Ethnography Rough Draft

Most weekday nights you would find many people at home relaxing, at work, or students of all ages working on homework or some even taking classes. While we’re all busy doing our own things there is a whole other world going on over at Dudek’s in Warren, RI. Dudek is a bowling alley that is strictly duck pin bowling; duck pin bowling is when you use the tiny bowling balls and very small bowling pins. Duck pin bowling is very different from normal bowling. Here at Dudek in Warren they have bowling leagues that meet on different days during the week. My friend Jocelyn is in a bowling league here and she attends her meets on Friday nights, her father is also on a league at this bowling alley and attends his meets on Tuesday nights. Bowling leagues include many different ages, including from age five to age seventy.
My friend Jocelyn is always telling me stories about something happening at bowling from the previous Friday night. These stories is what reeled in my interest to research this specific group of people, from what she told me it seemed like just a fun night out, one big hang out with a group of people who are there for the same reason you are. That’s literally what a bowling league is, it’s a group of people brought together for a common interest. Within no time they become close friends and look forward to seeing each other every week on the scheduled day. This is something I believe everyone to have, now I’m not telling you to go join a bowling league, but to find something in common with different people. It is a great way to meet new people and in the end make new friends as well.
When I first got to the Dudek with Jocelyn the parking lot was very full, hardly any parking, at this point I couldn’t even imagine how crowded it would be inside once we got to her lane. Finally we found a parking spot and I followed her into the building for what would be a routine Friday night for her. When I walked in I immediately noticed the crowd of people where all down at there lanes already preparing for their games. I also noticed the lighting wasn’t very bright; they were dimmed down but not to dark so you couldn’t see where you were walking. The inside of the bowling alley is set up with the arcade games right when you walk in, and then a long counter that’s divided into the snacks and shoe rentals. Across from the counter are where the lanes are located and where the leagues meet. At the top of each lane there are two different sitting areas, one for waiting for your turn to bowl and another for food and drinks. As they began their typical night of bowling I sat back and watched.
Soon I became aware of the sounds that filled the bowling alley. The constant sound of the bowling balls hitting the lanes as they roll down towards the pins at fairly fast pace and then slamming into them causing the pins to fly all over the back wall of the lane. The sound of a bowling ball hitting pins is a very distinct popping noise. These aren’t the only sounds I heard here, there were also conversations going on all around me as well as people cheering. I also picked up on a few technical terms used amongst the bowling leagues. These terms included phrases like “he chopped”, “got a turkey”, “four bagga”, “five bagga”, and the usual “spare” or “strike”. I had never heard any other expression other than spare and strike so I asked Jocelyn what these phrases meant and she told me. The phrase “he chopped” means they hit the center pins only, “got a turkey” is called when a person gets 3 strikes in a row, and “four bagga” and “five bagga” are phrases used when somebody gets more than four strikes in a row.
As I continued sitting and watching them bowl I noticed distinct smells of the greasy foods that are of course no good for you, but we all enjoy them. Foods like chicken tenders, curly fries and pizza created an aroma throughout the lanes. Jocelyn was telling me that some nights depending on who was working the snack counter all you smell is burnt pizza, luckily that wasn’t the night I was there.
The main vibe I got from her league was much like that of a big family or a group of very close friends. Everyone knows everyone in Dudek even if you’re not on the same league you always end up meeting other members at one point or another. A benefit Jocelyn told me about when on a league at Dudek is that if you go bowling there on a different day and time other than your meet to practice or just to bowl with friends they will give you money off however many games you buy.
There isn’t really any specific clothing for the leagues like you see on television or in movies. Its casual wear for most of them, at Dudek there is only one league that has an actual uniform type of apparel. One thing that you will find common amongst all the leagues is the majority of league members have their own personalized bowling balls.
Going bowling on a night with actual bowling leagues is very different from any ordinary trip to the bowling alley. When it’s all leagues the atmosphere is much more lively, they all converse with one another where as if you and a couple friends go bowling the only people you talk with would be your group of friends. Bowling leagues are made up of all different people which is why I think is one of the ways you meet so many people. It’s not just one group of individuals; it’s a group of individuals all with the common interest of Bowling.