As I am sure you have noticed, this past summer we got a new student center! We went from old couches and no room to work to tons of workspaces and new sleek couches to relax. (Not to mention no more phones to distract us! Stay tuned for GAP coverage of the new phone policy.)
But the question is: Is this new student center edition an upgrade or a downgrade? The old student center had two hits: the ping pong table and the foosball table. Although the games were super fun— playing was a nice break from studies—the new tables are great for talking and studying.Junior Katie Acetta says she misses the fun activities that the student center used to have, while sophomore Olivia Smith says she likes the new tables so she can study during her free time and have lots of places to sit and relax. Also, she says, the ping pong and foosball tables were distracting and in the way. So many people are conflicted as to which student center was better.
How about a compromise? Put whichever game was more popular back into the student center, but more out of the way in the corner. There’d still be open space for tables and couches, but also an option for people to play ping pong or foosball during their free or flex time. If enough people want it we can take this solution further and try to make it a possibility!
Another new edition is the inclusion of all grades in the student center. This is a big change from past years, when anyone who wasn’t a sophomore was not allowed in. We had to do something for the poor juniors, stranded in a tiny hallway! Freshmen are also allowed in, but no one has had the guts to enter. Hopefully they warm up to it as the year goes on. But again: Controversy! Some sophomores like having the student center all to themselves, just like other sophomores in past years. Others welcome the juniors and anyone else who wants to come in. The various tables and sections that have been added are great for spreading out, and there is so much room for everyone that a lot of people say they did not even notice the addition of all grades.
Overall, the new and improved student center looks amazing, and the tables, couches, and (MUCH cleaner) lost and found have made the place seem brand new. Although, there are lots of controversial opinions surrounding the removal of games and addition of the juniors (and freshman if they dare). If you see me around campus, let me know what you think!
