Sac State's Guy West Bridge

“Think about the things, places, or people that connect us.” I like this idea as it relates to the theme of Bridge.

I share several angles of the Guy West Bridge that spans the American River from the Sacramento State Campus to the community of University Village/ Campus Commons. This bridge is also right off the American River Bike Trail.

Built in 1966 to link the campus with the then-new, Campus Commons college-community development, the 1,144-foot-long, 16-foot-wide pedestrian bridge is officially known as the Guy A. West Memorial Bridge. Dr. West was the first president of then Sacramento State College.

I teach a general education course on Friday mornings called “Leisure Lifestyle Development.” Taught in a large lecture hall seating 80-plus students, I keep them busy learning how recreation and leisure are essential in their lives.

Each semester, after a lecture on various play theories, I take the class outdoors where we walk the short distance to the Guy West Bridge and blow bubbles.

We get a few quizzical stares, but my favorite question of all, from a man on a bicycle was, “What class is this?!” Of course I’m happy to tell him!

Sac State students blowing bubbles on the bridge

 

Guy West Bridge at Sacramento State University

 

A bridge that is a mini-replica of the Famed Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, indeed connects university students with the surrounding communities and a sense of fitness and leisure through walking and cycling.

How a Bridge Connects Us

How do bridges in your home-town connect community?

My signature

 

 

Published by Terri Webster Schrandt

Mostly retired, I am a part-time reporter/photographer for a local monthly newspaper. I'm former university adjunct faculty, self-published author, and retired recreation and parks practitioner living in Eastern Washington State near the Idaho border. Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is my blog about living a leisure lifestyle that includes fitness, photography, and fun.

24 thoughts on “How a Bridge Connects Us”

  1. What a fabulous idea! A class on leisure. I think Americans can use that more than ever. I love the Sacramento area, but have never seen ‘your’ bridge. I lived in the SF bay area for 20 years, and the last five of them had a gorgeous view of the GG Bridge. I have a love/love relationship with the Golden Gate, and even see it in my dreams at times, particularly now that I live in the Boston area. ;-0

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I am picturing you and your class blowing bubbles on the bridge. I love it! I don’t love bridges- they used to scare me as a kid. I never feel safe on a bridge, and I drove across the bridge from Wisconsin to Iowa every day for 20 years! Maybe if I had experienced some fun on a bridge….

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Blowing bubbles sounds great fun, Terri. When I lived in Earls Court in Central London (1987 – 1989), I lived next door to a house that had a bubble blowing machine that constantly blew bubbles across the street from a downstairs window. It certainly made people smile, even on wet cold mornings.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Pingback: Bridge View of 9th Floor  | What's (in) the picture?

  7. We have three bridges in Brisbane, Terri that link the CBD with our Southbank Parklands. I love running over them each week and feeling the connection between work and recreation. Thanks for linking up at #BloggersPitStop

    Liked by 1 person

  11. I also like the symbolism of bridges. When I taught high school art, one assignment was to paint a bridge and describe the connection possibilities. The student paintings were wonderful; better were their developing understandings of how people bridge differences or to history. Would love to walk this bridge with you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That is so cool, Sharon! People don’t always think of the connections other than “why did the chicken cross the road…” I read this bridge was the longest pedestrian bridge of its kind in the country when it was built in the 60s.

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks, Tina! It’s a big class with lots of students, but one of my faves! The department offered the class 20+ years ago to expose students to the Rec and Parks major. Something is working now as there are 30 part-time lecturers like me and over 500 students in the major.

      Like

Comments are closed.