What is a university? We all think we know because here we are at Boise State University--taking classes, meeting new people, dealing with professors, and hopefully finding answers to our questions about life and what we might want to study as part of life's path. Our initial goal in creating the blog, is to bring some discussion to the term "university" offering both concrete explanations of how we see the university as well as more philsophical discussion of what the university is to the thousands of students who attend this university.
The term "antipodology" may, at first, seem like an unusual title for this blog; however, the term means "parts of the earth diametrically opposite; the exact opposite or contrary. Our postings, if we are considering the term "university" from various viewpoints, should prove we truly are looking at an antipodology.
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Can you Ring the Bell?
ReplyDeleteI see a university as a way to better one’s life. That’s why as I was walking around campus exploring for the perfect symbol of BSU I stumbled upon a simple structure that shows our one goal. I found The Excellence Bell, and for those of you that don’t know this is the bell located by the tennis courts, and it has a sign that reads, “If you have achieved excellence today ring the bell.” This may seem to most as a perfect opportunity to be an annoying nuisance, and make lots of noise. However, as I acknowledged this structure I couldn’t help but think of the deeper meaning. When I saw this bell I did not give in to temptation to ring it, and I don’t think I will until I truly do achieve excellence.
We all have our own personal definitions of achieving excellence, but when I see the bell I think of graduation. I picture hundreds of people in black gowns just waiting to get their diploma’s and begin their new journey. I picture admirable speeches and parents crying, knowing that with their help their baby in now truly grown up. They’re ready to make their own way, and write their own story. I truly see this moment as achieving greatness, because not very many make it this far. According to Al Branch, “About 42 percent of students entering four-year colleges or universities graduate.” This is a pretty devastating drop out rate if you look at how many more students are actually going to college these days. Sure there are plenty that do make it, but on the other hand there’s plenty more who don’t. At this one moment you know you’re one of the exceptional few who have dedicated yourself long enough to achieve something that no one can ever take from you. Many attempt this feat and fail within their first year. I’ve only been here a semester, and I’ve already considered this might not be for me; so for the people that make it all the way through I see them as achieving greatness. Personally I like to think that if I do find myself here at BSU, and I stay dedicated to whatever major I decide to declare one day that I will return to this bell on the day that I achieve greatness.
Mazel Sievers
The Admin
ReplyDeleteLooking around campus one building stands out among the rest to me and that’s the Administration Building. When you stroll by the Admissions Office I can’t help but wonder who designed it and why they designed it like they did. It has unique details in it from its mansion like design to the up to date look on the inside. It has a brick work all around it followed by designs in the concrete which make this building stick out from others among it. When you walk by it or just stand there and stare at it the beauty of this brick building engulfs you with all of it majesty. From its smooth round window seals that have a design all to their own, or the shape corners of the bricks that wrap around it, the beauty of the admin building is one of its own. You have concrete steps on ether end of the building and even in the front of it so gaining access isn’t hard unless the doors are lock.
What was the designer thinking when he or she imagined this building? Will it stand the times or will it be torn down and rebuilt one day to something newer and better later on in life? I’m sure they were thinking how they could make their mark in the architecture world so all is talked about for years after their gone. When you stop and look at the building take in all of the intricate details and how much time someone took to design this beautiful building called the Administrative Building.
When you go inside the building you see pictures from the here and now to pictures of the old and past. You can get a good idea of what a lot of building looked like or what they still look like. The administration building can hold so much history in one building and letting it go untold is a bit shameful, not only the University, but also the designer of the building. So who was he or she and what did they do or how did they do it? When you go back and look at the building or go inside of it take a minute to admire all of the beauty and hard work one person put into designing this building and what it meant to them and what it means to you and maybe it can influence you one day.
University. What is it?
