TIMAV: Our campus
Vanderbilt’s campus is one of those things you have to see to believe. It’s part park, part urban oasis, part university, and part forest infested with crazy squirrels (I’m not kidding). While living in Dakar was an awesome experience, I much prefer waking up to our beautiful lawns, trees, and random assortment of sculptures. It sure beats sandy streets filled with goats, believe me.
Vanderbilt’s campus is actually a big reason I chose to come here. It is such a great place to be; whether you are playing ultimate Frisbee or football out on the lawns, studying under a tree, or working on your tan, it’s really the perfect place for me. Besides, I’m slightly an architecture buff. When you walk around our campus (particularly Peabody, home of the Commons), the architecture is incredible. Walking into the Wyatt Center for class makes me feel like the president walking into the White House. It’s that cool.
That being said, our campus is also massive. It’s over 300 acres – a statistic that doesn’t really mean a whole lot to me. What it does mean is that it’s a fifteen minute walk from Highland Quad, where I live, to my first class on Peabody. That means I can’t oversleep too much. I personally think campus is designed this way to help everyone avoid the Freshmen Fifteen, but if you’re in need of more exercise than simply walking to class, there are plenty of workout facilities on campus. And along with the more walking comes more beautiful lawns and trees. I think it’s worthwhile.
Our campus has actually changed quite a bit since I left last December. The new College Halls at Kissam project is underway, leaving a massive empty space on the edge of campus where some awesome dorms will soon be. Alumni Hall is being renovated and will soon house another place to work out, among food, classroom space,and other things. Even Rand Hall and Sarratt Student Center, our central campus hang-out place, is finishing up a summer renovation and expansion. Like a first-year, I’m exploring all the newness on campus and really enjoying the improvements Vanderbilt is constantly making.
I’m so glad to be home.
*TIMAV = Things I missed about Vandy. Keep checking for more posts about what I missed most while studying abroad.