This year’s senate meetings have been inundated with complaints about the Smith Campus Center, primary among which is the size and location of the student recreation center.

Senators are currently working with administration to find a solution to the many perceived problems with the room.

"I don’t know why it’s upstairs," said Jon Vanasco ‘00. "It was apparently never in the original plan, drawn up with the help of students years ago, to be anywhere near so inaccessible."

Joseph Koch Senate claims the recreation room has many problems, among which are its small size, inconvenient location, and lack of seating.

"We haven’t been done justice," said Senior Class President Gabriel London.

"The senate is very concerned about making the Smith Campus Center as student-friendly as possible," said ASPC president Richard Park ‘00.

The senate has written a mission statement stating the unification of senate’s stand on trying to "make [the campus center] work," said London.

Dean Quinley is in the process of setting up a Smith Center task force to address the numerous student concerns, and create solutions, for both the short and long-term.

Some ASPC Senators expressed concern Tuesday that turning campus center reform decisions over to this task force will weaken the student government’s ability to facilitate change.

"My issue is with the administration playing a leading role in something they failed to make nice," said London, who has volunteered to be on the task force.

London referred to the fact that budget restrictions forced the relocation of the planned game room as well as other facilities, and without student input.

However, of the 12-15 members of the committee, chaired by Dean of Students Ann Quinley, Director of the Campus Center Neil Gerard, and Park, approximately half will be self-nominated senators.

The first meeting of the task force is scheduled for next Wednesday, when President Peter Stanley will brief the committee on his vision of the campus center.

Also, there will be a senate-sponsored open forum the week after fall break to which all students are invited

Many suggestions were proposed in Tuesday’s senate meeting: to move the game room downstairs where two meeting rooms currently exist, to build a staircase from the Coop fountain upstairs, or to move it to the currently unfinished basement, as was stated in the original plan, according to Commissioner of Campus Events Tamara Chellam.

"I don’t want people to be too hasty about knocking down walls until we’ve had a chance to move into the building," said Quinley. "But we’re reviewing the possibilities."

"I think there’s a lot that can be done, and a lot that’s being done," said Gerard, "but not as quickly as we’d like it."

For the time being, some games have been moved down from the rec room, and a pool table resides in the Coop’s old space, Walker Lounge.