Future of the Smith Campus Center Basement Up in the Air

By Sarah Kuriakose
Staff Writer

The offices in the basement of Smith Campus Center, originally allocated for student use, may not be completely returned to students until the end of 2007. The current plans, which had intended to return the offices by 2005, are now being reconsidered by the administration, under the direction of new president David Oxtoby. The new proposal would return part of the basement at the end of this academic year, but full return of the space would not occur until the end of 2007.

Due to the continuing renovations of the academic quad, the basement is now being used as “surge space,” where faculty temporarily displaced from their buildings have offices. In fact, unbeknownst to most underclassmen, the basement was supposed to hold other student facilities, including a pub, band practice room, a party room, and another TV lounge. However, budget cuts made this impossible.

The original cost of the Smith Campus Center was projected to be about $17 million dollars. However, Dean of Students Ann Quinley explains that “There was a stage during the planning where we called in a cost estimator, and he said there was no way we could build for under $20 million.” Therefore, the decision was made to leave the basement unfinished. The Rose Hills Theater, which was thought to be a top priority for students, was built.

The cost for plumbing and airhandling is cited as the reason that the basement was left empty. However, when faculty needed office space, these costs were met.

Oxtoby accounts for this expenditure: “Otherwise, we would have had to spend up to $1 million for temporary space, which would not be reasonable.” Oxtoby also says that future need for surge space will be met in other ways, for instance building on 6th and College that is to be completed in 2006. The entire academic quad is due to be complete by the end of 2007. According to Oxtoby, when buildings like Thatcher and Millikan are being renovated, construction would work around most offices, so faculty would not need to be moved.

Although there was a concern that students would protest this delay in regaining use of the SCC basement, the general campus attitude appears to be apathy. Brian Jackson ’05 said, “It just really doesn’t seem like that big a deal.”

Underclassmen in particular are indifferent because the entire argument was before their time. Brandon Gardner ’05 said, “I didn’t even know that was student space. I thought it was always for faculty.”

An alternative student opinion by students is that it may be better to reexamine use of available space, rather than looking for new areas that may end up unused. “We already have TV lounges and games rooms that students are rarely seen in” Megha Shah ’04 said. Joshua Clavell ’07 agreed, “We have ample study space right now.”

When the space is eventually returned to students, there will likely be an ASPC committee set up to evaluate potential uses. An original survey, conducted in the early 1990s considered ideas such as a travel agency, a hair salon, and a bowling alley. President Oxtoby said, “I want to really work this year with the ASPC to come up with plans for office space for student organizations and a large gathering space, in the form of what has been called a pub or a coffeehouse.” The only concrete objective thus far is that all faculty offices be moved out by 2007.

This year, there is $15,000 allocated for changes to the Smith Campus Center at large.
“Most likely, the changes will be principally cosmetic – making it more beautiful, more colorful,” Quinley said. The use of this money will be decided by a not-yet-created committee appointed by the senate. The committee will make its recommendations to the President who has the final say.

The administration sees the issue of the basement as small within the greater picture. According to Dean Quinley, “We’re looking at the entire Smith Campus Center with new eyes – what spaces are used, what spaces are not used, what needs are not met that could be met.”

President Oxtoby concurred, “The Smith Campus Center has been up for five to six years, so it’s time to take a new overall look. I’d like it to be much more active and vital than it is even now.”