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Printer-Friendly ModePioneer construction project foreshadows turning point
June 26, 2006 —
The Pioneer Hall renovation and addition is currently underway, serving as yet another positive step forward by the administration in regards to updating and improving the University. In only a matter of a few short years, SVSU has seen new buildings such as Science East and the Regional Education Center constructed, old buildings such as the Zahnow Library and Doan renovated, and improvements in on-campus technology, facilities, and student housing. The opening of the newly renovated Pioneer Hall in August next year will be yet another chapter in the impressive improvements SVSU has made in the recent past.
It is probably no coincidence, then, that enrollment has increased over the last few years and that SVSU has become much more of a figurehead in both the local and state community. In addition, the recent success of several sports teams and other University programs has even led to some national and world recognition that most probably would not have envisioned when the University was founded a little over 40 years ago.
But perhaps more encouraging is the pride that seems to be growing as a result of all of the aforementioned. Though still primarily a commuter school, SVSU has taken steps to create the "college atmosphere" many students crave that was once lacking in the Saginaw Valley. The frequent reasons once cited for attending SVSU - close to home and cheaper - seem to be heard less frequently as students everywhere seem to be taking note of the positives that SVSU has to offer. These days, a quick evening drive through campus can make some really take notice of a university that grows more beautiful by the day. And while schools like Central Michigan and Michigan State still seem to hold more prominence based on size and age, it seems that SVSU is closing a gap that could never have been closed as little as five years ago.
Everyone currently involved with SVSU should step back and realize they are in the middle of what should prove to be an important period in the University's short history. While growth in both enrollment and campus size inevitably cannot continue, the growth we have been privy to is really nothing short of miraculous. While the past is the past and the future is invariably uncertain, we should all hold our heads high knowing that at present Cardinal Pride could be the highest its ever been.