Nash Library

October 3, 2021 matthewthemop Leave a comment

Photo retrieved from The Oklahoman (oklahoman.com/article/3890120)

The Nash Library is USAO’s study hub and home to the best library cat Addison. My first encounter with this building was the summer after my sophomore year of high school. I remember feelings of uneasiness and determination during that first encounter – I had finished attending my first college lecture as I was taking chemistry there for dual enrollment credit. After the lecture, I headed to the library to spend time studying for not only my class but the ACT. Entering a place full of individuals much older than me made me feel nervous and worried, but I knew I needed a place to effectively study. My main objective was to use the summer to best prepare myself for the ACT so that I could get the scholarship OU provides for a getting a 34. I was determined to get that scholarship as it would help me immensely to afford college. The inside of Nash Library was not very welcoming with the bare concrete walls and minimal nature light. However, each day it grew on me since it helped me to focus on studying and ultimately helped me achieve my goal.

The design of the Nash Library is not what sticks in my mind when I think about the building. I remember the function and purpose it provided to me. When discussing buildings and their impact on individuals, I believe what the space provides can be more important than how the building appears. I imagine this is the case for athletes who look fondly back on their old practice facilities. I will forever remember the feeling of success after a day of studying when I left the library and was rewarded with petting Addison who was always basking in the setting sun.

Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas

October 3, 2021 Monica.Ahedor Leave a comment

In Las Vegas, there’s a lot of really cool buildings. While visiting the city, I remember seeing Caesar’s Palace. I’m not entirely sure why I remember Caesar’s Palace the most. There were tons of other hotels and attractions that, honestly, piqued my interest more, but I think I remember it the most because of how popular that specific hotel is. Nonetheless, it was still very unique and neat. The building had a Roman architecture theme. The outside looked like Roman structures with many many pillars and arches. There were a lot of domes and statues as well. It really was a cool depiction of Roman culture. On the first floor of the building inside, there was a bunch of casinos and shops. If I recall correctly, the inside had a lot of gold where the casinos were located and a ceiling painted like the sky where the shops were at. Furthermore, there were a lot of statues and monuments. I remember seeing a play performed by animated characters of some important historical Roman event. I didn’t really enjoy seeing it all that much because I couldn’t see what was happening due to being so short.

The purpose of Caesar’s Palace is evidently to provide entertainment. There were no windows on the bottom floor and I presume it is so people are not aware of how much time they’ve spent in the building. Therefore, they stay longer and spend more money. It was extremely large and very easy to get lost. I went to only one tower and spent about two hours simply looking around. It was definitely a grand structure meant just for amusement. There were tons of drunk people and individuals laughing, having a good time. All of this made me not very interested in the place. Yea, the building was very cool, but besides wasting money and getting drunk there really wasn’t any other purpose for it. Caesar’s Palace just appeared as a place to throw one’s life away and considering how many people have lost their life’s savings due to gambling, I think my assumption is correct.

Now, I’m not saying that the building is ugly, it just didn’t appeal to me. While there, I found myself wanting to leave and get back to the “real world” even though I would still be stuck in Vegas. It was just too shut out and isolated from everything else occurring, and I did not like that. The palace was extremely beautiful and had amazing architecture, but I just didn’t really care for it or for the city, if I’m being honest. The meaning of the hotel was just so superficial. There were tons of other activities besides shops and casinos such as a fountain that were cool, but those things were only interesting for so long. Maybe the problem is that I need to learn to let go and have some fun, but Caesar’s Palace was just, dare I say it, boring.

Anaheim Convention Center, California

October 3, 2021 Monica.Ahedor Leave a comment

The Anaheim Convention Center is huge. When I went to see the Anaheim Convention Center, located in Anaheim California, it was a largest building that I had ever seen. I went to visit Anaheim during my freshman year of high school for a school conference. Honestly, I really just wanted to go to Anaheim just to visit Disneyland, but in the process of going to see the theme park, I had to go to the convention center and all of its events that were hosted. When I first saw it, I was in awe. It was humongous. There are thousands of people in the building and yet we only occupied a small portion of it. To put in perspective how big it is, it’s currently the tenth-largest convention center in America, YouTube holds many of its conferences there, and it’s over a million square feet.

