When the Class of 2011 arrived at TCU in August 2007, there was no Brown-Lupton University Union, no all-you-can-eat buffets, no ice cream and no all-day omelette bar. We had The Main with only two dinner options and a salad bar where you were charged extra if your container surpassed a certain weight limit.

Sure, we had Deco Deli where Carla would ask us, “Baby, what’s your bread? What’s your spread?” but that was only open for lunch.

There was no bookstore either. It had burned down in 2006, leaving us with nothing but a trailer stationed in the parking lot behind Red Cactus. Starbucks Coffee, Nike shorts and Under Armour? I don’t think so. Just books, Scantrons and other basics.

Oh, and you know those nationally-recognized sports programs? No one talked about them. Amon G. Carter Stadium never sold out, Fort Worth wasn’t dyeing the Trinity River or lighting up the downtown skyline purple, and ESPN would never have thought to consider us for College GameDay, much less a national championship or College World Series.

Tailgates were in the Greek, the entire Campus Commons was under construction, Jarvis Hall was a residence hall, Sherley Halls was for girls only and there were visitation hours and everyone wanted to live in Foster Hall. The library closed at 2:00 a.m., you couldn’t check out MacBooks, Frog Camp wasn’t international, Connections had just been created and the Office of Admission was this tiny room on the first floor of Sadler Hall. TheCrew was called Programming Council, Gamma Phi Beta didn’t exist, Frog Fountain was under reconstruction, and major brands weren’t manufacturing sweet merchandise for fans to purchase.

I bring all of this to attention not to complain but to celebrate the incredible progress TCU has made in the past four years.

With 13 new or renovated buildings — and more to come — a Rose Bowl Championship — also more to come — and an applicant pool that has more than doubled, TCU has become one of the up-and-coming, premier universities in the nation.

The Class of 2011 is the only class that was here to see all of these changes from start to finish, and I think I speak for the entire class in saying I wouldn’t have had it any other way. We didn’t have all the renovations and resort-like accommodations that today’s freshmen receive, but that only makes us appreciate it all the more — and hope that it’s never taken for granted.

Mike Vosters is a senior marketing major from Olathe, Kan.