“But in the process, the college had to become even more fully a kind of miniature city.”
-Campus, an American Planning Tradition, By Paul Venable Turner
The more I think about the quote and think about my life as a college student, the more I fully agree with this statement. Out of all the college tours I went on over the past couple years, none of the schools I looked at lacked extracurricular entertainment. Each school has plenty of park and open space, gyms, commons, cafeterias and cafes and some even movie theaters and bowling alleys.
In every case, each college was set up in a way to accommodate student’s every needs. There are plenty of food choices, living spaces, recreation areas, even convenience stores for every campus. I felt like I was touring miniature self-sufficient towns, but that became the norm.
At Saint Olaf I realize the only reason I really have left campus so far was to go for runs, bike rides, and sightseeing (especially Carleton’s flooded fields). Other than that I have been able to get everything else I could need right here on the hill.
I never thought of this as being abnormal, but after reading this excerpt, I realize this concept was much more unique when introduced in America. I find this interesting but also logical as students seem to be able to spend more time in their scholastic communities this way. I wonder what the college experience would be like had these ideas not come into being.
I really liked this quote too. I had heard about the idea of a college campus as a "mini-city" before, but hadn't ever really considered it but it definitely is like that with the post office, bookstore, caf, pause, etc.!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it'd be quite the same way (such the community in itself that it is) if it was in the middle of a big city--I would guess not, so I think that's is perhaps part of it as well!