Ethnographic study on U-Club

For my ethnographic study of food in Redlands I decided to observe people eating at the U-Club. The U-Club is the fanciest place on campus to eat so I figured peoples habits and actions would be pretty interesting there.

The first thing that I noticed was the amount of people present in the room, and how you were seated. The whole room dimly lit, and carpeted. The main eating area is set behind the waiting room and the Hostesses podium. Not very man people were there my first two times eating, a tuesday and a wednesday afternoon at 1. Parties with large amounts of peole are seated in the middle while everybody else is in small 3-4 person groups surrounding the outside of the room.

Another thing that stood out was how people spoke in U Club. everybody speaks very softly, one group even began whispering as some points. In comparison to the other eating establishments on campus this was very surprising. It is sometimes hard to hear ones own thoughts while manuevering through the 1220 rush in the commons, but in U Club everything is in good order and at a low decibal level.

Instead of the buffet line (often looked at as less classy), you order your food from a waiter, who after supplying you with a free appetizer of bread and olive spread will bring it to your table. I think that this shows how we value certain services in the United States. It would be informal for us to get up and get our own food, and more acceptable to have a waiter to take care of you.
The last thing that intrigued me was the tip. At U Club you are expected to tip the waiters, using your school lunch card! This above all is the signifier of a classy joint.