I’m here to tell you about my favorite building on campus: Lubbers Hall. At our last student-blogger meeting (Yes, we have those!), we talked about our favorite places to brainstorm or write on campus, the places that get our creative juices flowing. As a writer, this type of space is very valuable to me, and I knew exactly where my creative space on campus was when the topic was brought up. Easy. Lubbers.
Lubbers is home to the English, History, Political Science, Philosophy and Religion departments. As an English major, I spend a few class hours a week in this building. We spend a majority of our time engaged in lecture and open conversation about the pieces of literature that we’re studying.
Built in 1942 and renovated in 2006, the building is named after Hope’s seventh president, Dr. Irwin J. Lubbers. Many departments, including Science and Theatre, have also been housed here. With the inspiration that I draw from being in this building, I can’t imagine it housing anything but humanities.
The fifth oldest building on campus’s aura is warm, cozy, intelligent. The floor tiles bring me back to elementary school, almost identical to those at my own, and the walls bring me to my present, academic life. The offices in Lubbers, which take up most of the rooms along the edge of the building with windows, are lined with shelves and shelves of books. Occasionally when I’m in Lubbers late at night I find professors still in their offices, working late on who-knows-what. I like to imagine they’re writing, researching, or finalizing exciting projects.
Despite how large of a building Lubbers appears to be, it only has six classrooms. Most of the building is actually offices, I believe. For a place that is so focused on quality over quantity, I find the classroom to educational office ratio to be appropriate.
I think the reason I appreciate Lubbers so much and find so much creativity inside the building is that it houses my home, the English department, a place where the love of reading and the written word are cherished. My heart finds it’s place at Hope in Lubbers, not in my dorm room or the dining hall.
My goal for the school year is to explore the attic of Lubbers. So far each time I go to try, all of the doors are locked. I know there’s a way into the rooms, though, and I promise to report back when I get the chance.
Where do you draw your creative energies from?
If you have any questions for me you can contact me at brookelyn.wharton@hope.edu, through Facebook, or my Twitter @hopebrooke18! I’d love to answer them!