By Kaitlyn Chattin
Pool, air hockey, foosball, and comfy chairs. Say hello to the new student lounge.
“Is that the thing behind the cafeteria?” said student Christine Doremus. That “thing” is the former faculty dining room in the College Center.
The student lounge is a new addition that opened this semester. The lounge has three main areas. In the back, many students relax on the comfy chairs and tables. Others eat or study at the tables in the front. Still others play pool and other familiar games in the center.
“The air hockey and foosball tables are a pleasant blast from the past,” said sophomore Chaz Henderson.
“I love playing pool. I have a pool table at home, and now enjoy playing at school as well,” said Michael Alonso enthusiastically.
The lounge has already proven to be a great hangout between and after classes. “The lounge is consistently busy, there are no peak hours,” according to security guard Gregory Perez. At any given time, you can find approximately 30 people inside.
Think back to last semester: there was no place on campus just to hang out with friends. The bottom level of College Center was considered to be the student lounge. All that was inside of this section was a few tables with chairs, computers, and a piano. With the new lounge, students have an opportunity to unwind.
The majority of students found out about the lounge through word of mouth. It needs to be advertised more, said Doremus. “I would hang out in it if I knew about it.” The only advertisements the school had was a few posts on the web site.
Some things students would like to see in the student lounge are activities that would bring students together. “The lounge needs video games. It would be cool to have some sort of a game night, maybe even a tournament. A tournament might bring more awareness to the lounge,” said Alonso.
Some students would also like to see the lounge have longer hours to accommodate night students. “By the time I get out of class it’s 4:30, and with the lounge closing at 5:00 p.m. that only leaves a half hour to do anything,” said Henderson.
The lounge creates a sense of community in RVCC. Students now have a common ground. The student lounge is a great place to meet someone new, or connect with a familiar face.
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