University of MIami

 Today was interesting.  

I heard that they had torn down the Mahoney - Pearson halls at the University of Miami.  They had pictures of the halls on the web.  And pictures of what remains.

I was surprised.  To me those were the buildings that defined the entrance to the University of Miami.  Once you saw those buildings, you knew one had arrived at the University.  I decided to read about them They were not twin buildings but they looked similar enough that you could tell they were built as part of a complex, although first Mahoney was built and then the Pearson building was built.

I first noticed the buildings when Robert became a student at the University of Miami.  He did not like the UM and the next year he would go to University of Florida in Gainesville.  That University he liked a lot better.  Robert graduated in 1970.  This meant he went to the University of Miami beginning in 1970 until 1971.  

I remember seeing the Mahoney Pearson buildings during his year at UM.  These were college dorms.  I do not know if he lived there or if he actually drove from home to there.  Or if he lived in another building altogether.  I have been trying to think back to see what I remembered but I remember nothing.  During that time the school kept different dorm buildings for each gender.  The ladies were in the Mahoney Building while the gentlemen occupied the Pearson Building, although I am not sure if these were the actual names of the buildings at the time.  They may also have been named the 720 and 730 buildings, due to their occupancy. 

The buildings were built in the late 50s.   

I remember first seeing or possibly noticing these building in 1970-1971.  Robert told me that one of these was for ladies and one was for gentlemen.  It was easy to tell which one was which by how many windows were pulled up.  In the Mahoney building, most of the privacy shades were down, in the Pearson building most of them were up.  I do not think Robert actually lived there.  He may also have lived at home.  I am honestly not sure. 

I later became more aware of the buildings when I actually attended the University Fall of 1975 all the way through Fall of 1986. I received my Bachelors of Science, Ph.D. and Postdoctoral studies.  At times I felt that I would never leave.  Oh, and I forgot, I had my first two children and got married then as well.  I am actually very proud of my education there, althought sometimes it seemed interminable at the time. 

The two buildings were joined by a common lobby and dining facilities.  

I only went into the buildings once.  I was studying for an exam and the whole group got together in a room in Pearson hall joined by our classmates.  We had a great time and we actually studied.  There I learned that I did not like the idea of living in a dormitory. Although the students that lived there seemed to be happy.  I on the other hand could go home at the end of the day.  I remember during that time one of the students had left the family and no one could find him.  He did not return although much later, I did see him at the UM. I was in the graduate school at the time so it may have been around six years later. 

While attending the University, I almost never went by the buildings.  Although they present at the front of the University, in practice, for the chemists particularly, they were way back where no students actually were.  

I just went by the University for the first time in years and was amazed at how much it had changed.  There seems to be a new science building which one of these days I will visit, just to see what it is like.