North Hall was originally founded as a high school, and was used as such from 1916 to 1972. It was also known as University High School, due to the fact that graduate students attending the University of Iowa taught the classes. An architecturally unimpressive building, it was constructed with the intent of having much utilitarian value rather than being visually appealing. The Hall is built into the hill and is adjacent to Stanley Residence Hall and the Iowa River. It is the location for multiple classes in Art Education and is also the primary home for the School of Social work. North Hall also houses the Aging Studies Program, the Center for the Book, Research Information Systems, the Space Place Theater, and one can stop by for coffee, a snack or even a little study time at the quaint and homely Wild Bill’s Coffee shop as well. The building is accessible by four doors: two on the west side (one leveled between the basement and the first floor and the other one is kind of northwest, adjacent to the parking lot) and two on the east side (one on the second floor and one on the third). People who use the building include graduate and undergraduate students, professors and TA’s, employers and customers of Wild Bill’s, and as of now many construction workers. In our project we will rhetorically analyze North Hall, its history, its features, and the purposes that they serve.
From outer appearances, North Hall looks very obscure and unpopulated. As we walked toward the building we saw that there was not much foot traffic to and from the building due to its obscure location far away on the outskirts of the campus (and also that many people know nothing of North Hall unless they live in Stanley, have a class in the building and/or they use the footbridge just north of the building). This was a similar sight throughout the day, but upon entering the building through the main entrance we immediately saw the life of the building. The main entrance of the building led into the third floor of the building where most of the staff and their offices were located. This was the floor that was by far the busiest compared to all the other floors. In addition to offices and a couple classrooms, the third floor was home to Wild Bill’s Cafe. The atmosphere and energy in the cafe made it seem as if it was a completely different building separate from the rest of North Hall;. Throughout the day students, graduate students, and staff stopped by the cafe for a break and to rest their minds with a snack and a cup of coffee. The staff there is friendly, positive and energetic. Its yellow washed walls added a sort of energy that brightened the mood of the room and its occupants, the cafe was pretty laid back. After leaving Wild Bill’s Cafe, we ventured towards the other four floors of the building. We noticed as we walked up to the fourth floor that not much was going on up here except for construction; the floor was very quiet and uneventful. The only persons that were actively coming up to this floor were construction workers as well as those in faculty in meetings. Immediately one could tell that it was not a floor for students, it was much darker than the other floors and the workers and staff immediately asked if we were lost or looking for a class. The second floor was the second most active of the floors. Here was where most of the classrooms were and there were even a few classes that were in session with students lingering here and there in the halls waiting for the their next class. Each of the other floors had a similar feel throughout the day. One part of the hallway was where you’d find Ph.D. student offices. Much of the time it was vacant and absent of activity aside from a classes being conducted; you wouldn’t find many students lingering in between classes as you would in halls such as MacLean. On the first floor is where the theater was located and it has a much more modern feel to it with updated