Walkabout #3 (Districts)

The neighborhood surrounding Westminster is a charming, vibrant area. We got off our bus at 1700 South and 1100 East, right in front of Mini’s Cupcakes. The hungry college students that we are, we crossed over and entered the cute, slightly shabby shop with a stunning display of beautiful (and tasty) cupcakes of every flavor imaginable. The boy behind the counter offered samples, and we left contented. We crossed back over the street and went into the Chabad Lubavitch Jewish Center, which was set back in a strip mall-looking area. The upper level, which looked like it would be used for receptions and ceremonies, was empty and we didn’t venture into the offices below, although we did pick up some handy Jewish literature about the rules of kosher, among other things. In that area, there was also an LDS ward, a delightful breakfast/lunch restaurant (Finn’s), a cat boutique, and a second-hand store. Then we traipsed up two blocks to Westminster. Along the way, we noticed that the houses of the area somewhat resemble those of the Avenues. They are all unique and quaint in their own ways; it was fun to see the character of each house we passed. The houses did seem smaller than many of those in the Avenues, however. After a short walk, we came upon the Westminster campus.

Our bus dropped us off at 17th S and 11th E, so we were at the edge of the neighborhood. The buildings were made of industrial brick and the streets were cracked. The area was not decrepit, as in Central City; the houses were well-maintained and it has the same feel as the Avenues. As we walked up Blair Avenue, Alessandro noticed that the houses were very close together; they had no driveway. The street ends at the edge of Westminster College. The architecture of the buildings changed immediately. While the university was also made of brick, it was not the small red brick, that is stereotypically associated with the 18th century, but large red brick. This gave the campus a more modern feel than the surrounding area. Another drastic difference was the vegetation; the campus was very green. The buildings were still very compact, but the gaps were filled in by paths with a serene covering of trees. It was easy to see that Westminster is a liberal arts college.

The most profound athletic complex on the Westminster campus is the soccer stadium. Unlike, the U, Westminster's most popular sports are soccer and lacrosse. They don't even have a football team! The soccer stadium is located at a very central location on campus, making it easily accessible with ample parking available. Next to the soccer stadium is the sports/fitness complex. When walking in, the first immediate difference from that of the U is most obviously the much smaller scale by which it was built. Everything is very compact; all of their fitness oriented equipment and athletic facilities are located mainly in this building. There is a double-sized gym, an indoor track, a lap pool and hot tub, cardio equipment, a weight room, and possibly the greatest addition, a rock wall! Interestingly enough, there was a small rock wall outdoors, on the outside wall of one of the buildings.
We continued to explore the campus, deciding to tour the residence halls. The freshman residence halls were much older and more run-down than the residence halls we currently live in at the U. They had a quirkier feel to them. The wild vegetation so prominent on Westminster's campus could be seen out the windows of the dorms, creating a nice naturistic atmosphere. The rooms themselves are much smaller than ours.

All of Westminster campus was beautiful, but its most striking feature was this amazing bridge over a river. It seemed to contradict most of what you’d expect from the average college landscaping, especially when you take the Utah campus into consideration. The closest thing we have here is the pedestrian bridge over a river of cars, but that doesn’t even compare.
The bridge was a quaint confection of wood and nails and kind of gave off the air of being from a slightly different time period. Once we stepped onto the bridge it was like we were transported into a beautiful fairyland. The foliage was thick enough that the buildings completely disappeared from view. The only sound that could be heard was the bubbling music of the river beneath. For Marie, it was akin to a religious experience. She didn’t expect to find a place where she could feel one with nature on a college campus.
From above we spotted a dirt path that led down to the banks of the river and felt compelled to investigate. Hiking down to the river had the same effect as stepping onto the bridge. We left the crazy busy world of a college campus behind and entered this realm where cares seemed to melt away and there was only us, the trees, and the water beneath.

Tim felt very at home on the Westminster campus—the U of U kind of gives him the wiggins’. It’s so massive; you feel like you could all too easily fall through the academic cracks, and never be heard from again. At Westminster, though, everything seemed so communal. Like if you didn’t show up to class, someone might actually track you down and ask what the matter was. Not that the U doesn’t have caring administrators and professors (hey, honors college). It’s just that here students must be actively trying to get the most out their educations. They really have to track down opportunities and grab them when they can. At Westminster that might be easier.
There were more eclectic students on the Westminster campus, too. The percentage of flat-brimmed baseball caps was definitely down compared to the U, replaced by Doc Martens and earthy ponchos and American Spirits. Though, the art students at Westminster like sketching their library just as much as ours do (our library’s way better, by the way)—we practically tripped over them when we walked by.
The U has a few redeeming qualities. As much as Tim wants to go to a small liberal arts school, he has to admit that the U is a school ‘for the people,’ and he likes being a part of that, too.