Journal Entry March 2
The Longhorn
"Tall, tough, and full of fight" describes the iron longhorn outside of the Alumni center. This statement gives rise to immense school spirit. We are the longhorns. How could anyone disgrace who we are? This is a great animal to be represented by. Mr. Dobie comments, "As an animal in the realm of natural history, he [the longhorn] was the peer of bison or grizzly bear"(Dobie 281). A longhorn is a courageous, fierce animal that embodies the state of Texas. Looking at the statue of the longhorn made me proud to be her at the University of Texas, right here, right now, in this place of time.
The Mustangs
As I looked up at the enormous (well to a degree) statue of the running mustangs, I imagined then coming to life to continue their path from the place in time in which they are frozen. Mr. Dobie commented, "They [the mustangs] have gone with the winds of vanished years. They carried away a life and a spirit that no pastoral prosperity could in coming re-present"(Dobie 307). If they did become alive and began running down the paved street, what would they think? Where would their grassy prairie be? Why had Texas changed so much for them? I would tell them that, yes, Texas has changed, but we still love them. Those who think about the wild and free mustangs that once roamed the land, wish it could be so again. We all wish that we had a chance to see these strong, beautiful creatures running as they pleased. But these mustangs are not real. They are merely iron giants, frozen in a place of time we can never go back to.
The Freedom Mare
A single mare running through our campus seems quite unlikely. This beautiful creation of God is now recreated as a creation of man. Do students even notice this mare running, here always, as they pass by? Thousands upon thousands of people flock to the football games every year. I know they walk by it, but why don't they see it? This is a beautiful campus and so many students don't even notice its' beauty. What a wonderful thing it is to be able to be in a group (this class) and get a chance to look at the beauty of this campus. I love it here. I love the beauty, the atmosphere, the people, and the experiences. The Freedom Mare brought this all into my mind. We have a great place for our higher education and we should take full advantage of not only the opportunities we have here, but also the surroundings. We have the freedom here that this mare had long ago in her days when things were simpler. Life was grand. She was free and spirited. It seemed to her that it would go on forever. Life does not go on forever, nor does out time here at the university. We should grab it up now and never let it go.
The Family (??)
This statue was done with a different texturing than the others we viewed. That's what I noticed first. I then noticed the strong necks and bodies of the horses of the group. What an outstanding creature. The horses are larger than the old man, girl, and calf, but seem to be less emphasized in the theme of the creation as a whole. This statue embodies the University of Texas. The old man is the past and the young girl is the future. The longhorn calf symbolizes (to me) the spirit of the university. The old man seems to be handing this calf to her as in passing the spirit and love of UT. The horses are the travelers, the means of transportation; they are how the old man and girl will arrive to their destinations -- their futures. This statue, along with the others surrounding the Alumni Center, allow us to view our school in another way and to be proud of where we are. The artist's knew what they were doing when they chose their subjects for their work of art of our campus.
The Dobie House
I thought the house was really cute. Everything Mr. Dobie needed to work was right there. It's hard to believe that his house used to sit there without all the large buildings surrounding it. It must have been so peaceful. I'm sure that it was the place he wanted to die -- his house, his sanctuary, and around the university he loved so much.