Kazlyn Roullier

English 101 review

1.20.16

The Legacy of the bricks

(Western Washingtons Red Square)

a panoramic photo I took of the buildings and fountain that make up Red Square
Western students, step into my shoes and look through my glasses and view of
Red square. We are standing at the Humanities building surrounded by the other
classes of Haggard, Fraser, and Miller Hall. Beneath our feet are unique bricks that
follow an exact pattern with a cobblestone effect. Did you know the name Red Square
comes from the shape of a square that the buildings create along with the red bricks
that cover the ground below our feet? Have you thought about the lollipop shaped lights
that are randomly place throughout, staggered light posts that generate light for those
walking across in the dark, they also makes for a calm, low-key mood lighting in the
evening. According to The Western Front, Western Washington was established in
1899 making these bricks close to one hundred and twenty years old. The history and
sense of wisdom walking through this location make me feel special, that I am one of

the thousands of footsteps that have left stories of many ethnicities, cultures, and
different legacies behind. There are stories of many different types of people, standing
here I wonder what are your thoughts? What is going through your mind? What is your
final destination? If only I could walk a day in your shoes to compare it to mine. I am
always eager to learn others stories, and Red Square is somewhere with endless
possibilities to do that. This common ground is a place where we can go to study, read
along the fountain, and meet up with others; it is a place where people advertise their
religious beliefs and different clubs recruit for their organization. It's a place with a sense
of community and belonging to any person because there is so much diversity that one
can come across. Amanda, a senior at Western, says, Western has a pretty diverse
group of people, we have clubs for LGBT, students of various races, and religious
clubs. Red Square plays a significant role in creating diversity on campus most
commonly at the annual info fair, and vendors row to provide information to other
Western students and promote awareness of their groups. Western Times if these
bricks could talk.. says, Red Square was inspired by the European courtyard design,
and is also home to two other iconic features of the campus. One is the beautiful Fisher
Fountain that supports the historical beauty, and also creates a calm environment with
the sound of water peacefully soothing the minds of brain dead students.
The other iconic Sky
viewing sculpture designed
by Isamu Noguchi made
with iron plates into a tilted
cube with circle cutouts on

three sides of the tall sculpture. According to the artist, this piece of art creates a sense
of weightlessness and a feeling of space and freeness. (Western
Gallery tour). Adding to the beauty of red square are the trees, now
in the winter they are only branches but in their prime time of
blooming they truly add a pop of color to campus with bright green
leaves both in the Square and alongside the back of campus is a
wall of lush Evergreens. On sun shining days, sounds of
conversation fill the air, footsteps clatter along the bricks, and bike wheels spin along at
high speed transporting from class to class. I found it interesting how perfectly in sync
our students
movements are, that
separate paths of
hundreds of students
correctly weave
together. How are
there never any
collisions, crashes, or
accidents? It's beautiful to watch the swift movements created by the bodies of many
students producing a fluid motion in every direction. Red Square is a familiar place to
campus for both transportation, but also a location that we can stop to enjoy and
contribute to the support of the community; because it is well-known to many people
who use it as a place to meet up and a reference when giving direction.

Red Square is a place known and loved by many because of its beauty and comfort that
it provides to those of us who explore it, but there are also a few downsides. Over the
years, bricks have started to become loose or even disappear altogether resulting in a
safety hazard. Outside looking in I often see many people
including myself trip from these loose bricks resulting in losing
their balance and looking around hoping that no one saw their
humiliating accident.. even though it has happened to
probably each and every one of us. Although it is frustrating at
times, I see these missing bricks as part of the stories left
behind. They symbolize those we have lost from our Western
family, and the many that are still standing represent the thousands of others
attending/potentially coming through Western Washington. Because the bricks have
started to concave inwards and rainfall is frequent in
Bellingham this combination results in large puddle
masses that accumulate around the square. After a rainy
morning, red square turns into a stage of ballerinas with
students leaping from brick to brick in hopes to keep our
feet dry for the remainder of their day. The water is
something that is hard to avoid, but it shows a weakness
in the irrigation system set up years ago and is bothersome to many. Because the bricks
are so smooth on cold mornings the dew and rain that has iced over creates a slippery
surface that at first glance looks harmless but can be very dangerously frightening
especially for students coming from warm places.

Overall, Red Square is a place for us to come together to establish relationships,

have involvement in our community and be educated about the endless opportunities
here at Western. Although there are a few safety precautions one must take before
walking through the square, the positives outweigh the negatives to this well-known
location on campus. Come to Red Square to reminisce in the past generation and enjoy
the company of your peers. To inhale the crisp, fresh air and admire the beauty and
simplicity of nature and population of men and women that come through these
common grounds. Next time you walk through, take your eyes off your phone and
hurried footsteps to take a look up into my perspective, to enjoy the little things that you
might not have always noticed.