Walking through Blacksburg and parts of Christiansburg has opened up a new perspective to me. Especially the aspect of viewing the walks I regularly go on from a different point of view. Every walk I’ve made for this work has been an eye opener. Some were calm and routine while others were new and probably scary. Every walk required me to critically think and observe my surroundings, every observation has got a hundred thoughts in mind about its significance and place. Every view I look around campus I try to admire its beauty. I try to retrospect my routines which were developed out of habit but I probably can’t justify it if I were asked about them before this. This work has also got me thinking about several questions, such as why Virginia Tech follows a similar style of architecture, how to understand a place based on the time, and why the amount of people gives a place its meaning, etc. More than all of these why some routines are developed automatically without my intent. All these questions made me think deeply about my habits and places. Finally, a lots of illusions, when I walked around campus I’ve noticed several illusions, where I find some walks shorter to the eye despite the fact that its comparable in distance to the other walk, and I’ve noticed several of them across the campus, because of the curving design of roads and walkways in the campus. In fact, one of my walks involved me walking at midnight in a pitch dark trail, sending me through waves of fear, excitement and dizziness. Overall this experience has been new, interesting and eye opening, walking through several known and unknown paths, observing in a new way and perspective added to the experience well.

A for Ambler Johnston Hall

2.03 Overhead at Time of Day; Picture; Saturday; October. 18

Figure 1: A picture taken just outside the North entrance of Ambler Johnston Hall during sunset, showing the street, sky and mountain. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

What could please our eyes if the view of the horizon meeting the mountain ranges cannot? One of the most beautiful scenic views we can find in Blacksburg is the walkway just outside West Ambler Johnston during sunset and a clear weather, where we find the clouds touching the mountain ranges that are visible straight down the street, combined with the fall colors offered by the mountain is a beautiful view. Also the fact that there are pretty much no visible street lights on the street adds to its beauty. (90)

B for for Burruss Hall

2.01 Campus Map of the Imagination; Picture; Thursday, October. 09

Figure 2: A picture taken from the square behind Burruss Hall, it shows the square with a construction site behind Turner’s place. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Burruss Hall is located at the heart of campus, but just behind it is a square that I found to be a good confusion breaker. In the event you are in a dilemma about where to head on campus, be it dining halls or classroom buildings, you can go to the square and decide. The square is located at the center of the academic side of campus where I can reach any academic building in less than 5 minutes, so if I decide to change my plans, I’d stop here. (90)

C for Cassell Coliseum

2.03 Overhead at Time of Day; Picture; Thursday; October. 09

Figure 3: A picture taken from Dietrick hall 2nd floor facing Cassell Coliseum at Sunset, It shows the front view of Cassell Coliseum facing North during sunset. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Light from the sun can often be bitter, but it can also offer one of the most beautiful sunsets one can find, especially on campuses with one of the best architectures in the country. One such place where you can find the best sunset views is at the 2nd floor on Dietrick hall facing Cassell Coliseum, where you can find the sunset light falling in a diagonal shape relative to Cassell Coliseum with a deep yellowish orange color that is the most mesmerizing view that simply cannot be expressed digitally. (90)

D for Duck Pond

2.19 Duck Pond; Picture; Saturday; October. 11

Figure 4: A picture of a Canada Goose taken at Duck Pond. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Think about a time when animals got used to human activities, I’ve experienced such event at the Duck Pond where a Canada Goose, which I presumed was a duck but got clarification from my peers, has probably got used to a lot people coming around and taking pictures, it was surprisingly cooperative with me when I was taking pictures of it and in fact a step further moving itself around the tree and looking at the camera. This made me wonder if animals would respond to humans’ actions when conditioned. (90)

E for Edge way

3.03 Absurdist Tour; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 5: A picture of the bus stop taken in front of the edge way (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

