Katie Schultz
News Editor

Mesa State has seen its fair share of growth over the past year, but many students may not recognize the campus when they come back in the fall. In fact, it is safe to say the college will have seen a considerable facelift and there is a light at the end of the construction tunnel.
The piece of the puzzle that students can expect to see completed is the centerpiece of college life, the student center. The administration set out to create an area for students. Their main goal was to give students space and the two-story building does exactly that.
“We wanted to accommodate students,” said President Tim Foster. “There is life after construction.”
Foster went on to say that he understands students are most likely tired of having the cafeteria in the MavPav as well as the loud noises heard throughout the campus. He, like many, wants to see the completion of the Student Center done as soon as possible. He predicts the project will be completed by September or October. However the official date from the contractors is sometime in November.
The overall building has a bright open feeling with full-length windows and an immense amount of space. When entering on the north side of the building, the centerpiece will be the grand staircase.
There are many new perks to the college center and it all starts with the cafeteria. The majority of the main floor is dedicated to various food services that the college will provide. There will be the regular cafeteria buffet setup as well as a coffee shop and other restaurants that can be found in the Bookcliff cafe. The middle section of the first floor will then be dedicated to seating, spreading from the front of the building to the back, ending in the outdoor patio.
The east side of the first floor will be the new location for the bookstore and the west side of the building will be dedicated to student space. This area will include a quieter lounge area where students can study and right across the hall on the south side of the building there will be an activities room. According to Foster, this area will be filled with everything from pool tables to TVs.

“Whatever the students want,” he said.
The second floor has the same feel of providing students space. The west side of the second floor will be open to students twenty-four/seven. There will be a second study area with outside seating and student offices for organizations like Associated Student Government (ASG), Programming Activities Council, KMSA and the Criterion. The remainder of the second floor will be made up of office space and conference rooms. Then on the east corner of the second floor will be the grand ballroom with an open balcony. This area can be rented out for weddings or other community or private events.
Many students are looking forward to the opening of the student center and the ability to have a place of their own.
“It’ll be nice having a campus community again,” said Ryan Hendershot, ASG president.
This thought can be shared by many.
“It will be the center point of the college that has been missing,” said Nick Lopez, ASG vice president. “It represents a new and positive era.”
Other things that students can look forward to will be the completion of the Wubben Science Building, the renovation of Houston Hall and the demolition of Medesy and the adjacent parking lot. The MavPav will be moved and converted into an indoor recreation area, and the area that was once Medesy will be converted into a grassy field.
“Everyone will be surprised to see the new look of the campus when they come back,” Foster said.
u
kschultz@mesastate.edu