Some people may have gotten the wrong idea from my article in the last issue of the Sputnik. Truthfully, I don’t hate Laurier Brantford. That article was written simply to describe what myself and some other first-year students thought when we first experienced Laurier Brantford.

When I speak about the locals in Brantford, I don’t mean to imply that I hate all the locals or think that they’re terrible for the evolution of downtown Brantford. I simply mean to say that there are some people who seem to harass students from time to time, and this to me is weird. I find that many of the locals are extremely friendly individuals who, like myself, want to carry on with their everyday lives. I understand that some people in downtown Brantford are upset over Laurier’s expansion and I sympathize with them. They are being forced to leave their homes for expansion that is designed to improve the state of downtown Brantford.

I love Laurier Brantford. This is a university experience that I never could have dreamed of. Sure, there are some things missing, but that’s the case everywhere. The learning environment, with smaller class sizes and professors who have actually worked in their profession, is absolutely beneficial to students. Many classes at the University of Toronto are held in Convocation Hall, which holds 1500 students – far more than anything in Brantford. Although I said in my last article that the feeling of a “real” campus is missing, I enjoy Laurier Brantford being a small university – thanks to this, I am able to run into people every day instead of being lucky to see the same person twice in a week, as would be the case at a gigantic campus like York.

The residence life at Laurier Brantford is amazing. Unlike many universities, Laurier Brantford allows students to live in apartments rather than dorms. Some benefits from this include private washrooms and kitchens! No more need to go out, buy junk food, and end up with the ‘Freshmen 15.’ Cooking my own food has really helped me to stay healthy and save some much-needed cash. When I think about it, I can also thank residence for having met so many wonderful people. And there’s no doubt that the dons have been doing a wonderful job to get their students together and create a friendly atmosphere. Kudos to them.

So just to clear the air, I’ve enjoyed my stay at Laurier Brantford since day one. There hasn’t been a single day here that I have regretted. And I fully anticipate that trend to continue well into the future.