Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor
On Sept. 14, I moved into the new residence hall after spending about three weeks at the Annex. If you have not seen the residence hall, but you have heard rumors about it being amazing, I can testify that the rumors are true. I am very happy with my new living space and I have no complaints about the NRH (except for the 2:30 a.m. fire drill during my third night of being there).
However, it has been harder to adjust to being in the new building than I imagined. I guess I did not realize how used to the Annex I had gotten. Even as I am writing this, I feel like I am supposed to head to the gravel lot to catch the next shuttle. Sometimes, when I am walking back from class, I start heading to the parking lot before I remember that my dorm is in the opposite direction.
When I was at the Annex, I swore I would never miss it. I complained about being off-campus and having to ride the shuttle. But, whether I realize it or not, I was making memories while being at that old motel.
For example, at the Annex, my car was parked right outside of my room. Every night, I would sit in my car and talk on my phone to a loved one back at home. While I sat there, I always enjoyed taking in my surroundings. Since there were no hallways at the Annex, most socializing went on outside in the parking lot and on the balconies, so I always saw a lot happening while I was on the phone. Additionally, it was nice to have enough parking spaces at the Annex because now my car is parked far away from my dorm.
Another odd thing I miss about being at the Annex is riding the shuttle with my friends. During the afternoon, when I had to ride in the van, I absolutely hated the ride back to the motel. However, in the mornings and evenings, the bus was nice because it had colored lights inside. There were also a few bus drivers that I got to know and they would ask me about my day and wish me well in my classes.
Overall, when I look back at my time at the Annex, I have fond memories. Sure, there were some unenjoyable aspects, like how old everything was, not having water fountains near my room, inconvenient road construction, and the terrible laundry room, but there were also good parts, like the groundhog that could be seen outside of my window every day. I started my sophomore year at the Annex and endured the first day of school with my friends there, so I will never forget it.
I know the NRH is a major upgrade, and I have already made happy memories in it so far, but I will always associate my second year of college with the unexpected placement in the Annex and the anticipation we all had to move-in to the new dorm. Thankfully I will not be finishing this school year there, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be when I got that dreaded email in the middle of August. So Annex, thanks for being okay. I will (kind of) miss you.