The outside of the Anaheim Convention Center looks really cool. It’s a glass building with a lot of cool monuments and artwork on the outside. The inside, to be completely honest, is pretty lackluster. Part of the convention center just looks like a big warehouse that has no end. There is really nothing special about it. Other parts of the convention center were a little prettier. You could tell they were modernized to make the building look more appealing, but it still didn’t have that “wow” factor that some other buildings do. I don’t really hold it against the convention center because its function isn’t entirely to look grand. It’s to hold huge gatherings and it does that quite well.

Coming from Oklahoma and having been to previous conferences, I knew that convention centers could be huge, but I didn’t know they could be THAT huge. I remember while walking through the building, it seemed like every time when I thought I had mastered the layout, there was a different section for me to explore. It was so huge that I didn’t even see the entire building. Despite not knowing where I was, I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of different people from different parts of the world and learned a lot of new things. My favorite memory was probably the opening ceremony which had different artists and bands. I was with all my friends and that was a great experience.

I think what was the cherry on top of the convention center was how it was located around a lot of other cool activities. As I previously said, I only traveled to Anaheim so that I could go to Disneyland and the convention center was within walking distance from it. It also had a lot of cool shops and restaurants that really showcased the beauty of California. I was able to walk around the area with my friends and we were able to see many things that you just can’t find here in Oklahoma. I think all of this made the building extremely memorable to me. Since then, I’ve been to larger convention centers, but I still remember Anaheim simply because it was the first very large convention center I had been to and because, frankly, it was the best. It wasn’t just a convention center that made it so cool, it was the environment and its purpose which ultimately allowed me to create a ton of memories.

Fort James, Ghana

October 3, 2021 Monica.Ahedor Leave a comment

The building still haunts me to this day. It was old with dingey white-colored walls. You could tell it was probably a beauty during its time, but it, nevertheless, was a place of tremendous sorrow. Fort James was an English trading post for African slaves and commodities. Located in Accra, it was and still is in a very populous city of Ghana. As a kid, I remember seeing the building and how scary and imposing it was on the beach. It was very out of place, in a region full of slums. It was too large and protected. In a place full of rich African culture, there was this fort evidently European overshadowing everything.

Knowing the history of the country, though, the building fits in perfectly. It was a building of oppression. Where it housed thousands of human souls and contributed to the desolation of Africa. Hundreds of years later, it still stands tall showcasing the effects that it had and still has on Ghana and Africa today. The building wreaked havoc on the region and portrays history very well. When it was initially built, it was beautiful. However, its significance only could have existed due to the dehumanization of Africans. As time went on, it changed its function from a trading post to a prison. It still served the same function of oppression. It simply just had a new name during the era of colonization. Finally, it has become a museum. A place to remember the atrocities and the history of the nation. Crumbling and deteriorating, the fort’s presence shows how the slave trade and colonization may be done, but the impacts are still felt.

I was ten at the time that I saw the building. The people who lived around the fort went about their day as if it didn’t even exist, but I just couldn’t stop looking at it. Before my uncle even explained to me the history of the fort, I already knew its purpose. It was so evident who had built the fort and for what reasons because it was so out of place and yet so in place. After explaining, my uncle asked if I wanted to go to another city in Ghana to learn more about the European slave castles, and with a blank face, I told him “no.” I couldn’t go look at more because it was disheartening to think of all the lives lost and destroyed because a group of people were different. It hit me at that moment when I was there that history indeed happened. People were ripped from their families, put in chains, and dehumanized all for greed. And I could see it all, right there in front of me. In hindsight, I probably should have taken my uncle’s offer to go look at more buildings, but I was too young to comprehend the importance of learning the hard truths of life. Now only a little older, remembering the people swimming happily in the presence of such horrific memories has taught me that you can always find joy in life; it just takes the strength to move on.

