I set foot on the UC Berkeley campus for the first time last April, immediately drawn toward the large crowd of people milling around the wide expanse of land. Making my way down Sproul Plaza, passing the multicolored tents where many organizations had set up their tables for Cal Day, I eventually found myself gazing up at a towering 307 feet of Raymond granite. Radiant in the midafternoon sun, its white marble a stark contrast to the lush greenery surrounding it, stood the Campanile.<\/p>\n
In the few short weeks since I\u2019ve had the opportunity to call Berkeley home, I\u2019ve come to regard the Campanile with a kind of reverence. With that reverence, of course, comes the natural obligation to constantly remind everyone that it\u2019s a whopping 22 feet taller than Stanford\u2019s sorry excuse for a tower. My camera roll has been filled to capacity with the sheer number of pictures I\u2019ve taken of the Campanile, if the incessant mail I\u2019ve been getting from Apple Support is any evidence. After countless attempts at photographing it from every angle imaginable, I\u2019ve compiled a list of the most incomparable vantage points from which to capture Berkeley\u2019s pride and joy.<\/p>\n
Stern Hall<\/p>\n
It\u2019s no secret that the journey to Northside is quite arduous, complete with uneven terrain and steep upward slopes in all their glory. However, despite the immense workout one must endure to get up there, the view of the Campanile is undeniably worth it. As one of the highest elevation points, Stern Hall offers a panoramic view of campus and the San Francisco skyline. It\u2019s especially breathtaking at night, when the twinkling lights of the city in all its splendor seem to be guided by the lantern on the top of the Campanile, solidifying its legacy as Berkeley\u2019s North Star.<\/p>\n
The Golden Bear Caf\u00e9<\/p>\n
This is one of the most iconic locations from which to view the Campanile because you can capture both Sather Gate and the tower in one shot. I had to move around the caf\u00e9\u2019s outdoor seating area quite a bit before finding the perfect spot. Eventually, sacrificing my ribs to the railings on the far left side in front of the caf\u00e9, I finally discovered the best angle. From this vantage point, I gained a newfound appreciation for the campus\u2019s long-standing architecture. Especially coupled with the oxidized Sather Gate, it felt like a testament to how long the Campanile has been standing, inspiring students like me for generations.<\/p>\n
The Class of 1910 Bridge<\/p>\n
A memorable gift to the university from the graduating class of 1910, the bridge \u2014 which crosses over Strawberry Creek and is adjacent to the Faculty Glade \u2014 boasts one of the most sheltered locations on campus to catch a glimpse of the Campanile. I stumbled upon this area during the first week of classes, wandering aimlessly through campus in search of the correct classroom. Instead, I found a canopy of Coastal Redwood trees, sunlight filtering through their leaves and the sound of rushing water running in the creek below; through the gaps in the canopy, the Campanile seemed to glow. This spot is undoubtedly a hidden gem for those of you who enjoy a good photoshoot. With all the seasonal changes in flora and fauna serving as the perfect backdrop, there\u2019s always something new to capture!<\/p>\n
Macchi Bears<\/p>\n
On the North side of campus between Grimes Engineering Building and McLaughlin Hall is the home of twin bronze bears, the Macchi Bears. At this quiet end of campus, the Campanile is perfectly centered, a focal point that your eyes are naturally drawn toward. Plus, the meticulously trimmed bushes behind the bears serve to highlight the commanding presence of the tower, creating the perfect contrast for all those who enjoy photography, videography or even just geometry. All in all, it\u2019s an un-bear-lievable view.<\/p>\n
Memorial Pool<\/p>\n
For the STEM majors, perhaps a Campanile squared?<\/p>\n
From Memorial Pool, you get double the delight \u2014 you can view the Campanile once directly in front of you and again in the water\u2019s reflection. With students wandering around the pool and the wider Memorial Glade area coupled with shade from the surrounding Trident Maples, this particular location offers the most peaceful way to view the Campanile. I particularly like how the trees in the area somewhat obscure the view; it\u2019s a powerful reminder that campus and human life are interconnected with the natural world.<\/p>\n
Whether I\u2019m rushing through campus attempting to make it to my 8 a.m. class on time or walking back to my dorm after a late-night study session at Moffitt Library, the Campanile has become a steady fixture in my life. But the truth is, no matter where you are on campus, the Campanile will always be there to guide you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I set foot on the UC Berkeley campus for the first time last April, immediately drawn toward the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":485907,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[189926,189924,60899,87753,21990,189928,189927,54593,113964,7644,189929,189930,973,38332,187760,189925,143,145,144,2398,101,30723,33893,26656,158785,99335,189931,114479],"class_list":["post-485906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oakland","tag-1910-bridge","tag-apple-support","tag-cal-day","tag-campanile","tag-campus-life","tag-coastal-redwood","tag-faculty-glade","tag-golden-bear-caf","tag-grimes-engineering-center","tag-instagram","tag-macchi-bears","tag-mclaughlin-hall","tag-media","tag-memorial-glade","tag-memorial-pool","tag-north-star","tag-oakland","tag-oakland-headlines","tag-oakland-news","tag-photography","tag-san-francisco","tag-sather-gate","tag-skyline","tag-sproul-plaza","tag-stern-hall","tag-strawberry-creek","tag-trident-maples","tag-views"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=485906"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/485906\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/485907"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=485906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=485906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=485906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}