As students returned to campus for the start of this academic year, changed by the summer, they may have noticed a few changes in campus buildings as well. From study lounges to athletic complexes, recent renovations are reshaping the spaces where students live, study and cheer on their peers.
The Kellogg Center
Vice President of Enrollment Management Mandy Dubiel, who was a student at Albion when the KC was first built, said the renovated building feels like a “completely new, great, clean space.”
“I love the fourth floor with the new furniture and the study area,” Dubiel said. “To be able to sit there and study would just be amazing as a student.”
Dallas junior River Morelli said the upgrades – including faux marble flooring and the updated study spaces – stripped away some of the building’s personality.
“I feel like it kind of took away the bold feeling,” Morelli said. “They tried to modernize it, but I know that a lot of students don’t like it, including myself.”
Renovations extend downstairs as well, with the first floor now home to an Amazon locker, which Dubiel said “is going to help the post office service so much.”
Kresge Gymnasium and Athletic Facilities
The donor-funded updates to Kresge Gymnasium stand out to those like Head Women’s Wrestling Coach Jolynn Harris, who said that “the upstairs looks super nice now.”
Harris added one of the biggest changes to the main floor is the addition of the Brit Pit, a new sectioned-off area for student fans, which will get students “all riled up and cheering for everybody.”
Director of Athletics Jennifer Rushton said the Brit Pit was created through student leadership.
“Our student athletic advisory committee actually came up with that name,” Rushton said. “We’re working on getting some T-shirts and making it a fun place for all students to come out and support our teams.”
Rushton added that along with the main floor renovations, “both men’s and women’s basketball locker rooms, the lobby when you walk in and then the coaches’ offices” have been updated.
Dow Fitness Center and Football Facilities
Upgrades extend into Albion’s athletic training spaces, including new treadmills and updated gym machines.
At the football field, the press box has been repainted and will soon display new signage honoring the team’s legacy.
“There’s a very tradition-rich program in football, 38 conference titles and a national title,” Rushton said. “You don’t see that represented out off the field.”
Wesley and Beyond
Though not fully updated, Wesley Hall, home to first-year students, will soon include a refurbished back lounge, an updated kitchenette and new furniture, plus what Dubiel said was a much-requested addition: air conditioning in the lounge space.
“While we can’t air condition every room in the building, there will be at least a spot in the building that students can go to hang out on hot days,” Dubiel said.
Burns Street Apartments have received updates to cabinets and bathrooms – though Morelli said they feel like some residential needs remain under-addressed, including the Whitehouse washers and dryers, which “are constantly broken.”
“For them to invest in areas that we don’t really spend most of our days in, I feel like they should change that,” Morelli said. “I think that they should definitely invest more in living buildings specifically.”
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