Walking Journal #12

PROMPT: Your second prompt is related to the architecture of your neighborhood. What do the buildings look like? What style are they built in? How do they compare to other neighborhoods? What does architecture reflect in regards to the values of our society? 

Walking through campus, there’s a clear theme that runs through the architecture: old fashioned, brick, sturdy looking buildings, sprinkled here and there with a modern touch. The Davidson Math and Science Center is a good example of this: the modern flair of the building is exemplified by sharp lines and endless windows, but the classic brick style still draws the eye at a glance. The Palmer Engineering building is another grand building, complete with a large flight of stairs and columns up to the entrance. Similar features are echoed throughout campus: the Knowledge Center repeats the grand staircases and brick theme, but anyone who fails to notice the incredible technology within the building itself would be missing out. Buildings surrounding the Quad wouldn't appear to be modern at all, but make up for it in elegance. Ivy and majestic architecture are reflected by these buildings. And, although there is everything from elegant, old-fashioned buildings, to gorgeous brick, to modern buildings, the campus retains a sense of unity. The styles echo one another just enough to meld into a single campus while retaining their unique identities.

The architecture on campus is very important to me: it’s one of the first things I noticed when I first toured the University, and it’s one of the reasons that I felt at home here. UNR was the last campus I toured before deciding on a college. I had toured countless other campuses: from UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, to the University of San Francisco. All of the campuses had much to offer, but on tours, the campuses didn't seem like home. There was little sense of unity between buildings, and often the campuses themselves seemed too big and spread out to have any sense of togetherness. The University of Nevada was different: one unified campus, with a sense of individualism. Another thing that drew me to the campus was familiarity: the campus is built in the same style as many areas of my home town. From our outdoor mall with modern brick buildings and even to my old high school, the University’s campus just seemed like home.

The look of a place can have a profound effect on its inhabitants. For me, the look of the University is what drew me here and has made me feel at home on campus. The beauty of campus reflects that the University is an important commodity to Reno.