Editor's Note April 2005; Precursor to Student Life Center Petition

I fully and wholeheartedly support the concept and implementation of residential colleges on Vanderbilt's campus. Within this context, I must state that I am disappointed with Vanderbilt's Student Life Center.

My biggest grievance I have with the Student Life Center is one of nomenclature. The building is beautiful and serves its stated purposes. But, please, why did it have to be called the Student Life Center? Where is the student in the Student Life Center? The building seems to address the needs of students after their time at Vanderbilt. With the fundraisers and Career Center, it would seem to provide an excellent Life Center for students after graduation. I propose this new building be called the Lawson Center after James Lawson, Vanderbilt's expelled civil rights activist. It's about time he recieved credit.

I was shocked to find there were no student amenities in the building we will forever call the Student Life Center. Where the dining facilities? Ro*Tiki doesn't embody my idea of a social eating atmosphere (it isn't even in the building). Where are the meeting areas? The meeting areas in the basement are wonderful, but less focus should have been placed on the parking garage and more on additional meeting rooms. Oh, and I there were meeting rooms that students didn't have to pay for on the weekend. How much can possibly be gained by charging cash-strapped student organizations?

Again and again, a majority of students asked for a large social gathering space in which to hang out with their friends. Perhaps there was miscommunication because the students I have talked with envisioned a Student Union. Just because we don't have a population large enough to support a full-fledged union similar to Indiana, doesn't mean that we don't deserve a large social space. I mean social space in the sense of hanging out with friends, not a "social" with dancing. Perhaps there is a generational gap in the meaning of the word.

Where's the bowling alley? How many misinformed students are going to ask this question again and again? While there never were any plans for a bowling alley in the final design, isn't this a sign that there should have been more communication and surveying of students' demands? Admittedly, there might not have been a huge demand for a bowling alley, but it is easy to observe that Vanderbilt students wanted something, anything to congregate in on campus.

A parking garage underneath the Student Life Center that isn't open to students? This parking garage holds roughly 25 spots and will never be utilized by students. Instead of making more meeting rooms, offices for cramped student organizations, or social spaces (dare I say space for a bowling alley?), we chose to make parking spaces. Now don't get me wrong. I would love more parking spaces, but at least allow me the opportunity to park there illegally! In a day and age where a student can't even get one more F space parking spot, we find the funds to create 25 prime spots in the middle campus for job recruiters. This brings me to an interesting point. Are we recruiting companies to hire Vanderbilt students based on the quality of the Career Center (and the ability to pamper recruiters with parking) or the quality of our students? The quality of education is rising here at Vanderbilt (see pg. 8), and companies will realize this and not want to be left out in the cold. Of course, I say this just as I begin my senior year and before flinging myself into the cold darkness of adulthood/employment.

Even the Division of Student Life was slighted. In a building that is called the Student Life Center, the overarching Division of Student Life was not even included in this new building. Just imagine the space that would have been gained in Sarratt should the Division of Student Life be transferred to the newer, swankier building. It seems to me that the Division of Student Life was even shortchanged.

Let me just state for clarification that I am addressing the building itself, not its inhabitants. Jack Davis, the Director of the Student Life Center, has been doing an excellent job providing services and organization. It just takes a glance into the building to see what an excellent job he has been doing with the space provided. The Career Center will undoubtedly be a boon for my future career search. Let us also mention the fact that finally international students are both literally and symbolically becoming the center of the community. These offices and individuals will do great service to Vanderbilt's community.

So you bungled the Student Life Center. It's built. It's over, and there's no use complaining over spilt milk. But I feel that it is my obligation to voice my dissenting opinion (for myself and numerous others) so that it may be noted. Constructive criticism will only serve to make sure that future building projects will be more successful. It is okay to make mistakes, just look at this magazine. But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to create something better. And Vanderbilt needs something better than the Student Life Center.

Please don't compromise the plans for the Residential Colleges by backing off and not fully committing to the development of the new buildings. When you compromise and scale back, you get Kissam Quadrangle for 40 years and a Student Life Center that doesn't include students. I say this with pragmatic and constructive ideals. If you build it right, without compromising, then I will be more than happy to stuff a stupid alumni donor envelope with a big fat check.