When I was walking by the Edge apartments just north east of maroon loop, I noticed a slightly absurd feature, the bus stop just in front of the edge way on Toms Creek Rd. According to google maps it’s a ten minute walk from the stop to Orange Bay, and I found it funny because why would someone take the bus when you could just continue the walk for a few more minutes. But this made me also appreciate the effort Virginia Tech puts into accessibility and inclusion of everyone. (90)

G for Goodwin Hall

2.07 What Even Goes On In There?; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 6: A picture taken in Goodwin Hall of the Trent Engine hanging from the ceiling with ropes. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Goodwin Hall is one of the most intriguing buildings that I find at Virginia Tech. Everytime I enter it I find something new and fascinating. Be it the enormously huge engine hanging from the ceiling, which appears to be fake- which I thought initially because I presumed no ceiling can hold it- until I realized it was real, or the stunning views from the glass windows of second floor facing south with the bus terminal, every time I enter Goodwin Hall it sets a modern campus setting in my mind. (90)

H for Huckleberry Trail

2.11 Huckleberry Trail; Picture; Saturday; October. 11

Figure 7: A picture taken at Fox Ridge Apartments, approximately a quarter mile away from trail entrance, it shows a full moon above a tree representing the environment during the walk.  (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

While visiting new paths itself is kind of scary, visiting it during 11.30 PM in the midnight is scarier. We decided to go out on the adventure to Huckleberry Trail at that specific time. I’m personally scared of darkness and horror films but not totally scared, this led me to take the leap of faith on my friends and go out on the walk in the trail. What feels like a scenic walk in the morning can feel the most terrifying walk if the time is midnight, and this walk did prove that point. A not so bright street light system, combined with mist, full moon and a black cat under a flickering light, is one of the classical conditioning environments used by film makers to scare audiences during horror films, and this exact environment was followed for the thirty minute walk. And when we revisited the same trail the morning, it was a scenic view with mountainous terrain and grass touching the horizon. This showed how the time of the day could alter the perception about a place. (180)

I for Inn at Virginia Tech

3.05 Drawn and Repelled; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 8: A picture taken at the Inn at Virginia Tech portraying its architecture. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One of the places that I felt were slightly odd in my walk is the Inn at Virginia Tech located north-west of the campus. A peculiar reason I felt it as odd is because of its architecture, which drew and repelled me from it. Because every building and dorm at Virginia Tech follows the same design language in architecture but something about this building and location of the Inn felt like it could’ve appeared very unique from the rest of campus, especially because of its distance and discontinuity from campus. (90)

J for Johnston Student Center

2.17 Desire Paths; Picture; Thursday; October. 09

Figure 9: A picture of the door connecting Johnston Student Center and Pamplin College of Business (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Knowing shortcuts is often helpful especially with consequent classes, and a route that I found after a semester of having such consequent classes is the passage connecting Johnston Student Center and Pamplin College of Business. This path came as a surprise to me, because I had my first year writing lecture and Chemistry recitation session consequently in the Spring semester of 2025 and I didn’t know the existence of this passage and took the long way in the harsh weather, only to realize its existence a semester later in Fall. (90)

K for Kroger

3.22 Change the Ritual; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 10: A picture taken at University City Boulevard, outside Kroger. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Think about a time when you realized you could’ve done something far more simpler than what your routine does and you’ve realized that fact way later than you were supposed to. One such activity I used to do was go to Walmart in Christiansburg every weekend to get my weekly groceries and I used to unnecessarily spend 4 hours travelling and shopping. After staying in Blacksburg for 1 year, my friend told me that there is a Kroger that’s just thirty minutes from campus. I was surprised after knowing that. (90)

L for Lavery Hall

2.07 What Even Goes On In There?; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 11: A picture taken in front of Lavery Hall showing the multi floor design. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Building names and social references associated with them could confuse us. One such building I find confusing is Lavery Hall. When you’re with your peers they might often reference it as Turners Place. I often referenced it as Turners Place in my mind. Until one of my friends who stays in Lavery Hall corrected me saying Turners Place is just the food court in the bottom two floors but the building has multiple floors with a dorm and classrooms. And I still reference it as Turners place despite knowing this. (90)

