After
      the
      opening:
      Students
      Voice
      Their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Opinions
      on
      New
      Student
      Centre
     
     
      By
      —"
      VIENOT
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      smell
      of
      fresh
      paint,
      plas-
     
     
      ter
      and
      chipboard
      still
      fills
      the
      air
      at
     
     
      the
      new
      Student
      Centre
      at
      UPEI
      and
     
     
      already
      university-goers
      are
      offering
     
     
      their
      thoughts
      on
      the
      $5.8-million
     
     
      investment.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      say
      they
      dislike
      the
     
     
      name
      of
      the
      student
      bar,
      The
      Wave.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      say
      there
      aren't
      enough
     
     
      chairs
      and
      tables
      surrounding
      the
      cafe-
     
     
      teria.
     
    

    
     
      Some
      say
      the
      north
      and
      south
     
     
      parts
      of
      the
      second
      storey
      should've
     
     
      been
      connected.
      As
      it
      stands,
      students
     
     
      must
      use
      the
      elevator
      and
      stairs
      if
      they
     
     
      wish
      to
      stop
      at
      offices
      on
      opposite
     
     
      sides
      of
      the
      building.
     
    

    
     
      An
      informal
      survey
      by
      the
     
     
      Cadre
      yielded
      comments
      like,
      "The
     
     
      new
      bar
      should
      have
      kept
      the
      name
      the
     
     
      Panther
      Lounge
      or
      the
      Barn.
      The
     
     
      Wave
      is
      a
      stupid
      name."
     
    

    
     
      Another
      said,
      "Very
      limited
     
     
      seating.
      Lots
      of
      wasted
      space."
     
    

    
     
      Student
      Union
      President
      Chris
     
     
      Power
      says
      students
      have
      been
      offer-
     
     
      ing
      their
      Suggestions
      from
      the
      very
     
     
      beginning
      as
      to
      what
      should
      be
      in
      the
     
     
      new
      building,
      including
      what
      the
      bar
     
     
      should
      be
      called.
      Students
      were
      asked
     
     
      to
      fill
      out
      a
      ballot
      with
      their
      suggestion
     
     
      for
      the
      bar
      moniker,
      but
      when
      Power
     
     
      and
      other
      Student
      Union
      officials
      sift-
     
     
      ed
      through
      the
      papers,
      they
      couldn't
     
     
      find
      the
      right
      name.
     
    

    
     
      "Nothing
      really
      jumped
      off
      the
     
     
      paper,"
      he
      says,
      sitting
      back
      in
      his
      new
     
     
      office
      on
      the
      north
      end
      of
      the
      building,
     
     
      where
      all
      the
      student-run
      services
     
     
      reside.
     
    

    
     
      When
      he
      looked
      at
      the
      archi-
     
     
      tecture
      of
      the
      Student
      Centre
      -
      a
      design
     
     
      that
      features
      wave
      patterns
      -
      the
      name
     
     
      Wave
      came
      into
      being.
      ~
     
    

    
     
      "At
      that
      time,
      we
      were
      on
      a
     
     
      pretty
      tight
      schedule,"
      he
      says,
      adding,
     
     
      "You're
      not
      going
      to
      get
      a
      name
      that
     
     
      pleases
      everyone."
     
    

    
     
      Students
      were
      even
      involved
     
     
      in
      the
      design
      of
      the
      two
      storey
      facility.
     
     
      In
      1998
      a
      survey
      was
      given
      to
      stu-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      [4]
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      dents,
      asking
      them
      to
      check
      off
      what
     
     
      they'd
      like
      to
      see
      in
      the
      centre.
      The
      ©
     
     
      checklist
      included
      a
      cyber
      café,
      lock-
     
     
      ers,
      drug
      store,
      hair
      stylist/barber
      shop,
     
     
      dry
      cleaners,
      along
      with
      the
      services
     
     
      that
      eventually
      ended
      up
      in
      the
      blue-
     
     
      prints.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      centre
      includes
      a
      cafeteria
     
     
      called
      the
      Courtyard
      Café,
      a
      huge
     
     
      room
      with
      a
      stage
      and
      the
      Wave,
      com-
     
     
      plete
      with
      games
      and
      a
      jukebox.
      The
     
     
      UPEI
      Bookstore
      also
      resides
      in
      the
     
     
      centre.
      Students
      services,
      Student
     
     
      Union
      and
      the
      Cadre
      are
      just
      a
      few
      of
     
     
      the
      offices
      set
      upstairs
      in
      the
      north
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ~
      south
      sections.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      And
      as
      for
      the
      lack
      of
      chairs
     
     
      around
      the
      cafeteria?
     
