Oklahoma Memorial Stadium - Laurel Lamb

The pictures in this blog post are from a very familiar sight - the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.  I walk past the stadium every day I am on campus.  I'd never thought much of it as I walked  by, not until recently.  In the past few weeks, I'd stop and look around this area of the stadium.  I was attracted to the reflecting pool, the clock tower, the sign with history about the stadium, and the benches that invited me to sit down and relax for a while.  I realized that I was stopping for another reason though.  I was stopping because I will be graduating this semester, and the stadium was where commencement would start this event. 

This really struck me because I believe that buildings can represent and evoke memories from the past that have an emotional impact on us.  However, I'd never really thought about buildings creating emotion because of the future they represent.  These shots of the stadium, however, are evidence that they do.  Every time I walk by now, I think about the my excitement for graduation, for my accomplishments, and for my future.  I will be moving out of state for the first time in my life to continue my education.  I will be leaving behind my family, friends, and home though.  So, this is both an exciting and bittersweet thought.  I think it is interesting the emotional impact buildings can have on us, as well as the memories and future thoughts they evoke in us.