There are many beautiful buildings on the Pullman campus. Personally, I love the red of the brick contrasted against either vivid green grass or freshly fallen snow. Walking at night and looking up to see the glowing red of the clock tower against the dark sky is both breathtaking and ominous. It reminds me of a blood moon. 

My personal favorite building on campus would have to be Wilson-Short Hall. It feels like something you would see on an older campus. I could never say it is simply more beautiful than other buildings or modern-looking — because it isn’t. But I believe it to be a good representation of what I expect when I think of academic buildings. 

Alyssa Hovenkotter, junior mechanical engineering major, once believed Thompson Hall was her favorite building because she enjoys the view of the building from across Thompson flats. But something changed her mind.

Hovenkotter said Goertzen Hall is now her favorite building because of the huge windows. She used to sit at the tables there between classes with her friends, she said. Hovenkotter also likes how updated the interior of the building is, and how it always brings images of the sun to mind.

While she likes the scenery on campus during the winter, Hovenkotter said she prefers it when there is greenery in the springtime. 

Hovenkotter said she also likes The Spark: Academic Information Hub because of how modern the interior is, while the Chinook and the Schnitzer Art Museum are also generally cool to look at. 

“I also like Bryan Clock Tower because you can see that from everywhere and it’s kind of a symbol of WSU,” Hovenkotter said.

Because the layout makes no sense, Hovenkotter said Sloan and Dana Halls, across from Goertzen and Thompson Halls, are her least favorite.

“It doesn’t make sense. Especially as an engineering student, you would think that the floors would line up,” Hovenkotter said.

She also said the ceilings on the third floor of Dana are strangely low. 

I know exactly what she means, as I have gotten lost in those buildings a few times. Nothing makes sense, the floors do not line up from building to building and it feels less than ideal, functionally speaking. 

Samantha Olsen, junior psychology major, said her favorite building is Thompson Hall because it looks like a castle. Olsen said her second favorite building is the Spark because it is cool and modern. Her third favorite is Stimson Hall because it looks fancy and has an arch. 

Like Hovenkotter, Olsen said she enjoys when campus is greener because spring is her favorite season. She enjoys that she’s seen rabbits on campus in the spring as well.

On a scale of one to 10, Olsen said she would rate the appearance of WSU a seven because she likes the scenery and the aesthetic of the buildings, but believes it would look better if all the buildings were the same style, instead of a mix of traditional and modern. 

While Hovenkotter said the engineering buildings were nonsensical, Olsen said she once got lost inside the Holland-Terrell Libraries. 

I have also gotten lost in the library. A friend and I were looking for books together and neither of us could figure out how to leave. We ended up having to ask for help finding the exit.