Day Fifty-Three: On the Dole

The Dole Institute of Politics, named after Kansas Senator Bob Dole, is a relatively new addition to the University of Kansas. Dedicated in 2003 and located on the university's west campus, the Dole Institute houses the former senator's collection of paperwork from his 37 years in Congress.

The building serves as a library, a center for research, and a forum for political discussion and guest speakers from thousands of miles and hundreds of years away (I once saw Teddy Roosevelt - or someone that looked a lot like him - discuss his time in office while visiting the Dole Institute).

The building is covered in architectural intricacies that tie in bits and peices of the senator's background, from his birth in Russell, KS, to his service in the military and his time in Congress. A limestone pillar outside the Institute bears the Dole name and introduces visitors to a little of the geography (sedimentary petrology, to be specific) of Kansas. For more information on the Dole Institute, its architecture, its history and its future, click here.

Here the Dole Institute is seen at night, reflected in Polly's Pond (named after its benefactor). This scene is almost too picturesque: I know I'm not the first - and probably not even the thousandth - person to take these pictures. As a photographer, one of the things I like to do is capture something unfamiliar, or something familiar in a way nobody has ever seen before.

While I might not have accomplished that here, I did get to experiment with some longer exposure times and learn a little bit more about the camera, so I'm satisfied with the day's work.

If this does happen to be your first view of the Dole Institute, you should stop by sometime and take a closer look!

(click to enlarge)