Really Good College Hangout

Speaker

Before I graduated from college last spring I helped one of my friends get elected as the president of the student senate. We keep in touch and he's decided that he wants to make a big push this year to give the Student Union building back to the students and make it a nice place for them to be. Over the past ten years since it was built it has gradually been filled up with administration offices.

So what makes a good place for college students? Has anyone been to a campus or gone to a school that was particularly excellent? Any ideas on what to do with the space?

Smug Duckling

The student bar with occasional live music is really popular at my university. Lots of events and things are done there and it's just a popular spot to go.

DeathPrawn

There are a few big things I look for:

- Comfy places to sit. Couches, soft poofy chairs, etc.
- Places to buy food. Cheap and open as late as possible.
- Variety in terms of acoustics. You want spots that are relatively loud and full of energy, quiet places for people to work, and varying levels in between.
- It would be nice if there was some sort of performance venue. This can easily be combined with a cafe or whatnot by putting a stage area and some proper lighting by the eating space.
- Lots of posterboards/wall space for student announcements and flyers

Alpine

I know that this goes without saying for most campuses now, but wi-fi is not even close to optional.

My student centre is always bustling; our student cafe, The Spoke, has a variety of seating areas - restaurant booths, small and large; comfy Starbucks kind of sofas; small bistro tables. The food is good and can be paid for by the university meal plan, which makes it convenient. We have a great guitarist come in weekly to play songs.

That's another thing, if you start having events, try as hard as you can to make them a weekly or biweekly thing. What you want to happen, in order to get people spreading word about why people should be going there, is something that they can recommend to friends, having already seen it. Whether it's a free movie night or a live band or a karaoke night, if they know it was good last week, they'll bring friends this week.

Improvolone

Make empty rooms available for let to student orginizations.

Ponge

What sort of budget are you talking about for this project?

Gafoto

Is the president trying to make it an activity space or a hangout space? What's his vision?

Mishra

We also had public network terminals to check our e-mails in our student center, though you kids and your balckberry's/iPhones may not care as much anymore.

Kyougu

IN my student Union we have an area where computers are set up, and are meant to be used for "fun" ie, just assing around the net. It's really popular, and a lifesaver when a class get's cancelled, or you have an hour to kill.

kaliyama

If you're thinking a space to just chill and socialize and get some reading done, lots of large, comfortable chairs/sofas are all you really need, maybe a TV with news on it.