In 1993, West Pine Boulevard became “the Mall,” and the campus unified from Grand Boulevard to Vandeventer Avenue, and from Lindell Boulevard to Laclede Avenue. Saint Louis University’s reputation as a Midwestern, commuter school came to an end; its ascent to B-List U.S. News and World Report-spurred celebrity status accelerated.

Thousands of tulips and yards of wrought-iron fences later, SLU has succeeded in its aim of physical unification, making an oasis out of 244 city acres.

When SLU officials closed West Pine Boulevard, they did something magical: They altered a mental perspective by transforming a physical one. What began as a series of tactile changes-a clock tower here, a stone-encrusted pathway there-eventually altered the school’s image, which altered community expectations for the University itself.

Now, a change even greater than the closing of West Pine will open new avenues of expectation for SLU: Chaifetz Arena, hovering like a mammoth spaceship on the fringes of Highway 40-64, is the physical and psychological future of this University.

The first, most obvious alteration that the arena will usher in is the return of Billiken basketball to campus. Bereft of a football team, which leads the charge in school spirit at many universities, basketball has become SLU’s most notable sport. Yet, we’ve been outsourcing our home games to the Scottrade Center on Clark Avenue since just after we closed West Pine Boulevard. Bringing the Billikens back to campus will eliminate the need to bus would-be fans across town. It will draw national media attention: Sports networks may broadcast shots of SLU’s Billiken Bush before commercial breaks rather than skyline shots of the Gateway Arch. Prospective students will take notice of SLU athletics. They might choose SLU over other universities of comparable academic standards because of the atmosphere on campus.

And the new arena won’t just increase the fan base. It may increase the quality of our teams, too. With top-of-the-line facilities, star players will have a space in which they can exercise their skills in style. With more money and attention spent on SLU sports, the University’s national reputation will grow. Our teams will be expected to perform at a level that matches the hype reserved for them and will hopefully rise to meet that expectation.

But what about those who have yet to watch junior guards Kevin Lisch or Tommy Liddell, III, dribble down the court, who don’t plan to cheer with the Blue Crew, who think sports are nothing more than a surrogate for tribal warfare?

Well, the Chaifetz Arena is for them, too. Graduation is set to return to SLU grounds. A whole gaggle of concerts will be scheduled for on-campus entertainment. And, if nothing else, it will put Olive/Compton Garage to good use, and it gives us a reason to enjoy the statues and duck colonies near Compton Avenue.

The arena isn’t a panacea. It’s not a magical pill to alleviate apathy, skepticism and student concerns. In 10 years, students will still find things to complain about. But, 10 years from now-tucked inside SLU’s future-will be the layer of influence this arena has left on the Frost Campus. Ten years from now, we’ll step on campus and say, “So this is SLU.”