Taking a Moment to Look Around

We are all busy people, wearing many hats across both our professional and personal lives, so that the recommended work time of 40 hours gets stretched all too often. But how often do we stop, look around, take a breath, and try to understand what our unions or our campuses at large are saying to us, our students, and visitors? The ways our campuses and our unions are built and laid out give our institutions a unique culture and history, such as the Oval at Ohio State or Military Walk at Texas A&M.

But how often do we stop to appreciate this influence, or have the opportunity to learn something new about our campus? I had a moment of this recently, as my partner, in his Final Review for graduate school in architecture, featured Bornhuetter Hall, a residence hall on Wooster’s campus.  Bornhuetter has a unique architecture for Wooster, but my partner pointed out its construction actually serves to welcome students and visitors into its plaza by creating an "open gate" or "raised curtains" effect. This architectural creation of an "event" and community gave me a new perspective on the hall and its influence on our campus. 

I wonder, if we took a minute to breathe and take another look in between our to-do lists and meetings, what we might learn or better understand about our campus or our buildings.

Are our unions or campuses telling students and visitors, “Welcome!” or is another message being communicated?  What are ways (other than major construction projects!) that we can continue to make our institutions more inclusive and inviting?