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Emily Martinez Blog Four: Whitebead School

Whitebead School

My last choice was my old primary school in pauls valley. I grew up here and it holds many great childhood memories. My nephews and nieces go here now and every once in awhile I will go visit them and my old teachers. It was like a whole bunch of nostalgia hit me in the face when I went back. Many of my favorite teachers still teach here and it’s awesome when I get to go back and tell them where I am in my life.

Emily Martinez Blog Three: Iglesia De Cristo Berea

Iglesia De Cristo Berea

Although this building is a very simple one, it holds so many pleasant memories from my childhood.  This was my old church in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. I went to this church from the age of 2 till about the age of 15. I remember when we left it was saddening because I made so many friends here and the people there were my second family. I still keep in touch with many of the people to this day. One of my other best friends I met here and I was the maid of honor at her wedding last summer. I had two weddings to be the maid of honor last summer, It was definitely busy! My best friend and I use to walk endless rounds around the church and just talk about whatever happened that week to us. This building always makes me think of my childhood and brings great memories.

Emily Martinez Blog Two: George Lynn Cross Hall

I chose George Lynn Hall as one of my buildings because I had so many classes here when I transferred from OCCC. I also learned met many of my great friends who I value to have in my life. When I think of this building I think of a change that happened in my life when I transferred. My first class at OU was in this building. I was new to norman and it came with along other personal changes in my life. One of the most amazing people in my life, my boyfriend, I met in this building and one year later we’re still very happy.

Emily Martinez blog one: OCCC

Oklahoma City Community College

I chose OCCC as one of my buildings because I  learned so much in my college career here and I met the most amazing people. I come from a small town called Pauls valley where I lived my whole life. I was always very shy and never really pushed myself academically or socially. At OCCC, I decided to pursue an associate in chemistry and it showed me what hard work is and how much it pays off.  I learned to be a better student and learned to study more efficiently to which I can proudly say I am using those skills in pursuing my bachelor’s.

I also met the most amazing people in my life here including many friends who to this day we take classes together and I wouldn’t know what I would do without them. I also met people who have taught me to be more patient and have taught me that it’s okay that I am not everyone’s cup of tea.  I met my best friend here, I recently was the maid of honor of her wedding and I am so grateful that I was put in the same class with her that summer. I got the opportunity to have professors who cared, pushed, and showed me I have potential that I didn’t see in myself.

This building also holds some hard memories as well. One summer I was enrolled in a physics 2 class and I wasn’t able to visit my aunt who was very ill in Arkansas. My aunt was someone who was a second mother to me and who I lived with for a year when I was about six. I didn’t have the strength to visit her because it was so heartbreaking to see her like that. I went a couple of times but towards the end, I couldn’t stand to see her in the state she was and how she begged for my siblings and me to stay. I regret this so much to this day because of my selfishness, I lost more time with her. This building reminds me of her because I remember my mom calling me to tell me of her passing when I was there for that summer. I was in a hallway of the building that was semi-secluded and I sat down and just cried. Every time I pass that section of the building it always reminds me of my aunt. It taught me to value the time with your loved ones even if it’s hard, I could have done more for her.

Overall, my experience at OCCC taught me so many things and gave me the opportunity to grow as a person and student. I won’t forget my time there and the people I had the privilege of meeting!

 

 

Blog 4 // Emelie Ramirez // Rogers Arena

Photo Credit: Parq Vancouver

The Rogers Arena in Vancouver B.C. was designed by Brook and Beynon Brisbon.  When I visit new cities, I usually try and find tickets to visit their local arena because although most of them are generally the same on the inside, their ambiance is all unique. The Rogers arena is one of my favorites because of how close it is to a body of water. Before the concert, I had poutine by the bay and was found the placing of the arena really cool. The vast amount of entrances made it kind of confusing at times but that is how all arenas are.

