“Stop! I need to take a photo for Instagram!”
“Amanda, didn’t you get one yesterday?”
“Yes. Your point?”
The MLK Plaza is a token spot of the University of South Florida campus, located in the middle of campus. While it is just one location, it holds many more opportunities. Students can sit and study on the benches that line the reflection pond, or walk the path that leads straight into the Marshall Student Center. Sorority women take photos behind trees, incoming freshman strike a post in the archway, and graduating seniors pop champagne in the reflection pond.
MLK plaza is a perfect spot…
to sit and read, relax, do homework with the campus-wide wifi, or even take a nap on a Florida sunshine afternoon. However, MLK plaza has not always been so beautiful. The plaza first came to be by the naming after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1982 by the Black Student Union and Student Government. MLK Plaza was once just a barren field before the 1.8 million dollar renovation. Now featuring beautiful green space, spacious walkways, strong trees, and archway tunnels with flowers, MLK Plaza even features a recast bust of MLK’s head and shoulders.
MLK is the perfect statue to snap a selfie with…
since the statue reflects the Doctor’s actual height. On the opposite side of the reflection pond from the statue are granite panels that display his famous and world-changing “I Have A Dream” speech. Most students walk through the plaza daily, which is a beautiful reminder of MLK’s impact on our society.
The most photogenic parts of the campus are the garden archways. Surrounded by flowers and palm trees, the Florida sunshine really brightens your day even as you walk through the shade. Some may see its beauty and some may see its history. Some may use it as a reminder of how far we have come, while others use it as a reminder to continue forward. Whether you are walking through the archway on a campus tour, or via freshman convocation, or in your graduation gown headed towards the bulls in front of the MSC, the MLK plaza is a prime location for any Bull. Don’t believe me? Do a search for #MLKplaza yourself and see why other students love this spot as much as I do. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, you need to see it for yourself.
