Place Attachment Essay
The scent of the fresh fallen leaves of autumn gently tickled my nose as I walked behind a short concrete wall. Over the wall, I could see rows of wooden benches descending in a semi circle toward a creek that parted the spectators from the main stage. Leafy green trees flourish around the amphitheater and surrounded the back of the stage. I sat at the front row and closed my eyes so that I would only focus on the subtle symphony of the trickling water down the stream that acted as the orchestra pit in a theatre performance. I have seen this performance before from my childhood. A smile pierced my cheeks as I reminisced on the past memories of exploring my grandparents backyard and venturing with my sister thinking we were survivalists following a tiny creek down stream as far as we could go. The immediate attachment to this place triggered a sense of the comforts of home. And this feeling was mutual to all who I had talked to.
The comfort and peacefulness of this amphitheater made the Bidwell Bowl stand out from any other place on campus. This idea of recollection and becoming attached to a place creates a strong bond not only between the individual and the place but also between the people who share mutual feelings toward the place. The care and appreciation for this place is reflected through people who care about it. Its' appealing qualities are preserved and cherished due to the peoples personal attachment to the place and also to preserve the memories or recollected memories that place triggers.
The amphitheater is a place that tends to bring back many childhood memories. While sitting on the concrete seats, gazing at the creek, Vivien is reminded of the many trips she took to her grandparents house in Silverspring, Maryland. There was a creek that ran through her grandparents backyard that she would explore with her sister; finding turtles, jumping from rock to rock, and creating and acting out different scenarios. For Amanda, sitting in the amphitheater brings back memories of fishing with her family as a child in Deer Creek and other creeks around Chico. The amphitheater has hosted many concerts, speeches, plays, and other public events over time. It has brought the community together on many occasions. The amphitheater provides a calm and quiet environment with seating for students of the college to do homework, have group discussions, or simply relax and release stress from their daily lives.
This abandoned amphitheatre on campus felt special to our group because it is peaceful and quite allowing a person to relax and think due to its comforting environment that creates a sense of home by triggering childhood memories. According to the Scannell and Gifford, there is an organization of place attachment through person, psychological process, and place. Each can be broken up into subcategories. Within the person area of attachment there are two different types of connection: individual and group. As a group we can connect to the Bidwell Bowl Amphitheatre because of the specific like experiences we encountered in a similar place. Within the process area of attachment the three kinds of processes are affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Our group is attached to this serene place because of memories and the knowledge we have collected about the amphitheatre, making us feel more of a connection to it, therefore we have a cognitive connection to our special place. Within the place area of attachment, the two subcategories are physical and social. The amphitheatre associates with physical attachment because it is a place where students can go to study, relax, or admire nature.
Although this place is both historically significant and important to many, this is not evident at a glance. Sometimes the rows of seats can be littered with garbage. There are also the problems of graffiti, and failure to maintain the theaters cleanliness. These problems can be overcome by clubs and organizations using this place more. If the amphitheater is used more, then more people will become attached to it and take responsibility for it.
This is a unique place. It is an example of humanity and nature existing harmoniously. This rare combination of nature and construction makes it a place that people can become attached to for various reasons.
The comfort and peacefulness of this amphitheater made the Bidwell Bowl stand out from any other place on campus. This idea of recollection and becoming attached to a place creates a strong bond not only between the individual and the place but also between the people who share mutual feelings toward the place. The care and appreciation for this place is reflected through people who care about it. Its' appealing qualities are preserved and cherished due to the peoples personal attachment to the place and also to preserve the memories or recollected memories that place triggers.
The amphitheater is a place that tends to bring back many childhood memories. While sitting on the concrete seats, gazing at the creek, Vivien is reminded of the many trips she took to her grandparents house in Silverspring, Maryland. There was a creek that ran through her grandparents backyard that she would explore with her sister; finding turtles, jumping from rock to rock, and creating and acting out different scenarios. For Amanda, sitting in the amphitheater brings back memories of fishing with her family as a child in Deer Creek and other creeks around Chico. The amphitheater has hosted many concerts, speeches, plays, and other public events over time. It has brought the community together on many occasions. The amphitheater provides a calm and quiet environment with seating for students of the college to do homework, have group discussions, or simply relax and release stress from their daily lives.
This abandoned amphitheatre on campus felt special to our group because it is peaceful and quite allowing a person to relax and think due to its comforting environment that creates a sense of home by triggering childhood memories. According to the Scannell and Gifford, there is an organization of place attachment through person, psychological process, and place. Each can be broken up into subcategories. Within the person area of attachment there are two different types of connection: individual and group. As a group we can connect to the Bidwell Bowl Amphitheatre because of the specific like experiences we encountered in a similar place. Within the process area of attachment the three kinds of processes are affective, cognitive, and behavioral. Our group is attached to this serene place because of memories and the knowledge we have collected about the amphitheatre, making us feel more of a connection to it, therefore we have a cognitive connection to our special place. Within the place area of attachment, the two subcategories are physical and social. The amphitheatre associates with physical attachment because it is a place where students can go to study, relax, or admire nature.
Although this place is both historically significant and important to many, this is not evident at a glance. Sometimes the rows of seats can be littered with garbage. There are also the problems of graffiti, and failure to maintain the theaters cleanliness. These problems can be overcome by clubs and organizations using this place more. If the amphitheater is used more, then more people will become attached to it and take responsibility for it.
This is a unique place. It is an example of humanity and nature existing harmoniously. This rare combination of nature and construction makes it a place that people can become attached to for various reasons.