A: Advancing Campus: After years of planning and months of construction, the Uptown project is almost complete, providing CWRU students and visitors to University Circle with a plethora of dining and shopping options. Constantino’s Market, Chipotle, and Panera Bread are some of the major hits among students, who can often be seen chowing down while hitting the books.

The Museum of Contemporary Art got in on the fun and held an event in its new building Dec. 1. “Musicircus” hosted musicians from all over Northeast Ohio to perform in a celebration of the centenary of composer John Cage’s birth.

Uptown gives Northside a much-awaited facelift, attractive to both current and prospective students.

B: Bring Your ID: While students were away from campus consuming turkey, staff at the Kelvin Smith Library were busy battening down the hatches. The week following Thanksgiving break, KSL began requiring all members of the university community to scan their CWRU ID upon entering the facility. Visitors without university credentials are required to show a valid government ID and sign in.

Library officials noted the policy change was not a result of any particular event. However, recent instances of vandalism in the building’s elevators and missing artwork from neighboring Thwing Center suggests KSL is remedying a valid concern.

The placement of the card reader is slightly awkward and may contribute to slight delays entering the building, but the benefit of deterring unscrupulous visitors outweighs its imperfections. Requiring an ID to enter is KSL’s latest improvement, following in the footsteps of its relatively new cafe, Cramelot, and revamped learning and meeting spaces.

S: Supplemented Dining: The Thwing Atrium introduced a new dining option for students on the go. Bag-It provides pre-arranged meals that include an entrée (sandwich, salad, or vegetarian options) and three side items (fruit, chips/pretzels, and an assorted dessert item).

Bag-It is also a great option for students who spend most of their time on Northside, or as a backup for those frequent times when Grab-It runs out of entrees after classes let out and students crowd into the lobby of Sears. This year’s incoming class was quite large, and future class sizes are projected to be comparable. Therefore, creating more dining options on campus will be a necessity.

W: Worrisome Wireless: Connecting to CWRU’s wireless network was a difficult feat to accomplish at the beginning of the semester. As The Observer reported in early September, Information Technology Services discovered a problem in which certain devices were unable to obtain Internet Protocol addresses on the wireless network. They implemented a fix for that issue on Aug. 30.

Meanwhile, ITS is continuing to update wireless access points on campus, a $5 million project that is nearing completion. In fact (and to the delight of upperclassmen), many residents of the Village at 115 received brand new access points this past week.

CWRU students are always on the move; therefore an institution of our magnitude and stature requires the infrastructure to support mobile computing. While the benefits of a hardwired ethernet connection are numerous, the way in which technology is progressing demands we don’t give Wi-Fi short shrift.

D: Disguised Delinquent: Less than two months into his contracted employment at CWRU, security guard Demeterious Cathey, 21, was arrested for stealing an estimated $13,000 of electronic equipment from the Wolstein Research Building. As is the case with many campus security guards, Cathey was employed by Ohio Security Services.

Though Cathey admitted to stealing 12 laptops from the medical research building, the university believes no sensitive data was compromised. However, the experience served as a warning for CWRU Police and Security Services to be even more diligent in monitoring its contract employees and their supervisors. Additionally, it reminded campus students, staff, and faculty of the importance of securing personal devices and backing up important data.