You’re walking down the sidewalk, not paying too much attention, when you look up and see a group of friends walking three-across toward you on the path. You wait for them to notice you and make room for you to pass. They must see you, it’s impossible for them not to, but they avoid eye contact, and, unwilling to sacrifice that precious moment of group conversation, they don’t move aside. You step onto the grass at the last second to avoid a collision.
Taking up space is the most basic of privileges. No human body can avoid it.
You’ve probably noticed men on public transport sitting casually with their legs spread wide and women sitting up straight, legs crossed, head down. Of course there are exceptions to this general principle, but most people have seen at least one example of this gendered dynamic.
At Williams, I have seen this dynamic at play not only in gendered situations, but also between varsity athletes and non varsity athletes, between White people and people of color, groups of high-income and low-income students, and between any other pair of groups that experiences a power disparity.
Taking up space should be the most basic of privileges. But the sad reality is that it is actually a luxury. Sports teams take up entire floors of the library, and non team members feel unwelcome and awkward when encroaching on this claimed space, while team members feel socially comfortable and entitled.
Let me be clear. This is not to say that varsity athletes should not feel this way in public spaces, but rather that non varsity athletes should also feel this way.
The same situation applies to groups of different ethnicities. There are certain spaces on campus that are dominated by White people. While it may not be an intentional act, the sad truth is that entering a space filled with people that do not share an identity with you can be intimidating and unwelcoming.
Some aspects of this issue come down to numbers. People feel safe in groups of friends, teams, and shared identities, which is, at its heart, not a bad thing. But how do we address this issue of sharing space? How can we facilitate community integration?
At an institutional level, it’s very difficult. Spaces on campus are communal, and a sports team is welcome to take up that space if they want to. Creating a new shared space that could be, for example, devoted to non-athletes seems to counter productive to me. Rather than create further separation, I’d like to see more integration. I think this problem comes down to the level of individual actions, and the first step is just being aware. When you’re in public spaces, take notice of how you operate and how you feel. Do you feel welcome? If not, why? If so, does the space seem welcoming to others, or is that feeling specific to you and your group members?
Asking ourselves these questions as individuals would hopefully lead to more awareness and conscientiousness at a group level and help us start to work toward effectively sharing space on campus.