The floors and walls don’t have a single scratch, nor have the desks seen more than a few students’ jeans. The Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons is the latest and greatest addition to Dixie State College’s campus.
Unfortunately, a handful of students don’t appreciate the expensive feel and look the Holland offers. Some students argue the brand-new building makes the original campus structures look as though they are a hundred years old.
While DSC was established a century ago, not all buildings are as old as the college itself.
Nonetheless, several buildings on campus are in need of a tune-up, and the construction of the Holland can only bring good things to the future of DSC.
Eventually, DSC’s campus will have several new and renovated buildings, and then the extravagant Holland, which is so luxurious now, might stand out inasmuch as a straight pin does in a stack of hay.
I think it’s just hard for some students to make change. Returning students are used to the tight hallways of the McDonald Center, the musky smell of the Science building, and the dark rooms of the Jennings Science and Technology Center. But why not get used to the open space of the Holland, the fresh smell of the Holland, and the bright rooms of, well, the Holland?
When I first walked into the Holland, I felt like I had just taken a breath of fresh air. It felt nice to walk into a building with tall ceilings, wide hallways and efficient lighting.
The organization within the Holland is exceptional. Students don’t have to form zigzag lines as they wait at the financial aid office or cashier because the space has been made to accommodate large crowds.
The classrooms are open and have glass walls that face the hallway. Most classrooms have chairs with wheels, which are more convenient than chairs you have to scoot in and out inch by inch. Some classrooms have both tall tables and small tables, so students can have a variety of choices to fit their own comfort needs. SMART Boards are in many of the classrooms in order to keep DSC current with modern technology.
The three-level library in the Holland makes for great space to study. There are plenty of study areas for both private and group study. Even though the chairs and sofas still need a bit of breaking-in, they are more welcoming than the chairs that accompanied the old library on campus.
And how many students have noticed those Brita water filters next to the water fountains? With the hard water in St. George, it’s nice to know I can have filtered water at my fingertips without paying a dime.
My 23-year-old brother, who usually laughs when I mention he should go to college, said he wanted to enroll at DSC after entering the Holland just once. He was dumbfounded a building on a small college campus could be as nice as the Holland.
That’s what the reaction should be for all students: welcoming the Holland to the DSC campus with open arms. Eventually, if DSC continues to grow with impressive additions such as the Holland, then more students will be excited to attend our small, yet growing, campus.