ReplyDeleteI think that a university is a college that offers more than a dinky little community college. It is a place where there are many colleges inside the one campus. A place where an individual figures out what they want to do with their life and how they are going to achieve that goal. It should be a place where lifelong friendships are made and where activities take place. Most universities should be a place with a lot of activities, outdoor and indoor concerts, and other things should be happening. A university is also a place where fresh-out-of-high-school students come and not so much to a recruiter school like Boise State University, but a place where they are going to call home and the place of study for however long it takes them to achieve their degrees.
It is a place where sports games are held but depending on what university you go to, sports are usually very important and they are how the university is recognized. Football is usually the most well known extracurricular activity, or sport, that most universities are known for. Besides the activities that a university is known for, some are also known for how well some of their departments are. Some are known for their theater and arts, others are known for their law departments, or their nursing and pre-med departments.
When looking for a university to attend, I think that a person should take in all the possibilities that are being offered at that university before they attend or make a decision on that particular university. Do not just go because of stupid reasons, because that is not what a university is, it is a place for learning and taking your life further than working at McDonald’s.
Shelby Mason
Gateway to a new life
ReplyDeleteI believe that the university is a place where you start your new life, a place where you will not be dependent on nobody, a place where you will discover yourself, discover your personality, and come to know more and more about your ability, and your skills. When I was in high school, the education system was totally different than the university. In a high school you had to go to school every morning at 8:00AM, and cannot get out until 3:00PM. It felt like you had been caged. In high school you didn’t have the choice to choose classes; You have to take all kind of classes. In high school your classmates are the same in every class. However, the university is another story. First of all, at the university you are free as a bird; You can go to the university whenever you have classes, and once the class is done, you can go anywhere until your next class. At the university every thing is your choice. You will be able to meet friends from everywhere; Your classmates are not the same in every class, unless people who are majoring in your major.
I think the university is important for anyone who needs to know more about life. It is important to anyone who wants to know about his future job or his future life. For me, the university has changed me a lot. Now I look at things differently. My knowledge has been increased. I have learned many things form my friends, my life at the university, and from my professors. For example, I have learned about many cultures from my foreign friends. I now know that in Korea, people have to bow when they greet each other. In America, people shake hands when the meet. I believe that in this period of time the university is so necessary, and the education is as much important as water and food to survive.
I know the term university has the root universe in it so to me it means that anyone from any part in the world has the opportunity to go there and to expand their knowledge about everything they want to know in this universe.
ReplyDeleteIt’s a great place to go because it also creates a lot of your best experiences and memories and I believe that your experiences are what you really learn from the most in life. I think that is why this university puts on a lot of fun events for its students. Besides football games, there are a lot of other sports that have games you can go watch or you could go to a play that’s being put on. They want to make college a great experience for everyone so they strive to make that happen. There are always events posted everywhere and I think going to a few wouldn’t hurt. I think that if college had nothing fun to do at all then a lot of people wouldn’t stay in college and finish their schooling. In college you’re not just learning in the classroom and lecture halls you actually learning from the great and the bad times everyone experiences in college.
Stepping Into a New Experience
ReplyDeleteThere are many possible things that could symbolize what university is. Obvious symbols that represent BSU would be the colors orange and blue and a bronco. However when I think of university, the first thing that comes in my mind is a dorm. University cannot be a university without dormitories. Dorms are very important part of university, because they allow students to live on campus.
Living on campus can have many benefits. One would be the convenience of easily accessible classroom buildings. Secondly, has more chance of meeting many new friends. Thirdly, I don’t have to deal with parking. I really love the fact that I can walk to my class in the morning and not having to drive to school. This is what I most love about living in a dorm and it makes me feel that I am really at the university. Everything is so close to my dorm, making it very convenient for me. I think BSU buildings are well built like a library is so spacious and clean. I sometimes like to look around the campus when I’m walking. I love how trees change the leaf colors during fall. It’s such a beautiful sight to watch. When you live in a dorm, you will run into many different people. For freshman, it is highly recommended to live in a dorm, because you can make a lot of friend by doing so. Especially when you have a good roommate, it will make your dorm life memorable.