M for McBryde Hall

2.17 Desire Paths; Video; Monday; December. 01

Video 1: A timelapse of McBryde Hall first floor showing the four directions we can enter and exit from the same corridor. (Original video, Anjan Bellamkonda)

I’d describe Mcbryde hall as an intersection terminal for all buildings. The tunnels on the first floor of the building can take me to all four directions. The southeast exit takes me to Torgerson Hall and the bus stop, the northwest exit takes me to Lavery Hall. And the heaters in the corridor help me from harsh blacksburg winters, making it an ideal break point when walking between buildings because I can reach all the way from Newman library to Goodwin hall with minimal outside walk, by walking through buildings. (90)

N for North Main Street

3.05 Drawn and Repelled; Picture; Picture; Friday; October. 31

Figure 12: A picture taken in front of Namaste Kitchen, showing North Main Street during the afternoon around 10.30 PM. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One street can have two faces, and one among them is North Main Street in Downtown Blacksburg. The street that once held the social space during the evenings and weekends could be completely quiet if we visit it at the wrong time. I’m not a night owl so I occasionally visit Downtown Blacksburg, but when I do, its a space with a vibrant social atmosphere and people. But when I visit in the afternoon to maybe return an amazon package at UPS its probably the most isolated place in town. (90)

O for Oasis World Market

3.02 Flanerie; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 13: A picture at the refrigerator of Oasis World Market displaying Dosa Batter. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Dosa is a popular South Indian Dish known for its crispiness and varieties of other dishes that we can make from it. Being from South India, it’s one of the dishes I really miss from home and it’s typically hard to find a good affordable dosa in urban cities, but when I was taking a walk to Oasis World Market casually to explore the store, and after ten minutes of window shopping the store, I accidentally found the main ingredient for making Dosa, Dosa Batter, and realized what I missed. (90)

P for Pamplin Hall

2.22 Stairs versus Elevator; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 14: A picture of the staircase connecting the second floor and third floor at Pamplin Hall. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One of the main reasons I prefer elevators in buildings, because stairs are often scary without a wall, at least in my personal experience. I often don’t have fear of heights, but sometimes I do get the fear of heights when there is no supporting structure around me, such as a wall or a strong arm rest. One such example I fear is the staircase at Pamplin Hall connecting the three floors. The staircase connecting floor one and floor two might feel normal until the moment you step on the staircase connecting floor two and three. I wanted to experience this staircase once more hoping my fear would’ve waned out, but I was wrong. The moment I stepped on the staircase connecting the second and third floors, I started shivering and fearing the height. Something about this particular staircase design makes me feel scared. A similar design of staircase can be seen in Torgerson Hall. Even though I climbed the staircase, the way down was scarier, because the way down made me realize the stairs don’t have a support below. (180)

R for Robeson Hall

3.02 Flanerie; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 15: A picture taken from the south east side of Robeson hall with Pamplin Hall showing the similarity in design. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One of the most interesting halls that I found at Virginia Tech is Robeson Hall. Because during my first semester at Virginia Tech I didn’t have a single class in this hall, but when I had my first class here, I was surprised to find out that this is a separate hall, I confused Robeson hall with Pamplin Hall because both were connected by a bridge but unlike Torgerson Hall and Newman library, this bridge isn’t wide and it almost looks like a cut for an arch in Pamplin Hall. (90)

S for Slusher

2.06 Talking Along the Drillfield; Picture; Tuesday; October. 28

Figure 16: A picture taken at the North side of Drillfield pointing to Slusher Hall and its neighbouring buildings. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Illusions needn’t always be intentional, sometimes buildings could accidentally bring up illusions in people’s mind, one such illusion that I noticed while crossing the drillfield between academic and residential side of campus is Slusher Hall, the entire building- Slusher Hall- often gave me this perception that the south of drillfield(residential) is taller than the North of drillfield(academic) and I didn’t notice that both are about the same height until I noticed the bases of its neighboring buildings which were closely aligned with both sides of drillfield by altitude. (90)