    

    
     
      Power
      says
      that
      though
      the
     
     
      Student
      Union
      doesn't
      deal
      with
      the
     
     
      seats,
      he
      knows
      the
      university
      has
     
     
      more
      on
      order.
     
    

    
     
      "There's
      going
      to
      be
      a
      lot
      more
     
     
      seating
      in
      the
      next
      few
      weeks."
     
    

    
     
      In
      fact,
      it
      was
      a
      problem
      he
     
     
      noticed
      from
      day
      one,
      but
      he
      looks
      at
     
     
      it
      as
      a
      sign
      people
      like
      the
      building.
     
    

    
     
      "If
      you
      can't
      find
      a
      seat,
      it
     
     
      means
      the
      place
      has
      been
      quite
      popu-
     
     
      lar."
     
    

    
     
      Overall,
      Power
      says
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dents'
      investment
      in
      the
      new
      centre
      has
     
     
      been
      worth
      it.
      He
      has
      heard
      more
      pos-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ‘itive
      than
      negative
      comments
      about
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      centre,
      finished
      for
      the
      beginning
      of
     
     
      classes
      this
      year.
      He
      says
      he's
      pleased
     
     
      with
      the
      centre,
      which
      students
      have
     
     
      helped
      build
      with
      $20-a-semester
      fees
     
     
      for
      the
      last
      twelve
      years.
     
    

    
     
      "The
      opening
      of
      this
      centre
     
     
      was
      long
      overdue,"
      he
      says.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Future
      students
      may
      see
      more
      _
     
    
   
   
    
     
      changes
      to
      the
      centre,
      depending
      on
     
     
      the
      needs
      that
      develop
      over
      the
      next
     
     
      few
      years.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Here's
      a
      just
      a
      sample
      of
      the
      responses
     
     
      the
      Cadre
      received.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      is
      the
      best
      feature
      in
      the
      new
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      centre?
     
     
      -
      Bookstore
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      The
      Wave,
      despite
      its
      name
     
    

    
     
      -
      Almost
      everything
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      same
      building.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Cafeteria
      (slushie
      machine)
     
     
      and
      games
      room
      and
      love
      the
      new
     
     
      bookstore.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Are
      there
      any
      facilities
      you
      may
      use
     
     
      more
      often
      in
      the
      future?
     
    

    
     
      -
      The
      Wave.
      By
      the
      way,
      the
     
     
      name
      sucks.
     
    

    
     
      -
      Yeah,
      most
      likely
      I'll
      go
      to
     
     
      the
      Wave
      more.
      It
      seems
      like
      fun
      and
     
     
      it's
      cleaner
      than
      the
      Barn.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      What
      is
      your
      favourite
      feature
      of
      the
     
     
      Student
      Centre?
      Place
      to
      hang
      out?
     
     
      -
      Couch
      sitting
      spot
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Any
      problems
      or
      concerns
      about
      the
     
     
      centre?
     
    

    
     
      -
      None
     
    

    
     
      -
      The
      whole
      place
      could
      have
     
     
      been
      designed
      a
      lot
      more
      efficiently.
     
    

    
     
      -
      The
      new
      food
      court
      is
      not
      as
     
     
      inviting
      as
      the
      atmosphere
      in
      The
      Pit.
     
     
      Since
      everything
      is
      under
      one
      roof,
      are
     
     
      we
      expected
      to
      run
      across
      campus
     
     
      every
      time
      we
      need
      a
      study
      break
      if
     
     
      we're
      pulling
      an
      all
      day
      session
      at
      the
     
     
      library?
     
    

    
     
      -
      Not
      enough
      places
      for
      people
     
     
      to
      hang
      out.
      (Chairs
      and
      tables)
     
    

    
     
      -
      They
      should
      have
      connected
     
     
      Student
      Services
      and
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      JOIN
      AN
      ORIENTATION
      TOUR
      OF
      THE
      LIBRARY!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Orientation
      Tours
      of
      the
      Robertson
      Library
      will
      be
      conducted
     
     
      throughout
      September.
      Find
      out
      how
      to
      find
      your
      way
      around
      the
     
     
      Library,
      and
      what
      resources
      and
      services
      are
      offered
      (AND
      fill
      out
      a
     
     
      ballot
      to
      win
      a
      prize!).
      No
      pre-registration
      is
      required
      —
      just
      show
      up
     
     
      in
      the
      Lobby
      of
      the
      Library
      at
      one
      of
      the
      scheduled
      times.
      Tours
      last
     
    
   
   
    
     
      approximately
      30
      -
      40
      minutes.
     
     
      schedule
      of
      times,
      see:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      For
      further
      information,
      and
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      http://www.upei.
      cel
      eabnaace
      tels
      htnal