Students React To Schine Renovation Plans

By Landon Wexler – Syracuse, N.Y. (CitrusTV) – While it was considered the cool new building on campus to graduates in the 80s, Schine Student Center is now outdated. Syracuse University plans fixing that. This past Monday, concept designs were put on display in Schine for students, staff and whomever else to come in give their feedback.

“The responses we’ve received from students so far have been really positive,” Shannon Andre, the Communications Manager for the Division of Student Affairs, said. “They like the openness of the space and the light that’s coming through and some of the updates with furniture and spaces with function.”

When asked what students want to see different from the design concepts put on display on Monday, Andre said the main focus is making a more comfortable and efficient space for students.

“They want a lot of outlets,” she said. “It’s hard to see in the initial concepts but we know that students are using technology often, so having charging stations.  We’re also hearing feedback from the furniture concepts, so students want some comfy seating options. So high back chairs as well as tables where they can study or have some team meetings.”

While the mission of Syracuse University staff is to make the Schine Student Center the best looking, students want to see this be more welcoming and the epicenter of the student experience. Student Associate President Ghufran Salih and Vice President Kyle Rosenblum said the new Schine Student Center will be both.

“[The design] is a more open and welcoming space in the new layout for Schine,” Roseblum said. ”Because right now, you walk into Schine and it doesn’t feel like a student center and this new proposed design does feel like a student center.”

Along with being more welcoming, Salih says students also want the cultural centers and office of student activities accessibility to be a priority.

“A lot of students are talking about what they want to see in the student center like they want to see that all the cultural centers have sufficient space, making sure that the office of student activities is placed in an accessible area,” Salih said.

As the building changes design, Salih and Rosenblum both say it is a mission to change out the current food options in the Schine Dining Center as well.

“We probably need to have a bigger selection for our students,”Salih said. “Especially feeding into dietary restrictions and things like that.”

Salih and Rosenblum both say, as of now, there is a no specific date for construction to begin.