Groundwork

When I first went out the the smoking area behind Lafollete, the first thing I noticed was the pick nick table. Then I noticed all of the cigarette butts laying all over the grass and surrounding area. The grass was all matted down from the masses of people that had stood on it at some point or another. There were a couple of stone, trashcan like objects around the smoking area, and as I walked up to them, I realized that they had sand in the top, and were meant for people to put their cigarette butts out in. Even though they had these things around, people still flicked the butts anywhere they wanted.

I was not that nervous or anxious about going out to the smoking area for the first time. I had one of my best friends and roommate with me, and that probably helped a lot. I knew from past times, that smokers can be some of the friendliest people to talk to, therefore, I walked out there with an open mind, and a willingness to talk to people I didn't know. I met some people that I would have never met out at the smoking area. My first experience at the smoking area, was definitely a good one.

I would say that I am still an outsider, because I do not smoke all of the time. I only smoke once in a while, and that makes me different then the people who feel like they have to have a cigarette, or find themselves outside several times a day. I do not know all of the insider language, though I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on it. There are not many ways that I am an outsider still, but I still think that I am at least a little bit. I do not know all of the smoking areas around campus like some of the smokers might, which makes me an outsider as well.