“Set the Scene”: Old self vs. New self

Southwestern University appears to be an ideal, small liberal arts college. It is situated within a small city twenty-six miles north of Austin, Georgetown, TX. The buildings match the construction of much of the city, and they are constructed out of limestone, which is mined locally. Landscaping and maintenance at the campus is constantly being watched over. In fact, whenever you mention that you attend Southwestern University to someone, the likely response is “oh my dear, that campus I beautiful.” The campus is small and controlled. Everything is perfectly planned to provide the optimal college experience and maintain the impeccable appearance of Southwestern. Most of the 1200 students that attend Southwestern come from middle to upper class families and during the weekdays you can see them scurrying about campus from class to activities and back to the student housing. The majority of the students live on campus to enhance their liberal arts education. The focal point of the campus is “the academic mall.” This is a large circle of undeveloped land that is surrounded by trees that follow the main pathway around the buildings of Southwestern. The main academic buildings form a circle around the academic mall with the library in the center just south of the grassy mall. During the day, you can see students sprawled out in the sunshine on blankets reading and studying for their classes. Southwestern reflects the small, friendly atmosphere that the town around it embodies. Everywhere you see a friendly, familiar face, and it is easy to spot outsiders or strangers.

In contrast to Southwestern University is the University of Houston, which is located within the metropolitan city of Houston. The Southwestern campus could probably fit into the parking lot that surrounds the football stadium at the University of Houston. There seem to be people busy at work here both day and night, weekdays and weekends. Buildings seem to be built much more for function rather than presenting a sparkling image. However, new buildings on campus are beautiful images of modern architecture. Streets and parking lots lace through the campus full of cars. The campus seems to embody the spirit of a large city. People come and go from the University much more frequently during the day. However, there is still more beauty here than many would expect from a large university in a city like Houston. There are many trees and grassy areas on campus. A large pool with fountains in the middle of the liberal arts college’s buildings provides beauty and a place for students to relax and study in between classes. There are benches throughout the campus for students to enjoy the nicer days Houston occasionally offers. When you walk around the campus, there are many more faces to see. You could easily blend into the crowd, but it is nice to see such diversity coming together to gain an education.