I grew up in a house that was built in 1865, in the village of Romeo, Michigan.
The majority of the houses in the area were built around the same time, so I fell in love with Victorian homes at a young age just from being around them.
My family moved out of that house and town to be closer to my dad’s job, which really upset me. We moved to a bigger city that was much more modern.
Something I loved so much had disappeared from my life.
The University was the first college that I visited when I started looking at colleges.
Not only did the town draw me in with a really nice downtown area, but I was also drawn to the old houses in the area because it reminded me so much of where I grew up.
And then I stepped onto old campus and was instantly in love.
It is by far my favorite part of campus because of the older buildings and the more traditional feel. My freshman year, my major was still undecided, so I was taking classes in different areas and my advisor was in the Pre-Major Advising office in University Hall.
The first time I met with my advisor over there, I was so excited that I had a reason to go into the building. I was instantly amazed by the marble and woodwork. It was one of the most beautiful interiors of a college building I had ever seen.
As I was trying to decide on a major, I was taking classes in different areas that interested me. Two of these were interior design and architecture.
The spring semester of my freshman year, I took an architecture class. I was beyond stoked that I had that class in Moseley Hall. The classroom was on the fourth floor and had original hardwood floors. I looked forward to that class every day because both the subject interested me, as well as the environment.
However, I really don’t like what the University plans on doing with buildings like Hanna Hall, University Hall and Moseley Hall. These buildings are scheduled to be altered in some way.
I can understand if the electrical or plumbing need to be updated or if air conditioning needs to be added or even if hardwood floors need to be refinished. That’s totally OK with me, but it seems to me that what the University is planning to do is more than just that, though I could be wrong.
I don’t like the thought of potentially modernizing these buildings.
The older buildings on campus and the character they have is part of what makes me feel at home on campus. I know I can’t be the only person that feels this way.
Historic buildings give us a view into a past time, and it would be a shame to take away so much character and beauty that this campus has to offer.
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