Whittier Middle School, Norman

October 3, 2021 Monica.Ahedor Leave a comment

Whittier middle school is one of the buildings that I hate. For the three years that I was forced to step foot in that building, I hated just about every minute of it. Don’t get me wrong, there were good days, but for the most part, they were bad days. I didn’t like the teachers, the students, the environment, and, yes, I hated the building. I remember every Monday morning walking through the halls with dread, looking around at a newly renovated building that didn’t provide an education equivalent to the structure. You see, the problem with the building was that it was all for show, like a Long John Silver’s commercial. The food might look remotely decent, but when you taste it, it’s absolutely putrid. The building may look somewhat pretty, but considering its purpose, it’s ugly.

The purpose or the meaning of Whittier middle school was and still is to provide adolescents an education. It had walls that were round in shape to provide “cool” classrooms. It had many windows in the newly renovated areas that most likely served the purpose of allowing kids to connect with their environment. But despite the architect’s best efforts to provide a great educational structure, the building still filled me with dismay. Now that I think about it, the building could have been state of the art, and I still believe I would have received the same emotions that I do now. It wasn’t necessarily the building that I disliked, but rather the emotions the building gave me. I was not filled with joy when I went to the building, and therefore, every time I pass by it now, I think it looks absolutely hideous. The building failed to sufficiently provide me with its one purpose: a good classroom experience.

It didn’t make me happy. It made me sad, and that sadness has made me hate that “type” of architecture because every time I encounter a building similar to it, it reminds me of my memories and how bad they were. I guess what Whittier Middle School taught me is that a building does not get its beauty just from the material that it’s made of or its intricate design. Rather, a building gets its beauty from the impact that it has on people. Sometimes a grand building is enough to make one feel in awe, but most times it does not, nor is it always feasible to create such a structure. Thus, something magnificent is constructed when it touches the hearts of others. When it creates those fond memories.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium: An Innovative Football Experience

October 3, 2021 Matt Fullbright Leave a comment

Image of Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA

After being chosen to make our third straight College Football Playoff appearance, we traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to watch the Oklahoma Sooners compete against the LSU Tigers in the Peach Bowl. On the day of the game, we approached the stadium and I was astonished at the unique design of the exterior. Once we entered the massive stadium, we noticed many innovations that separated this stadium from other football stadiums. Instead of having a jumbotron on one end of the stadium, it was a 360 degree jumbotron that wrapped around the top of the stadium. Along with that, there is a retractable roof that opens if weather permits it to be opened. These examples of the innovative architecture that the stadium provides prove that this is one of the better modern-day stadiums in the United States today.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of the annual Peach Bowl game, is unlike any traditional football stadium. This indoor stadium has a unique design on the outside that looks nothing like a traditional stadium. Although the inside appears rather normal, your focus will be drawn to the jumbotron that wraps around the ceiling. Prior to Mercedes-Benz Stadium being built, this was something that has never been seen before in any sports venue. The architects did a fantastic job making sure that every fan is guaranteed a great seat because of the innovative architecture.

Overall, my experience at Mercedes-Benz Stadium was outstanding to say the least. Most of this had to do with the tremendous innovations that enhanced the fan experience. If I ever return to Atlanta, GA in the future, I will make sure to visit Mercedes-Benz Stadium once again.

Image retrieved from https://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2018/01/mercedes-benz-stadium-hok-architecture-atlanta-georgia-usa_dezeen_2364_col_3-852×638.jpg

Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar

October 3, 2021 aadarsh.bhetuwal Leave a comment

Hamad International Airport the sole international airport in the state of Qatar. More than 38.8 million passengers arrived at the airport in 2019. In 2016, the airport was named the 50th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic. It is the home of Qatar’s flag carrier airline, Qatar Airways. Hamad Airport was the first international airport I had ever been to. The airport is so close to the sea that as the plane was ready for arrival, it felt like the plane was about to land in the sea. I had read somewhere that it was a busy airport but did not realize it until I witnessed numerous other planes hovering around preparing for landing. As I looked out the window, I could see numerous other planes hovering around the airport-it was that busy. The runway in this airport is one of the longest in the world. As soon as I got inside the airport, I was taken back by its magnificent architecture, the blend of western as well as middle eastern taste, the shiny floors and everything in between. The six-hour layover felt like it was just a few minutes as I really enjoyed being there and was not tired at all. My connecting flight was far away but the airport was easily navigable which made me realize the importance of the need of airports that need to be simpler. Although I spent very few hours in this magnificent structure, I really enjoyed my time there.

