By Sean Kranske, Contributing Writer

Summer break gives the housing and maintenance department time to make various improvements and plans to campus, and this summer has been no exception. Many improvements have already been made, but some projects are still in the planning phase that all West Liberty University students will appreciate.

Students will be happy to hear that the Gary E. West Center, formerly the Roadworthy Tavern, will once again be a restaurant. This time, it will be an all-new Generations restaurant, and may be named ‘The G-Top.’ The Gary E. West Center is located across from campus, near the cabins.

Additions are also being made to the quad.

 “We’re planning to build a new fire pit on the quad, with benches around it for students,” director of maintenance Joe Mills said. He also mentioned porch swings that will be placed near the fire pit. “The swings will be arranged in a circle, so students can sit outside and talk to each other.”

Mills also mentioned various improvements that will be made to sidewalks across campus to get rid of any trip hazards and make campus look better in general. The road to the Gary E. West Center is going to be repaired as well, and improvements are planned for the gravel parking lot by Campbell Hall, if possible.

Students may have noticed that improvements have already been made during summer break, with many improvements made to dorm buildings. Curtis Hall had the most work done, and all of the rooms and hallways in the building have been re-painted.

Beta Hall has also seen a variety of changes and improvements. Last year, the top two floors of Beta Hall have been closed with students only living on the first three. This summer, furniture on the fourth and fifth floor have been replaced, and those rooms are now occupied by freshmen. To accommodate this change, the residential area in Rogers Hall has been closed for this year.

Classrooms have not seen as many changes as the residential and outside areas of campus, but some improvements have been made. Most notably, animal enclosures have been built in Arnett Hall for the new Zoo Science major. Other classrooms and buildings may have had work done that may not be noticeable, such as HVAC and electrical work, but they are still appreciated.