Late to the Party 2

Thanks to everyone who sent me hate mail for the last “Late to the Party” article. This one's for you. It seems like I may not even need to finish this series because of how much social life on campus has improved. But alas, I started a job, and now I must finish it. 

I am aware that this series may seem overly critical of UAA. That is not the point of the series. I am not going out of my way to aimlessly throw shade at the university, in fact my only mission is to make this a better experience for the students. 

I am not disregarding the hard work that people and groups put in to make this an enjoyable time for the students; I am simply making suggestions on how we can make it even better. 

Although  some people apparently took offense to the original “Late to the Party” article, the majority of those who responded enjoyed it and felt it was accurate. These readers then took it upon themselves to begin repairing the social environment on campus, and let me just say, I am damn proud. 

But for those of you who did not enjoy it, do not read this one. If you are looking to get offended, just stop reading right now; we do not need that negativity. I understand that the standard college experience may not be up your alley, so if that is the case, maybe check out the article titled “Right Answers Only: Partying is a detestable sin” by Scott Hobbs — you may find the points being made within that column to be less offensive. 

This version of “Late to the Party” will address the Student Union — SU for short — and the complaints about it that I have heard from students on campus. 

Of course, I am not just going to be pointing out the negatives — I will also be providing insight on how we might potentially improve the situation.

The first complaint I have heard is that some students wish the SU was closer to on campus housing — or even that it was just closer to the library. 

Now, it is impossible to move the SU, so this is a complaint that doesn’t really have any solution. What we can do however, is improve the quality of life at the SU. 

Right now, the SU is mainly occupied by office space. How can we really call it a Student Union when the majority of the area is taken up by faculty? 

However, not all of the events or spaces in the SU are completely taken away from the students. We do have Subway, the Common Grounds coffee stand, the Seawolf Marketplace, Esports  Lounge, the Pride Center and a few other organizations which all benefit the students. 

Other than the few people who actively use these services, how many students are actually hanging out in the SU? How are we supposed to encourage people to spend time on campus when the majority of them just order their Subway, eat it at one of the tables and then leave? 

We, as students who pay to be provided with a college experience, should have a location other than the library where it is fun to hang out and where you can spend time socializing. We should have comfortable seating like real couches, there should be TVs playing sports highlights from our school teams, our mascot should be running through the SU handing out high fives, photos and T-shirts.

All of these things would make more sense if students actually spent time hanging out in the SU. That is why it would make sense for there to be pool tables, ping pong tables, a dartboard, cornhole, maybe even an arcade cabinet — anything to get students to spend time in the SU. 

This is our space to utilize, but if the student body does not show appreciation for it, the school will not consider upgrading it as a valuable investment.. I am sure that many people would agree that we should have a few more restaurants in the SU, but that won’t be a possibility if no one ever visits the area. 

I am a big fan of the idea that we need to bring the pub back to the SU. It hasn’t been here in decades, and I think the students deserve a safe space to drink and socialize responsibly on campus. 

Yes, we have Varsity Sports Grill, but it is rarely open for home games —  let alone away games —  and most students are not even aware of its existence because it is in the Alaska Airlines Center, tucked away on the fourth floor. A pub would be a great addition to the SU because it would entice students to spend time getting to know their classmates and even professors outside of the class setting, which can improve education in all areas of life. 

The university needs to take steps toward making the SU more inviting. Give us a reason to spend time there rather than in our own apartments. Offer entertainment and social life so that we want to spend time there. Our SU does not feel like a “Student” Union, and because of that, students are not likely to want to spend time here. 

While every other college in the country — including our counterpart up in Fairbanks — have figured out that the Student Union is for the STUDENTS, it once again seems like UAA is late to the party.