8 years later

A few weeks ago, our staff had a bonding activity that took us on a scavenger hunt around campus.  Now as a 2005 graduate of the college, I have been on campus since July of 2001 and have seen what I thought was the majority of campus if not the entire campus.  But I learned a lot more about the campus than I thought I already knew.  There are a lot of new places on campus and there are places on campus that I’ve never been to but I knew existed.  The Keck Lab provides instructional and research support for Environmental Programs at William & Mary and at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. This was one stop on the scavenger hunt and I have never actually visited.  I’ve also never been to the Archives section of Swem Library.  There is a reading room where you have to go to read and view documents that were written and discussed by some of our past Presidents (Jefferson, Monroe, Tyler- all W&M Alumni) as well as just some neat and interesting items from the college.  These are just two examples of the places I have never been to campus.

The campus has also grown a lot since I stepped foot on campus 8 years ago.  The library, for example, was in construction when I started at W&M and I am very impressed with the final product.  I worked at the rec center for 4 years and that has undergone major construction and now includes a multi-purpose MAC court, a rock climbing wall and a juice bar (I didn’t get to work in these conditions).  One of the places where I parked for three years is now the home of the new School of Business.   The place where I would have gone to the hospital is the future site of the new School of Education.  William and Mary has gone through some major changes over the last 8 years and they have only been for the better.  Obviously 8 years was not enough time for me to see the entire campus, and in another 8 years, I am sure I am going to have to take another tour.

– Randy Tripp