Not So Set in Stone: A Digital History of the Macalester College Campus

College communities are constantly in flux, as students typically remain in school for only four years. However, parts of the physical environment of a college campus might last for centuries. This project investigates the evolution of Macalester College’s campus and asks the following questions: What has guided the design decisions for new buildings and structures at Macalester throughout its history? How have people interacted with, manipulated, and potentially subverted these spaces and places? How is settler colonialism physically embodied at Macalester? These questions have illuminated the ways that people have attempted to control the space and place that makes up Macalester, and how people have resisted or subverted that control. I have compiled my research into a digital exhibit in order to communicate how architecture and design has served as a tool to convey Macalester’s values and to shape the experiences of students as they eat, sleep, study, and socialize on campus