Newsfeed
Printer-Friendly ModeBlueprints shared at open forum
New dining areas, MLK Day, ice rink receive discussion
January 31, 2005 —
President Eric Gilbertson discussed a concern about Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebrations and blueprints for University dining areas were debuted at an open forum on Thursday, Jan. 20.
Gilbertson listened to questions and concerns in the Alumni Lounge from the approximately twenty students and administration members in attendance.
To open the forum, Gilbertson peered out through the windows and sized up the chucky conglomeration of ice and snow in the courtyard, intended to be an on-campus skating rink. After examining his less-than-successful venture, he remarked to the students, "Apparently the drainage system was better than we thought." While joking about his attempt to create a rink, Gilbertson also displayed his stubbornness. "If this doesn't work, we'll just find another place on campus to flood."
The first issue raised during the hour-long discussion was concern over SVSU's apparent lack of observance on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. A student inquired why the University did not give students the day off, when many other state-run institutions did. Gilbertson suggested that canceling classes for this holiday would send the wrong message, and amount to little more than an extended weekend.
"For most people, it's a lark, and then you have to make the day up," he said. "If something were to happen on that day, (such as a presentation or study) then we would rethink it." He also added the stipulation that he would want such a holiday to touch a wide variety of students. "It would have to impact a large amount of people, not just the 'usual' people.
Gilbertson also pointed out that SVSU did observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, even if students didn't have the day off.
He called attention to the MLK Dinner that SVSU was sponsoring that evening. The dinner's keynote speaker was Dartmouth professor Dr. Ella L. J. Edmondson Bell, and was open to SVSU students as well as the community. Friday, Jan. 28 was also designated as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.
Through these events, Gilbertson hoped that Martin Luther King Jr. Day would have a bigger impact than simply creating an extended break.
Concern was also voiced that SVSU teachers weren't discussing the holiday in class. Gilbertson expressed his hope that the faculty would take the initiative to discuss the event, but stated that he didn't want to "force the issue to be discussed" in the classroom.
Next, a student voiced worries over the distribution of the "alcohol statistics" posters that every SVSU student has undoubtedly noticed over the past few months. The cards aim to prevent reckless drinking practices among students by providing informational statistics of alcohol use on campus. The cards are sent out from the SVSU Student Counseling Center.
The concerned student asked whether it was necessary to send multiple cards to the same dormitory room, and whether all of the statistics were written in a fashion as to provoke thought, and not laughter.
Referring to the wording of some of the statistics, Gilbertson admitted that he had "raised some of the same questions," but he refused to second-guess the Counseling Center.
"Even ridicule is better than being blind to the issues," he stated.
The student also asked whether the University was sending a seal of approval of underage drinking by sending these cards to minors. It is necessary to face reality, Gilbertson replied, and not to stick our heads in the sand.
"At least people are talking about it," he said. "It was intended to get attention, and apparently it did."
The next issue brought to the table was the recurring issue of safety for pedestrians at crosswalks on campus. The University Police Department have been getting complaints about motorists making rolling stops and not yielding to pedestrians.
Interim Director of University Police Ron Trepkowski spoke on the issue, citing his department's commitment to education during the first semester of this school year. This education aimed to make student drivers and pedestrians aware of the crosswalks, and of each other.
This semester, he said, education is being stepped up to enforcement, with greater enforcement of campus roads, especially Fox and Collins Drive. The campus police hope that this will lead to better awareness on the campus roads, and help maintain a safe environment for all SVSU students.
The future of campus dining services is another topic that has been circulating around campus, and was touched upon at the forum.
Ron Portwine, director of University Housing and Auxiliary Operations, was at the meeting and offered a glimpse of the "new Doan." With the help of large blueprints of the proposed changes, Ron showed the drastic changes that SVSU's dining areas would be undergoing. The main dining area, Doan Café, will be expanded, with the food service areas interspersed among the seating areas. The walkway that now runs from the Cardinal Cage to the Alumni Lounge will snake alongside the large windows on the east side of the café, offering an undivided eating area. The private dining room located in the southwest corner of Doan will be opened into new seating area and complimented with a fireplace.
The former location of the Writing Center in the Science East building will also be turned into a dining area with seating and offer "fast-paced food" for students on their way to classes. Even Einstein's Eatery in Zahnow Library will be overhauled to include a "mini C-Store" and a Java City, Portwine said.
In order to have renovations completed by the beginning of the Fall 2005 semester, Portwine warned that the south dining area in Doan Café may go offline as soon as spring break for construction.
Everyone at the meeting agreed that the proposed plans for next fall would be well worth the minor inconvenience.
