Editorial: New upgrades steadily take shape
Summer for most students may feel like a short time. The four months fly by quickly while students keep busy with jobs, internships, vacations or just catching up with old friends. Mostly, it’s a chance to slack off and relax from the busy school year.
Rider did not slack off this summer. Instead it took full advantage of the summer months by giving the campus a facelift.
The outside of Daly’s and the annex are being renovated to make the campus more cohesive. They will eventually match the outside of Alumni Gym, the Student Recreation Center, the entrance to Zeigler and the new building. Although this is not completed yet, the new look will make the campus mall more inviting to students, parents, faculty and, most importantly, prospective students and their parents.
On the other side of campus, the new, “green” apartments of West Village have been taking shape little by little. It’s obvious there is a big push to finish the building on schedule. The apartments are expected to be finished for the summer of 2009, and with them opening, hopefully some of the pressure that was felt last spring for housing will ease. Also, these apartments offer better housing options for upperclassmen who want more living space without having to move off campus.
Another big construction job that Rider faces lies in the newly formed School of Fine and Performing Arts. This new college consists of several art, dance, theater and music majors with the hope that it will fuse the two Rider campuses (Lawrenceville and Westminster).
Rider also repaved the south entrance, as well as filled in the ditch right after the security house. Even at five miles per hour, hitting the ditch in the turning lane to get to R lot was tricky to maneuver out of.
The Office of Information Technologies (OIT) also received upgrades. Last year, students with computer issues could visit the OIT Help Desk or call its phone extension, but only up until a certain time.
To fix this and to help all of the night owls on campus, Rider made the OIT Help Desk available 24/7. However, after a certain time, all of the calls are sent out of state, and the help is only for minor problems.
Although there was a lot of work for Rider to concentrate on over the summer, its work for one student was completed. Jason Thompson, a star basketball player for the Broncs, graduated in May, with big expectations for making it to the NBA.
The Rider community held its breath waiting for word on the mid-June NBA draft. Although Thompson had high statistics and a good nature both on and off the court, it was originally guessed that he would be either a late first-round or an early second-round pick. However, he exceeded all expectations when he was picked 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings.
The beginning of this semester gives Rider a lot to celebrate and to boast about: Thompson is the first Rider basketball player to be picked for the NBA; the first environmentally friendly dorm is being built on campus; and there is a bigger push to combine the Lawrenceville and Westminster campuses. Although there is still a lot of work to be done, Rider is off to a good start.
Written By Opinion Editor, Nadine Tester
