We’ve waded through mud, we’ve dealt with dust, we’ve longed for lost parking and we’ve taken the long way around. Now our wait will soon be rewarded as the University Center brings heart back to campus.

Until now the center sat as an impediment, something that kept us from one another. It divided campus in half and made getting to class, residence halls and parking a hassle.

But this October, as its doors open to welcome students and the UE community, it transforms from a nuisance into a gathering point, a place for connection and a beacon for new and returning students alike.

For more than a year students have felt the strain of lacking a central location to gather. Meals were split between Dunigan Dining Hall and Union Station, and seating was sparse, separating students from one another and isolating everyone.

The simple fact that the center will reunite where we eat begins the task of putting UE back together. Again students will gather for dinners, remembering the feeling of welcome created by a shared meal.

The terrace in front of the center will host concerts, games, picnics and fairs that were previously secluded to Morton Hall lawn or H-lot. Eykamp Lecture Hall will offer opportunities for prominent speakers. Jazzman’s Cafe and seating areas will provide places to relax and talk. We can also expect to see more commuters staying on campus after classes now that the center will give them somewhere to be.

With the way offices are configured, student leaders will be on equal footing with administrators, and the focus will maximize exposure for everyone.

Conversations will be had, laughter heard and people reminded of what it means to interact with one another—to take a break from whatever activity they may be doing and to spend time with their friends.

The center truly is a centerpiece—not just a building, but something that will define UE. And it will merge academic and student life, uniting them in a whole new way.

So, remember the annoyances of the past. Remember not being able to get from Morton to Graves Hall or from Graves to Olmsted Hall with ease. Remember the frustration of washing dust and mud from your shoes. Remember the mile hike from your car as you made your way through campus.

Because remembering all of these annoyances is going to make the moment when the doors of the University Center open all the sweeter.