Darrell Huang

Darrell Huang

I started off the sketch quite unconfident in my memory of Harvard’s campus (and also in my ability to draw). However, comparing it to Google’s map of Harvard, my sketch does capture the locations of the Harvard Law School, the Yard, the Quad, and the Athletic complex relative to each other. Before I began my sketch, I was able to imagine a top-down view of the campus which gave me a clear sense of directionality. My memory failed when I was attempting to draw the streets that run through Harvard Square. I could not remember how long certain streets were, where streets intersected, and the directionality of the traffic. The reason for this may have been my lack of familiarity with certain parts of the campus; I have not been to parts of Brattle Street and have only made the trek to the Quad twice.

Overall, my sketch was accurate in depicting the main parts of the campus, but failed to capture everything in between (i.e. streets, number of blocks, and other buildings). The parts of my sketch that were accurate include Harvard Yard, the Law School, and the surrounding areas. The parts that were a little off include JFK street and its surrounding blocks and the Quad. The parts that were completely false include the space west of the bridge to the athletic center as well as the neighborhood around the Quad. Furthermore, my roads were astonishingly off in regards to directionality and length. I suppose this reveals my lack of understanding of certain parts of the campus as well as my inattentiveness to the streets and roads of Harvard Square. This also reveals that I, along with many other freshmen I presume, spend the majority of my time in the Harvard Yard/Science Center area. Perhaps upperclassmen, graduate students, and residents would produce a wholly different sketch of Harvard Square.