Coming Back to Campus

It had been years since I got to walk back on Texas A&M's campus. Last time I had really walked on campus, I was still in undergrad back in 2010, so there had been a large amount of changes that had happened to the campus. Fortunately, because of the way the school is, they embrace their traditions and their history more than most schools. The campus has several landmarks that are extremely well-known and are held in high esteem because of the traditions held by students there. One of those landmarks, the focus of this essay, is the Century Tree near the center of campus.

History of the Century Tree

For those who do not know what the significance is of the Century Tree, let me explain.

The Century Tree is one of the original trees planted on the campus all the way back to its founding in 1876. This tree has survived hurricanes, tornadoes, freezes and floods for almost 150 years, hence the name.

However, the tree holds a different significance to the students of A&M. Many proposals and weddings were held under the large branches of the tree. The tradition that is held now is when a couple walks under the tree together, that they would eventually marry, and if you propose to your sweetheart under the tree, the marriage would last forever. When I was a student, I was told about a lesser spoken of part of the tradition, which was if you walked under the tree by yourself, that you would never marry.

What the Tree Meant to Me

That being said, I don't personally believe in the superstition behind the tree, but I hold a level of respect for them because they were part of my student experience, as well as my life as an adult. I actually took my wife, then girlfriend at the time, under the tree, because I wanted to improve my chances of getting a yes. She laughed when I told her what the significance was, but she loved the idea behind it.

Revisiting the Tree Years Later

Recently, I had the chance to take some family members from California to A&M's campus and show them around. When we arrived, I wanted to show them a little bit of the campus that most people that weren't students would not know. So we headed out to the campus.

When I actually set foot on campus with my son, I had this strange feeling, I still can't fully describe it. It was this feeling of awe, knowing I was showing my son where his dad went to school. I wouldn't say it was pride, but it it felt cool showing my son a large part of what made me who I am today.

When we got to the tree, the memories of my school days came back, and I immediately thought about the photos I had taken when I was a student. A thought then crossed my mind: "Let's see how my photo taking compares now to what I was then.

In Conclusion

Going back on campus inspired me to want to return to take more photos there, now that my skill set had improved as much as it had for the last dozen or so years. Seeing the growth of both myself, as well as the campus, I want to test my skills as an architectural photographer, as well as document periods of time of the campus for comparison. Being away from Bryan/College Station gave me time to reflect on how much I loved the campus, and the feeling of belonging I had while I was there. Now, I don't know how much of that feeling is still there, but I intend to find out now!