I’ve been living in a dorm for about 2 months now and I don’t have any complaints except there is one thing that I’m not happy about. I don’t like that there is no kitchen. It’s very inconvenient to not be able to cook, because when I study until midnight for tests and such, I sometimes get hungry. Then I would have to go out to go get something to eat, which is time-consuming when I want to go back to my studying soon. I never thought that I would ever be this comfortable living in a dorm. I was so worried that I would never get used to the place. One thing that I was most worried about was the public bathroom, but it’s all about getting used to it. I don’t know why I was worried, because a public bathroom isn’t all that bad. This made me realize that I shouldn’t walk away from new experience, but just get involved and see what it’s like.
Min Kim
Education=Success
ReplyDeleteWhat is a university? I believe the word “university” means a place where somebody who is serious about his/her future can further their education to prepare for their career. I strongly agree that without a college degree you won’t be able to succeed as well as you would with a degree. And if you’re going to go to a school and pay a huge amount of money to get more education then you should take it serious and work hard for it. But I also think that a university is not only a place to get better education. It’s also a place where you find your true self. For myself I went from a high school student who had everything done for me such as my parents paying for everything, doing my laundry, preparing my meals and running things to me when I needed them. Now I am in the position of having to do everything for myself. My parents do still help me with money but that is because I have no job. I only get a certain amount of money each month though and have to budget it out to make sure I have enough. I have to find my own time to eat and get my homework done and planning out when I can have a social life. I also have to get myself up, make myself go to class because college class is completely different than high school classes. I have to go to get the information and learn. Moving out and doing things on my own is a completely different experience then how it was in high school which to me makes you grow up a little and become more responsible.
It’s also a place where you can meet all sorts of new people from all over not like your secluded little town you grew up in. it’s a place for you to grow as a person an become an adult. It is a place with a huge diversity and that is good for everyone to experience. I know college isn’t for everyone, but I do think they should experience the college or school experience because it’s unlike any other.
Imaging a University
ReplyDeleteWhen I walked around the BSU campus, I couldn’t really find one certain staple that best described BSU. I constantly saw people of different looks, styles and languages. The girl who sits at the table talking in some crazy fast language, that sounds like gibberish to me, but makes perfect sense to the person on the other line. Then it dawned on me. That the true image of BSU was not some concrete statue or old building. It was the hundreds of different interesting people that walked by me from day to day. I saw people, students, people of this University. Students here to learn, to find their way in life. That is what makes a university.
The compelling view of different people finding what makes them different and embracing it. Putting that special skill to use throughout their lives. It was the student that sits next to me every physics class ready to learn. The students are the image of any university. Boise State University just happens to be the university that I chose. When I look around while I walk to my next class, I realize that I made a great decision on where to build the foundation for my life.
A Unique University
ReplyDeleteWhat is a University? My interpretation of a university is a collection of colleges meshed together into one setting to broaden the views and create a successful independent student. A university to me sets goals and expectations of students to reach their greatest potential and successfully prepare them for the real world and tough obstacles along the way of maturing into an adult. Many groups are welcomed to universities to introduce history, morals, culture, talent, and creativeness to spark interest and teach students whats out in the real world. Some examples of these groups are BARCADA (Boise American-Pilipino Relations Club & Diversity Association), BGLAD (Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian Association), Black Student Alliance, Intertribal Native Council, and Scottish-American Society. Within these colleges are the opportunities of students to obtain a degree in studies that interest them. As said in The Boise State Mission Statement, makes a statement of why and what they are here for. “Boise State University is a comprehensive, urban university serving a diverse population through undergraduate programs, research and state and regional public service.” universities do not just train us to be knowledgeable beings but responsible members of society. It is the combining into one of everything you ever wanted to achieve in one setting. A university to me is a family setting to welcome students with open arms, help them grow, inform them of what will be asked of them when they understand their major and what they really want to pursue as their life career. The understanding of a university is crucial for students to really feel the family like structure of the facilities offered here at Boise state University.
