I came to ETSU in fall 2017, and campus has changed drastically in the last two years. At the time of my freshman orientation, the football stadium wasn’t finished, most of us didn’t know of the upcoming Culp Center renovation and construction hadn’t broken ground on the Martin Center for the Arts. It’s been wonderful to see this campus transform and to hear of word of our school spread to other areas because of these new projects, but the campus needs to focus on fixing up their current academic and residential buildings.
Part of what drew me to ETSU was the historic, homey feel of the buildings’ exterior, but after attending classes and really seeing the interior, I soon realized that many of the buildings need some improvements.
As an English major and member of the school marching and concert bands, I’ve spent most of my time in Burleson and Mathes halls. The restrooms in Burleson are Pepto Bismol pink and look like they haven’t been touched in decades. Likewise, the plumbing that runs through Burleson and Mathes is questionable.
After just a few days of classes, anyone can realize the elevators in multiple buildings are sketchy at best. Floor plans need to be updated. Many restrooms on campus only have two or three stalls, which isn’t logical for a building that holds hundreds of students at a time. Particularly in Rogers-Stout and Burleson Halls, hallways and stairwells are narrow and tight, and they aren’t able to accommodate the number of students.
I love that ETSU is improving the school in an effort to expand its horizons and attract new students with their new additions, but many of the current buildings we already have need to be renovated in order to accommodate these new students. ETSU should focus on improving their current facilities before pursuing any more new projects.
