Templeton’s Extreme Makeover

Lively colors, improved lighting, new carpet, and a host of other upgrades greeted students upon their return to Templeton Campus Center at the beginning of the fall term. Over the summer, workers completed a dramatic facelift of the central floor of Templeton.

The changes are particularly noticeable in the Trail Room cafeteria. No longer a sterile environment, the now vibrant Trail Room includes a small stage, dance floor, new carpeting and paint, new lighting, and a beefed-up sound system for weekly live music sessions. Student and alumni artwork adorns the walls.

But the project isn’t just about aesthetics–the broader goal is to foster greater community on campus. “In the past, Templeton has been a place where transactions happen, not where relationships are built,” says Houston Dougharty, dean of students. “We want this to be the place where people build connections with the school and with each other.”

And with the work done last summer, Templeton has taken a big step toward a brighter, more welcoming future.

–by Evan Higgins CAS ‘08