Students need
carefree space
The Executive Council of SUUSA has declared that it will
make an effort to reclaim the Sharwan Smith Center for
students. The reclaiming efforts will focus on putting
“the student back in the student center,”
and is a top priority for the year. We applaud and support
this effort.
We believe that students need a space free of academic
hassles and concerns in which to relax and enjoy each
other’s company. In addition, we think housing classes
in the student center does a disservice to the students
attending them.
On many other university campuses, there are areas where
students can be entertained or unwind between or after
classes. Some of these campuses even have bowling alleys
and arcades. We believe academic use of valuable central
space in a building intended for student activities shows
a lack of regard for the social aspect we find essential
to student life.
We agree with the council’s assertion that the Multi-Use
area should be a hub for students. Since the area is centrally
located near the Welcome Center, SUUSA, Presidential Ambassadors,
the University Journal, Outdoor Recreation and the Center
for Politics & Public Service, we think students should
feel comfortable there. What does not make sense is forcing
students to interrupt classes in order to access these
offices. Does SUU want students to feel free to use these
services as they are intended? If it does, the Multi-Use
area must be made more inviting. How are students supposed
to feel welcome at the
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Welcome Center when they have
50 students staring them down as they interrupt their class?
Furthermore, the idea of placing a class intended to boost
retention rates in an area full of distractions and inconveniences
is absurd to us. Why would freshmen want to stay at a school
where focusing in class means ignoring a constant flow of
traffic and noise in their classroom?
We believe the student body at SUU would become more active
and caring in current student affairs if it were enticed
to spend time on campus. If students had a place to play
ping-pong, pool or study and relax around these student-centered
offices, they would be more likely to participate in student
affairs. The old saying “out of sight, out of mind”
fits perfectly. If students are persuaded to stay away from
the area around their offices, they will have less of an
opportunity to view and understand how these offices can
serve them.
We believe reasons for using the student center shouldn’t
be limited to hunger and class attendance. Students should
use the student center to socialize with one another, study
relax, and play. No student should be asked to whisper because
a mentor session is being conducted in the middle of a space
allocated for students. The Library is meant to be noise
free, not the student center. We think students should respect
one another and keep the levels down, but be able to converse
and enjoy these areas. The words “student center”
should bring the idea of fun and relaxing to students’
minds.
The opinion expressed above is the collective perspective
of the University Journal and its editorial board. The editorial
board meets every Wednesday at 11 a.m. in Room 172 of the
Sharwan Smith Center. Visitors are welcome.
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