I took a spin around the campus of Northern Arizona University a few days ago. Until this trip, I wasn’t very familiar with the geography of Arizona, and Flagstaff was not at all what I expected. Nestled up against the mountains at an elevation of 7000 feet or so, I felt as though I were in the mountains of Colorado.
The campus is relatively lush–compared to the desert we crossed to get to Flagstaff. Tall, stately pines make it feel more like Oregon or even New England. The architecture is mostly modern, with the exception of a central quad around Old Main, the oldest building on campus. Despite its modernity, the campus is very attractive and architecturally relatively coherent (compared to many other state universities). There are some green zones, too, and one edge of the campus is bordered by a cemetery (seemed like a great place to go for a run!).
My visit took place in a torrential downpour during the monsoon season of the Southwestern US. And I didn’t have an umbrella. So I wasn’t able to spend as much time poking around as I would have liked. But Northern Arizona University left a very favorable impression on me as an attractive place to go to college.
Mark Montgomery
College Counselor