Alik Gines
ReplyDelete10/30/09
E/90 The new U rising Symbol
Many people can’t tell a university by its symbols, but at Boise State University there are many different types of symbols and even old historic looking buildings. But in front of the Theater Art’s Building there is an awesome sculpture. It was created out of metal, but although I don’t know what type of metal it was made out of, I do know that it’s fascinating to look at.
By focusing on its designs and structure I can see that it’s in the form of a world or a universe. A universe is made up of countless planets and solar systems. A university is made up of thousands of different types of people and ethnic backgrounds, from all around the world. Just as a universe keeps on spinning and rotating, a university does exactly the same by rotating between classes. With students of all ages coming and going, it’s an everlasting cycle of growth and learning.
There are many wonderful events and activities, for students at Boise State to participate in. I am on the B.S.U track club and I love it a lot. It really helps me to stay healthy and strong physically and mentally while attending my classes here at Boise State.
About every other day on my way to track practice, I always notice this symbol I chose. The sculpture is small not very big in stature, but if you can imagine inside the sculpture that there are so many different types of studies associated with Boise State University alone. Many students will be able to achieve their goals in a great environment, but it’s not for everyone. The university is for those who work hard and stay dedicated to their work. Because it’s their very own ballpark and students get to call the shots. For that rezone I know that the symbol that I picked is a universe. It truly describes our university here at Boise State and how it keeps on growing and changing for the better.
What is a University Symbol?
ReplyDeleteA symbol of the university to me, especially being around here at BSU, is probably the campus itself; ever since I started going to college here, I've always looked at a college campus as a small city, because wherever you have classes, you have work to do, like a paying job, for both students and professors. While professors get paid money, we students are paid in grades for the work we do. There are even places people can live on campus, such as in the dorms; while you can work there, you can also live, in this small city. College is all about getting out into the real world, becoming a responsible adult and leaving the high school attitudes of work and education behind. So it is a good experience to get to know the place you work at by living there, away from your family's house so you will be used to living on your own.
High school is a workplace full of teenagers, kids whom their teachers think they need to babysit to get work done because they are not legally adults. Teenagers do not get treated like soon-to-be young adults and their work almost seems meaningless because they do not get rewarded apart from more points to puff up their grades, so they do not take high school that seriously. To me, I didn't feel challenged to become a young adult, and I was stuck around a bunch of people my own age who had mostly no real interest in the ways of maturing themselves when I was trying to grow up, therefore I couldn't help but feel stuck in the tiny, crowded, dumpy campus of Centennial High.
The trouble with the Centennial High campus, apart from the fact that it is small and extremely dirty, is that it is only a place where kids are dropped off for the day to do some homework assignments and go home, like a daycare for teenagers instead of a place to prepare future college students. There is really no room to mature, and no room to make your own decisions because of teachers and other officials around to bother you about your work. The campus at BSU, however, is a place where you not only learn more about good work ethics, but also how the world works, therefore it has more; not only lessons about hard work, but also living places, restaurants or cafes in most of the buildings, and places for recreation like park areas, bowling allies, pool tables, and ballrooms for special occasions. Unlike high school campuses, college campuses such as BSU are places to let you practice for living in the real world, with everything you need, from learning good work ethics in the classrooms to living places to places for relaxation.
Lastly, while we work and live here in this miniature city, the college campus also has its own "citizens." The college campus is also a place where you meet new people, be them people you have never seen in your life or acquaintances you think you would never see or talk to again. This is how I met two of my new best friends now, junior year acquaintance Caitlin Snapp from Centennial High whom I thought was popular, and eighth grade year acquaintance Chris Balsan from Cole Valley Christian High whom I never thought I would actually get to talk to because typically I didn't make too many male friends at the time. Meeting new people from all different sources is what makes my experience at the university campus special, because it is like moving into a new city, away from the place where you know almost everybody to a place where it has new people and experiences in store.
