Kaylynn Kaps

News Reporter

 

Mark your calendars. The new College Center will be opening Wednesday, Oct. 20, the day after fall break ends. Many students and faculty have been looking forward to the new College Center. Now the big day is almost here. 

Students will get the chance to celebrate. Events include music from KMSA, giveaways, tours of the building, and tasty food. Wells Fargo will offer students a chance to win Mav Money. 

The College Center has plenty of space for many different forms of entertainment. There will be TVs that will allow students to play video games and watch movies, rooms to hang out and socialize, a room for studying and a big ballroom for dancing and other on-campus events. There are also patios for students that will open in November. 

Linda Barboe, who works at the Bookcliff Café, said she was looking forward to moving to the College Center. 

“Being in the tent is very congested because we have more students this year. The tent is cold so we are not seeing a lot of students studying in here like we did at the old College Center,” Barboe said. “I am excited to move into the new College Center because more students have the chance to socialize and there will be more room.” 

Brittany Wood, a junior, works in the MavPav as a server.

“We don’t have a lot of space to serve students but I do like the atmosphere, seeing students come in, in such a tight space,” Wood said.

She said the tent leaked when it was raining and the dishwasher broke often, which made working in the pavilion really tough. 

“Having the new College Center will be nice to have working machines and better utensils and of course bigger space,” Wood said.

Barboe said the staff is really anxious for the new cafeteria because it will be much more efficient.

Like many students, Wood is eager for the big space to open.

The cafeteria will serve salads, sandwiches and soups. If a student is in a rush, he or she can grab something.

Starting Nov. 5 the dining hall will provide outdoor seating open year round, which the old College Center did not have.

Courtney Phillipy, a junior experienced the old College Center.

“I remember there was not enough space in there especially to do homework, it was just the Bookcliff Café, dining hall, and club rooms. I felt like the cafeteria was too small for a lot of students and there were not that many options for food choices,” Phillipy said.

Phillipy said she was especially looking forward to the bigger space and the ballroom dancing floor in the College Center. 

Campus clubs are excited to have their own offices and space as well.

“We’re definitely excited for the student center to open because I feel that once that opens, we’ll have that center of campus again and be able to be more of a presence,” said ASG Director of Communications Katie Schultz.

An added benefit will be that all the campus media will be in close proximity of each other and students input will be easily accessible.

“It will geographically and socially be the center of campus again,” said ASG vice president, Dillon McMillen. “I feel like our growth will grow even more exponentially.”

For more entertainment, there will also be a game room with a pool table, ping-pong table, air hockey and other games. 

A major difference with the new College Center will be all the extra space for students to lounge around in along with while the other College Center did not have a lot of lounge space. 

“We have more eating areas, places to congregate and have fun than anywhere else on campus” said Deborah Hoffer, director of the College Center.

A grand opening for the administration and community is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 5.

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kkapps@mesastate.edu