Bypassing Case 3.2 (Volume): Calvin

ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS - CALVIN

After understanding how to identify contributing factors and apply correctives as demonstrated in the Bypassing Sample Case Analysis, now it's your turn to analyze a character. You have selected to analyze Calvin.

Re-read the Volume case below, then post your character analysis of Calvin as a Reply to this topic. Your analysis should include:

1. a contributing factor (words have mono-usage, words have meaning) to Calvin's bypassing behavior
2. an explanation as to how Calvin exhibited the contributing factor
3. a corrective (be person-minded, not word-minded; query & paraphrase; be approachable; be sensitive to context ) specific to Calvin's bypassing behavior
4. an explanation regarding how Calvin could use the corrective when interacting with other characters in the case.

The case is copied below for reference. Remember that you will not see others' responses until you post yours.

Late one weeknight, Trey, a sophomore political science major, had music playing in his dorm room. The walls were thin, so the music bothered his neighbors. The bass sound started to shake the floor, which meant that the ceiling in the room below was vibrating. Trey’s resident assistant, a senior named Calvin, was studying for an important 400-level chemistry exam that he needed to complete successfully to get into graduate school. Another resident, Kyle, had an 8:00 am class the next day and wanted to get some sleep.

Kyle went to Calvin’s room and asked, “Can you have Trey turn his music down? I’m trying to sleep and I have class in the morning.”

Calvin agreed to talk to Trey. Because the loud music was happening during “quiet” hours, Calvin ran upstairs and asked Trey to turn his music down to respect the other residents.

“This is your only warning for the night, Trey. There are other people on this floor besides you,” Calvin reminded Trey. Trey begrudgingly agreed to turn down the music.

On his way back to his room to study, Calvin told Kyle that Trey agreed to turn the music down. Kyle thanked Calvin and went back to bed.

After a couple of minutes, Calvin realized that he could still hear the bass from Trey’s music. He trudged back to Trey’s room and firmly stated, “I thought I asked you to turn that music down. Now, I am going to have to write you up.”

“I did turn it down a notch,” Trey protested.

Calvin looked at the volume dial on Trey’s speakers.  Perhaps Trey had turned down the volume since the previous visit, but it was not enough.

“Considering that your bass still is shaking the floor, you need to turn it way down. I really do not want to write you up. At this hour, you should be the only one who can hear your music,” Calvin concluded.

Trey sighed after Calvin left the room. As far as Trey was concerned, the volume was turned down. He slammed his headphones over his ears. Within minutes, he was swaying to the music, forgetting the whole incident and focusing on political science theory.