Medium Post 4
When I try to think of something, or see something that is out of place here, it’s very hard. The Underground is a very diverse location with a very open and welcoming environment, but as I’ve written before, the location in a social/cultural sense is geared towards people who are less traditional. This is what led me to consider how odd it would be for businessmen to have a formal meeting here. What an interesting thought; to consider the Underground Coffeehouse being used as a conference room.
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My first thought about this interesting situation is how out of place a group of businessmen would look like here. But why? First off, it’s a coffeehouse on a university campus. That alone tells us the location is geared towards students who go to school here, not typically anyone outside of the school. Another issue with the Underground as a place for a meeting or conference is the drastic difference in formality. It is located on the third floor of the Viking Union on Western’s campus, tucked away in the corner. A formal business meeting doesn’t usually take place in a “basement.” In fact they are known to be located on top floors of modern high-rises. The complete opposite of the Underground.
The Underground also has old, well-loved and worn couches and furniture. The purple and grey retro carpet alone would tell you this place is very laid back. Again, not what we expect for a formal business meeting. We would imagine a fancy location, well-put together, with nice appliances and furniture, not the well-loved stuff you see at the coffeehouse.
In a physical sense, the Underground is not suitable for a formal business meeting. As I said above, it is geared towards students, most of whom are non-traditional. In a social sense, a businessman would stick out like a sore thumb. These students who contrast this idea of using the Underground as a formal conference location, come here in all shapes and sizes. You might see someone with ten piercings, dreads, colored hair, or tattoos. Others wear unconventional clothes. You see Birkenstocks, flannels, wild print pants, Chacos, brightly colored dresses. You may even see people wearing sandals in the snow and rain. The general community here is much too casual for anyone here with a suit, let alone someone here to do business.
