Quinnipiac University is all about pleasing the eye. Yes, the campus may be nice to look at but is little more than show in many regards. While many of the buildings on campus look nice on the outside, on the inside they could be improved greatly.
From the outside, the library looks really nice. It is a gorgeous structure with an impressive tower. From Hepatitis Creek, the library is awe-inspiring, particularly at twilight and dawn. Sitting in one of the big comfortable chairs peering out of the window could inspire even the darkest soul. Unfortunately, that is the extent of inspiration that the library offers.
The books in the library are outdated, and the computers in the rotunda are not equipped with Microsoft Office, and there appears to be only one way out in case of a fire from the second floor. While there is an area dedicated to microfilm and microfiche, there is a not a lot. We ought to dedicate an entire room to this crucial part of American History. For a school that realizes the value of an important communications education, we should appreciate that the media writes the first draft of history. Therefore it is crucially essential that Quinnipiac devotes more to the media.
I love the School of Communications! It is a remarkable complex. However, even it lacks crucial rooms. There is a severe shortage of production booths as well as a crew of competent and cooperative people. Don’t get me wrong, many of the people inside are really nice but cannot offer the essential tools that many of the students find themselves needing.
Echlin is a really nice-looking building from the exterior, however, refrain from taking any classes in there during the winter without a jacket. Many of the classroom lack heat, making it much more difficult to concentrate on class-work. The lighting in the classes at the end of the hallway on the first floor is terrible, particularly in the back as the lighting appears to be centered on the middle of the classrooms. The inside is very stark and institutionalized, unlike the other buildings. Quinnipiac seems to pride itself in offering unique and modern-looking buildings. Echlin does not seem to follow this style. The entryway to Echlin is always freezing when it is cold out. This causes students to focus on warming up rather than on work when class actually begins.
Buckman, Buckman, Buckman. It is such a nice looking circular building from the outside but once you get in you gain sight of its inadequacies. The decorative turrets circling the building look nice but really just shadow the real problem – the incredibly small theater.
In order to provide an adequate setting for the theater program, a very important program on this campus, we must provide a much larger venue. Perhaps in the new athletic complex that we are in the process of designing and constructing, we should find a place on the Rocky Top campus to construct a 21st century center of theater. Not only is it essential to the theater company and dance company that we have better facilities but also for the University overall. By having a blackbox theater and a larger traditional theater, students from all parts of the campus will benefit in the observing and participating in the performing arts. In addition, weekend activities like movie screenings and lectures will be bettered.
However, my biggest problem with the campus lies with the student center. It is inefficient with meeting the needs of the student body. The offices are crammed and tiny. They lack the crucial necessities that any organization would need to expand and prosper. By being crammed into offices with two or three other organizations in rooms that should not be used for more than two organizations tops, anomie ensues.
To ensure the continuation of success at Quinnipiac University in the future, we must improve now. Updating the exteriors of the buildings alone helps little. As we continue to expand this gorgeous campus, let us keep an eye on how it will interact with the students, not just how they look when you walk by.
