Maxwell, the School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.  Maxwell, the leading Public Affairs School in the Nation.  Maxwell, the most boring building on campus.  

Unlike the Physics building, which has a mind-numbingly boring exterior with a mildly interesting interior (it helps that you can people watch through the walls between classes), the Maxwell building suffers from just the opposite, and even worse: a classic, but appropriate, exterior combined with an under-stimulating, monotonous and absent interior.  

Newhouse, Whitman and Life Sciences enjoy modernity, while Lyman, Hall of Languages and Tolley enjoy some grace in their old age.  While we may have varying opinions about our many academic homes, I am sure most everyone feels that Maxwell leaves much to be desired, especially given how high it holds itself.

The most interesting room is the Founder’s Room, but is rarely open to anyone, let alone the public.  Maxwell Auditorium is decent and comes with an air of nostalgia for how college felt generations ago.  Even the main entranceway with George Washington is a little interesting and brings to mind the Greek origins of democracy. 

Yet, a quick stroll through the rest of the building imparts almost no thoughts whatsoever.  The walls are white, with the occasional department specific bulletin board.  In fact, the north facing entrance just had its doors repainted, a bright and vibrant… white.  Here and there are some portraits of individuals integral to the creation of the building and school, but there is nothing perplexing, nothing thought-provoking, nothing “Maxwellian” about it.  

Isn’t Maxwell supposed to be a leader among its peers?  Should our building not reflect our high self-esteem and position in our fields?  I am not asking for a complete remodel, but surely even Robert Rauschenberg’s “White Painting,” or, dare I say, Malevich’s “Black Square with Red Square,” could add to what we are currently forced to look at.  Perhaps I am alone in thinking this, but walking through Maxwell (and Eggers) should spark a person’s interest in the world around them.

Good citizenship is generally agreed to involve some level of engagement with society.  Save for the amazing minds that work in the building, there is nothing else it offers.  You simply cannot engage with and learn from a white wall; all of our elementary school teachers knew this.  Even the dentist’s office knows this.  Surely Maxwell should have been able to figure this out.

Jason Ashley ‘16
Political Science and Citizenship
and Civic Engagement
jlashley@syr.edu

Published on September 3, 2014 at 12:09 am