Montana State University was founded in 1893, shortly after Montana became a state. Currently, there are almost seventeen thousand students attending this university. The buildings that make up Montana State University are surrounded by mountains on all sides and the campus sits in a bowl.
My favorite campus building is Montana Hall which is located in the center of campus and is one of the oldest buildings. The reason I favor this building is because when I first started school here, I had to walk through the center of campus every day and had the perfect view of Montana Hall. It is very rustic and sturdy feel to it. The interior is wooden and perfectly captures the feeling of when the campus was first established in 1893. The floors are carpeted, and the windows let in natural light from outside. Montana Hall was the second building constructed on campus and is where Montana State University’s President Cruzado’s office is located. This building is used to help students with residency, class schedules, and any other questions they have about deadlines.
Another reason this is my favorite building is because of the memories I have that are tied to it. In December, I attended a campus event with a group of friends called “Lights on Montana Hall” where students, faculty, alumni, neighbors, and the public gather to watch a traditional lighting ceremony. Warm hot chocolate and apple cider and tasty desserts were served and glowsticks and light up wands were handed out to the crowd. This event took place in front of Montana Hall around the bobcat statue. The MSU madrigal singers performed carols and the president gave an uplifting speech along with a countdown. The building, decorated from top to bottom in lights, lit up in the blink of an eye! The band continued to play as everyone gathered around to watch the building change colors and take photos of the lights.
Montana Hall is right next to three main buildings that I have class in called Wilson, Leon Johnson, and Reid. Wilson is a building for the College of Letters and Science. Leon Johnson holds laboratories for Plant Sciences, Ecology, and Biology. Lastly, Reid holds classes for the College of Education, Health, and Human Development. I am an Environmental Science major, so I have a lot of my classes in these buildings. This allows me to see Montana Hall every day on my way to class.
Submitted by Cathy Johnson