“A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively,
wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.”
– Joan Didion, The White Album
One of my favorite places on campus is the balcony on the rearside of Randolph Hall, overlooking the Cougar Mall. Perhaps it is the romantic in me, but every time I see this beautiful balcony, with its intricate wrought-iron railings, gargantuan Doric columns and the terra cotta stucco of Randolph Hall looming behind it, I think of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and passionate declarations of love and fidelity.
This balcony is one of the most beautiful spots on campus, but many may overlook it if they do not glance upwards and take in the glory of this majestic sight. It provides a bird’s-eye view of the hub of campus life. From this vantage point, you can see students scurrying to classes in Maybank Hall or the Robert Scott Small Building, or catch sight of public poetry readings or study-abroad fairs on the Cougar Mall. In the distance, at the Calhoun Street entrance of campus, you might espy the patina-streaked statue of our school’s mascot, the cougar, titled “On the Prowl” and sculpted by professor emeritus John Michel of the studio art department.
This balcony is a beloved place that I can rhapsodize about forever. It also provides the perfect spot for a snapshot of the campus or a picture of a graduating CofC senior before the commencement ceremonies. Although the front, or south side, of Randolph Hall often receives more public attention, it may now be time for this exquisite rear-side balcony to capture a larger share of the spotlight.
– Valerie Frazier ’91
Frazier is an associate professor in the College’s Department of English.
