbors talking outside.
Medium: TV on in the living room (news channel), bathroom exhaust fan, humming of refrigerator.
Closest: Humming of my laptop fan, clinking of the heating vents, my hermit crabs walking on their gravel.
Sound level: Low (the house is pretty quiet, the loudest thing being the TV)
One Word: Homey
3 words: Cars, TV, and laptop

1/29/2016 – 6:14pm – Hague House Lounge
Farthest: footsteps going up and down the staircases and in the hallways
Medium: other students in the common room typing on their computers and watching videos on their computers
Closest: music from my computer while I do my work, scratching on my notebook from my pen
Sound level: medium, not too loud but there are many things going on
One Word: active
3 words: footsteps, typing, video playing

2015-01-29, 3:28 pm, RSR booth in Netherlands South
farthest: Group of girls sitting on the couches and talking. “Are we gonna study or party? Study!” The sliding door between me and them cuts their conversation between crystal clear and incoherently muffled. Other groups talking as they leave and enter the Netherlands Core. Very faintly, the sliding of the door to outside. Cars honking.
medium: Sliding front door, IDs swiping through the reader & the following beep, turnstile unlocking and turning, sliding back door. Sliding back door, swinging push door behind me, swinging push door to my left, sliding front door. Residents talking throughout, their conversations circling around me.
close: High-pitched wine of the security footage on a tube TV (the volume depends on which way I turn my head). Hum of heating system. Different, subtle hum of electronics—not a whine, definitely a hum. Typing as I write this. My breathing is silent.
sound level: varying. Almost shockingly loud as residents come through. Almost silent and very lulling when there’s no one around.
one word: erratic.
three sounds: sliding doors, ID swipe & following beep, and audible/discernible conversation.