A Walk Around Campus

I spent a weekend this summer on the campus of my Alma Mater. I got up early on that Saturday morning and took a long walk while it was still cool and quiet.

The Oklahoma State campus is such a beautiful one.  It's large yet has a sense of community.  Let me take you on a little tour from my walk.

 

The Edmon Low Library

As on most University campuses, the Library is a predominant piece of architecture.   With its beautiful Georgian architecture the library is just that at OSU.  When I was at OSU in the 70's, the large fountain out front would become the object of some student's prank.  Several times a year the fountain would be overflowing with bubbles after the prankster added laundry detergent.

 

 

Whitehurst Hall

Seems like this was a dormitory when I was here in the 70’s but I may be wrong about that.  It’s now the President’s office and Administration Building

College of Human Environmental Sciences

(formerly known as The College of Home Economics) – Here is where my sister and I spent most of our time.  She majoring in Clothing, Textiles and Merchandising (now called Design, Housing & Merchandising) and I majoring in Family Relations and Child Development (now called Human Development & Family Science).  You can see they are completely re-doing the street in front of the building.

I learned there is now an official Oklahoma State Tartan Plaid that is registered with the Scottish Tartans World Register.  Last year, students who completed a textiles class were eligible for the competition to design an original plaid.  Student Stephanie Michalko won the competition.  I’ll be buying myself a Pendleton stadium blanket and scarf as soon as they are available!


Life Sciences West

I dissected my first fetal pig in this building.  It was difficult to get a photo of this building because they had it so fenced off.  They are doing some sort of tree preservation work.  This tree looked very old.  It would be interesting to find out just what the story is here; what sort of preservation they are doing.  Oh look, this sign has a number to call with any questions.  I tried it.  Just a person in a department that had no idea what I was talking about.  "You want information about what???"

Engineering South Building

I wasn’t smart enough to have any classes in this building. I've always liked the derrick on the roof.

Noble Research Center

This is all new since I was here.  Think Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.  Geo scientists, Botanists and the like emerge from here.  This facility is H-U-G-E.  This is the front of the building.

This is the back.

 

Cordell Hall

Used to be a dormitory (“Give ’em Hell Cordell!").  It is now a multi-purpose hall with offices, classrooms and labs.   I like the architecture of Cordell Hall and Bennett Hall (that is still a dormatory today).  The wings are like the wings on the Massachusetts Hall at Harvard.

 Eskimo Joe's

Awww...Here's Stillwater's jumpin' little juke joint.

It opened up in this tiny two story stone building when I was a Sophomore .  Downstairs were tables with bowls of nuts on them, the bar and I'm sure darts.  Upstairs offered pool and Foosball.  That's what we played all night long.  My sorority sister and roommate Jamie (yes, we were two Jamie's) was a killer Foosball player.  Whenever we played in a competition, she is the reason we advanced.  And we got to do it to a rockin' stereo system.

Over a decade later I was driving out to my in-law's ranch listening to an NPR story about the country's fastest growning mail order business.  They were talking about a little business in Stillwater, OK called "Eskimo Joe's".  I'm sure if I had any sort of liquid in my mouth at the time it was spewed all over the wind shield and dashboard.

Now look at them.  They are big time and there's a whole building that's attached to the right; full of merchandise that portrays Eskimo Joe and Buffy on everything.

OK, let's get back to the academic and cultural portion of our tour.

Bartlett Center for the Visual Arts

Art history, painting, drawing, jewelry/metals, all of the visual arts majors live here.  I had an unpleasant drawing class in this building.  It was my one and only class I took at night.  And unfortunately, it was on the night of the week that the girls generally went to happy hour.  Oh, wait a minute, that was every night. 

The teacher was a real prat; always cutting down everyone’s work; hey, we were taking beginning drawing what did he expect?  He was so unpleasant that I'd show up on the designated nights we were given an assignment and then I’d ditch out at break.

I would join my pals here, across the street.  I'm sure you're thinking I must be a true scholar to leave an art class and hang out at a book store.  That wasn't quite the case.  You see, this photo is of the present day building.  It used to be......

The Grey Fox, which was a hang out when we weren't around the corner at Eskimo Joe's.  Now mind you, I wasn't a complete washout on my art class.  I would return to class on the night the assignment was due, turn it in and receive the next assignment.  I simply couldn’t bear to work on my project in class and be constantly criticized in such a mean way.  Anyway, I got B’s and C’s on my work but he flunked me because I was never in class.  I had to take it over.  I requested a different teacher and a day time class to alleviate the temptations to slip off to the Grey Fox.

 Morril Hall

English Department – My Freshman English professor was a strange one.  He was a good professor despite that he came to class loaded every day.  Several times during the semester he would walk into the classroom, write on the blackboard “there will be no class today” and then walk out.  We thought it was great.

Seretean Center

Center for Performing Arts.   Lots of really great performances here.

 Stillwater Fire Station #2

In my elementary school years when I visited my grandma, who lived in Stillwater, I was always treated to a trip to this Fire Station to see the firetruck and the Dalmatian that lived here.

Old Central

This is the first permanent building on campus, built in 1894 when the school was Oklahoma A&M.  It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since the early 70’s.  Fully renovated, it is now the home of the OSU Honors College (which I was never invited to join, but my niece was!).  The old bell clapper used to serve as a traveling trophy for the Bedlam football series between OSU and OU.

A pretty clock

ConocoPhillips OSU Alumni Center

This is such a wonderful facility.  This photo of the back of the building doesn’t do it justice.  One of the banquets for my sorority reunion was held here.

I just want to add here that when I was doing my spell-check for this post, "ConocoPhillps" came up as "giggaflops".  Now, what kind of word is that???????

The Atherton Hotel

A very nice hotel located in the south end of the Student Union.  This is where I was staying.  The hotel is the training ground for students majoring in Hotel and Restaurant Administration; similar to how we in Family Relations and Child Development would do our student teaching in public schools.

The corner of University and Washington; north end of the Strip.

Theta Pond

Beautiful scenic landmark on campus.  Originally dug as a water source back in 1895.  After the school built a power plant and no longer needed it as a water source it was developed into the lovely area it now is.  It’s was named after the Kappa Alpha Theta house that, at one time, sat across the street.  When I was a freshman the upper classmen loved to tell us that Theta pond was “rubber” lined.  What a sense of humor those oldsters had.  I didn’t get it for a long time.

Old gnarly knees of the Bald Cypress Tress that surround the pond.

And my walk takes me back to the Student Union.  This is the other building on campus that holds as much stature as the Library. OSU's Student Union is the largest Student Union in the world.

I always like to include a garden in my walk.  This is the Centennial Garden in front of the Student Union.  As I stand here, the Student Union in behind me and the Library is to my right.

Thanks for walking with me.

School has now begun and just like that another college football season is upon us.
GO POKES !