Stone Balancing Project Blog

Brought to you by Middlesex Community College's Writing Across the Curriculum Program

In the MCC Bedford Campus quad, along the outside of Henderson Hall, there is a pile of field stones that came from the woods around campus. In front of the pile of stones is a small stand that contains a blank book. The following instructions are printed on a sheet of paper on the stand:

Stone Balancing Question Project

Stone Balancers:
If you are interested in balancing these stones in a manner and design of your choosing, please sign up in advance in the Fitness Center (Campus Center, Room 114). In order to allow people the time to view and appreciate each individual design, we ask that only one person per day sign up to balance the stones.

After signing up in the Fitness Center (CC-114), please balance the stones on the gravel in front of the wall and between the windows. Thanks. And enjoy.

All:
Humans can look at anything and wonder. All knowledge and understanding begins with inquiry, with questioning. All academic disciplines ask questions and explore our world through the lenses of their disciplinary questions.

There can be great value in focusing our attention on something, observing, reflecting, and formulating questions.

So, here’s an idea:
In front of you are stones.
Observe the stones for a few moments.
Formulate a question.
Write down your question in the book.

(Please open the lid carefully, as it is delicate. After recording your question, please close the cover to help protect the book from the weather. Thank you. )

Questions written in this book will be recorded regularly on the Stone Balancing Question Project Weblog at:
http://middlesexWACbalancing.blogspot.com/

For information, please see the Writing Across the Curriculum Website at www.middlesex.mass.edu/wac/


So, the plan is to see who signs up, what is created, and what questions are written in the book. The Student Activities office has offered to take digital photos of the creations. We hope to post photos and record questions written in the book here on a regular basis. People may then respond on this blog to see what questions, answers, issues, and connections emerge.

First stone balancing - 9/17/07