We have all been there.
It is August at Mississippi State University, where temperatures reach the high 90s before you even wake up, and you are running late for your morning history elective in the Old Main Academic Center Turner A. Wingo Auditorium. You make it to campus with just enough time to spare, and you happen to get lucky and find the best parking spot in Commuter East. But before you may enter the threshold of Old Main, you must either hike one of the massive staircases located in front and to the side of the building, or walk down a ramp from the Drill Field side, which is ultimately the better walking path. I digress.
At this point, you are sweaty and out of breath due to both intense heat and an unintentional cardio workout as you make your way into the building.
Upon first entry, you are greeted with hustle and bustle, as hundreds of students and professors mill about the hallways and study rooms.
And what do you spot with your sore eyes as you turn the corner to enter the auditorium? The P.O.D. Oh, yes.
Old Main Academic Center is the best building on campus by far. Although the slope uphill is treacherous, the light at the end of the tunnel is golden. Old Main not only has some of the larger classrooms on campus, seating up to 455 people in the Turner A. Wingo Auditorium, but the facility is also equipped with 14 study rooms and the P.O.D., which is a lifesaver for chronically-late people like myself because I can grab a coffee and protein bar at 8:59 a.m. and still be on time for my 9 a.m. Modern U.S. History class. Getting a deliciously cheap, scorching hot vanilla latte from the P.O.D. freshman year was the sole reason I attended class some days.
Additionally, Old Main has extremely nice bathrooms that beat the restrooms in buildings like McComas Hall, Carpenter Engineering Building and the second floor of the Mitchell Memorial Library without even lifting a finger. I mean, the doors to the stalls alone deserve a Nobel Peace Prize: they are made of a beautiful dark wood with a lovely black handle, and when you lock and unlock the door, a little notice slides over saying “occupied” or “available.” How handy! They are also some of the cleanest bathrooms you will find on MSU’s grounds. Shout out to the Old Main custodians and janitors.
Lastly, Old Main is centrally-located on campus and has the most SMART bus routes, offering dozens, if not hundreds, of chances for students to catch a ride off campus each day.
While most students complain about having a class on the third floor of Old Main and hurling up those steep stairs, I think it is worth the workout because of the numerous accommodations and features the building has for students and faculty.
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Hot take: Old Main is the best building on campus
About the Contributor
![Heather Harrison](https://reflector-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/IMG_1804-600x400.jpg)
Heather Harrison, Former Editor-in-Chief
Heather Harrison served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Reflector from 2022 to 2023.
She also served as the News Editor from 2021 to 2022.
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