1: Mary Graydon Center Redesign Honestly, the new MGC is fine - but only if you're waiting for your grandmother to come out of triage. The color scheme of yellow, light blue and maroon could not be more sterile for our burgeoning college spirits. The glass doors of the Tavern almost make us feel like we're entering the dentist's office, and certainly nobody can eat their hearts out there.
2: 24-hour library, Anderson Computer Complex new hours Maybe not everyone likes to spend their time in the library when class is not in session, but having a library open 24 hours has its perks. After all, we have wanted one only since the school opened up its grounds. Now, knowledge-hungry students and procrastinators alike can find themselves perusing those towering bookshelves all day and night, Sunday through Thursday, and really begin to feel like intellectuals.
3: Experimental Theatre and Kogod School of Business incorporated The ominous ghosts of the Experimental Theatre don't have a home anymore, but we all know the place was in dire need of renovation. Soon, with more classrooms to come, Kogod faculty and students will benefit from this major construction, and hopefully there won't have to be any ghost busting while they learn about marketing strategies and financial planning.
4: "Welcome New Students" spray design on South side One would think punishment should be mandatory for somebody who defiles school grounds with spray paint, but not when it welcomes the new freshmen to campus. This could open a torrential floodgate, as it may give directionless freshmen the impression that spray painting is an acceptable or even encouraged activity here at AU.
5: Neil Kerwin as prez-elect Even though he's not our president quite yet, having Kerwin as president will probably be the best thing that happened to us. It only took long enough for us to decide on a new president - but perhaps the wait will be worth it. Here's to better days with the down-to-earth and well-adjusted man Kerwin has shown himself to be on our campus.
6: Nebraska Hall Existing only a short walk from campus, Nebraska Hall made life so much easier for students wanting to live off-campus, but also live conveniently close to campus. Its sweet suite-style layout (pun intended) does great wonders for personal privacy, but having suitemates close by is always a welcome remedy for those bored moments spent scrolling through Facebook.
7: New neighbors If you thought that a return to campus would end the tyranny of living under your parents' roof, think again. And every other time that girl next door with the affected, pre-prepared saccharine speech about her impending 8:30 a.m. block and your bullish bass lines horning in on her sleep time. Sure, you could turn it down, and you probably should. But after last night's shared-wall pound-off, why bother?
8: Chess in the LA quad Watch out Letts, Anderson and Centennial residents. New chessboards, adhered to picnic tables, threaten to transform the LA quad into rollicking chess tournament territory. Or, maybe they'll just provide a neat little place mat for your very own hookah get-together.
9: Flavored water machines in TDR Flavored water has to be one of the most ingenious marketing campaigns of all time. It's basically water with a few sugary chemicals thrown in with the bottle decorated with strawberries and bananas to make it look exotic and genuinely fruit-flavored. Now students who are too lazy to squeeze a lemon into a glass of water can rest assured that a bountiful supply of flavored water awaits them in TDR.
10: Fried pita chips in TDR What happened to the authentic pita pieces gently brushed with olive oil, with a dash of oregano and salt on top? TDR's newest vegan debacle is the Crisco-fied, deep fried "pita" chips most likely sporting more calories and trans fats than Frito Lay ever dreamed of. TDR must be the only place a vegan can acquire premature heart disease.
