While attending Yale University at age 21, Maya Lin won a contest to design the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Her submission was one out of 1,400 others. The project was completed in October of 1982 and dedicated the following month. The structure is a black wall, made of granite that makes a V-shape cut into the earth. Lin was very particular with every detail of the wall. She chose for the monument to cut into the ground to look as if it were a wound, to symbolize the weight of loss from the war. Initially the design was very controversial for several reasons. One being the design was considered unconventional when compared to traditional war monuments. In addition, many people opposed Lin’s concept because of her being female as well as her Asian ethnicity. Due to amount of controversy over Lin’s design, Congress decided to add another, more traditional Vietnam Memorial to appease her opposition. Despite the controversy, her memorial was still ranked 10th on the list of America’s Favorite Architecture in 2007 by the American Institute of Architects. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to see this memorial in person as a kid. Initially, I was indifferent about the design, but after learning about the meaning behind its conception I have grown to really like it.