How to: Navigating Centenary's Campus
Centenary’s campus has been home to less than 1,000 students for a good while now–extremely uncommon for the majority of colleges/universities in the United States. Although our numbers have been steadily rising over the past couple of years, the student population is drastically smaller in comparison to the 50,000+ that attend state schools. Once you, your parents, and your grandparents get over the shock of the triple-digit student population, you’ll probably find yourself thinking about the size of the campus. Less than 1,000 students? Psh, that’s nothing! Finding my way through campus should be a breeze, right? Wrong. Well, at least in my opinion. Centenary is much, much smaller than other campuses, yes, but this doesn’t quite make it easier to get through. If you’re a first year student nervously biting your nails at the thought of finding your first class on August 21st, want the most efficient ways to get around campus, or curious about the best locations for specific needs, this article is for you. Just relax and read in on this breakdown of how to navigate Centenary’s campus and more.
To begin, it’s extremely important to know that Centenary is divided into Northside and Southside. Northside residence halls include James, Hardin, and Sexton, and is the side of campus near Wilkinson Street. Northside also includes Bynum Commons (the caf)/Whited Room, Marjorie Lyons Playhouse (MLP), Hurley Music Building, and Hamilton. The Hurley Music Building also includes the Music Library, Anderson Auditorium, Anderson Choral Building, and Feazel Instrument Hall. In my time at Centenary, the hardest building to find has been the Anderson Auditorium. Your best bet to getting here will be walking along Wilkinson street and taking a right after MLP. Keep in mind also that Hamilton Hall includes the Business Office, Financial Aid, Payroll–basically anything concerning money.
In between Northside and Southside are some pretty important buildings: Hargrove Memorial Amphitheater (what we call the Band Shell), Student Union Building (SUB), Hamilton, Meadows Museum, Magale Library, Mickle, and Admissions.
Southside is the side of campus near Kings Highway, and the residence halls are Rotary and Cline. You will also find the Fitness Center (the FIT), Smith/Kilpatrick, Jackson Hall, and Brown Chapel.
So, this is the “inside” of Centenary’s campus. One thing to keep in mind is that the campus expands across some streets. Crossing Centenary Boulevard, you’ll find Turner Art Center. On the opposite of campus, across Woodlawn Ave (or Greek Row), we have the Wright Math Building as well as Centenary Square. Adjacent to both of these streets on Kings Highway is the Athletic Complex including the Gold Dome, Shehee Stadium, Softball Field, and Mayo Soccer Field.
While some places on campus are self-explanatory, others may not be. Here's a quick breakdown of where to go for what:
Bynum Commons (the caf): to eat.
Jackson Hall: Business, Language, and English Departments.
Mickle Hall: Science Department.
Wright Math Building: Math Department.
Smith Building: History and Social Sciences Departments.
Hamilton: Payroll, Business Office, Financial Aid.
Magale Library: Learning Commons (which offers peer mentor and tutoring services), IT Department, books (!!)
SUB: Starbucks, Randles, Residence Life, Mail, Mark Miller, Student Diversity.
Marjorie Lyons Playhouse: plays and performances.
Now that the basic buildings on campus have been laid out, let’s talk about scenery and things to do for fun (YES YOU WILL NEED TO HAVE FUN WHILE IN COLLEGE IT’S IMPORTANT) on Centenary’s campus. One thing about Centenary is the paths that will take you through super pretty seasonal flowers and trees. If you like nature, you can go on a walk through the Ed Leuck Arboretum, set up a picnic blanket or hammock in front of the Band Shell, or sit and do work at the picnic tables on the way to Jackson Hall. Looking for a quiet place to do work? The coffee room on the third floor of Jackson Hall is very cozy. Want to complete a paper or homework around other people? The Learning Commons on the 2nd Floor of Magale Library might be the place for you. If you’re in the mood to socialize and play a game of Mario Kart, ping pong, or air hockey while sipping on a Starbucks vanilla iced chai latte, the SUB is the place to be.
Since you’re basically an expert on Centenary’s Campus, I guess it’s time to wrap this article up. Before I go, here’s some pretty important reminders:
Centenary is an open campus, meaning that there will be people who are not only staff, professors, or students that come on campus. With this being said, always pay attention to your surroundings. And for the love of God, don’t go on 3 AM walks by yourself on the outskirts of campus.
If you don’t have DPS saved in your phone, now is the time to do it: (318)-207-0007.
Same goes for the RA on duty number: (318)-207-1836.
Take the time to be a teenager (or young adult). There are plenty of things on campus that will connect you with yourself and others.
