How SLU Has Changed
I remember my first day at St. Lawrence University. I was overwhelmed with a mix of excitement and fear. I was excited to begin the college journey and also relieved that high school was finally over. However, I also feared that it would be difficult to make friends and that I would struggle being away from home. During my first day at SLU, all of the first-year students attended a ceremony in the Chapel. It was a spiritual, heartwarming experience. Each of us lit a candle and listened to a speech about the SLU experience and all the amazing things we will do during our time here.
Then, as we walked out of the Chapel, we were bombarded with the screams of a herd of naked, drunk seniors. We all kept our heads down and just kept walking. I remember thinking to myself, “I’m going to like it here.” Of course, the school no longer allows the “senior strip” tradition to take place. I’m sure that many of those in my class year are disappointed. I’m also sure that many do not care since they were never going to participate anyway. No amount of money would get me to do that. It’s just not my thing. But if it is your thing, I won’t judge.
As a senior, I have witnessed SLU undergo numerous changes since my first year. The discontinuation of the senior strip was just one of those changes. For instance, the pizza machine that sits in the Sullivan Student Center, collecting dust, wasn’t there my first year. I tried the pizza machine once. If I’m going to have pizza that is that bad, it should be free. One major change that I unfortunately didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy was the renovations in the first-year dorms.
I lived in Lee Hall during my first year. It wasn’t the worst place I could have ended up, but it was not a great place to live either. The walls were painted a depressing color, and the common room was filled with worn-out, uncomfortable furniture. You could tell that the place hadn’t been updated in decades. Lee was renovated right after I left. When I walked into it for the first time after the renovations, I remember thinking, “Am I in the right place?” I could not believe how beautiful the common room and the kitchen were. If it looked like that when I lived there, I would have been in the common room all the time. Lee Hall was not the only first-year dorm that was renovated. Rebert Hall was renovated, too, and they’re still working on Whitman Hall.
Additionally, due to the fire in Fox Hall, the experience of using Student Accessibility Services is now significantly different from what it was in my first year. I definitely miss the private testing rooms that SAS used to have. Also, the Tick Tock Inn was taken over by new owners during my time at SLU. However, I’m not sure if it has changed a lot, since I don’t like to go there. Based on what I’ve heard, it has not changed that much. I’m not sure if first-year orientation has changed since my first year. But I hope it has, because I did not enjoy it. Honestly, it reminded me too much of summer camp.
Of course, campus dining has changed a lot recently. This is a change that all of us are still adjusting to. However, I will admit that they have greatly improved the system in the last week. I can’t think of any other major changes that have occurred since my first year. I’m sure that there are changes that I have missed. But overall, SLU is not much different now than it was in my first year, which is not a bad thing. I was nervous when I first came to college, but it did not take long for SLU to win me over. I know that I will not be ready to leave SLU when this year is over.