The Bowdoin Orient

I spent a significant portion of my childhood listening to music in recital halls and have many memories of the spaces in which I've attended concerts. Though I've lost various details over the years, the feeling of being one in a sea of tiered seating, waiting for the music to begin, has stayed with me.

Among the strangest aspects of my transition to college was adapting to working in a public space. While the desk in my West Hall double offered me a private, personal place to do homework, there were several buildings nearby where I could attempt—and occasionally succeed—at finishing all of my assigned reading. Hawthorne-Longfellow Library (H-L) was one such spot, and has remained a favorite for the past three and a half years.

Few occasions have brought me to the Atrium in Druckenmiller Hall. Every so often a meeting will call for a stroll through or above it, and I have vague memories of once standing atop a bench there while watching an Improvabilities show. The longest period of time I've spent in the Atrium was during the week I used it as a subject for a Drawing I project. Each time I enter into the Druck Atrium, I feel a pang of sadness for not spending more time in what strikes me as a beautiful space.

It's possible that you've never had a class in the McKeen Study on the first floor of Massachusetts Hall. There is a good chance, however, that you sat there as a prospective student and listened to your tour guide give their academic spiel.

To be honest, I was initially uneasy about my choice of the Visual Arts Center (VAC) for this week's column. I fear that it has already imprinted a fairly concrete impression in the minds of the members of the community. In the spirit of being upfront, I should also add that as a senior visual arts major, it's a building that I've come to have a fairly complex relationship with: it's been the home of some major discoveries, struggles, and naps in the Beam Classroom.

There is a reason why each one of us has a preference for either Moulton or Thorne. It's often more complicated than choosing based on where your sports team has traditionally sat or whether you'd rather get a hug from Patty or be greeted by Norma.