There are many reasons that I love attending Lindenwood University. The diversity is unbelievable here! I get to learn about several cultures and languages from all of the international teachers and students in my classes. I also brag quite often about how we now have free parking and free laundry on campus!

A feature that is highly desired by places like SLU that have to pay $280 per semester for parking and that doesn’t even guarantee that you’ll get a spot, let alone that you still have to walk a couple of blocks to your classroom building. We also had a pretty good makeover for our dining last year! Now, students can get Chick Fil A, Qudoba, or Starbucks with just a swipe of their student ID.

Oh! Lindenwood also awarded us with open visitation on campus for weekends. This is an awesome way for the students to really show off how cool our campus is, even though your guest might be given a ticket for not having a parking permit.

This is all great, but as I sit here talking with incoming freshman about why Lindenwood is the place to attend school I am realizing that the reasons I decided to go to Lindenwood - The reasons that make them “Like No Other” have been discontinued.

1. The Pool

I remember being on my first tour of Lindenwood and my guide kept going on and on about this indoor pool that we had on campus! I was pretty excited because now I could work out in the pool even during the winter. It may have been true that the pool needed a major face-lift, but that didn’t mean we wanted it to be taken out! Just cleaned a little…

2. Butler Library

Our new state of the art library is amazing! The architecture is phenomenal and I appreciate the theater, study rooms, and technology features. But - let’s face it, only 20% of our new library actually has books. There was something so peaceful about getting a book off the shelf, plopping down on one of those huge comfy couches, and looking through the huge glass windows. If you didn’t sleep on a Butler couch during finals week then you have never really lived the Lindenwood experience.

3. Outlook

What was wrong with Google Mail?! I had all of my documents there. I already had my entire school schedule on the calendar. I was set! Then I had to save all of that information and replace it on the new outlook email. Not to mention for the first couple of months Lindenwood was still sending me information to both emails so I never knew which one to check. The second issue is that Outlook is not compatible with Mac computers. Sorry Apple Users.

4. Canvas

While we are at it, did Blackboard have that many software issues? Canvas is great and I actually prefer it, but Lindenwood should provide the teachers with a seminar on it. Each one of my teachers use Canvas completely different. I should not have to search through Assignments, Modules, and Files in order to make sure I have all of my homework completed. Not only that, but what happens when Canvas shuts down? How am I supposed to complete my discussion board then?

5. Bookstore

Oh, Barns and Noble, how you upset us. The feature of getting our books on campus is pretty awesome, but wasn’t that what the Book X Change was for? And let’s face it, most of us are still buying our books on Chegg or Amazon (if we buy them at all) because it’s too much of a hassle to price check at the Bookstore since the lines are always super long. Then we get to the topic of spirit wear. Why is it so expensive now? Why do all of the shirts look the same? When will they realize we don’t all have a small waste to fit into dry fit clothes? I need color, I need sizes, I need options!

6. Work and Learn!

Do you remember how sweet this was??? It was one of the selling points that really made me consider attending here. Lindenwood basically got cheap labor out of students and it taught them how to manage time. I don’t think the administration realizes how many international students they put out of work by taking away this feature. Internationals can’t work elsewhere without a visa so Work and Learn was there way to make a little cash or pay off tuition! It was easy to work around classes, you could walk to and from work most of the time, and you didn’t have to hire people that knew nothing about our University. I appreciate the actual wages they are providing to student workers now, but then give students a chance to apply before hiring outside help.

7. J-Term!!

J Term was a term during January that students could take a class or two before starting their second semester. This was the sole reason that I came to Lindenwood. J-Term provided the chance for students who had failed a class to retake it and stay on track to graduate. It was also a great time to get some extra class credits by doing taking random stuff that actually really interested you. During the school year, you are always so focused on the seven different “principals” classes that you never get the chance to sign up for Basket Weaving. I understand the cost of paying teachers to be here and keeping up with the cost of the facilities, but aren’t we doing that anyway by starting the second semester earlier? Plus, the University gets more money from us purchasing textbooks.

8. Grab N Go!!!

This one hurts me in my very soul. Why? Why did we get rid of this? I have never heard an actual answer to this question. I have asked and have only received the answer of, “well there will be something like it in Harmon”. That is not what I am asking. Why did we get rid of the one we already had? The one that already had it’s own building?

The one that people would stand outside IN 20 DEGREE WEATHER for? Not only did this take away from the already limited seating that Harmon has for in-between class gaps, but it isn’t the same thing at all. Grab N Go wasn’t about a quick snack, it was about the Hunt Brothers Pizza!

No matter how many people were waiting in line, Grab N Go was able to get you in and out within 5-10 minutes so that you could still make it to class. Now, there is such a lunch rush in-between classes at Spellmann that it takes you close to 30 minutes to get food and about 15 at Harmon’s Lion’s Pride Market Place.

We have busy lives. We don’t have time for that. It isn’t convenient either! It was easy to walk from Young, pick up Grab N Go, and then go to Harmon for class. Lunch was just on the way.

I know what you’re thinking, “there’s pizza in Spellmann now”…well, it’s not the same thing. I don’t want frozen bread with tomato sauce stuck in the oven. I want huge sliced, greasy, cheesy pizza. My roommates and I were actually so upset that we started a petition and was interviewed by The Legacy, Lindenwood’s newspaper, in hopes to bring Grab N Go back. After close to 200 students in the manner of 4 days signing the petition, it was ripped down from the window and thrown away.

I’m not saying that Lindenwood has become an awful campus because we have some great features here! There are many things that I am unbelievably thankful for - various sports, health center, good safety, larger than average dorm rooms, wonderful rec centers, and a great work out facility.

I am upset because the features that truly made us LIKE NO OTHER have been stripped away from us. Now, it feels as though we are just like every other.