It’s weird. Isn’t it? We are more than halfway through the 2022 Fall semester and it’s nearing Thanksgiving. Yes, I understand there are a plethora of projects and exams still to come for many of us; however, we are getting closer to another semester in the books (for first-years, one down, seven to go). As we inch closer to Thanksgiving, let’s take a look at a few Stevens items we should be thankful for.
First, the University Center Complex (UCC) is a mixture of both. It has been great to have a senior year where I can have (although pretty minimal) a year with such a nice-looking, cozy hub for student entertainment and food. On the other hand, it has gotten its fair share of bad rep for its elevator mishaps, long food wait times, and low access for non-residents.
There are multiple good things about the UCC including that campus residents/students can gather for decent meals and also study/socialize in comfortable rooms across the entire towers. The amount of food options in the towers creates a nice blend that Stevens has never experienced before. These include Halal station (chicken shawarma, etc.), Italian station (pizza and pasta, etc.), and a sweets station (cookies and cannolis, etc.). I’ve tried all of these places. I would say it provides decent quality for those on campus even though there are frequent hiccups. Furthermore, there are plenty of relatively confidential study areas for students, and although they may be pretty niche, the amount of public gaming, like ping-pong and a pool table, is more than we had before. These areas provide satisfying locations for students to enjoy each other’s company.
On the other hand, there are many reported negative spots in the UCC for students to highlight issues. Early on this semester, the invasion of lantern flies was so prevalent that it was nauseating even traveling inside the towers. Additionally, the elevators provided an uncomfortable move-in for many students and still create many issues. Residents still have to wait long intervals for the elevator to take students up to their respective rooms. Another issue that presents itself is the admission of guests to the towers. Currently, only two guests are allowed for residents of the towers to bring past the common areas. This makes studying difficult for large groups of students and it forces people to bring non-residents to other areas around campus.
Second, Stevens is continuing to return to normalcy. Since early 2020, regulations have been relaxed and classes are returning to in-person without issue. For example, throughout the 2021 Fall semester, rain storms caused the immediate midday move of classes from in-person to online fairly frequently. Presently, a torrential rainstorm does not stop in-person classes from happening. You can have your opinion either way if it is a good or bad thing, but we are experiencing a true, complete in-person semester (depending on professor preference of course). Also, clubs are able to meet with much more frequency in-person and have large attendance numbers.
Third, admission rates at Stevens are increasing. More than ever at Stevens, a broad, diverse group of students is being admitted. In my opinion, this is a great sign for the future of the institute as they continue to move on from the past. For first-year and second-year students, this is something to look forward to as you become campus leaders.
All three of these Stevens circumstances provide areas for improvement, but also, a bright future for the university. It’ll be interesting to see the UCC evolve and the campus becomes stronger one step at a time.
Be First to Comment