6 Places

Arc- It was somewhat unusual passing through the arc gymnasium in its barren state. Every time I’ve been in a gym its always been full of voices and action. Since the arc is ritually used as a large gathering place for sporting and sometimes other events, it is meant to be full of people and noise. Without it, it feels lonely, barren, and stripped. Both times I visited the arc it was in this stripped state; however, I remember the new student days from over the summer. The contrast is humongous. When considering this contrast, I realized something unusual: The place almost seems to come alive and then die with the rise and end of each sporting event or large group activity. The arc is meant for charisma, action, life, and without it, it just feels like an empty vessel, useless, waiting, sleeping.

The Shoe Tree- The shoe tree was our next stop on our first tour, and at the time I didn’t think much of it. However, after some thought I realized how different the two places were. Yeah, there is the obvious stuff, but I’m not talking about that. The Arc is a very public place: it’s created to accommodate lots of people and activity. Even though the shoe tree is in public view, its actual a very private place. Each pair of shoes that’s thrown up has its own story, its own little secrets. The tree is a sentimental place in a way, a symbol of stripping away the bounds of childhood to embrace the new freedoms of college and young adulthood. No longer are these people bound by the rules of their parents and household. They are now free to choose, whether that be to drink, to study, to have fun, to sail, and to have sex.

The Coffee House- I was actually surprised when we visited this place. When I heard we were going to Historic, I assumed we would visit some fancy decorated church or other ornate object, so when we visited an abandoned coffeehouse I didn’t even know what to think. During the day the place has more light than at dusk, but it’s still a very barren, empty place. It reminds me of the Arc when it was empty. The two are actually very similar in a way: they are meant to hold many people at once. Even though people did not play sports in the coffee house like they do in the Arc, it was still a large gathering place. It was meant for laughing, catching up with friends, and enjoying a break from a day of hard work. When it’s empty, it seems ancient, old, sentimental, past its time. Then, I thought to myself. What if our campus center was empty like the coffee house? It would also soon begin to seem old and sentimental because these types of places are rarely empty unless they are outdated. It’s interesting though how a once lively, energetic building can become so lonely and sentimental.

The Campus Center- Every time that I have visited the Campus Center it is full of life: people go to lunch, people chatting, people getting a smoothie, people checking their mail, the list goes on and on. It is the hub of the college. It’s a gathering place that serves most of our basic needs on campus. The setup of the chairs and tables on the first floor where we visited was very symbolic of the energy the place is meant to have. It is created as a meeting place, a place where you can run to before class and chat with someone for ten minutes. Like the Arc and historic coffeehouse, it is created to accommodate a hub of activity and people. Also, I’m glad that I haven’t seen the place empty yet; I don’t think I would enjoy the view.

St. Mary’s Hall- St. Mary’s Hall is another one of those meant to be public places. If it weren’t for the class, I do not think I would have ever visited that place when it was mostly empty. However, unlike the Arc and the Coffee House, it actually seemed really neat almost empty. That may have been due to my experience though, because the way we all sat down almost reminded me of sitting by a campfire telling stories. So, I ended up associating that positive experience with the place. I also remember the loud cricket noises when we were in there. They added to the empty feel. It actually almost felt like we were out in the middle of nowhere, even though we were in a large building. All I can say is that place now holds some interesting experiences for me.

The Justin Bates Memorial- Quite appropriately, this was the last place we visited. Actually, I can’t remember. It might just feel that way. To me, the memorial seems very much like the shoe tree: both are very private places displayed to the public. The memorial has a great deal of sentimental value, and much like the shoe tree it holds many stories and secrets. The shells along the rim are symbolically similar to the shoes on the shoe tree. Generally, it is kept secret who placed the objects, and each object has its own story and thoughts behind it. Basically, the more I thought about it, the more the two places seemed the same. Even though one was filled with life and the other death, they both reverberated the same message: new beginnings, new opportunity, a new life.