The Compound and the Library

Inner city pressure: I used to really enjoy grape bubble gum when I was a kid (child, not goat). Now even the thought of it makes me want to throw up. Is this the sign of adulthood that I have so been waiting for? There might be a more immediate reason for my vomitousness: yesterday I took Montoya for a walk and he must have stepped in a big wad of fresh and freshly discarded Hubba Bubba within steps of the apt building because by the time we got back home (about 45 minutes later) the gum had gotten completely mashed into his front paw along with every manner of street debris we'd passed along the way. Rocks, dirt of unknown providence, chicken bones people had thrown on the street, even some glass, all mixed into the congealed mass of smelly, smelly grape gum. There wasn't enough peanut butter in the world to get it all out and the aroma of grape+street dirt+peanut butter is one that will haunt me forever! For his part, Montoya seemed oblivious to his predicament and while he did not enjoy the part where I pulled gobs of dirty gum out of his foot, he was totally into having peanut butter smeared all over his paw. I wanted to pay the sickness forward through the medium of blog, I hope that I have done so.

But this isn't what this post is about! I'm here to offer pics of the college campus. E gets mad when I call it a compound, but seriously, it's a compound - not exactly Big Love style (too rich) but not exactly not that either. The Free Online Dictionary says:
com·pound ² (kmpound)

n.

1. A building or buildings, especially a residence or group of residences, set off and enclosed by a barrier.

2. An enclosed area used for confining prisoners of war.

---

[Alteration of Malay kampong, village.] -Aside: isn't that interesting? I didn't know where this definition of the word came from and I'm sure there's an article to be written about it esp re: prisoners of war. Some WWII thing? Or earlier?

The campus is located in the middle of a wood, in the middle of Towson. By car, there is only one way in, and it is gated. 85% of the students live in res. One could argue that this is Waco minus the guns, alls I'm sayin. It's a gorgeous non-inner city oasis:
Yes, if you look closely at the above pic, that *is* a tire swing in the distance.

All the buildings look the same and there really isn't much in the way of signage to help you tell them apart. View of what I think are some of the res buildings from the new library, they might also be admin buildings and/or classrooms: Path to E's office in old library: Old library:
Building of my office:Though the school dates from 1885, the campus moved from Charles Village in Baltimore proper to this Towson location in 1953. This might be an instance of blatant and gendered "white flight" (it was a women's college until 1986) but there's also a Cold War edge to it: the compound itself was apparently built to survive WWIII. The very-1949esque outsides of the buildings are supposed to repel missiles (really? really??) and there are supposed to be a number of underground bunkers on campus, etc. Is this all just tour guide lore? I suppose I could find out if I read this bestseller that one of the new hires at the new library gave me but so far all I've managed to do is take a picture of it:Apparently this is book 2 of a two-book series! See how I took out the college's name like I promised E I would? I have mad photoshop skillz.

But what the campus is all abuzz about is the new library, which will officially open in about a week or so:
It's called the Athenaeum which strikes me as a little pretentious given the size of the collection but the new library really isn't so much about the books. Yes, those are exercise bikes on the top floor.

































Of course, there are books it in it. Offset by interesting design choices:


The vertigo is real. Word on the street is that the building was largely designed by the current president of the college (an historian, I'm told) who wanted to create a space for students to gather in that would serve their minds AND bodies and, as he put, be a really great place to fall asleep.

Hence the exercise equipment avec beanbag chairs on the 4th floor, in view of the entire building.
Yes, the beanbag chairs do say "fatboy" on them. The building is a bit of a controversy, having been erected (10,000 points to D for using the word erected!) in the midst of a recession, tuition hikes, etc. But it is a cool space and yes, I would totally have a nap here. If I wasn't faculty. Or as I like to think of it, "faculty."

My classroom is located in this building!!! Went to scout it out:
I think I'll have to institute a "no fatboys allowed" policy but other than that, it looks like a fabulous space! It smells new and is smart as smart can be. But also, the vertigo is real. The chairs are new! And come with instructions.

School starts on Tuesday! EEK!