Caroline Farmer
The Paper Trail to Profession
ReplyDeleteI've searched far and wide, high and low, dug into the depths of my soul searching for the face and shape of our great university. The day this assignment was given I knew I wanted something different then the typical student for my symbol. I wanted it to represent the greatest amount of strength, intellect, courage, and virtue there was to display for the university! I wanted it to be held above all others in comparison to what our great university upholds. My number one goal actually was for it to be motivational above all else. But... like much of the ideas, dreams, and hopes of today, mine too were crushed with one hideous, vial, disgusting thought that I never saw coming. A receipt!
This may sound like an outrage to some, but that just shows your lack off experience on the topic. For the common college student every semester there's only strife when it comes to their bank account. And one of the worst things that can come around is going out to purchase a new text book, or signing up for a new class because every time we do we get a well overpriced payment to go with it.
Especially when things may seem pointless already, because school only expects you to memorize and regurgitate information to pass the class. And in most cases students forget the information as quickly as they had to learn it. So there’s really no point in even spending the time, effort or money in that class just to leave with nothing more than a piece of paper saying you did it, and here’s how much you owe now. You+ 16,000$= Degree or Receipt!
In some ways it’s understandable why the prices on schooling are so high, but on then again it’s pretty sad. I just don't understand how that in order to attend a university, with a first priority of knowledge, that it will also cost you an arm, and a leg to attend and learn the subject you wish. Its just not right. Although there are things like financial aid, and grants out there, sometimes its not enough for everyone. The support only makes the people that really deserve to go to college, (which is everyone,) be in debt until fifty. Especially if there job is world beneficial like a social worker or philosopher. How can you pay off student loans making next to nothing while doing everything for your profession?
Kris Cook
Many Opportunities Come Knocking
ReplyDeleteOn the pathway down the land of many careers, many doors seem to open. On campus around the University the one thing that symbolizes students are doors. Every door that opens shares a new opportunity down different roads. It seems that having the opportunity knocking at your door, you might want to open it before you miss out on something that might be the best thing that could ever happen to you. I wanted to attend college to major in law enforcement, but changed my mind and wanted to open my own business. When I walk through a door to one of my class, I feel as if I’m getting persuaded onto another pathway.
From the first day at BSU, I never realized how many different doors there are to open for a variety of majors that students can choose from, and that there are more than a few careers to live for. From psychology to chemistry, from theater arts to kinesiology and many, many more, no door is going to keep you out but it might give you another door to open. I feel that if a door is able to open right when the last one closes the capability to learn will increase not only for me but people who want a better education.
Who would expect a door to be an actual symbol? The reason why I chose the door is because when you open the door to your class, you don’t really know what to expect and what you’re going to get out of it. Through the doors the classes bring a variety of ethnicities from students from around the world into one group for one major. With every open door, you can achieve goals for lifetime experiences that you won’t regret later on. Hopefully through the years it doesn’t get to the point where someone wants to take the hinges off the door and make the opportunities stop knocking, even so you can always build a door.
Dena Ramirez
The University Symbol
ReplyDeleteAs I look around, the one thing that I notice and symbolizes the university is the message board on the walls throughout every building on campus. To me, this is where you see ads and information on school functions. This is where students get involved within their school. Need a place to live? This is where students look for roommates. Need extra cash? You can look for part-time work. Failing Classes? You can also get tutors for struggling classes. If you were to look at a message boards, you would see flyers for a cause like, “Saving The Environment” or “Go To School In A Different Country”.
If you go to any department you will also notice messages that are directed toward students in that particular department. Something like class requirements to be able to get into COMM368 or a flyer for a student radio show called, “ALL THINGS METAL” that airs on Sunday Nights at 8:30pm on The University Pulse (http://bsupulse.com/). This to tells me a lot about what students are doing and what is important to them. From politics to an important cause, this is where you will find a lot of information that isn’t always given.
Denny Spinks