TEAM: Theodore Davis | Andrew Mayfield | Kevin Vicente-Gonzales

CLIENT: School YEAR: 2018

What does entertainment mean to people in a world where social discourse is as prevalent as ever? With the rise of the internet and the dawn of social media came a tidal wave of increasing connectedness that drastically shapes our modern society in numerous ways. Entertainment has always been an important aspect of culture, but this has only been exacerbated by these societal changes. We wish to further understand the meaning the current state of entertainment holds in the daily social existence of people, but there is a large problem with such a question.

Defining the meaning that entertainment holds in social interactions is quite a hefty endeavor, so paring down the breadth of our query was imperative. This refinement was ultimately based on the convenience with which we could seek answers to our question, and resulted in the idea of utilizing the game room in the student center on the Marietta campus. “What does entertainment mean to Kennesaw State University (Marietta Campus) students?” This location was accessible to each of us, and clearly served as a place where entertainment is paramount. In recent experiences, the game room has often appeared to be one of the busier non-classrooms on the campus, ripe with potential for observations.

As a group, we sought to formulate succinct interview questions that held the fortuity to produce informing responses. We went with six open-ended questions designed to apprise us of the subject’s daily life and the reason(s) why they chose to be in the game room. Our questions pertained mostly to work and school schedules, their use of free time, and what the game room represents for them. These questions would then be used to glean valuable insight towards our final research.

Persona Hypothesis

Our persona hypothesis was based on our current understanding of Marietta campus students whom we believed would be utilizing the game room. Informed merely by our personal experiences, we imagined game room attendees as younger, “nerdier” students holding interest in video games and being predominantly introverted.

Scoping Out the Room

We decided that the best course of action was to hold multiple observation sessions with minute interactions before engaging in our interviews. This method would allow us to gain footing within the game room and understand its patrons so we might better attempt to form rapport. During these initial observations, we will craft data cards that will be used to inform our persona hypothesis; a necessary step in evolving our understanding of game room participants.

The game room lies on the upper level of the Student Center building, just behind the front desk. The room has two main double-doorways in either bottom corner, but only one is utilized for entry. In addition, there is a single door in the far-right corner where visitors can easily access the side entrance hallway of the Student Center. Right next to the main entry point is a service window to the front desk, where game room patrons can pay to rent a billiards or table tennis set. Along this same right-side wall perpendicularly protrudes a half-wall with large televisions mounted on either side, and rows of chairs which can be occupied by viewers of these televisions. Along the back wall lies a long strip of bar seating to the right, and various vending machines to the left. Situated on the left-side wall are standard height tables embraced by chairs, and closer to the front-end are a few tall tables with bar chairs. A shorter sliver of bar seating resides on the front wall. Dividing the room in half are two large booth-style seating arrangements. On the left side of this divide are two ping pong tables, while the right side is home to six pool tables, one of which is broken. Also, on the right side of the divide is a large situation of tables.

Initial Observations

We performed three observations over the course of three separate days. Everyone observing on any particular day was responsible for maintaining comprehensive jottings on their observations, which would later be fleshed out into thick descriptions. Important data from these descriptions was then gathered into succinct data cards, which can be read below.

After the data cards were compiled, they were utilized to inform a new persona. With our two personas now formulated, we could commence the next step of our ethnographic process, the interviews.

The Interviews

After finishing up with our observations and completing our personas, we went forward with interviewing. We first created our open-ended questions that we would utilize in conversation. These questions were designed to inform us on what type of person the interviewee is, and why the game room may or may not be important to them. The questions are as follows:

1. Could you describe a typical day in the game room?

2. Could you describe your work schedule, including school?

3. What does entertainment mean socially to you?

4. Could you tell me about some of your experiences you encountered here?

5. Could you tell me about what you did on weekends/in your free time?

6. Could you describe the game room in one word?

Next, it was necessary to select our interview candidates. These candidates were based off of our previous observations as recurring patrons of the game room, and needed to be diverse enough, at least by virtue of their most-engaged-in activity. We ended up with five different participants. Unfortunately, there were rarely ever any females present during any of our interview sessions, so all of our interviewees were males.

In Conclusion

By studying the social happenings within the game room, we have found a deeper understanding not only of the importance of social interaction, but also of the importance of a place specifically dedicated to such interactions.

The game room serves as a breeding ground for conversation, comradery, and competition. It is equal parts relaxing and riveting, standing as a major entertainment outlet for students to either let off steam or buckle-down writing that final paper. During our time in the game room, we learned of the necessity of entertainment as a facilitator in these social situations. Going into our observations, we had already concluded that the game room might not be populated at all, as finals were rapidly approaching. Alas, we were incorrect. Video games, billiards, and table tennis are all methods of instigating conversations that allow students an escape. The game room had occupants because that escape was becoming increasingly necessary for the students as they were heading into the final weeks of class.

The growing stress induced by schoolwork was not a detriment to the need for entertainment, but rather a fuel.