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PAGE 4 GOLD BUG Along with these photographs of the Goucher campus, are some thoughts on campus environments by experts in this field, some taken from Architectural Journals which incidently are not available in the W.M.C. library. In a recent Time magazine (Sept. 21), the Art section was devoted to campus architecture. One of the main points of as that article appears in the comment, " ... the colleges, The custodians of culture, accept and what amounts to a moral to recognize quality foster in their obligation It is precisely that has been buildings." in the development this recognition Maryland College absent of Western Whimsee enough. It is still easy to say discussions obligations "moral moral is not But the argument involving about obligattons" and just what is "quality design" are too ephemeral for the basis of a hard-headed building Environment program, and money is not WMC's strong point. of Ar- of the publication In a recent department called chitecture Rice that pinned Community at Colleges. University was a discussion 10 Designs for there down the ephemeral and translated it into terms of the practical advantage of superior architecture and design "When architects decide that the focus of their efforts should be not the building but the experiences people STORY ANO PHOTOS derive from it, when we involve ourselves with mental processes as well as with physical accommodations, we BY RICH ANOERSON deal directly with the elements that will operate during the life of our structures, while we have been aware that our spaces, our surfaces, our materials, our forms inevitably evoke responses from people, our primary objective has remained the development of a beautiful object. What this solution suggests is that we deal instead with a mental landscape - the minds of those who will use or pass by and through our building. "As a result we have taken as our major concern certain aspects of the problem which are implicit but unstated in the program. The empirical aspects, the number of students, the site, the sample curriculum, are treated here as important, but not appearing in an Educational Facilities College fundamental. The real problem we have attacked is Newsletter: "still another troubled area universities are suggested by questions: How does learning take place? just beginning to address is the matter of restructuring What does the individual seek from education? What does their internal organization so students have a voice in the community want? What barriers are created by policy decisions. existing educational programs and practices? Where are A recently completed project at Wayne State University these practices getting' in people's way? What can ar- is one of the rare instances where students were an active chitecture best do with an educational opportunity? "We productive part of planning for future physical assume, as a point of departure, that buildings can do a development. Their participation was a strong factor in great deal more in education than merely house students, shaping recommendations that have meaning for every teachers and facilities. We assume that architecture can urban institution in the country." teach. directly: Fortunately, W.M.C. appears to be rising to the L By a basic modesty of concept, enriched by diversity challenge to provide an improved educational en- of materials and structure, vironment. For the first time in all its history, Western 2. By respectful use of elements human in scale and Maryland College has a Long Range Planning Committee dimension, Whether it will provo to be an imaginative onc remains to 3. By bringing people together in face-to-face be seen as it began its work only last year. In the past, relationships, W.M.C. has wasted its limited resources by not having 4. By surrounding people with form, colors, textures and such a committee. For one thing, step-at-a-time building proportions that are as beautiful as we can make them, programs tend to always be behind the demand for new 5. By reminding people of past human accomplishments facilities. They lack any concept of vision and direction. A and emphasizing continuing value in human experience, college must be aware at all times what it is aiming for. 6. By employing the gifts of nature, and and the best way to get it. Long Range Planning is also a 7. By involving people and exposing them to interests vital element in attracting money. A college must com- and ideas not their own" pete in the investment market for donors. To win out in this competition college administrators must provide imaginative and informed long range plans. A donor expects a plan before he gives, but until last year, W.M.C. had not even started on a Long Range Plan Another reason for optimism is that \V.M.C. has cut all A s the foregoing discussion shows, a pleasant campus ties with the Methodist Church and can now receive state environment doesn't happen by itself. Instead. there are aid. A great deal of Western Maryland's future lies with many factors that must be considered. The two major the Long Range Planning Committee. It is easy to see the ones are: (I) imaginative long range planning. and (2) results of good planning in the development of the sophisticated knowledge of student preferences and GoucherCampus. It should not be long before we see some desires concerning the type of environment that will be results here at \V.M.C. most functional. Relevant to this point is the comment lere is a prevailing myth. concerning th~ W.M. C. campus; that this is a beautiful campus. Like ~any myths, there is an element of truth here. To the visitor, including the prospective student, the acres of grass, the abundance of old trees and t.he character of some of the old buildings, give the idea that the W.M.C. campus is a pleasant environment. And when the weather is good, W.M.C. does provide a pleasant country environment as well as a reasonably interesting off-campus environment and small town life. Any student who has made the- comparison between W.M.C. and a place like Frostburg State Teacher's College, can easily appreciate the superiority of the \V.M.C. campus. Visiting. however, is not the same as living here. After.a while, many students recognize that there are cert~m disadvantages to not having a Student Union, or a quality library to work in, or inspiring architecture to look at, or, especially in the cases of Whiteford and Rouzer dor- mitories. satisfactory living arrangements. However, the deficiencies of our campus environment should make us look for inspiration to a campus that is superior. One s.uch place is Goucher. Located in Towson, Goucher is within a convenient distance for comparison, and having ap- proximately 1000 students, it is comparable in terms of number and size of necessary facilities. Goucher is of course, a women's college, but many of its courses are integrated with students from Johns Hopkins U~ive~sity, a men's school. We might also profit by an examination of Hopkins, for while our administration was relieving .the students hereof the most vital element of a student uruon, the Grille, Hopkins students were being treated to a new snack-bar facilty. This is not to hold Goucher up a~ a model of envir-onmental perfection, 'tnn onIy to examme some areas where \V.M.C. might see how to enrich student life here .