Ethnography

The wonderful space of Cox Hall truly beholds the greatest culinary delight in all of Emory even with all the local restaurants available. On the other hand, Cox Hall embodies the epiphany of college food as in distasteful, bland, and unappetizing. In whatever context Cox Hall holds in the hearts of Emory students, it certainly displays the diversity of people and beliefs that the campus holds.

 September 19, 2016 (10:00 – 10:50 AM)

I interview a student from my English class about her opinions on Cox Hall. She has been to Cox Hall and usually goes around 2 o’clock PM as her lunch fits into that time period in the schedule. Also, she prefers to get the Asian food if available. When asked what could be improved in Cox Hall, she replied that she would like a soft serve ice cream machine to be added. While asking my how financially better the Dobbs University Center and Cox Hall, she mentioned that Cox Hall might be financially better as she gets to dictate how much she spends on food instead of paying a set amount for swipes.

September 23, 2016 (5:30 – 6:30 PM)

In the first minutes of walking into Cox Hall, the students do what is expected in Cox Hall, eat. I notice the type of people that enter each line. The diversity of people in just the Mexican-themed food line shutters the usually convention for familiarity. These certain Asian students ask their nearby peers for what’s the best tacos to get from the place as they don’t seem to be familiar with Mexican food. Then I realize that people in the Asian line were learning about bulgogi as someone asked what the beef option was for their protein. People may learn about these dishes from just interacting with people and not just eating the food.

                After seeing the main crowd move away after the lunch rush, people still linger on enjoying a much longer lunch than others. These students either work during their lunch or just socialize with their friends. Most students took their lunch as a break while few labored on their computers and notebooks. On a typical day of relief for many, students still study as the norm at Emory. The diversity Cox Hall holds tells much about the students as the same place held people studying and people pre-partying at the same time. The insights through Cox Hall often hold the most gravity in learning about the community and the people in it.