Places

The most striking aspect of the athletic center was the echo. The noises of squeaky sneakers and a basketball bouncing came to mind. After that I started to imagine the fans, and their loud cheering. There seemed to be remnants of energy left behind by both the fans, and the athletes. This space brings people together in a very active way. Both the fans and the athletes are often jumping around, screaming, and displaying their liveliness and pride in one of the loudest ways possible. Even when the arena is empty, it never seems to be too quiet, or still; always holding onto a piece of the energy that was left behind.

The shoe-tree reminded me of something one might see at a sculpture garden. The variety of color and texture contrast very well with the neutral colors of the tree. However, at the same time, some of the more faded shoes and shoelaces seemed to be morphing into a lighter brown color, as if they were camouflaging with the tree. The semi-private meaning of the tree’s significance seems to add to its importance. The idea behind all of the shoes is something that ties the St. Mary’s students together in a completely silent way. The dangling shoes seem to represent a kind of quiet pride that enhances the small community atmosphere, and the traditions held at St. Mary’s.

While the area surrounding the Grind typically goes unnoticed, it seems to be one of the most active places on campus. Even at relatively quiet hours, there is always someone there. On my tour, the campus center (and the Grind area), are actually part of the reason I decided to come to St. Mary’s. For some reason, even before I was a student here, I noticed the amount of energy and life coming from this particular area. Now, the space seems slightly more mundane, but still a necessary part of St. Mary’s campus.

The tall ceiling is what captured my attention when I was walking past the coffee house. The fact that this venue served wine and beer, along with coffee seems rather surprising to me. I did not think that this early on in history, this would be an acceptable place for social gathering. The small door seemed too add to the fact that social gathering was prevalent in this building. For me, the under-sized entrance enhanced the cozy and comfortable atmosphere.

The atmosphere of the graveyard was strangely comforting. When I’m in a graveyard such as this, I try not to think of the many lives that were lost, but the fact that people were here before me. The graveyard enhances the idea that was planted into my head from historic St. Mary’s City: the thought that hundreds of years ago, there were people living where we live. While people were part of a different society and time period, they still dealt with some of the problems that we continue to face today. Another comforting aspect of the graveyard is that even though the people are no longer physically present, their memories, and ideas are carried on by those who care for them.

St. Mary’s Hall is probably one of my favorite spaces on campus. The space feels completely peaceful, and simultaneously inspiring. I feel like I’m part of something that is bigger than both myself, and St. Mary’s. The interior is relatively modern, and sharply contrasts with the nearby Historic St. Mary’s City. However, this is another reason why I seem to identify with this building. One aspect of the hall is that it is small, quiet, and quaint. However, the interior also seems to be an all encompassing, limitless space. While there is room for a rather large and seemingly distracting audience, the focal point always seems to be directed at the hardwood stage, toward the performer.