Association President Karen Rossi Brager ’91 provides perspective on the construction fences that will line the central green at Arcadia starting May 24. Brager was a student at Arcadia when the campus broke ground for Kuch Recreation and Athletics Center. This April, she picked up a spade and turned a shovelful of dirt on Kuch Field with Student Government Organization President Melissa Leon ’11 and others.

Standing in what will be the shadow of a new hub for student life on campus—the University Commons—she dusted off a few memories of her days as a student flashed back to 1991 and the groundbreaking for Kuch. While she might have experienced the disruption of construction, her memories fast-forward from groundbreaking to completion.

“I felt the same excitement as I did when we broke ground for the Kuch Recreation and Athletic Center, as this building was to provide the space and facilities that we needed almost 20 years ago. Now we have new needs that are just as crucial for student life on campus.” The Commons is funded by At Home & In the World—The Campaign for Arcadia University and by revenue bonds.

Brager, President of the Alumni Association, has seen her share of groundbreaking—and probably some mud and dust—as Arcadia has grown. The Dining Commons, Knight Hall, Landman Library and Easton Hall followed the construction of Kuch Center. Each new project brought significant disruption, but when the dust settled on each, Arcadia students benefitted from facilities to meet their growing needs.