The Ropp Center has several beautiful external views that highlight the landmark’s architecture and landscape, keeping the residential feel in the center of campus.  One often overlooked area at the Ropp Center is the nice courtyard on the east side. The live oak trees, landscaping, and wide sidewalks create an inviting entrance to Ropp. As one approaches the entrance and walks left across the porch, the courtyard first comes into view.  Ivy covered brick walls and crepe myrtle trees surround the courtyard, and there are several tables and chairs set up for outside events.  There are also nice wall lamps and a fountain in the courtyard. I believe this courtyard is seldom used.  However, a Tech faculty member did use this area one recent weekend for a nice evening wedding reception for her daughter.  The August heat makes it a little challenging, but at certain times of the year, this is a great location for events and outside parties. On the west and east porches, one can find sets of stairways for external access to the second floor rooms.  The second floor porch provides an excellent overview of the courtyard area.     The west side of Ropp provides a shaded entrance to the Ropp Dining Room via a winding sidewalk from Wisteria Street.  Often overlooked by casual observers is a basement garage that is largely shielded from view by landscaping and retaining walls.  About 20 years ago, I recall going down into the garage where Tech’s very first computer was being stored.  The LGP-30 arrived on campus in the 1950′s. With a clock rate of 120 kHz, the LGP-30 was a binary computer, performing without an operating system and at a rate of up to 400 additions per second. Professor Jack Painter, a civil engineering professor mentioned in previous posts, was instrumental in bringing the LGP-30 to campus.