Photo Credit: The Globe and Mail

The distinguishing feature of the Rogers Arena which I fell in love with is the retractable roof. While watching a game, I could see a lot of the buildings through the rooftop which was something different. Vancouver is an incredible city that mixes man-made items with the landscape. Instead of feeling trapped, being in the open area was a different experience because of how fresh it felt. When I returned for a Harry Styles concert, it was shut and set up differently which made it feel like an entirely different building. I really like where it is placed within the city but also that every event feels like the arena was built specifically for that rather than it’s actual multipurpose intention.

Blog 3 // Emelie Ramirez // Perot Museum

Photo Credit: Balfour Beatty

The Perot Museum in Dallas, Texas is one of my favorite buildings because of its unique texture. It was designed by Laureate Thom Mayne. I remember being very excited as I’d drive by on I-30 because there was a lot of conversation about how cool it was going to look and that the exhibits were going to be even better. After it was finished being built, our school joined a queue in order to get tickets for a field trip. On the drive there everyone in the bus was buzzing with excitement and once it came into view, everyone collectively gasped because the building looked like it was floating. We later came to realize it was because the first floor is composed of glass walls but I was still in awe of the garden area before one enters.

Photo Credit: Modlar

A feature that to this day still amazes me is the escalator that gives you an amazing view of Dallas. I think making it enclosed in glass was a great idea and I thought it was even cooler that it appeared as its own entity from the rest of the building. The first time I attended the Perot I remember the escalator being full and that there was about a person on every step. Now of course the hype has gone down and it’s an overall better experience because you can go at your own pace and observe everything in great detail.

Blog 2 // Emelie Ramirez // Casa Batlló

 

 

Photo Credit: Rune Leikvard

 

When I was visiting Casa Batlló, I was in awe of how the building stood out on the already busy street. The mob of people waiting to enter made me even more excited to see it myself. I had just come from the Sagrada Familia was amazed to have connected the dots about Antoni Gaudi being the brilliant architect behind both projects. Our tour guide had mentioned that this building originally belonged to his Architecture professor, Emilio Sala Cortes. He incorporated modernism into the building which made it an overall remarkable house.

Blog 4 Justin Ballou – Redeemer Chapel (Sky Ranch Ute Trail)

Image result for sky ranch ute trail

The meaning of the Redeemer Chapel is simple, to bring people closer to God. This is an amazing building that is both beautiful on the inside and outside. On the inside, the stained glass portrays images of the miracles Jesus performed as well as a few Old Testament stories. In the picture, you can see the windows show the stunning mountains in the background. The placement of the chapel is also of note. It is separated from the rest of the camp which adds to its special and holy feeling and atmosphere. As you can see, the lights also have cross designs on them. Also, the acoustics of the building are so good as there are no speakers so they need to be good, and thankfully they are :).

Redeemer Chapel means a great deal to me. This past summer, I worked as an Activities Team Leader at this camp, and throughout the summer this was a place where I would go to worship and learn on Sundays. During the week, it would be a place I often went to for rest, peace, encouragement, and to connect with God through His word. Feelings were often very positive while I was in this building. However, several times I was feeling discouraged, doubtful, and just unconfident in myself, but I would always leave feeling hopeful. Lastly, initial impressions were extremely positive. Coming to a camp to serve in a job as fun as activities team with other amazing college students in the stunning Colorado mountains was so exciting. Likewise, starting our journey in the chapel was just perfect.

Image result for sky ranch ute trail

 

Blog 1- Miles Waller- Cascia Hall in Tulsa

My old high school, Cascia Hall, always made a positive impact on me when walking in. It was always interesting to see the campus change from season to season especially in the middle court yard with its ginkgo tree. It was always cool being in a building that was built in 1926 and still looked amazing. People I have never met before from Tulsa always seem to recognize the building saying it looks like Hogwarts. Its style is called French Norman. The bricks they used to build it are called clinker bricks and used to be cheap throwaway bricks. Now, any new addition is very expensive because these bricks are now rare.