Miller Hall is Open for Business

Miller Hall is Open for Business

In April, I wrote an entry for the Tour Guides blog about Miller Hall, the new home of W&M’s Mason School of Business.  At that point construction crews were still in and out of the area, finishing up the interior of the building and beginning work on the landscaping.  Fast-forward to the morning of this past Wednesday, the first day of classes.  I have an 8am in Miller, so when I woke up at 7:56 I knew it was going to be an interesting morning.

After throwing on a t-shirt and speed-walking across campus, my thoughts of the looks I’d get for being that guy who rolls in late on the first day of class were brought to an abrupt halt.  I found myself standing in front of the completed Miller Hall, and I was speechless.  The building is simply gorgeous.

When you approach Miller from Ukrop Way, you’re greeted by the W&M cypher, which is beautifully incorporated into the iron railings of the porch above the front doors.  Everything on the inside is fresh, modern, and classy.  There’s so much room to lounge, get together for a group project, or check your email before classes.  The classrooms themselves are comfortable and spacious, and I’m a big fan of the open courtyard in the middle of the building that leads right up to the path to Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre.

My favorite part of Miller just might be the dining facility.  The tomato and mozzarella sandwich on ciabatta bread I had for lunch that day really outdid the Pop-Tarts I had devoured for breakfast.  The Mason School of Business website has a cool feature about student reactions to the new building.  The videos have some good shots of what everything looks like.

I’m taking four classes in Miller this semester, so I’ll be spending some quality time in the new facility.  Seeing Miller completed reminds me that my last year at the College has officially begun.  I plan on learning a lot this year, but if my last few semesters are going to run smoothly, I probably should figure out how to use my alarm clock first.