Okay, so today I wanted to check out “The Rock” at Hofstra University. I’d heard about it, seen pictures, but never actually been there myself. It’s supposed to be this big, iconic boulder that students paint and repaint all the time. Sounds kinda cool, right?
Getting There
First things first, I had to figure out how to even get to Hofstra. I’m not a student there, so I wasn’t super familiar with the campus. I hopped on my phone and used a maps, and looked up the general location. Parking was my next worry. Luckily, I found a visitor parking area that wasn’t too far of a walk from the main campus area where I figured the rock would be.
The Hunt Begins
Once I parked, I started my quest. I figured the rock would be pretty obvious, I mean, how many giant painted boulders can one campus have? I walked towards the student center, thinking it would be a central, likely spot. I asked a couple of students I passed if they knew where “The Rock” was. They gave directions.
- One said, “Just keep going past the student center, you’ll see it.”
- Another pointed and said, “It’s near the uni-span, you can’t miss it.”
Found It!
And there it was! It wasn’t as gigantic as I’d pictured, but it was definitely a substantial rock. What struck me was the layers and layers of paint. It was this thick, textured glob of every color imaginable. You could see the drips and remnants of old messages and designs peeking through. It was messy, chaotic, and kind of beautiful in its own *’s clearly a living piece of campus art, constantly changing.
My Contribution (Sort Of)
I didn’t have any paint with me, so I couldn’t add my own masterpiece. But, I spent time looking at all messages from students.I took some photos. I could almost feel the history and the energy of all the students who’d interacted with it over the years.
Final Thoughts
It was a simple little adventure, finding “The Rock” at Hofstra. It wasn’t some grand, life-changing experience, but it was a fun, little slice of campus life. It reminded me that even everyday objects can become something special when a community puts their own spin on them. If you’re ever at Hofstra, take a few minutes to check it out. You might be surprised by what you find.
