On Saturday August 22, 2015, 619 new students walked onto the DePauw University campus for their first time as an official tiger. Of these 619 students, 594 are first years, 16 are transfers and 9 are international exchange students. With wide eyes and a lanyard around their neck, these students were ready to embark on their DePauw journey. During commencement, Professor of English, Joseph Heithaus summed up what everyone’s DePauw experience feels like more or less, “On this day and in the days to come, you will have many moments of confusion, but you will also have moments of pristine clarity, moments you will remember the rest of your lives.”
While we were all excited to return on campus to meet the new students, we were also welcomed by some new construction. For returning students, construction on Hoover Hall was the first thing that they noticed. Construction began in May of 2014 and is set to be complete in fall of 2016. As you pass Hoover Hall, you can see the foundation is laid and the skeleton of the building is up. The new building is part of DePauw’s overall Master Plan and is being built in hopes of fostering a greater sense of community on campus. I am sure we all can relate to the stress we feel during lunch when we try to fight our way through the line just to get some fries. Hoover Hall will be an extreme step up from the current hub in terms of space and flow. In addition to Hoover Hall, the Hubbard center is also undergoing some changes. The Hubbard center has just been renovated with new offices, conference rooms and student work areas. The staff is now in the process of moving back into the space. However, renovations will not be complete until dining services officially move into Hoover Hall. DePauw is moving right along with their Master Plan, in hopes of connecting the community even more. Although all of us won’t be there for the final reveal of all of these projects I know we are happy that DePauw is taking a step in the right direction and making some improvements for the betterment of our school.