If all goes according to plan, renovations of MGC will begin in full force this summer. The first to go will be the bathrooms on the first floor, which will be relocated near the steps to TDR. One of the overarching goals of the renovation is to make the Tavern a "destination spot" rather than just somewhere people pass through; plans include alarming the door between Butler Pavilion and MGC to cut down on foot traffic. After the School of Communication moves to its new home in McKinley, the third floor will be remodeled.
At present, the Tavern seems more like a stereotypical college hangout from "Beverly Hills 90210," or a corporate lunchroom. The middle school cafeteria chairs, gross yellow paint and admissions brochure-esque photos give students the feeling that they aren't getting the full college experience. On the upside, one color of the multicolored tile floor leads a path right out of the Tavern, just like Dorothy's fabled yellow brick road.
Alarming the door from the Tavern to Butler will only inconvenience students. Access from the Tavern and the rest of the first floor of MGC to the bookstore, fitness center and the Eagle's Nest will be made much less convenient, especially on days as cold as last Tuesday. Given the university's penchant for bureaucratic hurdles, it's not a shock that they would put up such an inconvenient physical barrier in the name of student togetherness.
The rest of the space in MGC could be better utilized, as well. Though the Marketplace is crowded during the lunch hour, it's a ghost town after hours. Administrators might consider switching the locations of the University Club and the Tavern. Foot traffic to the Tavern would increase and the entire student space would have more continuity.
Additionally, university officials should consider methods to unify the first and second floors. The second floor houses student media and government offices, the Community Service Center, the GLBTA Resource Center and the Club Council, among other offices. It only makes sense to encourage student traffic where so much additional student activity is already taking place - not to mention let the AU community see where all these are actually going on.
At other universities, true student unions are actually run by students. Though this is more difficult at a school like AU, where unified school spirit can sometimes seem so elusive, maybe student input on renovations should include direct student participation.
