Gallery Center Pieces

I will start this entry by going through the sections of the Center Piece and giving my thoughts as I read it. I will then analyze the Center Piece more thoroughly and explain why it worked, why it didn't work in places, and how it lead my thought process.
This is the most accurate acount of my thought process that occured while I Shane James Luke read the center piece in the Gallery. My thoughts are in parenthesis.

Side One (Univeristy Activity Board):

Uab.hfs.msu.edu (what does hfs stand for?)

Want to get involved in planning on-campus activities? (I don't think so. This is probably a really large group and I doubt I will have a huge say or desire to make my voice heard in this group since it is not something I am really passionate about.)

Five times August with special guest, Cary Judd (Who are these people, I wonder what type of music they perform.)

Free Bowling and Billiards (Awesome! I love bowling, even though I suck at it. Billiards, eh, I don't care so much about that.)

The Dating Game (Sounds fun, and I would like to meet someone but I don't think anyone I would be interested would be there, It would make me look odd if I told people I'm going to date night at the Union. Maybe I care too much about what people think about me.

Trump It! Euchre Tournament (I don't like Euchre, I'm not even going to read the details because there is no way I'm going to that event.)

Side Two (UAB Info. Continued):

Follow UABatMSU on Twitter (Oh my gosh I hate Twitter it is so obnoxious and unnecesary.)

Tie Dye Time Craft Night (That sounds fun and interesting, do they provide items to Tie Dye or do I have to bring my own? I don't think I will go if I have to bring my own items, I don't have alot of money right now.)

Dive-In Movie Night (That sounds frickin awesome! I wonder if I can get anyone else to go with me. Crap that is the same night as a party Peter invited me to. Hmmm I will have to see which one I would rather go to. It's Night at the Museum 2? I don't know if I want to see that movie though, but the idea of a movie in a pool sounds aweomse.)

Comedian and Izzone Campout (This isn't really my thing, either one. SKIP!)

Campus Cinemas (ooh the free movies at Wells Hall. I like that.)
Star Treck (I have seen it and I'm not really into Sci-Fi.)
The Proposal (I have wanted to see that movie it looks really funny.)
Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (That looks funny too. I want to see this and The Proposal. Which one? Wait, maybe I can convince someone to see both with me. I hope so!)
ELFS: Harvard Beats Yale 29-29 (Eww! Football. This looks like an old black and white football game that they are replaying for some reason. Not going to see that!)

Side Three (Get Hooked Up With a Singel):

Get Hooked Up Witha a Single (Another dating thing? Why does MSU encourage dating so much?)

More Space More Privacy More Freedome (Oh, wow am I dumb. They are talking about the single rooms that are still available. I am happy with my living situation right now, I have an awesome roommate and floor. I don't feel the need to move to a different one. Skipping to the next side.)

Side Four (The Food Side):

Combo-X-Change Flex Option (wow I did not know there were so many food options and places to eat. I can use it at the Union Pizzeria and Serranos? Wow this is awesome!)

Combo-X-Change (I already know what this is.)

Flex Option(Only Commuters and Faculty and Staff meal options can be used at the Union? What? I thought anyone could. This should have been made clear when they talked about the Combo-X-Change and Flex Option above. They got my hopes up. This kind of sucks.)

Sparty's Sandwich Combo (That's not too bad. But why would I spend six dollars of my money when I can get almosth the same thing at sparty's with my Combo-X-Change).

River Walk Market Section (This sounds cool. Is it outside? Will it be shut down for winter? Where is Owen? I think I will try this sometime soon just incase it closes for winter if it is outside.)

Union Pizzeria (I don't like Pizza. Skip!)

Serrano's (Tacos? I thought this was an Italian thing. Apparantly not. That's ok I like tacos.)

Don't MIss These Special Meals:
Wizzard of Oz Lunch and Dinner (Interesting I like the wizard of Oz. Ooh Landon is the place with the ICee machine.)
The Soloist Dinner (I remember that, I didn't go but they had themed food.)
Taste of Wharton Dinner (What is this? Why is there no description?)
Rosh Hashanah Dinner (Again why is there no description?)
Eid Al Fitr Brunch( This is getting annoying that they did not say what these are. Not everyone knows what they are.)

