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Printer-Friendly ModeRelocation of campus bank to Cardinal Cage postponed
Complaints from students push construction back while administration revisits decision
February 19, 2007 —
The addition of a banking center to the Student Center building over spring break has been delayed until summer, largely the result of student protest at Tuesday's President's Open Forum.
Student Association President Andy Suszek and University Residence Association President Nick Tereck met with President Eric R. Gilbertson and Vice President for Student Services Robert Maurovich on Wednesday. Gilbertson decided that, following the expression of student interest during the Open Forum on Tuesday, the construction will be delayed until summer so that the decision might have time to resonate with students.
According to Assistant Vice President of Student Services Mike Simon and Director of Student Life Janelle Jacobs, the proposed addition would occupy approximately one-third of the existing Cardinal Cage. Once the room is filled with cement and brought to grade, the bank would take up most of the space currently occupied by the wheelchair ramp.
Several students - including leaders of organizations such as Student Association and Program Board - were on hand Tuesday evening to express their concern.
Suszek was the first to sound off.
"I think the Multi-Purpose Room is booked three or four weeks in advance right now - we're kind of competing quite a bit amongst ourselves for space to put on programs, to put on events. That's going to be used more and more. This year I think it's been more used than it ever has in the past. We're kind of worried about losing more space."
The loss of programmable space was a concern many students shared, citing the growth of on-campus organizations and the attractive, lounge-like environment of the Cardinal Cage.
Aaron Brown, SA parliamentarian, said the atmosphere is one of the room's biggest draws.
"As a commuter student, I don't always want to go to the library to find some place to just chill out and hang out," he said. "There may be those comfy seats on the second floor, but if I just want to go somewhere and be mindless for a half-hour, that was the ideal spot."
Simon said that the loss of programmable space should be minimal.
"Ninety percent of programming that fit in there before the construction will fit in there after the construction," he explained.
"What you might quarrel with is this access to it, or whether you lose some atmospheric benefit," Gilbertson added. "But in terms in usable space, I don't think there's much of a loss."
Gilbertson continually expressed his surprise over the matter as more and more students began to voice their displeasure with the decision.
"It's interesting. You never know when some decision is going to get people's attention. I wouldn't have predicted that this one would have brought people out at 10 o'clock at night," he said.
Several students brought up the problem of transparency, arguing that the decision was made with little or no student consultation on the matter.
Andy Hoag, former editor-in-chief of the Vanguard said that students reacted like they did because they never knew about it.
"I would think that if you're taking away student space, you would consult with students that have the greatest reach, as far as who they can reach - as far as students are concerned - with those decisions," he said.
Suszek agreed.
"I can say that I know the president of URA last year didn't know about it, and I know that the president of SA last year didn't know about it, and I know the editor of the Vanguard last year didn't know about it," he argued. "So it concerns me about who exactly was consulted. But regardless, we're here now because we just found out."
Gilbertson accepted responsiblity for the level of interest the project generated.
"I guess in a sense, maybe we blew it by not anticipating there would be such huge interest in this particular decision," he said.
A meeting will take place in the Emeriti Room at 10 p.m. on Wednesday to discuss possible revisions to the project. Students are encouraged to attend.