Committee sets sights on new student center
Current location of the COG to house the new student center; officials believe project will be completed within six years
Brittany Wilmes
Issue date: 12/1/06 Section: News
Gonzaga is in a state of change. The Bulldogs are adjusting without Morrison, the COG has a fresh coat of paint and a new student center is looming on the horizon.
The main man behind the scenes is David Lindsay, director of student activities in the Crosby Student Center. As director, he leads a vision committee planning the upcoming student center. The committee consists of faculty, staff and students, including the GSBA president, Gonzaga Activities Board chair and a few students who will remain on the board throughout their time at Gonzaga. One student member, Jeb Berg, director of clubs and organizations, believes that his position on the committee is essential.
"I think that making sure that there is a student voice that says, 'This is what students want in a student center,' is important," he said.
The committee is rounded out by members of the Board of Trustees and Regents, and it meets monthly to continue planning. Although Lindsay does not anticipate breaking ground until 2010, the committee's meetings and continual planning are essential to the finished product: a student center that will satisfy students, community and campus needs.
The new student center will be located at the current site of the COG but will be much larger. The committee initially studied four sites: the COG, the tennis courts, the Knights of Columbus building and the stretch of land between Alliance and Campion. After listing pros and cons for each location, it was decided that the current COG site is most convenient.
"It has flat land and major utilities already installed. It's centrally located to lower-division housing, and most importantly, it works without disrupting the campus feel internally," Lindsay said. "The site has good construction space without disrupting green space."
When the center is complete, which Lindsay believes will happen in 2012, the location of Crosby and the COG will be virtually emptied. The committee has been discussing turning Crosby into a one-stop registration/process center.
The main man behind the scenes is David Lindsay, director of student activities in the Crosby Student Center. As director, he leads a vision committee planning the upcoming student center. The committee consists of faculty, staff and students, including the GSBA president, Gonzaga Activities Board chair and a few students who will remain on the board throughout their time at Gonzaga. One student member, Jeb Berg, director of clubs and organizations, believes that his position on the committee is essential.
"I think that making sure that there is a student voice that says, 'This is what students want in a student center,' is important," he said.
The committee is rounded out by members of the Board of Trustees and Regents, and it meets monthly to continue planning. Although Lindsay does not anticipate breaking ground until 2010, the committee's meetings and continual planning are essential to the finished product: a student center that will satisfy students, community and campus needs.
The new student center will be located at the current site of the COG but will be much larger. The committee initially studied four sites: the COG, the tennis courts, the Knights of Columbus building and the stretch of land between Alliance and Campion. After listing pros and cons for each location, it was decided that the current COG site is most convenient.
"It has flat land and major utilities already installed. It's centrally located to lower-division housing, and most importantly, it works without disrupting the campus feel internally," Lindsay said. "The site has good construction space without disrupting green space."
When the center is complete, which Lindsay believes will happen in 2012, the location of Crosby and the COG will be virtually emptied. The committee has been discussing turning Crosby into a one-stop registration/process center.