The Center Piece is a three dimensional advertisement that sits in the center of all tables in the gallery (unless someone takes the center piece from the table). It is folded into a four pointed star shape, this makes it different, unique, and more intriguing to those who sit at the tables. If it were not folded into the star shape it would not be quite as appealing. When something is different or out of the ordinary it is more likely to catch someone's eye. Each side has a different theme making it organized which is always more appealing than a chaotic mess. The immediate and basic appearance of the center pieces are very succesful. They catch one's eye and do not dissplease or stress the eye, they flows, which makes the reader more likely to read them.

These center pieces provide information about movies, special events, concerts, and options about living on campus that students may not naturally think of on their own. The point is clear, which add to the success of the immediat appearance of the center pieces.

Placed in the center of the tables in the Gallery week after week makes the intended audience, the students, familiar with the center piece and causes them to expect it there every day. This is a very succesful place to put the information, students will come into the Gallery to eat usually anywhere between one to four times a day. Each time they site down at a table, the center piece and it's information await their arrival. One is also likely at one point in the week to eat alone. When alone one is more likely to pick up the center piece and read it for entertainment while eating. When a student eats whith his or her friends they are less likely to read the center piece because they are already entertained or engaged in a converstion with their friends.

The center piece has a diverse selection of information. So that there will be usually atleast one point of interest for every reader. The center of gravity of the center piece is the food side, because it has the largest variety of bright colors.

Personally, I felt the center piece is overall succesful in catching the attention of readers and delivering the information to them. The Single and UAB sides are the most successful. I did not find myself stuck or confused with the information presented. Given, questions were arraised, but enough information was given that I knew how to answer those questions and where to go to do so. On the food side, however, an insufficient amount of information was presented and not all of my questions could be answered. Particularly on the themed dinners portion. The dinner title, location, and time was all that was given. It did not give a description and was very exclusive to different audiences. Only those who knew the terms used in the title were targeted, really, (I am not sure that was the intention of the author). Because of this only a generally curious person would take the time to pursue what the unknown terms were, and then would be included in the audience. This portion required too much work by the reader to understand and become engaged in the reading. Also, two different sub-sections of the food side gave different deffinitions of the Flex option. I am still not completely clear about how this option works. The only other section with unclarity is the Tie Dye night. It does not specify weather or not the student needs to bring their own itmes to dye or not. This makes the event not as appealing. Other than these unclear sections and sub-sections the center piece was direct and did not leave me confused.

The diversity of the information on the center piece allow the reader to skim, jump, and only read the sections that are of personal interest. The use of titles, headings, and sub-headings, allowed for the reader to discover what each section was about and not have to read the details of the section to discover they are not interested in the section. This allows the reader to not feel like they have wasted anytime reading the center piece. This will keep the reader coming back week after week to read the center piece.

For the most part the pieces set up expecations and delivers them successfuly. The UAB sides give the reader an expectation of reading about specail events and activities and while the reader reads on that expectation is satisfied. There is no other unrelated information given which adds clarity and ease to fulfilling expectations. The Single side, depending on how the reader interperets hooking up with a single, different information will be expected. The reader could interperet hooking up with a singele, to be hooking up with a single room, or a single person. Because of these two interpretations, one being completely unintended (or atleast i hope so) by the author, perhaps a different heading/title should have been used. Given this unclarity by the author, it is up to the individual reader's mind to interpret the heading as it naturally desires. Because, males typically have more sexual thoughts than females, a male is more likely to interpret the heading as hooking up with a person. Hooking up is a term for a one time sexual fling, and that is it's more common use. That is why it is not surprising for the heading to be missinterperated.

Background information is not typically necesary to understand the center piece's information. Only the themed dinners require background information in the form of definitions of terms used in the titles, which creates a more exclusive audience.

The writer establishes a formal yet almost "in your face" reltionship with the reader. It is formal in the fact that there is no personal information about the author included or personal emotion presented in the center pieces. The author is in a sense "in your face" because of the questions used to grab the reader and make him or her think and become engaged in the center piece. The bold headings, titles, and colors also add to this attention grabbing "in your face" effect. I picture the author almost like a door to door sales perosn. Very formal, energetic, and in your face. They try to draw you in, make you think about the information they are giving you, and use questions to make you feel like you want the information even though you may not.

The Big picture or foreground of the center pieces are the headings and titles. They deliver the main information and try to catch the reader's attention. If the attention is caught the reader then focuses more on the details and the background information (the descriptions in small print). The headings are the actors, the colors and pictures are the props, and the descriptions are the dialogue, that will only be heard by those who are interested.