As I'm about to enter my senior year at Grand Canyon University, it is time for me to look back at all the progress the school has made since my freshman year. Thousands of returning students had the opportunity to witness the rapid growth the home of the 'Lopes have gone through, but it wasn't an easy path. No, literally, each semester there's always a detour to go to classes due to the construction. Despite all the construction, the end result would always be worth it, whether it is new dorms or maybe even paved parking (#PaveColter2K16). Not only did the school have structural changes, but also changes in the classroom and that course material would likely take a new term in the next semester. As a senior, I have witnessed the school make so many changes and that there are a few things from GCU that would be labeled nostalgia in this oncoming fall semester. Since new students for this fall semester weren't present during these memories, it's time to give freshman and transfers alike a look into the not so distant past of Grand Canyon University.
So, here are some of the things only returning GCU students may know about!
1. The iRespond Clickers
Now, to start this list is an ancient relic back in the fall 2013 school year. Before PollEverywhere and Kazoo, there was the iRespond clicker. When I was a freshman, these were a requirement for some classes, and sure I used it in some of my classes, but other than that it was just a huge blue remote that was buried in my bag. As these clickers have become obsolete in the classroom, dozens of students are still selling these blue bricks.
2. The Main Pool
Now, for something that is a little more familiar, the old main pool was located right in the middle of campus back in the day. It was, once upon a time, when the only pools on campus was the pool by Chaparral and the main pool by the Student Union. In fact, one of the first campus events I went to was actually a Movie Night at the Main Pool. I honestly still miss the Main Pool, but there's three other pools to make new memories in.
3. STARBUCKS!
It has been about two years already, but I'm still not over Starbucks being gone on campus. Consider yourself lucky if you've been around campus when Starbucks took over the 2nd floor of the Student Union, even if you just visited the campus! However, after Starbucks was gone, I became more open about other coffee places - I just love my caffeine!
4. Mojo Bowl
I have friends that loved Mojo Bowl and friends that hated it. Whether you like it or not, Mojo Bowl was the go to place for healthy food for anything vegan friendly and gluten-free! Mojo Bowl had a variety of acai bowls and smoothies or even smoothie bowls; there were plenty of options on what to order.
5. Living in Hegel Hall (Now Cypress Hall)
Long ago, Hegel Hall was a dorm where plenty of students lived during the school year, then it became temporary office space, and now the place where Discover GCU kids spend the night during their visit. Both Hegel and Canyon had a unique design in comparison to the other dorm. There weren't long halls or short halls, but east side or west side. While I am at it, an honorable mention would be the time when Canyon Hall was an all girls dorm. It was a unique experience to be able to live in Canyon before it was a co-ed dorm, since it smelled good and not to mention the cute cats all over Canyon!
Throughout my years in GCU, I have witnessed many changes on campus and it seems like there won't be any stopping as long as the school becomes bigger in a rapid amount of time. It's been an in-joke that GCU stand for Grand Construction University, and really that term can be dated back to my freshman year! It was great to look back at these little GCU things and who knows what will occur in the next few years, it just proves how awesome GCU is by growing each year!
