When spring quarter begins to warm up, Seattle University students can be found around campus appreciating the fresh air and clear skies. Hacky sacks and volleyballs soar through the blue sky, casting occasional shadows on bikini-clad sunbathers. One of the hotspots for this is the Union Green, a grassy field situated directly across from the Chapel of Saint Ignatius. Whether it’s studying with friends, playing a game of frisbee or simply people watching, Union Green is often full of students taking advantage of a glimpse of sun in this rainy city.
One of these students, Third-year Kinesiology major Carys Grespan, often ventures out to the Green to spend time with her friends and enjoy a game of volleyball or spikeball in the sun. She also appreciates the artwork on display, such as the new tulip sculpture installed earlier this year, and the wooden fish bench which was made by one of her friends through a visual art class.
Some professors also decide to host class outside when it is sunny, providing a nice change of scenery for the students.
“I just had a class last week on the green, and it was so much fun,” Grespan said. “I’m in an Aging Across the Lifespan class, and we made games for 4 and 5 year olds, and were able to play it with each other on the green and experience what that would be like on a real field.”
Second-year Environmental Policy and Spanish double major Shelby Evans also enjoys it when her professors hold class outside.
“I have a lot of professors that are very lenient to let us hold class outside, which is awesome especially as an environmental studies major. I always like to be in the field, and it’s always more fun to do that when the sun is out; to go look at examples of plant life for river cleanup projects or stuff like that,” Evans said.
The Union Green also hosts activities such as volleyball games and club meetings. Second-year Philosophy major Mesgana Sileshi is part of an unofficial book club that meets on the Green every Friday. She said that they decided to meet out there to take advantage of the nice weather and get out of their dorms and apartments to spend time in nature.
Evans also enjoys meeting with people on the Union Green. She takes advantage of the nice weather to meet for group projects on the grass, enjoying the opportunity of a more relaxed environment to get to know her classmates and work on their studies. She also appreciates the community aspect of the Green and how the sun brings people outside and together.
“It makes me so happy, and it feels like a college postcard. I love it. I love how the sun brings everyone out, and everybody has a good time, and there’s always cute dogs running around. I feel like people are friendlier when it’s sunny,” Evans said.
The Union Green is also dog-friendly, providing a space perfect for furry friends to run around in nature, play fetch and even meet other dogs, provided you keep your pet on-leash. If you’re lucky, you might even get to pet one or two.
For Grespan, one advantage of the Union Green over other green spaces on campus is that it provides a communal outdoor space that isn’t typically reserved for sports, unlike other fields such as Logan Field and Championship Field.
“I really enjoy that it’s a smaller area for more chill sports and hanging out with friends,” Grespan said. “It’s nice to have it at a location where we can just relax and have it still be enclosed and be on campus.”
Sileshi has frequented the Union Green throughout her time at Seattle U, learning in her first year that it was a great place to come on a sunny day, especially after her classes in the Administration building. She appreciates the convenient location on campus and likes to spend time there studying and with friends.
She also says that the Union Green provides a nice open gathering space for students, where it is perfect to people-watch and meet other students.
“There’s a lot of vast tree space, and the design itself is very open and welcoming, if that makes sense. It’s also somewhat near the middle of campus, so it’s a convenient place for students to hang out or chill after class,” Sileshi said.
Evans also appreciates the openness of the Union Green, saying that it stays sunnier than the grassy areas in front of the library, making it a more convenient place to come after a late class and enjoy the last remaining bits of sunlight before heading back to the dorms for the night.
