Home Post SliderMediaRoadrunner DiariesRoadrunner Diaries: Auraria Campus Photo Tour – Empty, Eerie and Spring Spectacular

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Sara Martin4 years ago11814 min

My drive to campus felt infinitely different, but in retrospect, there was no way for it to be the same. My textbooks, which normally sit beside me, had dispersed, replaced with camera equipment. The lunch rush hour along Interstate 25 had been reinstated with traffic cones. For the first time, I wished to face the challenge of finding a parking spot. I braced myself to step foot in a place we have been told to avoid, but the familiarity of campus was welcoming.

The further I explored, I found a somber feeling amid the silence. Everything and nothing had changed all at once. The sense of community was gone, even the campus geese had seemed to disappear along with us. One by one, every building was plastered with the same flyer, making it imminent that this was not the place to be. The droves of students were gone, and I no longer needed to infer if I was about to be swept out of the way by a battery-powered scooter. I peered into the Tivoli Starbucks, wondering if perhaps by chance it would be the first time I would see an open seat in the coffee shop, but it rightfully looked barren, as even the chairs had been tucked away in a private room. The welcoming faces of my favorite Dazbog baristas no longer awaited my daily appearance for a cup of coffee. The loss of a routine seemed blatant as I stared it right in the face; campus life has made itself known from a new extreme.

My camera seemed to find a different narrative. Around each flower bed was a sign of the times: Auraria Campus is alive and blooming, even without the physical presence of faculty and students. I captured living proof that life goes on amidst, flourishing through adversity. As a collective, we may be gone from campus, but hope is not to be lost. Every Friday, I see strength in numbers with my Met Media staff on Microsoft Teams meetings. I see resilience in the emails from professors reminding us that they miss our presence and challenging minds. MSU Denver’s campus may be the threshold that contains us, but our sense of community follows the people.

Photos by Sara Martin | [email protected]

Sara Martin

Sara Martin is a photojournalist, reporter and editor-in-chief of The Metropolitan. She is a senior student currently pursuing a degree in journalism at MSU Denver. Sara was an intern in the Colorado Avalanche's front office during the 2021-22 championship season. She has previously been published in Chalkbeat Colorado, The Denver Post, Colorado Public Radio, The Colorado Sun, NHL.com, Ms. Mayhem, Colorado Community Media and The Denver North Star. Sara pursues freelance journalism. Comments? Email [email protected].

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