Brett Baldino's Madison Space for 4/7

The space I chose to take a picture of was the quad. Located in the heart of JMU's original campus it quite easy to find. If the weather is nice it should be even easier to find as almost anyone who has a class on this side of campus will stop in between classes or reside there for the rest of the day if they have already finished class. With a ton of space and amazing landscaping its really no wonder that everyone uses this space to nap, tan, play football, throw frisbess or just hangout. The designers of this space must have known that students would use it for such a purpose as its location and alotment of space are quite conducive to these activities. I do not believe that the quad could be improved because I am a firm believer in "if it isn't broken don't fix it". The quad will definitely be one of the major physical memories I have from JMU as it is one thing that has not and will never change, and I do not think I will ever forget the atmosphere I have experienced on the quad. I think Greenberg is certainly correct in respect to James Madison as its architecture and landscapes are all coordinated and exemplify the pride our school has in itself and the level of effort it puts forth to maintain that appearance.

Meredith Gray's Madison Space for 4/7

This is image is of the familiar ISAT building on top of 'ISAT Hill' on East Side of campus. There are a few interesting things to note about what this image represents. First, unlike buildings found on the quad that are designed with the native bluestone, the design of this building is very contemporary and does not look like anything already of campus. This is the university's way of claiming they are continually progressing, architecturally as well as academically. For in this building, the recently founded engineering program is housed. JMU is broadening the university's image by having modern buildings to attract new types of students.
Taking a closer look, we can note the green space in the front with two steep staircases on either side. It was no accident this building was placed on a hill. The green space suggests the same idea as on the quad- a place of communion for fun and knowledge; the stairs symbolize how you reach success. You must climb every stair to reach the entrance to the building, at which point you are able to enter and gain the knowledge needed for your success. Furthermore, we should note the 3 flagpoles in front of the entrance. JMU's flag is flown because it is here where we are becoming the people that will go out into another part of Virginia (represented by the state flag) or even the United States (represented by the US flag in the center) as successful citizens.

Frankie Wherrity's Madison Space for April 7, 2010

I took this picture at the very bottom of the Quad right in front of the entrance to the tunnel that will connect the building being constructed across the street to the rest of campus. I chose to capture this space because the Quad and Wilson Hall are essentially the central hubs of campus. Wilson Hall houses a variety of student services showing that JMU is genuinely dedicated to the students and their education. The Quad is where hundreds of students gather every day in the nice weather to hang out, study, or do both. The walkway shown in the picture was of course built to make the Quad look as beautiful as it does now, and also with the future in mind so the new building across the street will be directly connected to the Quad, and in turn the rest of campus.

However when I took this picture I had something different in mind. To me, this picture symbolizes the stepping-stones and long journey one has to endure to graduate from JMU. Being a freshman, I have to start at the very bottom and work my way to the top. Wilson Hall is arguably the most important building on campus and in the context of this picture represents my rise to importance and graduation from JMU. Symbolism like what I have found in my picture, may be just what the architects intended when they designed such things as Wilson Hall and this meaningful walkway on the Quad.

Cortney Marchetto's Madison Space for 4/7- Dr. M

The picture above is of the railroad tracks that run through campus. Everyone hears the sound of the train as it comes through campus and can easily recognize these tracks. When going on a tour of campus, I remember the the tour guide telling me that JMU was one of the only campuses with a lake, creek, and railroad tracks all going through campus. I found these railroad tracks very unusual for a college campus but they did not bother me. One would assume that these tracks are very separate from campus, and students and faculty would live their lives around them. That is not the case, these tracks are very embedded into our campus. Many see the tracks as an additional sidewalk to Greek Row or the Treehouses. If you look closely, you can see that the tracks actually say, "No Trespassing." While taking this picture multiple students were walking along these train tracks.
Thoreau states that the railroad tracks are necessary for man. He also implies that they are a negative thing, and are not helping nature. I would tend to agree with Thoreau, but not in JMU's case. The railroad tracks are surrounded by nature and the campus. They do not disrupt campus as much one would believe. They are apart of our campus and we make us of them. I mean, who hasn't used the excuse that, "The train stopped me," for being late to class?

