Morgan State University’s student center has gotten a makeover this past month. 

Students shared their excitement for the University’s addition of painted stairs and sliding doors on their Twitter and Instagram pages. 

The once blank student center steps now read “We Are The Bears” in bold letters, complete with an image of Morgan’s mascot on one side of the stairs and adorned with an image of Holmes Hall, a historic building on the campus’ main academic quad on the other side. 

Natasha Lewis-Williams, executive director of the Student Center and associate vice president of student affairs says this is only the beginning of her three-part plan to fully upgrade the center. 

The renovation plan will include upgraded furniture in the Bear Cave lounge, new seats in the USC Food Court, and a visual timeline of Morgan State’s history on the building’s second floor. Sliding doors will be added to both the middle and opposite end of the building. 

Lewis-Williams is optimistic about the upcoming changes.

“We’re going to have different subtle things around the university student center where you can learn and really feel pride in being a Morganite,” she said. 

Though many students feel favorably to the new additions to the building, many have reservations about what this means for the university. 

Junior nursing major Brooke Foyles believes the university staff should focus more on crises concerning students instead of aesthetics. 

“I definitely think the school has been focused a lot more on putting in nice picturesque things and less addressing the students,” she said in reference to the university’s housing issues.

The university recently housed over 500 students in an unnamed local hotel following a rapid increase in enrollment. Students did not move into the hotel until Tuesday, a day after classes officially began.

Foyles is particularly fond of the new automatic sliding doors and said she noticed that they were not accessible to students and visitors with physical disabilities. 

Lameak Barret, a senior applied liberal studies major, said the new additions to the building are the first steps toward a more modernized Morgan campus. 

“The new stairs are definitely a cool addition to the student center. A very creative piece that makes me proud to be a student at Morgan.” 

One thing is certain: big changes are coming to Morgan State University.