So, you may have noticed a few minor changes here and there made to our lovely little campus… Nothing major, really, just a quaint reflection pool, new furniture in the Joe’s basement, oh, and the GIANT CRANE hanging above the horizon. We know it’s been hard for this year’s seniors to deal with the loss of their beloved Julie Hall, and it has made one heck of a ruckus for Patty Riss and ResLife, but there are so many things to look forward to with the new addition of Super-Julie. I mean, there really is not a place for a 19 story skyscraper on our tiny campus, but I’m certainly interested to see the results… So, here we are: the 5 best and worst things about the new super-mega Julie Hall!
The Worst
1. The construction noise
There really is nothing like waking up to the sound of a air-horn at 6:30 in the morning. Living in Joe’s has been anything but easy, and we have yet to be successful in getting used to the terrible sounds of things crashing and crunching under a giant hammer jack. To be honest, every day many of us want to just SCREAM at the trigger-happy man with the air horn, and if you have a class in Marian Hall, forget about it. There’s no use in trying to learn anything.
2. The terrible traffic
Wasn’t move-in day AWESOME? I don’t know about you, but I for one LOVED the fact that you couldn’t drive behind Marian for what felt like a millenia. And how about those giant construction vehicles driving around? They aren’t noisy and terrifying or anything… Those things could literally flatten four of us at a time and have no issue doing so. The driver wouldn’t even feel it.
3. The eye-sore
You can literally see the crane from Newbury Street, and don’t lie and tell us you didn’t consider throwing yourself in the massive hole during finals week last semester… It is SO UGLY right now. The elevator tower literally looks like Rapunzel’s; I’m just waiting for the day a crazy chick with mile-long blonde hair moves in. But hey, I guess that’d be an improvement.
4. Faculty trying to stay positive
I love it when you talk to a member of the administration and they ask you how excited you are about the new Julie skyscraper… Like, yep, we get it, you’re required to convince us that “this is a great idea!” and, “you have so much to look forward to!”, but the fact of the matter is, this was a risky financial decision to say the least, and they’re just as nervous about it as we are.
5. Being a 2018 grad (lol)
What sucks the most for you is the fact that you have to deal with the nastiness of the construction and reap zero of the benefits. I sincerely apologize. But hey, it’s character building, right? (Ha…ha…)
The Best
1. The new digs!
No matter your opinion on a 19 story skyscraper on our tiny campus, this is going to be BEAUTIFUL! This is going to be one heck of an advancement to our campus in so many ways, and let’s be honest, our student body deserves some sick new digs at this point!
2. The stunning view
Okay, 17 stories? 17 STORIES! This thing is going to be massive! The view of the Pru and the Muddy River is going to be astonishing, and you’ll probably be able to see the Citgo sign! Who doesn’t want to wake up to that every morning? It’s going to be SO nice!
3. Hot new study spots
There are going to be so many nice places to sit and study in front of those giant glass windows overlooking our entire city! Talk about encouraging: I’ll never want to leave! According to the master plan, there’s supposedly going to be over 21,0000 square feet of additional academic space. I don’t know about you, but I think this is a much needed revamp of our current study spots.
4. More room for our students
17 stories of new dorms! That’s 220,000 square feet of additional living spaces! Not to mention the fact that they’re building a parking lot underneath, adding another 129 parking places. But real talk, let’s bring those seniors back on campus! City View and Trillogy are nice and all, but that commute is killer, especially if you’ve got an 8am.
5. No more construction!!
Let’s be honest, the absolute worst part of this entire process has been the construction. It’s unnecessary noise and traffic on our itty bitty campus that’s been driving the entire student body up the wall. So, when this thing is FINALLY done, the one thing we won’t be missing is that nasty construction.
Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, we can all agree that there are some real advantages and disadvantages that have come out of this entire situation. But, the only thing we can do is stay keep our heads held high, and patiently await the end of the madness. Until then, stay positive, EC!