Suffolk doesn’t feel comfortable anymore; there doesn’t seem to be a sense of community.

This time last year, Suffolk was alive, full of exuberant new students and a presence of excitement could be felt in the air. For the freshman, we were walking into a brand new building full of different new medias to experiment with and returning students alike were interested to see the final product of an ongoing project.

However, the start of this school year was vastly different. Students and faculty are both still settling into routines but there is a hidden tension felt throughout the university. A reason for the difference in atmosphere could be the recent removal back in July of now former president Margaret McKenna.

With an exceptional backing from the student body, McKenna was well liked. Although, the Board of Trustees, run by Andrew Meyer before his removal, seemed to disagree with what the students wanted. Under the newly appointed leadership of Chairman Robert Lamb, they conveniently fired McKenna when students were on summer break.

Could this have caused the insurmountable tension and discomfort felt through the campus?

Besides McKenna being thrown to the curb, Suffolk lost two memorable parts of its campus that current freshman will never be able to experience. The Archer and Donahue buildings, as well as the C. Walsh Theater, were done away with leaving little room for classes, literally. As of right now, classrooms, offices, administration, clubs and organizations are all squeezed into three major buildings.

The university’s campus went from spaced out, to condensed and it’s no wonder students have to wait ten minutes for an elevator. The frustration in the air is so thick; it could be cut with a knife that Suffolk can’t afford.

Moreover, Suffolk over-accepted students in the class of 2020 so many are living in hotels because of lack of dorm space. This mistake was made the year before when students were then placed in the dorms of Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and Massachusetts College of Art and Design. If I was a freshman not living on campus, I would be frustrated and lost as your first year is the most important to be close to campus. So, not only are upperclassmen frustrated, but so are freshmen. With a student body that is bursting at the seams with negative emotions, it’s no wonder why Suffolk seems to have a different atmosphere.

With that being said, Suffolk needs to do some repairing to its community. To fix itself, the university will need to add more space to it’s campus so that students can arrive to class on time. Even further, they must establish a concrete presidency to ensure stability at the university.

As of right now, it feels that nobody at Suffolk is not communicating with one another. Departments, clubs and organizations, students, faculty and administration appear to be disorganized and disconnected. The disunity at Suffolk can be felt throughout and we must start there to ensure communication.

Without unity, Suffolk will crumble and the atmosphere will worsen. It’s time for a change, Suffolk.