Sarah Fisher's Madison Space for Dr. H 4/7

The space I chose to represent JMU was the UREC turf. It is located behind UREC and many activities occur there. Originally, the turf was designed for the JMU students to participate in sporting events such as club games and practices, intramurals, or even just to kick or throw the ball around with some friends. On the field, there are lines for lacrosse and soccer games. I am currently a member of the women’s club soccer team, and we use it for its intended purpose. However, there are many non-sporting events that occur here as well. For example, Student Organization Night is held there every fall and spring. It is a wide open space where the JMU community can get involved in activities other than sports, from Greek life to habitat for humanity. I think symbolically the turf represents the coming together of many different types of people all with the common goal of getting involved at JMU. It also serves as a practical function because there are both club and intramural games and practices held here every week and weekend. There is constantly someone out there enjoying themselves. The UREC turf is especially important to me because it is where I became part of the club soccer team and have spent my time getting to know my teammates, who are now some of my best friends.

The Vet by Caitlen Manning

Veteran’s Memorial Park

This space is the Veteran’s Memorial softball stadium. It is located outside of Memorial Hall off of the main campus of JMU. Since this stadium has been recently added, tons of student’s have been attending the games. There has been record breaking attendance at both the softball and baseball stadiums. James Madison softball players attend this site daily and if they aren’t playing games on this field they are practicing on it. At the beginning of the season, two feet of snow covered the field so being able to play on the field now is very exciting and this picture represents the beautiful weather that Harrisonburg has been getting. The only thing that really needs improvement is the placement of the stadium. The sun is horrible for players at most times of the day. Even night games are rough on the defense because they are glaring directly into the sun. This stadium is very environmentally friendly. It was placed in an area that already had a field so nothing was torn down in order to build it. This stadium will create many memories for me at JMU. All of the hard work and time I have put into playing softball is represented by this field.

JMU goes along with Greenburg’s article because it is such a pretty campus and the students that go here represent that beauty. The architecture is very different though. There are older styles of buildings such as the quad and then there is East Campus which has a newer look.

Caitlen Manning
Dr. Connerley

Candace English's Madison Space for Dr. H 4/5

This is a picture of the James Madison Statue located next to the Varner House bus stop. This statue is often used as a symbol of James Madison University in addition to representing the man who was the fourth president of the United States and the values that he stands for. James Madison was the principal author of the Constitution and is commonly referred to as the "Father of the Constitution." He is well-known in American history as a politician and political philosopher. James Madison University was named after him in honor of his many achievements. This causes the statue to also represent the student body and everything that it stands for. This may be constantly changing as the university develops and the values of the students' change. The picture was taken at an angle that looks up towards the James Madison Statue to show his authority and the respect that the photographer gives him. This statue was intended by the designers as a decoration and also to inform current students, prospective students, and visitors about the man whom the university was named after. It is a life-size statue that reflects James Madison's actual height, which was only 5 feet and four inches. This lack in height may be partially why the statue was on an elevated surface, to not take away from his authoritativeness. This is a symbol of James Madison University that will be engrained in the memories of the majority of the students that attend here.

Quad Blade of Grass by Erjon Kozeli

This is a blade of grass that I photographed on the quad. I got down and zoomed in really hard to just get the blade and nothing else. There are plenty of things surrounding this grass. There are a lot of building around this whole grass, a lot of people walking, and a lot of trees. During the spring and summer, students and some faculty members like to come out on the quad and lay down and either does homework, hang out with some friends, or just sleep. I think the quad was designed for buildings and classes and a big area spot when you got out of class. People like to relax on the quad if they have another class there so they just lie down on the grass and enjoy themselves. It is also a great place to meet new people because of how many people hang out there during the sunny days. It was designed to have buildings around and a beautiful mini park in the center of it. My favorite part about the quad is the people it brings and the buildings surrounding it. When you look at it from the top, it looks beautiful. This space will shape my memory of my time at JMU because I have been to many colleges and I have never seen something as beautiful as the quad. I agree with Greenberg’s article because he talks about how there are different architectures on campus that do not look alike. For example, the quad looks nothing like the Villages and the Villages look nothing like East Campus.

