Brittany Bailey

One of my favorite things to do on a warm day at JMU is to hang out on the Quad. Whenever I need to actually get work done out on the Quad I usually find a good tree to sit against. I’m out of the direct sunlight and am usually far enough away from other people that I can focus on my work. I have yet to meet a JMU student that does not like spending time outside on the Quad. The Quad is such an integral part of JMU, I couldn’t describe the campus without mentioning it. I think this is exactly how the designers of the campus wanted the Quad to be used. They probably wanted students to utilize the space that is nearby the dorms and academic buildings to spend time outside and away from the classroom. At first the design of the Quad sidewalks was probably meant to be the easiest ways to get between buildings, but I’m sure that on the first nice day of spring, there were students out on the Quad from the beginning of JMU’s history.

            Personally, I wish there were a few more big trees on the Quad. But I love how there are big open spaces of grass on the Quad, and there aren’t a million sidewalks running across the Quad between every building. I actually really like the way the Quad is set up. I love that the Quad can be used in so many different ways. You can hang out and throw a Frisbee or football around with friends, or you can work on your tan. You can read or do work. You can even have class outside on the Quad. It’s a common ground for all JMU students. Anyone can hang out there. I think it’s something all JMU students identify with, even if as they advance in school, they might be spending more time on East Campus, it’s still something that I think shapes nearly every student.

            As far as environmental concerns and sustainability, I don’t think the grass needs to be cut as often as they cut it. I’m not sure how else these concerns can be addressed with regards to the Quad. One of the things I love about the Quad is that it doesn’t change a whole lot. The tunnel under S. Main Street and renovations being done on the nearby buildings have definitely changed the way the campus around the Quad looks, but the Quad itself has hardly been changed since the West side of campus was built up with the buildings around it.

-Brittany Bailey

GAMST 200, Section 4

Dr. Connerley