With the opening of the Schoenecker Center this spring, South Campus has been much busier with students and faculty. The Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, set to open in fall 2025, will add to the hustle and bustle.

Both of these new buildings are shifting people from the north side of campus to the south.

So, what does the heart of campus even mean? Similar to the human body, the heart of campus serves as its life center. It allows students to come together in social, athletic and academic ways that harbor a sense of spirit.

Arguably, the northern parts of campus like Anderson Student Center, Anderson Athletic and Recreational Complex and the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library are where the heart of campus lies. With these buildings, you get student life, athletics and education, as well as dining halls. These are essential pillars of what it means to be a college student.

But, is this changing with the innovative plans on the horizon for South Campus?

Already implemented on the South Campus is the greatly anticipated Schoenecker Center, a hub for STEAM majors.

This is bringing more educational spaces to South Campus.

For students in the arts, there is a struggle to have more representation and a voice for their needs. Things as simple as a lack of music storage space to inadequate funds have students frustrated. Sophomore Adam Jones is a music business major who has benefited from the new building and sees an improvement in his music education.

“In the new building, there is a new state-of-the-art recording center. The new building makes it feel like the university is keeping music in mind,”  Jones said.

Along with education, the Schoenecker Center offers multiple places for study, which gives students more places to be social and build community, yet another pillar to fulfill the true heart of campus.

The new Lee and Penny Anderson arena, which will be built on South Campus, offers a way for the second pillar of student life, athletics, to flourish.

Vice President and Director of Athletics, Phil Esten, sees the arena as a major step forward for the St. Thomas community.

“From a competitive standpoint, the arena is providing student-athletes with competitive venues in order to compete at the highest level. The new arena will not only be an athletics venue but it can be used for things like job fairs, convocation, commencement and some other campus activities,” Esten said.

This arena will be a much-needed upgrade for our D1 athletes but a place for all other students as well. Athletics can harbor a lot of spirit and community for the university.

“What makes college athletics unique is the mascot, the band, spirit squad and the students. When you take those things together, that is spirit, the spirit of an intercollegiate event is determined by students,” said Esten.

With all three pillars checked off and innovative new buildings, is it fair to say that the heart of campus is going south?

I think Esten summarizes it well.

“The arena supplements what is already happening on campus,” said Esten.

Supplement is the perfect word. Both the arena and Schoenecker Center supplement North Campus. The heart of campus stays rooted in the north but the new additions to the south add to the spirit and community that St. Thomas needs.

Marty Fischer can be reached at fisc6793@stthomas.edu.