Carnegie Mellon University

Apart from the fact that CMU is one of the best for CS and of the most sought after univs by most of my IIT friends who decide to go ahead with an MS and/or PhD, I did not know much about it nor about graduate scools in general in the United States. I visited the campus the other day and as my facebook friends already know, I am in love with Carnegie Mellon University.

Gates Hillman Complex: It was opened last fall, built by grants from the Gates foundation and Henry J Hillman, hosts the department of computer science (which is where my friend works). It is beautifully built with contemporary architecture. Connecting a 3rd to the 5th floor a helix or a helical staircase with space in between for a couple of classrooms. It has technical art displayed at a few points like the one in my header, art the kind I have never seen. Most of the walls of public seating areas can be used as white boards, so can a few tables. They have vague staircases in between which are called the Hogwarts stairs. They also have atria, reading rooms with a beautiful view, conference rooms with the view of the city and a winter garden with a walking pathway.

Pausch Bridge: Connecting the GHC to the Purnell Center for Arts is a footbridge called the Pausch bridge in the memory of Randy Pausch who was a professor at CMU and died at the age of 47 with pancreatic cancer but went around the world delevering his "Last Lecture" when he found out the about his cancer. The bridge has LEDs that can be programmed to display certain patterns and the bridge has a unique abstract art which includes several penguins as that was Pauch's favorite. Here is the pattern:

The Fence: Once upon a time when there existed a Carnegie Tech and a Mellon Institute separetely, one had a majority of boys and the other girls. So students dated across campuses and young love blossomed at the fence that divided the two campuses. When the merger happened and the fence was to be brought down, the student community and the alumni community raised their voice against it because of the memories and the significance it has. To fulfill their request, a part of the fence was left (or rebuilt) which is not "The Fence" and is painted as an how students want according to the upcoming event.

The Cut: The final thing is the cut. An art exhibit constructed in the middle of the lawn. I know not its significance but it's awesomely weird.

PS: More pictures to come