There’s still a long way to go, but it was nice to drive by the Northwest College campus recently and see the structure of the new student center emerge high above the ground. 

It’s fitting that as a new semester looms, so, too, the project at the vast construction site in the middle of campus is now a big presence, and a reminder to students, faculty and staff that a new student center is, hopefully, just a year away. 

The pace of the work is impressive considering the incredibly wet spring we had, where it seemed for a while the rain was a daily event. It was only in early May that I remember being out there to witness NWC board members, administration and local and state dignitaries dip ceremonial shovels into fresh soil. 

That day came just after demolition of the old student center was completed and work was just beginning on the foundation of the new structure. 

President Lisa Watson said at the time that it would be important for students to be able to see progress as they go about their days. This year, it’ll be hard to miss the progress. 

“Projects like this create persistent energy and we’ll keep that persistent energy going,” Watson said during the event. “Show students we’re doing good work they can benefit from in the future.”

Obviously, for the freshmen walking by, future students, faculty and staff it will be an exciting taste of what is to come in the next school year. But even for those sophomores and others set to leave after the current school year, hopefully they’re proud to be alums of a school looking to continue improving the quality of the campus. 

And I know a pretty campus is far from the only thing that makes a good school, but it’s a place many students will spend years walking around. I’ll never forget my morning walks through the trees and around the old buildings at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, or later looking out from an old brewery turned student center to view the skyscrapers of downtown Denver during my time at Metropolitan State University of Denver. 

I remember the first time I happened upon the Northwest College campus and feeling surprised at such a pretty campus being tucked away in Powell, as well as a sense of nostalgia for the college campus I had once roamed. 

So, instead of grumbling about a big construction site, hopefully we can all look with excitement and anticipation at the future student center of the Trappers.