Chapter Four:
Change, Change, and more Change
Change is what he asked for,
and change is exactly what he got. Sophomore, Sam laughs slightly at my probing questions as he tells me that riding the bus is not the only new thing for him. A spring semester transfer, he has had to get to used the campus and life here at Virginia Tech. “It’s obviously different; I came from a community college, and this is a whole different experience, and even though I did bring my car, I hate wasting gas to just get to the math emporium so I take the bus instead.” Having tapped him lightly on the shoulder, he kindly removed his headphones with an answering smile. Wearing nothing but a light red sweatshirt and oversized jeans appear as his only source of warmth, he doesn’t appear to be too cold though his lips chatter slightly through his speech. Realizing that just like me, he relies a lot on the bus, I begin to question another student to see if she relies so much on the bus as well.
Freshman, Nicole, has voyaged out on to the bus this morning to go to the math emporium as well. We chit chat for several minutes as she sips a coffee discussing her reasons for riding the bus. Completely new to the world of the bus system as she used her car when she was at home, Nicole now relies completely on the bus for everything. She told me she uses the Blacksburg Transit around three to four times a week. With a slightly just woken up appearance, hair pulled loosely back in a long braid down her back over a cotton t-shirt and pair of dark jeans that are covered by a pair of leather knee high boots, she leans back resting against the seat and closing her eyes for a moment, she continues that the bus will become even more convenient next year when she moves in a condo just by the math emporium. She talks excitingly about this move and says that her and the bus have a long future together, but luckily, the bus stops just outside her new condo. I thank her for her time and sit back against my seat lost in thought.
Statistical information I have conducted from previous research about the bus system flows through my mind relating specifically to the conversation I had just had with Sam and Nicole. As much as 95% of the passengers aboard the Blacksburg Transit consist of Virginia Tech students and faculty (Blacksburg Transit). And I am now beginning to truly see how the Blacksburg Transit is an essential part of the Virginia Tech community and whether it provides passengers with transportation across campus or across town. Furthermore, I am also beginning to realize that we rely heavily on the bus to be on time despite road conditions and traffic. Flipping through the pages of my brain, I recall an article by Herbert Levinson entitled "The reliability of transit service: A historical Perspective" in which he discussed the importance of the bus system and its evolution in technology throughout time in order to remain reliable and provide safe transportation for everyone (Levinson, Herbert). This information further emphasizes, at least in my mind, that a unifying factor is our dependence on the bus. Our dependence has brought us together and the further the bus travels and the longer I observe; I began to recognize more and more commonality between all of the passengers aboard the bus. But with that being said, I also recognize a uniqueness and distinctness in every individual as well. We may not speak the same language, wear the same clothes, or laugh at the same jokes, we have boarded the bus at the same time and for the same moment, and for no other reason, that unites us. And as I noticed the girl shaking slightly from the cold and the blonde haired girl anxiously awaiting her grade, I immediately am able to recognize and relate with all of their feelings and understand the universal signals of their language whether it be body language or facial expressions; our thoughts, fears, and perhaps ambitions are not so different after all. Looking out, I can see a kindred spirit, a perfectionist, a dreamer, a tired soul, a hopeless romantic, a “rock star”, and through thick and thin, bright and dull, round and almond, brown, green, and blue eyes I see a certain glint, a certain sparkle, a snowflake, if you will, gleaming silently but powerfully through all of their eyes making them truly unique and beautiful. And with these thoughts, I am sent into a world wind of new opinions and ideas. And I feel, perhaps, I am finally ready to assess the culture of my chosen site and make my final analysis.
Freshman, Nicole, has voyaged out on to the bus this morning to go to the math emporium as well. We chit chat for several minutes as she sips a coffee discussing her reasons for riding the bus. Completely new to the world of the bus system as she used her car when she was at home, Nicole now relies completely on the bus for everything. She told me she uses the Blacksburg Transit around three to four times a week. With a slightly just woken up appearance, hair pulled loosely back in a long braid down her back over a cotton t-shirt and pair of dark jeans that are covered by a pair of leather knee high boots, she leans back resting against the seat and closing her eyes for a moment, she continues that the bus will become even more convenient next year when she moves in a condo just by the math emporium. She talks excitingly about this move and says that her and the bus have a long future together, but luckily, the bus stops just outside her new condo. I thank her for her time and sit back against my seat lost in thought.
Statistical information I have conducted from previous research about the bus system flows through my mind relating specifically to the conversation I had just had with Sam and Nicole. As much as 95% of the passengers aboard the Blacksburg Transit consist of Virginia Tech students and faculty (Blacksburg Transit). And I am now beginning to truly see how the Blacksburg Transit is an essential part of the Virginia Tech community and whether it provides passengers with transportation across campus or across town. Furthermore, I am also beginning to realize that we rely heavily on the bus to be on time despite road conditions and traffic. Flipping through the pages of my brain, I recall an article by Herbert Levinson entitled "The reliability of transit service: A historical Perspective" in which he discussed the importance of the bus system and its evolution in technology throughout time in order to remain reliable and provide safe transportation for everyone (Levinson, Herbert). This information further emphasizes, at least in my mind, that a unifying factor is our dependence on the bus. Our dependence has brought us together and the further the bus travels and the longer I observe; I began to recognize more and more commonality between all of the passengers aboard the bus. But with that being said, I also recognize a uniqueness and distinctness in every individual as well. We may not speak the same language, wear the same clothes, or laugh at the same jokes, we have boarded the bus at the same time and for the same moment, and for no other reason, that unites us. And as I noticed the girl shaking slightly from the cold and the blonde haired girl anxiously awaiting her grade, I immediately am able to recognize and relate with all of their feelings and understand the universal signals of their language whether it be body language or facial expressions; our thoughts, fears, and perhaps ambitions are not so different after all. Looking out, I can see a kindred spirit, a perfectionist, a dreamer, a tired soul, a hopeless romantic, a “rock star”, and through thick and thin, bright and dull, round and almond, brown, green, and blue eyes I see a certain glint, a certain sparkle, a snowflake, if you will, gleaming silently but powerfully through all of their eyes making them truly unique and beautiful. And with these thoughts, I am sent into a world wind of new opinions and ideas. And I feel, perhaps, I am finally ready to assess the culture of my chosen site and make my final analysis.
