The staff editorial is the majority opinion of The Murray State News Editorial Board.
Getting acclimated to campus life is typically an experience that’s exclusive to freshmen, but vast changes made over the summer months have upperclassmen also familiarizing themselves with Murray State’s new accommodations.
Some changes on campus were welcomed and long overdue; some had students scratching their heads in confusion.
After contract issues with Jasmine Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar, sushi was no longer provided to Starbooks, the Business Building or the Thoroughbred Room last semester. Fortunately, Dining Services and Racer Hospitality has replaced it with Market 22, a fresh sushi and salad bar. At the former location of Dunker’s Deli, Market 22 will meet the demand that rose after sushi left campus shelves.
Students who crave Dunker’s can still get prepackaged subs at the Market, and sushi is made on site. Having something made fresh beats the sushi experience of last year, which left something to be desired after the rolls were left on shelves for entire days.
On-campus students were also welcomed to a newly renovated Hester Residential College. The renovation took 11 months, forcing students to relocate to other residential colleges.
A revamped lobby, redone mechanical and electrical systems and redesigned student lounges and bathrooms were included in the $9.9 million job.
A successful campaign by Bob Davies led to him becoming the 13th president of Murray State.
Davies, who succeeds former president Tim Miller, will provide the stability and student interaction that Murray State needs to stand out from other state colleges.
Since taking over the position, Davies has made a point to reach out to as many students as he can by helping them move into their residential colleges and talking to them on campus. His background in finance will prove to be an asset to the University, which still wades in a multimillion dollar debt.
The overhaul of positive changes are also met with questionable ones. The Student Government Association revealed new signs to be placed on some single-stall bathrooms. The signs, which show a male, female and transgender symbol, state that “this restroom may be used by anyone regardless of gender identity or expression.”
The decision had some questioning why the SGA could not just label them as unisex bathrooms. The term includes transgendered people without the added controversy of using University money to pay for signs that will again highlight the prominent issue of transgender discrimination.
Upperclassmen were also pegged with a $75 parking tag, which is a $25 raise from last year. The decision was bitter for students, who have also vocalized the need for more parking spaces. The growing number of students can’t be accommodated by the limited parking options and they are now paying more for it.
While price increases are unpopular, the change would have been more welcomed if the call for more parking options was answered.
Whether the developments are good are bad, Murray State is a growing University that attempts to accommodate to needs of both finances and students. These changes will bring a breath of fresh air for freshmen and upperclassmen alike.