Hamad International Airport Terminal Exterior [1]

Hamad International Airport Terminal Interior [2]

Image Source:
[1], [2]. https://www.hok.com/projects/view/hamad-international-airport-passenger-terminal-complex/

Bizzell Memorial Library, University of Oklahoma

October 3, 2021 aadarsh.bhetuwal Leave a comment

Bizzell Memorial Library was the first building that I ever got inside in campus. It was December 2019 when I just arrived from Tulsa for a job interview to work at the library’s IT department. I was impressed by the Cherokee Gothic architecture. I could hear a campus tour guide saying that it is the second most photographed building in the state of Oklahoma. It was first built in 1928 and numerous additions were made throughout the 20^th century for expansion as well as reconstruction after being destroyed by fire. Other than the times I went for work, I mostly felt good going inside the building, mostly because of the vibrant vibe it has because of the collective energy of the students that are inside to study. From the reading room that has impressive historic architecture to the lower level 2 where the graduate lounge built a few years ago with a modern touch, I was able to explore most of the building while I worked there for 18 months. Even though I don’t work there anymore, the building has a positive place in my heart.

Bizzell Memorial Library, South Entrance [1]

Image Source:
[1]. https://www.google.com/maps/uv?pb=!1s0x87b2427f936763bf%3A0xa983e2b20632dcec!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipP0KtrN7DZhf3bR2TkkRvQtrr-fvrHZf4-7hcuU%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5sbizzell%20library%20ou%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCgIgAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipP0KtrN7DZhf3bR2TkkRvQtrr-fvrHZf4-7hcuU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj_vJ2_gq3zAhUPkWoFHR_bAysQoip6BAhgEAM

Dharahara, Kathmandu, Nepal

October 3, 2021 aadarsh.bhetuwal Leave a comment

Dharahara is tower at the center of Sundhara, Kathmandu, Nepal. The original form was constructed in 1824 during the time when Bhimsen Thapa was the prime minister. The architecture is influenced Mughal and European architecture and looks like Minarets popular in India. It was impacted by the earthquakes in 1834, 1934, and most recently in 2015 which resulted in multiple reconstructions. In 2015, the structure collapsed and only its base survived killing 9 people on the tower that day. I was in Nepal when this 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Kathmandu. I had been to Dharahara with my father just a few months and I recollect the time I had climbed the inside of it counting each of the 213 steps. It was nice to watch most of Kathmandu from 203 ft up high. The 2015 earthquake was tragic as more than 9,000 were killed. It was just as disheartening to me that my memory of climbing the Dharahara with my father could not be recreated any time soon.

Image Source:
[1]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharahara#/media/File:KATHMANDU_NEPAL_FEB_2013_(8581665041).jpg
[2]. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharahara#/media/File:Dharahara11.jpg

Devon Energy Hall, University of Oklahoma

October 3, 2021 aadarsh.bhetuwal Leave a comment

Devon Energy Hall is a building within the Gallogly College of Engineering at the University of Oklahoma and is located at the SW corner of Boyd Street and Jenkins Avenue, a part of the region famously known as the Engineering Quad. It is home to the School of Computer Science and the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. My first ever engineering class at OU, Engineering Dynamics was at this building and I have very clear fond memories of this place. I love how this building is so different than the other ones on campus. It has ample light, the elevators are huge, and the air feels cleaner as it does not have any odor as you walk into the building. The fact that its construction was finished just a few years ago likely is the reason for it. Along with great classroom sizes, the building also has ample collaboration spaces across all 5 stories. I have spent countless hours with my friends on homework problems, and class projects. Thankfully, the results of them all have been good, and the experience has been fun to recollect, although at that time I may not have felt that way. I have always felt a sense of accomplishment coming out of Devon at midnight meeting those sweet 11:59 PM deadlines.

Image Source
[1]: https://www.ou.edu/coe/about/facilities