Writing Marathon

Setting 1: Between Kimball Hall and Architecture Hall
This magnificent setting is appropriately lacking in the abundance of people that typically constitutes UNL City Campus. I am surrounded by art and nature as communicated by all five of my senses. Every few minutes, a biker glides past my post, gazing at the unconventional sculptures and marveling at the shocking teal water in the modest fountain. The beauty of this place is validated by a small-scale photo shoot of a woman in a pure white dress. Adjacent to this simple yet elegant backdrop sits a studious young man, although he seems unsettled by the nearby photography. From afar he appears to embody a quiet demeanor, merely a man of aesthetically pleasing routine and introversion.
This artwork is destined for gazing. The structures themselves seem to scream at passers by, while the artistic intent is shrouded in convolution. A biker stops, his head does a slow 180; he doesn't know how his fitness trek led him here, but he'll stop and look around for awhile. It's lovely to see so much absorption and appreciation in a college setting, where output is so often demanded.

Setting 2: Runza at the Union
An NSE group has a circled sit-down while the red-collared leaders attempt to break open the students' durable shells. This fast food restaurant invites an unprecedented scholarly environment. Technology and greasy Runzas complement each other at every table. Against the focused backdrop, a young man sporting red shorts dines on a juicy cheeseburger combo with merely headphones tucked into his ears. His phone to which the headphones are connected is absent from his essence; he simply eats and calmly observes the strange setting surrounding him. Visitors visit. Students study. New students don't yet understand that they are sitting shyly in what will become their comfort zone, their home stretch: the Nebraska Union.

Setting 3: The Union Fountain
This fountain is refuge. A defeated blonde student sets her feet in the bouncing water, wringing all of her news feeds dry. The mother who works alongside peppy college girls at the Union Starbucks spends her break alone, with an iced Starbucks beverage and her pink iPhone. Her collared shirt, tailored pants, and dark-rimmed glasses confirm her peculiar adulthood, but she emanates the unbridled youth with which she works, whether she knows it or not. A thoughtful college boy with neat dreadlocks and a swirling blue shift stares longingly at the thin crowds of people passing by. A condescending boy going on man looks down on the flood of new faces, confirming the stereotype that his chiseled features, pressed white button-up, and thick pleated black pants leave open for interpretation.