As the class of 2022 prepares to graduate in just a few short weeks, many of us seniors have taken a nostalgic look back at our past four years. As I walk around campus and recall memories, I am struck by how much campus has changed since fall 2018. The class of 2022 has seen and experienced so many transitions on our campus, so I’ve compiled a list of key changes that will have you asking yourself, “how did I forget that?”
1. Barnes Center at The Arch Opens in Fall 2019
That’s right—for our entire freshman year we did not have the Barnes Center at The Arch. We couldn’t swing by Otto’s Juice Box on our way to class or see the therapy dogs during finals week. The Barnes Center at The Arch did not open until fall 2019, and its convenient location and state of the art facilities quickly made it one of the busiest spots on campus.
2. National Veterans Resource Center Opens Spring 2020
If you can remember the vacant lot on the corner of South Crouse and Waverly, then you must be in the class of 2022. Standing in the second floor of Newhouse 3 allowed students to see all the way down to Marshall Street unimpeded. The National Veterans Resource Center is a tremendous facility that supports our veterans and military families. If you haven’t had a chance to visit yet, I’d recommend checking out the exhibit space on the first floor to learn more about some heroic student veterans that attended SU.
3. Schine Student Center (Re)Opens Spring 2021
Only current seniors can understand the anxiety of trying to snag a table in old Schine. It was always incredibly busy, but that never deterred our students. Remember the huge projector in the dining center? I personally remember watching historical developments unfold right before our eyes on that screen. A large crowd gathered to watch the Supreme Court hearing of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in October 2018. With all the new and improved changes to the Schine Student Center, one thing has stayed the same—Dunkin Donuts seems just as busy!
4. The Stadium Renovations Fall 2021
The stadium has undergone tremendous renovations since our freshman year. The iconic dome exterior was altered with a large framework support system, and the permanent roof meant no more gust of wind when exiting. As a U100 tour guide, one question from families keeps coming up over and over, “is that a roller coaster on the top?” Not quite, but it sure looks like one. The ongoing renovations are well worth it. Better lighting, new paint and a stunning scoreboard only cements the stadium’s status as the best sports arena on a college campus in the country. And who could forget Walt the Crane?
5. Coronavirus Pandemic: Status Ongoing
We cannot overlook the most obvious change on our campus since freshman year, and that’s the pandemic. It is crazy to think that the class of 2022 is the only current class at SU to experience a full year uninterrupted by the coronavirus. I’ve looked back in my inbox, and the first email students received containing the word “coronavirus” was sent on January 22, 2020. Not even two and half years ago, yet feels like a lifetime. Where were you when the pandemic hit?
So there you have it—five ways our campus has dramatically changed since the class of 2022’s first semester. When we return to campus for our five, 10 or 20-year reunion, what will campus look like then? How will it have changed? I’m not sure, but I know our students will still bleed Orange and it will still be very cold!
Congratulations Class of 2022, and go Orange!
Written By Ava Breitbeck ’22, College of Arts and Sciences, Class of 2022 Senior Class Marshal