Children belong in the workplace.
Or at least, my 23-year-old child with an appreciation for historic buildings is welcomed on the campus of Oglethorpe University where I spend my days (and often nights) telling stories and inspiring alumni and friends to engage in the university’s mission. Don’t be bringing your hyperactive four year-old to my office. But I digress…
National Take Your Daughter or Son to Work Day isn’t until April 25 this year, but we got a jump on that national celebration when my oldest son, Barron, and his girlfriend, Meg, stopped by the Oglethorpe University campus for a much anticipated tour.
It’s his birthday week, so he made the trip over from Athens where he is close to wrapping up his matriculation at the state’s flagship institution for some celebrating with the family. As a Furnishing and Interiors major with a minor in Historic Preservation, Barron loves to poke around in old buildings. If you have similar interests, you may enjoy following his design account on Instagram.
We started with Hearst Hall, the original building on the Peachtree Road campus constructed in 1915 thanks to the generous financial backing of William Randolph Hearst. Yes, that William Rnadolph Hearst. I’m telling you, Oglethorpe is kind of a big deal. But the building is actually named for his mother, Phoebe Apperson Hearst. It’s important when you are philanthropizing to remember your mother.
Immediately Barron started taking photos of the design elements in the Common Room, notably the fireplace, which is the first thing that catches people’s attention. He liked the windows and some of the flourishes you just don’t see on modern buildings.
We went next to the Cousins Center, our science building with a combination of classrooms, collaborative study spaces and state-of-the-art laboratories. Barron currently works on campus at UGA in the Office of Architecture and Space Planning. He spends his days designing classroom layouts and inventorying furniture.
He had to tip his cap at how nice our new labs are. He particularly appreciated how the historic stone exterior was complemented by a recently added state-of-the-art glass wrap around with the high tech spaces, blending the old and new. I think that speaks to what Oglethorpe excels at – blending the old and new.
We took a short jaunt down the Schall Woodland Walk, a nice boardwalk through a wooded spot on campus that I enjoy when I’m not scurrying to meetings. When we got to the Turner Lynch Campus Center, he admired how the modern design incorporated the stone elements of the historic quad. To me, the TLCC feels like a mountain ski lodge. And it looks great for events at night, like our annual Boar’s Head holiday party.
I took them by the Conant Performing Arts Center where rehearsals were underway for an upcoming production with Actor’s Express, a professional company that comes to campus once a year for a show in which our students get to work alongside professionals. “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” opens February 17.
We went by the Student Success Center in the J. Mack Robinson Building, the turf field where the women’s lacrosse team was practicing, stuck our heads into Dorough Field House to catch the women’s basketball team warming up before what turned out to be a double overtime victory over Sewanee in front of a packed house. I’m telling you, Division III athletics is so much fun to watch.
We ended our tour in Lupton Hall, the administration building and second oldest structure on campus, built in 1919. It houses the recently renovated Lupton Auditorium, which is now a high-tech event space that hosts everything from weddings to hybrid meetings to lectures to classes to orchestra rehearsals. My office is on the second floor of Lupton, and I love looking out over the quad with the strains of the Oglethorpe University Singers rehearsing providing background music.
I love when my and my boys’ interests align. It’s the sweet spot of parenting when all the disciplining and squabbling and nagging and transporting and feeding comes together, and these humans that you brought into the world connect with you.
It’s the adult equivalent of that moment when they were an infant and they grasp your finger for the first time.
In case you can’t tell, I’m really enjoying my job at Oglethorpe. It’s challenging, to be sure, but it’s also very rewarding. And there’s no question the setting makes it more appealing. I’m happy to show anyone around if you’d like to come by some time. I’m also contractually obligated to let you know that if you’d like to support what we’re doing at Oglethorpe you can “show your love for Oglethorpe” on Valentine’s Day because it’s also OU Giving Day! Every gift makes a difference, no matter the amount!
There was a time in my career in the not-so-distant past that the only part of my work my family shared was the stressful issues management I brought home and interrupted our family time with. It was way more fun to explore our buildings with Barron and share in the beauty of old spaces. He complimented my knowledge and found Oglethorpe’s history fascinating.
Happy birthday, Barron. I look forward to seeing where you land after graduation and poking around in some old buildings with you again real soon.
New South Essays 