Archived Edition: February 21, 2007 | Back to Current	Jul 31, 2010

Paresky gets two thumbs up
Jake Gorelov - Executive Editor

David Paresky ’60 had a moment of confusion last Friday. Hours before the student center bearing his name was scheduled to open, he checked the building’s live webcam and noticed tents on the patio. Puzzled, Paresky called Michael Briggs, project manager of the Paresky Center, to find that anxious students had spent the night camping outside the building in sub-zero temperatures to be the first to get inside.

Since the building’s Friday opening, this barrage of students has yet to subside. “I think the opening was great. You guys took it over and now it’s like you’ve been in there for years,” Dean Roseman said. “It totally blew me away that people were camping out on the porch.”

Inside, the building’s architecture, new dining options and ski lodge atmosphere have all been met with rave reviews. “I love it. I like how you can stay here all day and be entertained and productive,” said Cristina Sanders ’10.

For Leroy Lindsay ’07, the most exciting aspect of the new student center is the way it brings together people from all around campus. “You can obviously see campus morale is up,” he said. “Not having a center for so long affected social life on campus. I have seen more people here from my class and the classes above me than I ever have [elsewhere].”

In terms of architecture, many students spoke fondly of the building’s interior decorations. “I wasn’t that impressed with the exterior but really like the inside,” said Adam Janes ’08, adding that his favorite room is Baxter Hall because it reminds him of a ski lodge.

Eve Streicker ’09 said, “The combination between modern architecture and that of a lodge is strange, but I really like it. It’s very creative.”

Sanders praised the many windows, noting that they provide a well-lit and open area that creates an enjoyable social atmosphere.

The new dining choices at the Market Place – deli, pasta, steak, vegan and Teppanyaki stations – have drawn crowds because of high-quality meals. “I think it’s [the Market Place’s] food is far better than dining hall food and portions are large. There are also many good vegetarian options,” Nora Johnsmeyer ’07 said.

Even members of the administration have taken their lunch breaks there. “Morty has eaten in Paresky every day since it opened,” Roseman said.

The opening of the new building was bittersweet for seniors, the last class to have access to the old Baxter Hall. “Honestly, it’s a weird transition walking back to this spot on campus after it was fenced off for so long,” said Lauren Williamson ’07. “I’m making a concerted effort to spend as much time in here as I can. I’m excited to have seen a ton of people in here already.”

“I wish that it could have been completed a little sooner. Two and a half years without a student center is kind of rough, but at least its back,” Lindsay added.



Room for Improvement



Despite the overwhelmingly positive reactions to the new student center, several students have cited minor modifications and additions they would like to see made as construction crews finish touching up the building in the coming months.

Lauren Finn ’09 named public computers and printers, an ATM machine, vending machines and a machine for putting money on one’s ID card as additions she would like to see. “They also need to make the door into the study room silent because the way they have it now, it clicks when people come in,” she said. “It needs to be more conducive to studying.”

According to Roseman, an ATM machine and flat screen televisions for announcements will be installed in the near future, but she is uncertain about vending machines and public computers. “We had originally programmed public computers, but with student laptop culture, we decided to wait on it,” she said. “The computers in Baxter were a problem because they were often broken and maintenance became an issue.”

Other students complained about the poor lighting and lack of functionality of the Reading Room. However, Roseman said lighting fixtures for the room should be arriving shortly. In the room, “there are plenty of electrical outlets on the floor, but not along the wall. And that means you can’t sit on the side of the room,” said Aston Gonzales ’08.

The quality and durability of the furniture are also issues for some students. “Some of the furniture they put in isn’t that nice,” Streicker said. “They should have tested out chairs and furniture with students prior to making purchases, like they did with the carrels in Sawyer.”

Streicker also noted that when the Snack Bar line gets very long, an everyday occurrence since the building opened, it impedes easy access to the two main entrance doors of the building.

In addition, there have been waits of up to half an hour at the Market Place due to high student demand. According to Bob Volpi, director of Dining Services, patron counts at all dining halls have already dropped by twenty-five percent since the Market Place’s opening.

The long lines for food have been a source of frustration for some. “The traffic flow in the Market Place is awful,” Johnsmeyer said, adding that drinks there should come with free refills because of small cups and that the Market Place should offer hot drinks. And to ease bill calculation, Johnsmeyer hopes the 20 percent reduced prices for students should be placed under the full prices of all meals.

Williamson misses the non-perishable items offered in the Baxter Snack Bar. “If you went out to dinner, you could use dining points to buy soda, cookies, yogurt and other non-perishable items. I wish they would bring that back after getting rid of it in Mission because of lack of storage space,” she said.

According to Briggs, construction workers will continue to work in Paresky in an unobtrusive manner until Spring Break, when they will be able to conduct larger-scale projects for two weeks as the building will be used minimally. All construction work is set to end by the beginning of the next academic year.

ditions she would like to see. “They also need to make the door into the study room silent because the way they have it now, it clicks when people come in,” she said. “It needs to be more conducive to studying.”

According to Roseman, an ATM machine and flat screen televisions for announcements will be installed in the near future, but she is uncertain about vending machines and public computers. “We had originally programmed public computers, but with student laptop culture, we decided to wait on it,” she said. “The computers in Baxter were a problem because they were often broken and maintenance became an issue.”

In terms of other additions to the building, Doug Schiazza, director of Campus Life, announced yesterday that bulletin boards and a billiards table are also on their way.

Other students complained about the poor lighting and lack of functionality of the Reading Room. However, Roseman said lighting fixtures for the room should be arriving shortly. In the room, “there are plenty of electrical outlets on the floor, but not along the wall. And that means you can’t sit on the side of the room,” said Aston Gonzales ’08.

The quality and durability of the furniture are also issues for some students. “Some of the furniture they put in isn’t that nice,” Streicker said. “They should have tested out chairs and furniture with students prior to making purchases, like they did with the carrels in Sawyer.”

Streicker also noted that when the Snack Bar line gets very long, an everyday occurrence since the building opened, it impedes easy access to the two main entrance doors of the building.

In addition, there have been waits of up to half an hour at the Market Place due to high student demand. According to Bob Volpi, director of Dining Services, patron counts at all dining halls have already dropped by twenty-five percent since the Market Place’s opening.

The long lines for food have been a source of frustration for some. “The traffic flow in the Market Place is awful,” Johnsmeyer said, adding that drinks there should come with free refills because of small cups and that the Market Place should offer hot drinks. And to ease bill calculation, Johnsmeyer hopes the 20 percent reduced prices for students should be placed under the full prices of all meals.

Williamson misses the non-perishable items offered in the Baxter Snack Bar. “If you went out to dinner, you could use dining points to buy soda, cookies, yogurt and other non-perishable items. I wish they would bring that back after getting rid of it in Mission because of lack of storage space,” she said.

According to Briggs, construction workers will continue to work in Paresky in an unobtrusive manner until Spring Break, when they will be able to conduct larger-scale projects for two weeks as the building will be used minimally. All construction work is set to end by the beginning of the next academic year.