The search for the perfect "thing"

When the project was first assigned to analyze a structure, I was a bit overwhelmed. The Penn campus is huge and filled with many distinct edifices and other objects to choose from. In the lecture, Dr. Bogen talked a lot about some of the important biological systems that compose our bodies and compared some everyday structures and objects to the intricate networks that apply to bioengineering as well. As I thought more about the project, I realized that the freshman Quad was a perfect choice. Not only can it be viewed from many different scales, whether it be the entirety of the quad, which is very large, or something as basic as a single room, which is very small, but also carries out a vital function. This reminded me of an organ that is extremely vital to human life and existence: the brain. The brain is the control center of the body. It sends out signals to the rest of the body, stores information, and while relatively small in comparison to the rest of the body, it is arguably the most necessary organ for successful human life. Likewise, the quad stores immense quantities of information. With all the combined knowledge of the freshman class, (as well as the wisdom of the RAs and GAs) the quad has great potential to carry out many functions, whether they be intellectual, social, athletic, or artistic. The primary concern of the brain is to allow an organism to live productively and survive so that it may pass its genes on to the next generation. The quad carries such functions as well in that it allows students to rest, store food and belongings, and practice methods that may very well pass their genes on to the next generation. The brain contains billions of neurons that allow it to carry out many functions and send messages to the rest of the body. The quad houses over a thousand freshman, each with a common goal of doing their best and being successful to gain acclaim and achievement for themselves and for the freshman class as a whole. Similar to neurons, the students of the quad send messages to the rest of campus, conveying that freshman are not as naive and useless as many upperclassmen believe. While the brain is the control center for the body, the quad is the control center for the freshman class, allowing the youngest members of the Penn community to learn, grow, and survive succesfully.