The first floor of the former DJ’s Fastbreak is slated to become a student lounge said Helen Cannaday Saulny, assistant vice president of Student Academic and Support Services.
Although SASS announced last November that the second floor of the space, located on the corner of G and 22nd Street, will house EMeRG offices, the plan to create a student lounge is not finalized.
Cannaday Saulny said the delay was due to a thorough survey of student opinion.
“My staff held a focus group with students who represented a cross-section of students’ interest and level of involvement,” said Cannaday Saulny. “These students expressed interest in having a space that would allow for students to relax between classes, connect with one another, check email and or use for spirit-related gatherings (such as) before sporting contests, Greek related activities, and other student organization non-event space functions.”
Former SA president and executive vice president, seniors Nicole Capp and Brand Kroeger, helped decide what would occupy the space.
“We flirted with and explored the idea expressed by immediate past student association president Nicole Capp and student association executive vice president Brand Kroger to house a student run a fan and Greek store,” Cannaday Saulny said. “After consultation with the student focus group and other issues, we learned and subsequently decided that this was not the preferred nor more popular preference of our students for that space.”
Cannaday Saulny said that while there will be no substantial food service provider at the space, there will be vending machines for students to purchase snacks.
“There will be canteen style machines, but no full or partial food service providers,” Cannaday Saulny said. “I think soda, snack and coffee machines for sure with, perhaps, a refrigerator and microwave (which were requests from students).”
The logistics of the student lounge, such as hours and security measures, must be worked out before the plan is finalized, Cannaday Saulny said.
Does GW really need more vending machines? While a student union reminiscent of that featured in later episodes of the vintage TGIF sitcom “Boy Meets World” is certainly a nice idea sure to give any 90s kid the warm and fuzzies- the notion is at it’s core romantic, rather than being particularly pragmatic. Space is at a premium on campus and GW doesn’t really need more places for students to check their e-mail, GW students, it is safe to say are sufficiently wired, nor does it need more vending machines (though cheaper ones would be greatly appreciated.) What GW does need is better, more numerous and cheaper food options–the DJ’s space would, for instance, make a fabulous gourmet sandwich bar, where students could select from a range of gourmet sandwiches made with good (QUALITY, please!) ingredients, i see fresh turkey with baby greens, tomatoes, avocado, swiss cheese, sundried tomato spread on a crusty baguette drenched in balsamic and olive oil–but i digress. Let’s face it, GW needs to do a better job catering to the realistic needs of it’s students, rather than superfluously recycling the same crap (think Carvings and Gallery, G-Dup Java). Of course, if GW doesn’t like the sandwich shop idea– they could just install a surefire success, a genuine Video Arcade.