Change

Change

As an English major with the option for Teacher Certification, Plymouth State has yet to give me problems in any stretch of the imagination. For that matter, the teacher certification majors have not had too many problems in the context of scheduling their classes in order to graduate on time. There are so many of us, it is really hard to not catch a class required to graduate.

To that end, there has been a lot of talk about how certain classes are to be held during specific semesters. It makes me wonder, why is it that all of a sudden required classes are only offered on a semester-specific basis? Surely, as soon as this news broke to the students I heard from many colleagues how this would impact their senior year.

I know that this only applies to a small portion of students on campus, but there is a larger issue at hand. As many of you have seen, Merrill Place is currently being worked on six days a week. Hartman Union Building has been refaced to take on a more modern look. The cluster initiative is in full swing. ALLWell North is finished being built, and there are big plans for the future of PSU Athletics. Needless to say, a lot of changes have been made in the five semesters I have been enrolled, and it seems as though they have only just begun. Everything seems rushed.

The changes that are happening to this University are in the best intention of the students, and to the future of Plymouth State. Yet at the same time, I wish nothing had changed since I got here in 2014. Before the HUB took on a new look, before the spring fling concert was held indoors, before finding a parking spot on campus was impossible. Like many of my classmates, I came to Plymouth because it was different. The Plymouth State I came here for has beautiful brick walkways and old clock towers, two characteristics that formed the name of this student newspaper. The Plymouth State I signed up for has a union building with character, a field house with unforgivable memories, and the two tallest buildings north of Concord. Luckily, my classmates and I still have these things to cling on to, but for how long will we be able to?

I hope that this University can continue to attract students the same way that they attracted me. Not because of this new facility, or that new residential hall, but because it’s different than every other university around. I hope that the changes to come are not rushed.

-Justin Siewierski