Couch Courtesy

Couch Courtesy

Early one morning in February, I arrived, worn and tired, in the Illini Union's south lounge. It is here I intended, as a rhetoric student, to study the unusual behavior of students. A fairly large place, room to sit on beautiful chairs and luxurious couches for well over 50 people Ð'- yet, no more than 35 seemed to consume the entire room. I felt as if I did not belong Ð'- uninvited, as if they owned the furniture they sat upon or the room itself. I appeared to be a threat, so to ease the tension I took a seat on the floor, far in a forgotten corner. Then, it was only a matter of moments before the nervous glances and intimidating scowls subsided. Soon, I was able to take note on how the students used the furniture in the lounge and draw conclusions about their culture.

One girl smiled once I sat in the corner. As she was smiling, she rose from her arm chair and proceeded rapidly toward a large, leather couch. As she neared the couch, all remaining chair dwellers observed her and one another. Was she going for the couch? If not, should I? What if that other girl in the chairs wants it or if someone else gets it first? All questions asked by those in chairs. Soon, rather than worrying about making the move, the chair dwellers concerns were put on hold. The girl threw her bag onto one end, and soon began the time for the less fortunate to re-bend and twist themselves into some contortionist configuration. Anything seemed possible for these chair dwellers as they attempted to achieve maximum comfort. It appeared that after trial and error, they found the most discomfited animal like positions to be the most comfortable. Meanwhile, it was very clear the new girl on the couch was very thankful as she gave a small smile, perhaps smirk, as she checked out her new terrain.

All of this was very fascinating. I had not been in the room fifteen seconds, and I was the center of attention as the students watched my moves Ð'- but for no more than another fifteen seconds until I moved to the corner. They were very attentive, keen and waiting to grasp any opportunity. As soon as I headed toward the corner, I was immediately forgotten, and the attention was focused then upon the girl while she approached the couch. The girl appeared uneasy at first Ð'- but knew the end result was worth the stares. She knew what she wanted and that was it. These couches appeared to mean much more to these students than a place to sit. They took full advantage of them, seeing them as a place to lie down. In addition, there appeared to be a sense of pride and dignity a couch user has. They appeared to be among the most respected in the Illini Union south lounge because everybody wanted a couch. The chair dwellers on the other hand had to deal with what they had, and make the best out of it. The students seemed to be very quick to adapt to their environment, and make a bad situation livable. It also seemed all of the students were interacting with one another Ð'- non-verbally. No words were spoken, but silently, the girl said she was thankful for the couch, and the chair dwellers said they wanted it too. However, the chair dwellers were not so greedy that they all jumped up at once to seize opportunity. It was all about the timing, and looking respectable while doing so. It was not polite for them to run immediately to a couch despite wanting it so bad. Perhaps they were worried about their reputation, and what others thought about them as well, so they were trying to be courteous and leave a good impression.

Either way, as those in chairs continued to find a solution, the lucky twelve laid in luxury. Of the twelve couch users, there seemed to be three different groups of people. The first group accounted for about ten percent of couch users, and can be classified as the "courteous" group. These people typically consumed just under half the couch, some almost two thirds. Those taking under half generally did not mind any company, or may have even preferred company. Their reasons for this may differ. Perhaps they were lonely, and would like to meet someone. Or, maybe they simply just felt bad taking up an entire couch. At the other end of the courteous group spectrum are those that used two thirds of the couch. These couch users did feel bad for claiming all the space, so rather than lie across the couch, they laid or sat slanted Ð'- still offering about one third of the couch. Just because they were offering a third of couch did not mean they want anyone to take them up on the offer. As students approached, their leg inched over slowly and a signal was sent to the oncoming students, corrupting their plans. It appeared that the chair users disapproved of courteous couch users. They saw them as a waste for doing what could easily be done in a chair. Because of this, it was apparent that courteous couch users should ideally grab a chair, or use the couch to the fullest.

Of the remaining ninety percent, two groups can be composed. Both of which, contrary to the courteous users, consumed the entire couch. First off, there were the "elegant" users. These people knew they just wanted to rest, but also felt the need to do it in style and class. It was common for these users to set their bags on the floor, rather than the couches. Typically, they rested upon their hands or arms. They preferred to lay facing out over the front of the couch, but kept their faces covered or shielded somewhat. They either used a hand, hood, hat Ð'- even a newspaper or book as protection. They also had respect for the furniture; this was evident in observing the position of their feet. Their bodies were laid on their sides and feet stacked, so only one side of the shoe made direct contact with the leather couch they were resting on. Often, the elegant users did not fall asleep. Maybe some were afraid to and may felt embarrassed about the idea of sleeping there. This is possible because many people are not used to sleeping in public lounges. The fact that they felt uneasy may also have been visible in the way they laid in the actual resting position. They might have been concerned with what other people thought and how they viewed them. They did not want to be judged, yet judged others in doing so by making assumptions. Resting seemed far more complicated