i can feel him calling my name

Bwoggers love writing about Butler. Whether it be In Defense, Conspiracy Theories, or Reserving Desks, we can’t get enough! There are seemingly endless elements of this mysterious library to unpack. First-year Bwogger Sophie Murphy shares her thoughts.

I would like to shed some light on a staple of my Butler experience. An unsung hero of the behemoth that is Butler is the portrait of Dwight David Eisenhower. Before leading the country, Eisenhower served as the 13th president of Columbia University. Many of you I’m sure to have withered under his gaze as I have, making my way up to my chosen corner of hell (Butler 310). The full-length portrait of our 34th president looms impressively over delirious undergrads traipsing up the stairs. His piercing eyes seem to follow me as I become increasingly winded on my ascent. The domineering and, dare I say, sassy look on Ike’s face resonates in my subconscious, even hours deep into an Econ problem set. What’s he thinking? In a vain attempt to avoid studying for midterms, I took some time to consider what crosses Ike’s mind from his perch in Butler.

• “I’m honestly serving looks here and I hope these kids appreciate this exquisitely tailored three-piece suit.”
• “Yes, the hand on the hip is supposed to look judgemental. I ran this school and a NATO command at the same time. I think you can finish that paper.”
• “What book is in my hand? It doesn’t matter; just know that I’m intelligent.”
• “I hope one of you is heading into the stacks to figure out what to do about the Interstate Highway System because she is struggling and I deserve a better legacy than this.”
• “I am surprised by the amount of diversity I see coming up and down these stairs. In my day, white guy from Exeter vs. white guy from Deerfield was as divergent as the Columbia student body got. I guess that civil rights stuff stuck! Suck it segregationists (I’m looking at you, Orval Faubus)!”