Thanks to last year’s senior class, a new flurry of Biola relationships may blossom this winter. A warm addition to the Mailbox Lawn, the new fireplace adds a publicly romantic flair to the campus that common “define the relationship” locations — like the parking structure and the benches outside Horton — desperately lack. Historically, the Mailbox Lawn has always been a trafficked Biola spot. Some on campus bemoan the loss of the grassy space that hosted music events like the Eddy. Sophomores who remember raising their mugs on that patch now pour one out in remembrance. Though less-densely attended, AS presidential debates are now in need of a new home as well.
Yet these events don’t hold a candle to the importance of communication among people, and the campus will greatly benefit from a new location for friends to catch up. Current hot spots on campus, like The Talon, Fluor Fountain, Common Grounds and the Student Union Building are constantly packed.
The locational importance of Biola DTRs is the stuff of legends. The conversation held by two individuals unsure of their relational future is a scary situation, especially within earshot of foot traffic. Beyond friends reuniting, relationships may be born in this new addition to our campus, if students opt to occupy the patio during these cooler months.
Now certainly, aesthetics and ambiance are important when choosing, or constructing, a DTR location. While the stone fireplace and brick base set a warm, cozy atmosphere, the cold and geometric roof ruins the design. Clearly, the goal is to match the mailboxes. Understandably, uniformity motivated the design decision, but on a campus with so many architectural accents, why is the uniformity so essential?
Most of the other building motifs on campus lack such uniformity, like the top-heavy-modern Metzger with a little Greco-Roman influence, the strange want-to-be-cool-but-who-knows-what fusion of the production building, the music and worship tool shed, or the iconic Bell Tower. (So say the designers we know.) It would be far better if the fireplace roof matched the rest of the structure’s style, rather than manipulate the whole motif to form to that of the mailboxes. Let’s be real, though. The fireplace is still more romantic than that bench in front of Alpha, it’s got more space and less echo than the SUB, and above all, there’s a fire. This alumni gift will provide many opportunities to feel the warmth of community. Just stay away after midnight unless you’re planning on sharing that sacred space with other eager couples.
