As Colorado Mesa University (CMU) says goodbye to a familiar place, it is also time to welcome in a new era of student engagement, community-focused activities and a new area for entertainment. For many returning students, what was previously known as The Point has been retired and completely remodeled, rebranded, and renovated.
On Aug. 21, CMU officially launched Arcadia for its grand opening. Arcadia is a new, video game-themed entertainment center for students, staff, and the community alike to all enjoy. Arcadia has since replaced The Point with a new modern yet sleek design.
“I personally like it. I like the darker theme of it. So the dark theme and video game-esque nature of it, with the game over sign and the scrabble themed wall, I just really like it,” said junior psychology major Kyle Julian.
Similar to The Point, Arcadia aims to help students further find community while also providing some new means of entertainment. This includes various lounge and study spaces and a variety of arcade games; from retro pinball machines to more modern games such as a Pac-Man Battle Royale.
When asked about the importance of having student centers like this, Julian said “I remember 2 years ago I didn’t really go out much because I didn’t know what to do on campus. The Point was cool but there wasn’t a lot to do. With places like Arcadia, it’s a good place to meet other people. I think it’s a very important place, especially for incoming students that haven’t met anybody yet.”
The Point was near and dear to the CMU’s community’s heart, however, a remodeling and rebranding of it has been long in the works. Arcadia takes what The Point did best and continues to build and expand on it, allowing for a more diverse experience.
“This idea began before I was here, but as soon as I got hired, we went full force right into it. The idea was to utilize that space more productively for students, whether it was for study space, grouping spaces, or even just having fun. We thought we wanted to be able to use that space for a lot more useful things, other than just a giant empty room that looked like an office space,” said Student Life Director Trey Downey.
By shifting gears from an underutilized space to a fun, entertainment center for all students to enjoy, CMU can keep community building and student engagement at the forefront while also providing an oasis for students to escape the stress of school and life.
CMU Sophomore Zane Austin studying Mechanical Engineering said, “On a smaller campus like this, it’s important for incoming freshmen, especially with all the newly added things they have here. I think it’s awesome.”
So get out there and check it out, Mavericks! Its location remains the same, on the first floor of the University Center across from Starbucks.
