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| The "Wedding Cake" building at Cal Tech, where I visited last week. |
When I was a kid, I loved going back to school. I was usually bored in the summers, and missed my friends. I also tend to like an imposed structure, or purpose, in my life and school provided that. (And, luckily, I was interested in most of what school had to offer).
I'm still going back to school. I've only had a couple of jobs in my life in which I didn't have to go back to school. Something about school obviously clicks with me. I've worked in three colleges and three high schools, constituting most of my career. I have yet to figure out exactly what it is about school that resonates with me.
And as I creak my way back to school this year, rev up the school gears again, I'm still wondering what it is about school that has always drawn me in. I read about school and college even on my vacations, even when I swear I won't. I can't help it.
So what's up with school, as a profession?
(Hmm . . . I've just noticed that this building, above, looks faintly religious, as many college buildings do. Lots of college architecture is modeled after Gothic cathedrals or 60s-era churches. Maybe there's something to that? Check out this Arts & Sciences classroom building at USC--Univ of Southern California--which I visited last Wednesday).
Beautiful post, Amy! I definitely relate to this excitement about going back to school!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting how many school buildings have this religious feel to them (need I remind you of the CDI, which used to be a chapel/church, as it was a catholic school before). I suppose when it's voluntary (as opposed to the Roch. example), maybe the idea behind it is that education is sacred and needs to be taken seriously, thus the big architectural effort.
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