A first impression is always important. Elon makes a statement with my personal favorite building on campus. Standing across from Belk Library, hiding Loy Commons from the rest of campus, is the Inman Admissions Building.
The Georgian architecture fits in perfectly with the rest of campus, as it opens its doors to Elon. The vaulted ceilings inside support a chandelier, dangling beautifully yet precariously far above visitors’ heads. The steeple, reaching toward the sky, points to the hopes and dreams of the next wave of students to pass through the building.
When driving down any road, it oftentimes seems to be a brightly colored door that catches our eye — a pop of color in the often mundane sea of white and black doors to draw you into the beauty of that home.
Inman is Elon’s bright red door. The odd thing about Inman is how infrequently it’s used by students once they arrive on campus. In fact, sometimes it seems meaningless and distant. For so many of us now, Inman is little more than a postcard-like landmark we see on our walk to lunch.
However, it’s important to take a moment to recognize what this building means. It was the beginning for us. It was the first place we went when we were juniors and seniors in high school, seemingly a lifetime ago.
The next time you find yourself with a couple minutes to kill before your next class in Sankey Hall, take a second and sit on the porch of Inman. The pearly white Adirondack rocking chairs are a prime location to reflect, whether you are a second semester senior or a homesick freshman.
Sitting in those chairs offers the same view you had when you first set eyes on the lush, green lawns of the school for the first time. Take note of the tour guides as they show off our beautiful campus to groups of bright-eyed high schoolers and their parents. Those students, too, may just be embarking on a journey through the place you have come to call home, a journey facilitated by Elon’s bright red door — the Inman Admissions Building.