THE Quad - Kelly Gooch

This is a picture of the Quad of JMU, which is probably the most representational picture that can be found for this school. It may seem super cliché that I chose this photo, but when I try to imagine what I'll picture in my head years from now when someone asks me about JMU, this is exactly it. Of course, Wilson hall stands tall in the background, with sunshine and students scattered out in the grass, enjoying the emerging spring weather. Spring has become the front-runner for my favorite season, mostly because of the Quad. It's really hard to keep from smiling when you leave a class to find hundreds of students throwing frisbees, playing guitars, and lounging with friends and an occasional dog. The feeling is indescribable.
I think when the Quad was designed, there was intent for it to bring students together outdoors. With all the wide open space, it's very hard to avoid an urge to spend time just enjoying the scenery. The designers probably knew that this would become a common area for students to just enjoy each others' presence when the weather gets warmer. I really don't see any flaws in the Quad at all. To me it represents what a university should look like, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The landscaping is extremely well-maintained, and despite the popularity of the area, there is virtually no trash or anything to show people actually hang out there.
When I'm older and telling my kids all the stories of my college days and why they should go to JMU, I will definitely be picturing this image in my head. It's the photographic definition of what college should be. When I see groups of high school students taking tours on the quad, I can't help but think to myself, "How could they not choose this school? It's perfect!". When I picture this image in my head years from now I will feel a great sense of pride for the university in which I attended.
Greenberg's article includes points that I both agree and disagree with, however one that I particularly found to apply to my perspective was the idea of symbolism. As I previously mentioned, I think the Quad was built with the idea that students would congregate there to take breaks from the daily grind. The Quad symbolizes unity, which is a huge part of being a student at JMU. The feeling of pride that we all share for the institution we attend is a common one, just like the Quad is a common area for all of us to share.

Waste-to-Energy - Holland Henn

This is a picture of a waste-to-energy (WTE) plant that is located on the east side of JMU’s campus across from the Astronomy Park and is easily seen from ISAT and can be accessed from University Drive. Most JMU students do not usually use this space directly, but all of the trash that we produce on campus (and trash from Harrisonburg and the county) goes to this plant and is burned and used to create a renewable source of energy that heats and cools the entire ISAT side of campus as well as some other parts of the campus. While most students do not use this space, some ISAT students visit it for research. In my junior year, I visited the plant because I was on a team writing a business plan about a WTE plant and we were given a tour of the facility.

When this campus was designed, I do not think that the original planners would have wanted to have a big and ugly power plant on the campus. In fact, the WTE plant gets in the way of what could be a wonderful view of the mountains from the ISAT side of campus. This space could be improved if more was done to hide the building from sight, such as planting tall trees around it. When it comes to sustainability and environmental concerns, this building is about as green as it can be. Trash is considered to be a renewable resource and by burning it to produce energy, this facility helps the environment in two main ways: it reduces the volume of trash that goes to landfills and it produces clean, renewable energy.

I think that while this building is noticed by many who go to the east side of campus, few will actually remember it in the years after they graduate. For me, however, this building is quite significant because it is a symbol of the most intense and rewarding semester of work that I have had. Not only did my team write and present a business plan about a WTE, we also had to present it all over again the next semester for a competition which we ended up winning and this is something that I am proud of accomplishing in my years as a JMU student.

I think that Greenberg’s article is correct about JMU in that the older part of campus has a coherent theme and the newer parts of campus not only do not fit that theme at all, but the buildings are plainer and less attractive. The newest buildings on the east side of campus look like they could be a part of any campus; nothing about them reminds me especially of JMU, although I consider them to be an improvement over the plain brick buildings that occupy areas like the village. However, it looks like JMU is at least trying to maintain the pure bluestone feeling of the quad with the new Performing Arts Center. I think that this is important because the quad is often one of the first things a potential student may see on the JMU campus and it is likely to be a place that people will remember long after graduating.