By NICK VILLALOBOS
Editor-in-Chief
Breathtaking scenery in the everyday world is hard to come by if one is stuck to their phones, computer or the TV. Or even yet, if their eyes are not trained enough to see the beauty in even the simple everyday things in which they pass by between classes or while doing other everyday business.
To the trained eye, however, breathtaking scenery is not hard to come by at all.
For instance the simple statue of a horse and rider in the northeastern corner of campus can be turned into a magnificent piece of architectural genius if looked at through the eyes of a little boy.
His imagination, you see, shows him not just a horse and rider but a cowboy that is living their dream or the cowboy that they hope to be when they grow up, whereas we adults see a piece of shaped concrete that represents the Ranger motto, “Ride Rangers Ride.”
Another instance of a simple everyday place that you pass by being a breathtaking scene is that of the north side entrance of Jesse Dunn. For the untrained eye, they see a stairway, a few sets of double doors, and a hand rail. But for the trained eye, they see a piece of symmetric beauty within the stairs, handrail, the overhanging light, the windows and the sets of doors.
One floor up from that symmetric beauty in Jesse Dunn is the visual arts hallway. From the third floor looking down at the hallway, the average eye may see just another hallway in the most confusing building on the Alva campus, but to the one who is actually taking the time to look and break down what they are looking at, they might see something way different entirely.
For the trained eye, that hallway, with the hand painted letters high above the entryway, turns into a guessing game as the floor tiles disappear through the doorway. It leaves them asking themselves ‘what lies at the end of that hallway?’ or ‘where does that hallway go?’ It sparks an interest to one’s who actually take the time to look and that’s why the view from the third floor of Jesse Dunn down at the visual arts hallway is breathtaking.
Another breathtaking view here at Northwestern lies on the fourth floor of Jesse Dunn-yes I said fourth floor. I know what you’re thinking “I didn’t know Jesse Dunn had a fourth floor” and that mystery is why it is so breathtaking. The single room does not consist of much and the view through the window is not as nice as one would expect due to it being blocked by a chicken wire covering and trees on the outside, but just the fact that you are standing where only a select few are, is what is breathtaking about it.
The most breathtaking area here on campus though, would go to the scene from high above Northwestern from the Jesse Dunn roof. Few words describe what it’s like to look out across the campus from that high. Only heart stopping, jaw dropping and of course breathtaking come to mind.
Each of these areas provides their own level of breathtaking power. Each have a unique characteristic to them that could actually provide a chance to break away from a phone, computer or TV. So if you’re ever in one of these areas, then stop and take the time to actual digest what you are looking at. Who knows it might just be worthwhile to stop and stare at each of these places.