T for Torgerson Bridge

3.09 Sound Archive; Picture; Thursday; October. 09

Figure 17: A picture taken in Torgerson Bridge’s hallway, it shows the benches in the hall. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Calmness is often rare today, the noise of someone talking is more prevalent today. Despite this fact, one place I go to in search of pure silence is the Torgerson bridge connecting Torgerson hall and Newman library. Often certain societal habits and conditioning trigger us to behave certain way, for example, not crossing an intersection on a red light, etc. similarly one habit I noticed everyone follow is that, everyone tries to keep quiet on the bridge, and some classical conditioning causes me to be quiet as well, maybe it is because of the movies I’ve seen in my lifetime where a room filled with books and tables is often associated with a library of scholars setting, especially in classic British movies. Another observation I had after leaving the bridge, at Torgerson hall 3rd floor, if you walked slightly faster and closer to the walls of the floor, there are some peculiar pink boards that appear to be pin boards, but as you walk in parallel and closely to them, you start feeling a noise cancelling effect on your ears. (180)

U for University Bookstore

3.03 Absurdist Tour; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 18: A picture taken inside University Bookstore first floor showing the books in first floor. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One of the absurd settings I found in a building at Virginia Tech is the University Bookstore. When I’ve entered the bookstore from the first floor, I’ve noticed that my mobile has lacked cellular service and I found it interesting because the second floor being slightly above had decent connection, but the irony is the books are placed in the first floor and the dresses were placed in the second floor, I felt the books should’ve been placed in the first floor, so I could look up the right book. (90)

V for Vawter Hall

3.23 Daily Walk List; Picture; Monday; December. 01

Figure 19: A picture showing the arch at Vawter Hall (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Something about the arch at Vawter Hall feels special. One of the routes I walked for 5 days is between West Ambler Johnston Hall and Downtown Blacksburg via the Creativity and Innovation District. In this route, I usually have two options, the first one being in front of Newman Hall and towards CID or behind Newman Hall via the arch of Vawter Hall to CID. While both are about the same distance from the diversion point, something about the arch draws me towards it, I never considered the first option. (90)

W for Walkway around Drillfield

2.06 Talking Along the Drillfield; Picture; Thursday; October. 09

Figure 20: A picture taken on the walkway surrounding the Drillfield in front of Main Campbell hall, showing the walkway. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

Paths can often have illusions, or perspectives, associated with its shape. The walk around the walkway surrounding the Drillfield is one among them in my opinion. Even though the walk inside the residential side of campus or academic side of campus is shorter in absolute distance, the walk via the Drillfield walkway has this illusion of short path, partly due to its elliptical shape, which gives the illusion similar to two boomerangs stacked on each other, where even though both the boomerangs are the same size, when they are stacked on each other, the longer arc of one of the boomerang is perceived longer than the shorter arc. I associate this with the walkway around the Drillfield where I perceive the straight path longer than the path through the walkway. Another factor that led to this perception, which I noticed during the walk around the walkway is, the paths along the Drillfield are diagonal relative to Drillfield Dr, creating the perception that walking the walkway before crossing the Drillfield is relatively shorter than crossing the drillfield and reaching the destination. (180)

Z for Zebra Crossing

2.16 Waiting in Line; Picture; Thursday; November. 20

Figure 21: A picture taken at the zebra crossing in front of East Eggleston Hall and Newman library ground floor during non traffic time. (Original photograph, Anjan Bellamkonda)

One of the most interesting Zebra Crossing lines I found in Blacksburg is the crosswalk in front of East Eggleston Hall and Newman library ground floor. I find this crossing special because there are only two routes to go from the south of Blacksburg to the north, one being from the west on West Campus Drive, but the other being via this crosswalk and the issue with that is, when lectures get over at Squires and other close academic buildings, this crosswalk becomes a chokepoint for traffic making long lines. (90)