Good 'ole Carrier. Only the best realize your true value. The creakiness of your wooden doors, and creepy little nooks. The endless bookshelves that barely get touched and floors that actually represent the levels of different people. The old-time feel between the grand, creaky staircases in the back, that remind us of when JMU was Madison College and the main staircase that winds up to the levels of chattiness and quietness. Take your pick: first-floor of come and go business, second-floor of club Carrier, or third-floor of complete silence (if you drop a pencil or chew loudly you'll get stares).
Your rustic feel and endless busyness spice up studying, because you're always bound to see a friend or two on these floors. (Realistically, I've met plenty of friends from this quaint place, simply because we're all Carrier regulars) The tiny home of Starbucks, that's line constantly winds out the door, and is endlessly busy; yet it was, hands-down, the perfect idea to place a Starbucks inside of Carrier. Iced coffee, peppermint mocha, pumpkin spice, it's all hidden on the first floor of this study nook. The whirring of the printers on the first floor and meeting of group projects are all in plain sight, and the every now and then accidental music buzzes in the air from a laptop gone crazy.
When it hits exam week, we're left to sit in between the bookshelves and/ or on the floors. The library is crammed with stressed out students and naps galore. A floor, comfy chair, study room - anywhere is fair game for a quick nap. The stacks on third-floor rest with ease, since they're tucked away from the world of Carrier. When you're on top of these stacks, you're taken into a whole new world. An overview of the silence that succumbs this floor, and busyness of each student studying for their latest exam or project.
The end of the year creeps onto the campus of JMU, and seniors begin to do their campus crawls. The iconic campus crawls that lead each senior to their hot spots and endless nights spent in certain places. Carrier, the library, where you'll be studying and casually see a senior climb on the table and shotgun a beer, and it's completely normal. The place where people randomly stand on the tables and make a speech, or bring puppies into play. Little do most know, there was even an area for yoga/ meditation on the third floor at one point in time. The stairs that make you exhausted, you take the elevator - just because. It's a place of stress, but it's also a place of memories. "No matter how much you may hate Carrier in the moment, when you're 40, have children, and are working, you'll miss sitting in Carrier studying" - the wise words of a JMU alumni. Forget the brand new ECL, team Carrier all the way.
