As a staff made up of mostly seniors, we are facing a year of change in our university—change that we will not experience to completion due to an impending graduation date.

It is strange reminiscing about the campus we knew four years ago because each following year brought some sort of facelift. We have been constantly moving toward the creation of new and updated buildings, the addition and deletion of academic and athletic programs, transitions between old and new coaches and even a complete rebranding. We’re left asking: At what point do we lose what makes us the Northern that we knew when we decided to come here?

Change is happening rapidly and, even as journalists, it’s hard to keep up. There are still students around who were able to smoke on campus, took classes in old Jamrich and remember the Brule Room.

While some of these changes have made it feel as if there has been history erased, it’s important to remember that many of the changes bringsincoming freshman the opportunity to create a fresh and unique culture. The walls of many residence halls hold history through murals made by previous generations, but when they are torn down, new walls are put up and ready for a fresh coat of paint. Our individual footprint on NMU may not make it past our four to five years of attendance, but all we can do is make the best of the time we have now.

And that’s what college is about, making these memories gaining these experiences while we can. But let’s not let Northern lose it’s lure—the aspects of it that drove many of us to choose this place as home for 4+ years.

While we understand that change is inevitable to stay up to date and keep up with a growing student population, there should be a line between what is necessary and what is simply making us indistinguishable from other universities.

NMU prides itself in offering more than just an education. Here, education and adventure are inertwined. This Northern experience is exactly what sets us apart from the rest. Our school has the playground of the Upper Peninsula, an atmosphere unlike any other, and character and community that goes unmatched. 

Let’s enjoy Northern…naturally.