On May 8, 1,144 students will graduate from the University of Tampa. For most of them so many things have happened and changed since those early days. The student body has grown immensely, as only 800 students graduated in Spring 2006.
One thing that is still on the minds of students is the economy. These last four years have been challenging to say the least. The national unemployment rate in 2006 was 4.6 percent and the rate in 2009 was 9.3 percent and forget about 2010.
The campus landscape has changed immensely since the seniors began here at UT. Kennedy Place, later known as Frank P. Urso M.D. Hall, opened for upperclassmen students. One year later, Stadium Center opened for incoming freshman and added seven new food venues to the Cafe, Rathskellar and Spartan Club that were there before.
This year alone we have will have the addition of a new Cass Annex and a new Health Center that will finally be able to handle the demand of the growing student population.
We can’t forget the Sykes Center for Faith and Values, which was merely a commuter parking lot four years ago. It will be completely finished by December 2010. Hopefully, students will come to realize that this is a great addition to the campus and not just a useless structure which should be parking.
Academically speaking, on July 1, 2007 the all-encompassing College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at UT became three different colleges: College of Natural and Health Sciences; College of Social Sciences, Mathematics and Education; and College of Arts and Letters. Don’t forget the John Sykes College of Business.
In 2006, the parking situation was a lot different. Freshman in 2006 probably remember that the West Parking Garage never really filled past the fourth floor, but now students have to go to the sixth to find any open spots.
The Post Office was relocated during the summer of 2008 to Riverside Center. The old Post Office was transformed into the current Registrar’s office with ceiling-high glass walls.
Last summer, UT bought the land where the Valencia Garden Restaurant sat and where the interim health center now functions. Almost a year later and still no long-term plans have been made, but they did open a lot for commuter students.
Many notables visited UT in the last four years. In 2008, Senator John McCain came twice and the Today Show went live in front of Plant Hall. This semester, President Barack Obama came to UT to hold a town-hall meeting and announce the construction of the new high-speed rail.
Here at The Minaret, we have witnessed these changes. The publication has been watching for over 77 years and will continue to thrive as the next year begins.