walking to school

I walk to school because I live less than a mile away. It's mostly uphill, although not steep at all. I think there might be 150 feet total elevation gain. If the weather were nice, it would actually be quite pleasant.

The first half mile is actually walking to the campus. The street on which I live is usually pretty shady when I'm on my way. Green is the predominant color with lawns, ivy, trees, shrubs, and then some pretty landscaping at the intersection where I turn.

On the left is a small park.

The next street's less shady. I really feel it on the way home in the afternoon! Then I get to a roundabout ("traffic circle?") with a formal entrance to the Emory campus.

It's a pretty walk for the rest of the way on campus. First I walk along a brick sidewalk with space for 4 benches on the side. Only one space has a bench, it's kind of cool and funky.

On the other side of the street is Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. It reflects the Methodist origins of the University.

There's another bench-sculpture, this one's pretty odd. A funny thing D and I observed is that the little "seat" actually lifts off. We were both amazed it wasn't bolted or chained on, and agreed that most places we've lived, that piece would have been long gone.

Next I cross a bridge over Antoinette Candler creek. One day I noticed a small plaque on the left just before the bridge. I stopped and read:

"Source Route"

BY GEORGE TRAKAS

Environmental sculpture

commissioned for the 1979

Phi Beta Kappa Symposium

on Intellect and Imagination.

I followed the sculpture down, across the creek, and up the other side. It's an interesting pathway of multiple materials, from metal to poured concrete to wood to natural rocks.

Normally I just walk across the bridge. For my architecture nerd friends, you might like to know that the building at the end of the bridge is the Michael C. Carlos Museum, designed by Michael Graves.

I'll usually walk up alongside the museum on the trellised stairway to the Quad.

Then I walk around the edge of the quad. The 6 buildings forming the corners of this rectangular space I believe are the original campus buildings, built in the early 1900s. The marble walls are a "quilt pattern" of different shades of pink and grey local marble.

After a couple more minutes, I get to the School of Medicine. This building will consume many of my waking hours for the next few years!

Behind the School of Medicine building is a fountain. Somehow, I keep hoping that stepping near it on a hot day will make me feel cooler. It hasn't worked yet.

Also behind the SOM building is WHSCAB (Woodruff Health Sciences Administration Building). This is where it all started. On interview day - we started and ended the day here. Our orientation started and ended here. AND our graduation will also be here.