Beauty of Campus

As students in a spacious university, we often take our diverse environment for granted. No, I am not talking about all of the different ethnicities present on campus, though they are an important constituent of our Michigan identity. Rather, I am talking about the literal “outside world” that exists on our campus. Everyday, we are thrown into following a sort of daily routine: eat, attend classes, study, sleep, (party?), repeat. There’s nothing really wrong with routines, as they are often the most common strategy to success. However, as students, sometimes routines get in the way of our inborn ability to see beauty in the little things that we might usually consider an “everyday occurrence.” Let’s flashback to your day yesterday. Yes, you woke up, washed up, and ate breakfast. Then, you rushed to class at Angell Hall. But wait! Hit the pause button. Let’s say your dorm was Stockwell. From the Hill Residence Area to that first classroom. you rushed past so many things. Remember when you first saw your dorm- how it seemed to glow in your excitement? Today, you might still be happy to return to your dorm, but it is not the same sort of enthusiasm. It’s more like the initial excitement of receiving a new toy as a kid, and then that enthusiasm dying down as you mature. The gorgeous brick structure of Stockwell, somewhat reminiscent of a mini castle, is now overlooked. What else have you overlooked? The same things happen with the CCRB, the Museum of Natural History, East Hall, West Hall, the Chemistry Building, the UgLi. Hatcher, the UMMA, and finally Angell Hall itself.
Buildings, as trivial a topic as they may seem, are much more than what meets the eye. At first, they were just architects’ notions- sketches from imagination. Then, they became the product of the architects’ and engineers’ hard work and successful collaboration. Buildings are the markers of our historic campus evolution. And today, they are the reason why we can attend our classes so comfortably. Buildings deserve more credit than a brief glance, getting their doors slammed, or coffee spilled on their floors. Let’s show some enthusiasm and admiration, the next time we pass by!
It is such a pity that we belittle or forget the alluring effects of our campus environment. At smaller colleges, students do not have this opportunity to marvel at the UMMA’s modern and tradition sides. They also do not have a Diag as awesome as ours. And they most certainly do not have squirrels as confident as ours. We should take pride in our campus and its story, and be grateful for every day that we are able to bask in its beauty. Tomorrow, and on all of the days that follow, let’s perform our routine and allow the beauty of our campus heal us of our everyday wounds.