In spring 2006, the TCU bookstore went down in flames. In February 2007, TCU officials announced the new bookstore would be complete a year later.

Concrete was poured for the 34,000 square foot building Aug. 16, and TCU’s bookstore opened about six months later, which is a pleasing foreshadow on how the rest of the campus construction will turn out.

Although the old bookstore was a sight for sore eyes and seemed to be on campus forever, the long lines and fights for parking were worth the two-year wait.

The cafe and new study areas are great ways to incorporate student activity inside the bookstore, not to mention the actual Starbucks coffee that can be grabbed before morning classes.

Some people may believe that having such a big bookstore for a college the size of TCU is unreasonable, but when prospective students come visit the Barnes & Noble and the new campus commons area, it could be a great recruitment tool.

Overall the construction is everywhere, however, it has not been a roadblock and has not affected any student getting an education. Indeed, TCU is not as campus friendly as it once was, but administrators are working their hardest to please students. For example, Frog Fountain was incompletely built just so December graduates could have the memorial figure for pictures. Today, workers are pulling up the bricks and piping so the water can flow through the fountain as soon as possible.

Kudos to TCU campus construction. The TCU Barnes & Noble bookstore and the new dorms were complete, organized and ready to open before the spring semester even started.

Features editor Jordan Haygood for the editorial board.