My winter morning walk

Walking onto campus today I was struck by a subtle contrast. In front of me on my right lay our old union. This was the union building that I visited when I was in high school and utilized as a student. Filled with nostalgia, I remembered a time wrote a paper for my Greek drama class all night long in the 24 hour study lounge. As usual, I put off writing the paper until it was due and I committed the whole of my resting hours to write it well. I most remember the next morning as I walked back to my room. I stepped out of the lounge to the caress of the spring air chill on my fatigued face, the sun ascending over the horizon and the feeling of genuine accomplishment in my heart. That was a subtle moment of my college experience that I will always cherish.
I then thought about the many meetings during which I planned, discussed and deliberated over concerts to bring to campus, community events and a vast array of other activities. Yes, there have been an immeasurable amount of ideas exchanged in that old building that lies vacant now. There have also been many friendships started and nurtured in the old Jester's eating area. This was the main dining area in our old union where many friendly faces could be seen at any given time. When I was a student merely a few years ago, the old union was an active place for relationships to grow, papers to be written and the community to meet.
Then, on my walk this morning, I looked to the left and saw our new union that has been open now for just over a year. It is an impressive space that has added a great deal to our campus life. Though its opening has meant the closer of the union that I new as a student, it is a space that has already earned its stripes by providing good space for community. When I looked at it this morning, I was struck with contrast between it and the old union. The contrast that became apparent to me was not the difference between the spaces themselves. Rather, I was struck by the contrast of change. In that moment the new union was simply that; new. The old union was the reverse; old. The new is place for current students to have their own experiences of paper writing, late night lattes, stressful meetings and ever-welcome chance encounters with friends. It is a place for students to forge priceless memories that bring delight on their morning walks to work. The 'new' is entailed by change and means that everyone is able to have their own experiences. The 'old' is what we remember and the 'new' is what we experience. There is a lot of 'new' going on here. New class discussions, organizations formed, trips planned, games won, teams created, papers written, projects designed, friends made, etc.; are all part of the Valpo experience. Then, when these become 'old', they will stay with you and warm up your winter morning walks...