In 2017, I went to the Big 12 Championship at Jerry’s World. It is one of the most unique football stadiums due to its over sized jumbo-tron in the middle of stadium. I was sitting on the 2nd level and still felt like I had the best seats in the house. I was even able to get on the big screen. It was a crazy and very fun experience.
In the summer of 2018, my family and I took a trip to New York City. Experiencing downtown New York was crazy. One building that stood out to me the most was the One World Trade Center Building. The tallest skyscraper in New York, standing at historical 1776 ft tall, was like a national monument. I have never seen a building as tall or with as much meaning behind it ever before. It was an amazing experience.
The architect that I will focus on is Iraqi Architect Zaha Hadid. Hadid was born in Baghdad, Iraq in October of 1950. Some of her greatest works are the MAXXI- national museum in Rome, and also the London Aquatics Center in London that was built for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Both of these buildings have futuristic looks with curved roofs, and large window panes along the side of the building to really give it a unique modern looking style. Hadid has had her hand in some of Europes most interesting looking buildings, and is one of the most influential architects of the 21st century.
The Lincoln Memorial- when I was in my freshman year of high school I got to go to Washington D.C on a school trip and one of the buildings that we had visited and toured that stuck out to me was the Lincoln Memorial. It was created by the architect Henry Bacon who modeled the memorial as a greek temple and it was completed in 1922. I found it very intriguing with its tall pillars and grand steps leading up to the big statue of Abraham Lincoln looking over the relective pool of water and beyond and it was for sure a site to see and great experince.
Bizzell Library is the face of OU campus. It is the first thing I saw when I was applying to OU online and the main entrance of the library is the first thing I can pictures when thinking about OU. Like many other students, I spent many days studying, doing homework, and hanging out with my friends during breaks. I used to get my coffee every morning there till I had no classes close to Bizzell. I remember going there with almost every friend I know to study.
I went to Malaysia a couple of times in my life. It is the only country I’ve visited in Asia. At the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, is where the famous Petronas Towers are located. They are a twin skyscraper that have circular pyramid-shaped structure with a bridge that links between them. The towers are made of steel and glass façade designs that are found in the Islamic architecture. The lighting of the twin towers at night is amazing, and it make the towers look like they are shining.
I have visited Sultan Ahmed’s mosque, known as the Blue Mosque, in Istanbul, Turkey. The Blue Mosque is one of many incredible mosques in Istanbul. It is called the Blue Mosque because of its blue interior decoration. Like many other mosques, it has one main dome, several smaller ones, and several minarets (towers). Some parts of the interior were under construction, but I saw the blue ceramic decoration, glass windows and the verses from the Holy Qura’an. It is still an active mosque, so there is an entrance for Muslims to pray and another entrance for tourists.
In summer 2017, I got the opportunity to visit Italy. My brother and I took a trip to Duomo, Milan. The cathedral, or the duomo of Milan is one of the biggest Christian churches in the world, and the symbol of Milan. It is located at the city square, with a large empty space in front of it. Shops and restaurants around the cathedral. On the outside, the cathedral has a strong Gothic look with many carved statues. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to go inside the cathedral. It took almost 6 centuries, many different architects and sculptures to finish this amazing structure!
The BOK Center is a very large arena that is used for lots of things such as concerts and sports games. This building is special to me because it is where I saw my first concert. This building was the first building of this kind that was this large. It drew in more attention to the Tulsa area, therefore more events came into town for people to see. I have personally been to the BOK Center six times. The building is modern and I also love the layout of it on the inside of the building.
The Expo Square is the home of many events that are hosted in Tulsa. For me, this is an important place because it is home to the Tulsa State Fair. Going to the fair was a great memory of mine growing up. There is a huge building that holds all of the venders and different activities for guests to do. Then outside is where all the rides, food, and games can be found. This area is special because I have many memories of going to the fair here with my family and friends. Although now I just care about going to the fair for the food, it is still one of my favorite things to do.
