Picture this: It’s 11:51 a.m., and you’re walking from the FLB to Ritter Hall, eager to earn that core art credit lingering over your head. You’re still pumped from the team workout you just completed and are replenishing your energy with a smoothie from the new robot. As you walk through what you believe is the entrance to your new art class, you find yourself in what looks like an old, run-down gymnasium. Random objects are scattered everywhere, paint and debris cover the floor, and materials you’d normally identify as trash hang from the ceiling.
There’s no one at the tables, so you assume you’re in the wrong place. You try to open the door, but it leads to a concrete room with another door. Feeling confused and a bit scared, you decide to leave the way you came, only to discover another section of the building you hadn’t seen before.
Now, you’re five minutes late. You only find one empty classroom in this new section. You make two laps around Ritter, and while standing in the lobby trying to figure things out, you suddenly hear voices. It turns out they’re coming from the reception booth. Someone notices you’re lost and points you toward the staircase. However, after climbing the stairs, you’re still confused because there are two doors and no signs anywhere.
Don’t worry, you’re not dreaming: this is the navigational nightmare many face when trying to find their way around Ritter. This issue has been left unaddressed for a while. Compared to the rest of Ursinus’s buildings on campus, Ritter has significantly less development and remains almost untouched. This is particularly hard to reconcile when considering that the Art/MCS building is situated between the FLB and the football field, both of which are constantly receiving new renovations and updates like a smoothie machine and a new scoreboard. Additionally, Ritter’s lack of attention is even more noticeable due to the recent Lower Wismer renovations.
Have you ever experienced the challenges of navigating Ritter? Do you believe Ritter deserves more funding for the Arts and MCS programs or even a renovation?