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Cindy O’Dell's avatar

This reminded me of the story about the design of UC Irvine. The founding chancellor, Dan Aldrich, had the circular center of the campus ringed by a paved path but no paved paths were placed crosswise so that the first and subsequent students could create their own paths (from building to building). The perfect metaphor for what all college student should do.

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Kathleen Clare Waller's avatar

I never knew what these were called. So fascinating to think about this as a figurative concept. It makes me think of “A Room of One’s Own” when Woolf (or her imagined narrator) strays from the path only to be placed back on it by the Beadle. And then of course there is Frost and “The Road Not Taken.” These aren’t merely bifurcations here but do offer this sense of choice.

Thanks so much for this. I shall keep pondering it and try to experience one soon!

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