Tamara Washington's Madison's Space for Dr. H

This is a picture of what is known to many current JMU students and Alumni as “The Quad.” When one speaks about the Quad, the first thing that comes to mind is togetherness. The Quad is a place where you can go and get away from a classroom and or a dorm atmosphere. The Quad provides students the opportunities to connect with their classmates, prospective students, professors and or pets. The Quad can be used for studying, throwing a football, walking on the rope and just enjoying the company of others. But, also the Quad provides those who would rather relax a time to sit out and tan, and other isolated things. But, it is contradictory because on a nice sunny day there are hundreds of students out of the Quad so in a way one is but so much isolated from a community of peers, professors or friendly animals. For example, one day at the Quad, guys were throwing around a football and it rolled over to a female out laying and tanning and she got up and threw the football back. But, that’s not the end, what was supposed to be a relaxing trip to the Quad turned out to be a game of throwing a football with some new found friends. In saying that, once again it puts emphasis on how the Quad is seen as a public place. There are no rules about what one can or cannot do on the Quad as it would be in a private place, like a classroom or even a building. The Quad is a public place where individuals can feel free to interact and form new relationships. Now, I bet you’re wondering, was the Quad designed to bring everyone together? Yes, if you go to the JMU Forbes Center page you will see where it describes the Quad as, “The heart of the campus during every era of Madison’s history.” Not the library but the Quad. In saying such, the Quad is surrounded by dorms and academic buildings, which maybe can reference to the creators wanting to give students a space outside of such private areas. This shows that they wanted to be different from other campuses, where their libraries are the center of their campuses. So I do believe the Quad is actually one of the most planned spaces on our West side of campus. There may be a lot buildings around and could be seen as scattered. Still, one thing stands true, the Quad has not been renovated nor changed since it was made; which could suggest that on the West side of campus everything has been built up around the Quad. So, in order for the Quad to be the heart of our campus it had to be a well, thought-out space before it was made. From back then to now, the Quad has been the center of JMU’s campus. But, not a private place like a library but rather a space with freedom and open space for JMU’s students to live out their aspirations as they please.