A new student union for Saint Louis University? This is an idea whose time has come according to students across campus. So it should come as no surprise that students reacted positively to the latest step in that quest.
Last Wednesday the Student Government Association approved a proposal to have students help pay for the complete renovation of the student union Busch Memorial Center.
The SLUnion Fee will add $50 per semester to full-time student’s tuition bills to help pay for a new student union. The fee will continue until the renovations are paid off.
Students reacted to the proposal in various ways, but many seemed to agree that a change was long overdue. In many people’s opinions the current facility just isn’t providing students the right opportunities to gather and study.
One opinion is that the current BMC fails to meet the needs of many students. It is regarded as outdated and a poor place for students to socialize. Students describe the atmosphere in the student union as desolate and uninviting.
Rich Sheridan, a freshman, said, “The BMC is a big hole in SLU’s campus. It seems like a makeshift facility because while it has the essentials, it doesn’t really tie them together well.”
Most students agreed that the SGA did a good job in acting quickly to seize this opportunity, but some also expressed frustration because the student body was not consulted before the decision.
Despite this, students have no shortage of ideas about what the renovated student union should contain. Their wish lists include everything from a bowling alley to a bar and grill.
Senior Ryan Van Wyk said, “In a new student union we need more places like the [current] coffee house, except they need to take it to a new level. The campus needs places like that with a more social atmosphere.”
The price tag of these new improvements isn’t scaring students either. Almost every one seems willing to pay it, despite the fact that they might not be able to see the results as students.
Sophomore Elizabeth Pennington believes that the charge is reasonable. “When you add it on to $20,000 plus tuition, $100 isn’t really that big a deal,” Pennington said. “SGA just needs to be cautious about how many times it is going to add on $50 a semester.”
Part of the students’ willingness to pay stems from their view that this renovation is crucial to improving the quality of a SLU education for future students.
Van Wyk said, “The University has been going in a good direction since I’ve been here, but to get even better they are going to have to make it more of a student’s campus. A place like this would be a new focus for student activities.”
