I remember my first day of classes at UNCW in the fall of 2005 vividly. As an incoming freshman, I stood an awkward 5-foot-5 and carried a Columbia backpack unnecessarily stocked with several notebooks and pens, almost as if I were a delivery person for Staples scheduled to do a drop-off later that day. I made my way down from the fourth floor of Belk Hall with a campus map that had been conveniently taped to the top of my dorm room desk during move-in. It resembled some type of contractor sketch; multiple squares were sporadically drawn on a sheet of printer paper, labeled by abbreviations only and separated by scribbles of sidewalks and trees. Luckily, the desk receptionist on the first floor was able to give me substantial directions as she pointed out the window to the sidewalk and said, “Just follow the rest of the crowd that way.”

Walking to class, I was astounded by the vast campus-acre-upon-acre of academic buildings, eateries, recreational facilities, and dormitories and apartment complexes. Excited and apprehensive, I was in disbelief that this could actually be me: an official UNCW student with a world of possibilities at my fingertips.

Now entering my final year at UNCW, I look back at this day and laugh. What I thought was an enormous campus my freshman year is now a state-of-the-art university offering three new buildings, two renovations and two brand new on-campus housing complexes. Beginning July 2006, what used to be the University Union since 1983 was closed down for major renovations. The first phase of construction began in the University Union’s neighboring spot, as the 62,776 sq. ft. Herbert and Sylvia Fisher Student Center was built in honor of alumni Herbert and Sylvia Fisher, who established a $2 million endowed fund in May 2006 to maintain the center and support its programs. The building creates a student services area in the heart of campus, housing the Campus Activities and Involvement Center, Einstein Bros Bagels, a 350-seat movie theater, the UNCW Bookstore, Sharky’s Game Room, the Information Center, and not to mention six meeting rooms and seven lounge spaces.

Following the construction of the Fisher Center, UNCW renovated the Fisher University Union and connected it to the Fisher Student Center by a glass-enclosed walkway, offering a panoramic view of the Campus Commons. Opened in March 2008, the University Union offers endless amenities ranging from dining facilities including a convenience store and ice cream shop, to a copy spot and post office, Seahawk Media offices and Ann Flack Boseman Art Gallery, and the Career Center and Campus Life Reservation and Events office.

Needless to say, the ongoing construction effort hasn’t stopped there. In April 2005, groundbreaking for the construction of on-campus housing facilities began. In order to reach UNCW”s strategic goal of providing on-campus housing for 40 percent of undergraduate students, Phase I of the program, Seahawk Village Apartments, was completed in 2006. Housing 518 students in six apartment buildings, the village includes a clubhouse and pool. Phase two of the construction began shortly after, as Seahawk Landing was completed and open to students in the summer of 2007. Seahawk Landing houses 603 students amongst seven apartment buildings and offers a convenience store, a coffee shop with food service, a fitness center and swimming pool.

Other renovations since 2005 include the Burney Center, offering a 9,300 sq. ft. ballroom with five different space configurations seating 600 guests, the Computer Information Systems Building, serving computer science and operations management majors and housing multi-disciplinary, hands-on laboratories equipped with the latest technologies, and a real-time financial trading room was completed Dec. 2006. The Cultural Arts Building, completed in the fall of 2006, is a 104,830 sq. ft. structure and houses the departments of Art and Art History, Music and Theatre, and includes an Art Gallery, Mainstage Theatre and Recital Hall.

With all these new amenities, students have no reason to leave campus-it encompasses every aspect of college life and continues to serve students by offering endless opportunities.

Thinking back to my first day, UNCW seemed overwhelming. On the other hand, after considering the dynamic changes UNCW has made since my freshman year and still continues to make today, I can’t imagine what the incoming freshman are thinking now.