Walker tower was where I lived during my freshman year of college.  It is a terrible looking building. There is little to no natural light throughout most of the building, which combines with the white concrete walls to give off a very cave-like appearance.  The small rooms with single slit windows were also very reminiscent of a prison structure. This was not lessened by the way the entire building is split into discrete sections that require credentials.  It results in you feeling very closed off in the building.

The omniplex, or as is now called “the Oklahoma science museum” was one of the most impactful buildings in my childhood.  The red geodesic dome was so iconic, there was no other building that had anything close to something like that. The rest of the building was so deceptively large as well.  The exterior of the building was ugly concrete but it was covered in ivy so it was hard to tell. They really used the inside well, they maintained the feeling of huge open areas but they were still defined enclosed sections.  I was always so excited to see that red dome every time I went there. For me it meant a very fun day walking around the museum. I rarely ever even saw the inside of its most defining characteristic, the dome. This was because it’s used for the IMAX screenings and I was always more interested in what was actually in the museum than what they were showing.

Notre Dame is a building that I don’t get to have constant, prolonged contact with but nonetheless has had a significant impact on my life.  I first visited Notre Dame the summer after my freshman year of college. I am not a Catholic but I think that to really get the full impact of anything you have to immerse yourself in it.  So I went to Sunday Mass at Notre Dame the first week that I was there. It was an amazing experience that I have never had anything else come close to. After that I stopped by almost every day, which wasn’t really out of my way because I usually had to walk past it anyway on my way to most places.  When you walk in it’s like being transported somewhere else, the inside is huge and almost all the light is filtered through the gorgeous stained glass windows and the sound of the ceremony is very powerful no matter where you are in the building.

Gamma Phi Beta is another building that has had a positive influence on me. To me, this building means that I can relax, and if I need anything I can always retreat here. When I joined my freshman I was very overwhelmed, because there were more members in this chapter than people who attended my high school. I quickly became comfortable and after 4 years I realize that this experience is one of my favorites in college.

The West Point Chapel just might be one of the most incredible buildings I’ve had the chance to explore. While I was a cadet at West Point for 2 years, I found the architecture extremely drab and somewhat depressing due to everything being built from the same gray stone. There was very little variation between the buildings, but the chapel, which was situated up the hill from the other buildings, had this castle-like appearance. While I didn’t go to any church services,  I did always appreciate being able to look up from the parade ground and see this beautiful structure. Also, fun fact, the organ is the largest all-pipe organ, in a religious structure, in the world.

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This is the house that I grew up in. It holds many special memories for me, like hearing about my sisters getting married or having babies, opening acceptance letters, Christmases, and countless birthdays. My family moved into this house when I was young. So, this is the only house I remember. This house means that I am about to walk in and be greeted by at least 2 bright smiles and asked if I’m hungry.

As a Business major, most of my classes are now all located in the Michael F. Price College of Business building. When I first got to campus, it took me several minutes to find my classes in this long multi-leveled building. After several years, I finally can find my fastest way around this large building through the series of connecting hallways and spiral staircases. The classrooms are all mostly pretty well light, due to the multiple large windows that can be seen in the picture above. As I have gotten closer to graduation, I get more excited every time I finish a class in this building. I have found great use in the lounges and study rooms located in the ground level of Price, whenever I need a place to study, Price always has had  an open area.

The Devon Energy Hall was the first building I ever got the chance to go inside at OU. I visited OU with my 8th-grade class in order to do a science event, and this building was the primary center for all the activities. As I did then, I still really enjoy the open layout on the ground floor and also on the top floor. The outside seating incorporated with lighting almost makes the building feel more inviting, and the top floor being open makes it feel like it is not an academic building. I am looking forward to taking classes in the building where I first got to experience OU.

Another building that has had an influence on my life throughout college has been the home O’Connells Irish Pub and Grill. Tucked away in the strip on campus corner is the one of the best places to kill some time with friends or grab a bite to eat. They have one of the best burgers on campus. For the past few years my buddies and I meet up here a couple times a week to watch some current sporting events or take advantage of the happy hour from 2-7. I experience happiness whenever I through the heavy wooden doors knowing what good times this place brings.

I visited this house because one of my cousins was able to book this place for her wedding. It’s located up near Missoula, Montana and it has a beautiful landscape; you can watch the deer and elk right outside your window. What was so interesting to me was how well the buildings meshed with the surrounding environment. Also, I was a little surprised that one of the most famous architects in the world would do a job that was this modest in the middle of Montana where it wouldn’t be seen by many people. I hope to go back there at some point and refresh my memory.