A Great Place to Study

I don't spend much time studying outside of my room, but when I do I head to the 4th floor of the Atrium in Regents Hall for Natural and Mathematical Sciences.  This is the newest open building on campus and contains many environmentally friendly features such as a pipe system that collects rain and snow runoff to use in the green houses.  It is certified LEED platinum, and, as a Biology and Environmental Studies student, I spend most of my life here.  Over the past year and a half that is my time at St. Olaf, I've explored various homework nooks and found that I like the Atrium the best.

First of all, I like the amount of light. It's so bright in there that I rarely see the lights on during the day.  Second, it's usually pretty quiet.  Third, I'm surrouned by a bunch of people studying, just like me.  I feel it's a good place.

Since I started spending more time up there I've noticed a few interesting things.  Each day at about 9:45am, there is a tour group somewhere in the atrium.  I believe that this is a stop that everyone feels they need to make, because I see multiple tours up there every day.  Obviously it's an important spot for the school to show prospective students.  Another interesting aspect of the atrium is its view.  As you can see, the walls are made of windows.  This offers an expansive, panoramic view of Northfield, Faribault, Canon River, the hills and surrounding landscape, and beyond.  We are obviously set up very high, being on a hill, and I believe this placement is intentional.  Here the student is removed from the landscape laying below, and when he or she glances up from working, there is a whole vast horizon stretching out with endless opportunities. 

This view is very much like the Magesterial Gaze we've discussed in class.  By being on a hill, the school is removed from the community and placed ABOVE it.  From our vantage point we can look down out across the landscape, similarly to royalty viewing the surrounding kingdom. I don't think that St. Olaf considers itself royalty here, but I do think that this view can demonstrate a part of the school's view of education in relation to landscape.  We are physically removed from it, intentionally higher than the landscape, but at the same time we make sure we have a wonderful view of it, to think about it and our futures before us, how we can use our education out in that vast landscape below.