Prom 1 Chad Prom 10 February 2014 Rhetorical Space Title?

Rhetorical Analysis of Marketplace When analyzing any space it is important that one considers the subjective nature of their interpretation of that space. Take the city of Orlando, Florida for example. For many Orlando, Florida represents a vacation destination with little to offer other than Disney World and a plethora of other tourist attractions. For others Orlando is home, and for college students at the University of Central Florida, a sanctuary to study. This concept can be shrunk to a much smaller scale when analyzing Marketplace Dining Hall at the University of Central Florida. As Vatz theorizes, No situation can have a nature independent of the perception of its interpreter or independent of the rhetoric with which he chooses to characterize it. Essentially, everyone individual has a unique perception on a space and that unique perception is reality to that person. Marketplace is no exception. Before the start of each semester students have the choice of whether or not to sign up for a variety of different meal plans: the unlimited meal plan, 15 meals per week, or 150 meals per semester. The primary audience for Marketplace is students who live on campus and typically do not have a kitchen available to them, i.e., college freshmen. Logically the majority of freshman students choose to purchase one of the meal plans. Not only for convenience but, perhaps partially because there are not a lot of viable substitute options that are financially practical or equally as opportune. A central location in close proximity to the bulk of freshman

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housing allows students to quickly access Marketplace. Two separate sets of stairs separated by a wheel chair accessible ramp make the dining hall easy to enter and accommodating to all. Marketplace features a buffet atmosphere where guests get their own food from the primary kitchen area. The kitchen area is located straight ahead as you walk in with seats located on either side of the buffet area. After eating, guests are required to dispose of their own dishes and trash in a single disposal area located on the right side of Marketplace. There is a noticeable difference between the left and right side of the dining hall. The left side appears to be more of a lounge where students bring study materials and typically eat meals in the presence of a laptop or book. The right side is noticeably louder and permits for a more social atmosphere where large groups of students commonly push tables together to enjoy a meal. Whether or not Marketplace intended for their dining hall to operate this way remains a question. I suspect that students initially sat on the right side because of its close location to the disposal area relative to the left side of Marketplace. Consequently, as a semester goes on students either consciously or subconsciously build habits, recognize trends, and follow suit. The left side is a less popular choice and therefore functions as a quieter environment, more conducive for quiet meals and studying. According to Edbauers theory of the unavoidable subjective nature of ones personal interpretation of a space the two seemingly contrasting sectors of Marketplace may appear more or less conflicting depending on the perception of its interpreter. Put differently, a bookish introvert may perceive the right side of Marketplace as intimidating and threatening whereas an extroverted socialite may view it as the ideal location to eat and socialize. Even more, if an individual unfamiliar with the status quo of Marketplace walked in at 11pm that guest would likely be unable to distinguish between the inconsistencies

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of the left and right areas of Marketplace due to the lack of guests that ultimately define the space. This proves that people and actions work to define a space and the interpreters perception of that space is reliant on those people and actions. If Marketplace were always 100% vacant there would be different perceptions of that space than if there was always a fifty foot line to get in. Anyone without a meal plan can dine at Marketplace for $8, including non-students. However, this occurrence is typically uncommon, perhaps due to Marketplaces location. Marketplace is not visible from the street and does not even do a great deal to solicit attention from students and non-students passing by. The brick building has minimal windows and little to no commercial advertising or self-promotion. Marketplace intends to serve students with meal plans but does not garner attention from any other audience. Perhaps Marketplace is already at full capacity serving food to students with meal plans alone, which I assume to be the case for several reasons that I will elaborate on later. For students without a meal plan Marketplace may seem inaccessible and out of reach. Most students without a meal plan are not able to afford three meals a day at $8 a meal. Students lacking a meal plan may feel as if they missed the memo or are on the outside of a superficially exclusive dining club. A student who pays $8 to access Marketplace will likely have a different mindset than a student who walks in with unlimited access at his or her disposal. The guest paying $8 will ensure that he or she gets their money worth and a full meal. The guest with unlimited access is more lax with his or her selections because if they are not satisfied with the options they can try back at their next convenience without paying another $8. This disparity will in turn affect the perception of

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each guest and further prove Edbauers argument that No situation can have a nature independent of the perception of its interpreter(Myth of Rhetorical Situation). Although Marketplace is easy to enter and exit it may not be as accessible as I have made it out to be. Consider this; the purpose of an on-campus dining hall is to provide quality food quickly and conveniently for busy students. Marketplace is not so accessible or efficient when it comes to serving quality food in a timely manner. Often times the buffet lines are extremely long, frequently taking over 12 minutes to reach the front. This is not to say Marketplace always has excessive lines, but suffice it to say I am taking my chances when I try to squeeze a meal in between two closely scheduled classes. Furthermore, Marketplace is not as accessible to people who require special dietary accommodations. My friend is a vegetarian and is often disappointed by the selection Marketplace has to offer. I eat a gluten free diet and this is also something that Marketplace does not adequately cater to. Even more, it is difficult to locate sufficient labels or nutritional information on the foods Marketplace serves. Marketplace does a poor job of catering to anyone who needs this information or wants to know what exactly they are eating and where it came from. Needless to say, it is often difficult for my friend and I to get in and out of Marketplace in a timely fashion after a sufficient meal. For guests who do not have a busy schedule or special dietary needs, Marketplace may appear to be a culinary oasis. For some students Marketplace is a place to enjoy a meal and study. For others it is a social gathering place. For students without a meal plan Marketplace may feel like a special occasion. All things considered, Marketplace is fairly convenient and accessible for students and non-students as a dining hall. With stairs and ramps, different atmospheres separated by the

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buffet area, and a fair variety of food options, Marketplace can provide guests with an environment they feel comfortable in. As for myself, my unique dietary necessities, and my busy schedule, my perception of Marketplace is one in which I perceive a higher degree of inaccessibility than most others. Like Edbauer argues, no situationin my case Marketplace can have a nature independent of the perception of its interpreter.