By Jeff McCann
I have an idea. A dream really, but that introduction has been used before. I believe in SFU. I believe there is a future where students are so engaged as part of their university experience that Clan pride oozes from them. What do we need at SFU? Where is the void that creates a barrier of interest for students to leave the commuter campus attitude behind us. There must be a solution to this overwhelming dilemma.
My answer: more student space.
Student space is anywhere and everywhere that students like to be outside of class. It’s the couches in the AQ, the SFPIRG lounge, The Highland Pub, Women’s Center, Out on Campus, athletic facilities, and DSU space. I didn’t always know this but I do now. Student space is everywhere but nowhere at the SFU Burnaby campus. There are not enough places to eat, study, nap, hangout, or meet people. We know this because the hip hop club dances in a cafeteria, the chamber orchestra practices in the hallway, and constantly, students leave campus for lack of reasons to stay.
Campus organizations have spent the better part of 2011 competing for student space, in survival mode to protect their space and prove the worth of their service to the campus community. We are all trying to prove to students what we think is important and why we are more worthy than the next. This is backwards. We all have the same goal of a better SFU, so why compete? Lets stand on the same side of the line and compete only against the clock for what we can accomplish. Lets pool our resources and commit to something larger than our four or five years here.
Whose responsibility is it to make these changes — the university or the student society? I don’t think it makes a difference; it’s all our responsibility. At other schools, alumni reflect on their experiences and say that their best times were at the game, at a club event, at a pub night. So what do you want your story to be about? Tell somebody. Don’t just complain; here’s your chance to make your voice heard. I believe we need adequate facilities for athletics and student life that match our rival schools. We need a stadium. We need a student union building.
The SFSS and the university have put up money already to get plans drawn. We have combed over countless years of documents leading to this moment. There have been reports on the relationship between student wellness and physical space and we know that other universities prosper with their student union building and stadiums as focal points for the campus. It is a fact that a higher student engagement will make your piece of paper more valuable, your resume more robust, and leave SFUs reputation bolstered.
Now we need student voices to join this conversation. We invite you to speak your mind and say what you would like to see on campus. Let’s not just talk about it, let’s build it. We have created the opportunity. Imagine the possibilities.
My vision, my dream, is one project that puts every student and student group on the same team to realize our dream of an unparalleled university experience. Wednesday February 1 in Forum chambers we will unveil the beginning of the future of this campus. Come be part of the conversation.
Now we need student voices to join this conversation. We invite you to speak your mind and say what you would like to see on campus. Let’s not just talk about it, let’s build it. We have created the opportunity. Imagine the possibilities.
My vision, my dream, is one project that puts every student and student group on the same team to realize our dream of an unparalleled university experience. Wednesday February 1 in Forum chambers we will unveil the beginning of the future of this campus. Come be part of the conversation.
