Let's Talk About Rec!!!

Remember that horrible slogan that seemed to be everywhere on campus last semester??? Well, if not, here's a little refresher and an update on the $70 million Student Recreation & Wellness Center…

On Feb. 27th & 28th there was a campus wide vote in which a mere 2,921 students voted to determine the fate of this facility. According to Michelle Silva, Chair of the USU BOT, 74.7% of those that voted were in favor to build a Student Recreation & Wellness center on campus (despite tuition increase for future generations). The USU has contracted with the Los Angeles-based architecture firm, Cannon Design, to design a center that our students want and to make it unique to our campus. The building design should be available by the end the Fall 07 semester and construction is expected to begin around July 2009.

If you’re curious what the rec center has to do with the USU, then you should know the rec center is basically a part of the union: it will be run by the USU and overseen by the USU BOT.

Rec Center = higher tuition ($110 per semester once the center opens) and less parking. Good thing I won’t be around for it!

USU Master Plan! Bwahahahaha!

The USU Facility Master Plan aka the 10-year plan. What exactly is this plan? How far along are we?

In Spring 2005, the USU Board of Trustees passed the USU Facility Master Plan to ensure that the USU continues to provide adequate space, suitably located programs and services, technology and equipment to support our growing student population. This process alone took over a year to create with student and tenant feedback, including surveys and focus groups.

According to Dave Edwards, the USU Director, The USU is currently in the third year of this 10-year plan and here’s the goal: The 1st floor will have a games theme, featuring entertainment, recreation, and programming. “It will be similar to a Gameworks,” said Edwards. This floor will also feature the new and improved Music Listening Lounge, which will have a computer café and music downloading capabilities. The 2nd floor will house student services and programs, as well as our food and commercial vendors. This includes additions such as Sbarro’s Pizza and a Wells Fargo, which Edwards hopes will be open by Spring 2008. The 3rd floor will be the leadership floor with ASI administration, student government, and conference rooms. You know, the boring stuff students don’t really know and/or care about.

Well … can’t wait to see all this 7 years from now.. oh wait, I won’t be here!

Temporary Location My Butt...

Music Listening Lounge, where are you?! According to the official USU website the music listening lounge has been temporarily relocated to USU room 100. I was curious how the temporary location looked, so I got off my bum and headed to the room. What I found was an abandoned coffee shop, known as the press room. It was dark, locked, and obviously not the temporary location of the music listening lounge.

I gained access inside the “temporary location” and found all the remnants of the music listening lounge just piled in a corner. Classic posters, old stereo equipment, and run-down beanbags covered in dust.

According to Carlos Maruri, USU building manager, there is a possibility of a “high-tech, state-of-the-art, music listening lounge,” within the next ten years. But as of now, there is no intention to have a temporary location.

So what’s with the false information on the website? I wonder how many people go searching for USU room 100 and just find a closet of old stuff?

Alright, I promised some information regarding the disappearance of the Round Table Pizza and here it is: Every commercial vendor inside the USU signs a five-year contract. Once this contract is up, it is up to the USU “bosses” to determine whether or not they can re-sign a contract. According to Vince Marin, lead building manager, the contract with Round Table Pizza was not renewed because “Round Table could not meet its financial obligation to the USU.”

No Tanning Salon for the USU!

The tanning booth rumor can now be put to rest. According to Tristan Wynn, representative at large for USU Board of Trustees, the tanning salon that was in negotiations with the Board of Trustees recently decided against opening a salon in the Union claiming "there wasn't enough electricity in the facility."

It's a shame, I was looking forward to staying tan all year long.

In other news, there is new signage all over the USU giving it a new, vibrant feel. New room numbers and fresh paint added to exterior signs are just some of the new additions for easier navigation throughout the USU. Also, starting Spring semster, USU tours will be offered to new and returning students in order to increase their knowledge of different programs that are offered within the USU. Tours will be led by BOT members and student government leaders once a week.

Oh yeah, and the ascending escalator on the West Patio is broken again! So if you're lazy like myself, head for the elevator inside the USU!

USU Commercial

Something's Missing....

My first blog entry, how exciting…One of the first things I noticed when returning back to the Beach this lovely fall semester was the fact that both the Music Listening Lounge and Round Table Pizza were missing from the University Student Union. This makes me sad and I plan to get to the bottom of it.

According to Richard Haller, ASI’s executive director, the Music Listening Lounge is going to be moved into the 1st floor of the Student Union, and they are currently looking for a temporary place to relocate the lounge. They are compensating for the missing lounge area by placing more furniture around the Student Union.

A tanning booth in the USU? It is a possibility now that the Board of Trustees has made this an option open for discussion. Nothing has been committed and contracts have not been signed, but if students are interested in expressing their opinion about a tanning booth in the USU then they are being encouraged to attend the Board of Trustees meeting on Friday, Oct. 5th at 1pm in the Senate Chambers, which is located on the 2nd floor of the USU.

A tanning booth? Hmm… Share your opinion by taking my poll -->

More on the disappearance of Round Table Pizza next week....