With the impending construction of a new University Center, many University of Memphis students are left to wonder what will happen to the services the current building now holds.
“March of next year, we will move out and the construction fences will go up,” said Jay Anderson, University Center director.
“When I came here in 1968, I had to convince The University that we needed a place for students to come,” Anderson said.
Times have changed since the 60s, but having space for student activities has not.
When The University closes The UC’s doors next year, many of the services that students have become accustomed to will still be available in other buildings around campus, while others will not.
“Both student and departmental offices will be moved to two different floors of Wilder Tower,” Anderson said.
The U of M plans to move 22 offices from the UC into floors five and seven of Wilder Tower.
Other services such as rooms for student organizations to meet and the student information center will find a new home in the Panhellenic building. The building is currently used for sorority dances.
“The Panhellenic building will hold offices for scheduling all student activities and the student information center,” Anderson said. “The ballroom in the Panhellenic building will be used for student activities.”
The University is already preparing for the move by adding an air conditioner and new windows to the Panhellenic building.
These additions will not go to waste after the new University Center is constructed, said Anderson.
“After the new University Center is constructed, the Panhellenic building will be able to be used for several other events,” Anderson said.
Events that require more space than the building can provide will be moved to other locations around campus such as the Rose Theatre and The Wilson School of Hospitality and Resort Management.
“We have about nine events that are pretty big and need more space,” Anderson said.
Not all services that are currently enjoyed by students at The UC will be available once construction starts, however.
The University does not plan to provide a temporary site for The Side Pocket pool and arcade room that is currently found on the first floor of The UC.
“I wish I could get more people excited about the game room,” Anderson said. “The University is saying that space is too premium for a game room right now.”
The new University Center does include plans for a scaled back game room, however.
While the new center will still feature some of the activities of The Side Pocket, a smaller version is unacceptable, said computer engineering major Myles Brewer.
“What I am hearing right now is that there are only four pool tables at the new center,” Brewer said. “I don’t see why they would close this place down. It is a cool place to escape daily college life.”
Students hoping to find a temporary home for the game room during construction are signing petitions in order to get the word out.
The petition is posted on the outside of The Side Pocket for students to sign.
“I’m not having too much progress right now but I am encouraging students to push the word out since it is going to be their facility,” Anderson said.
While construction in the area will be a nuisance, the advantages of having a new University Center is worth being temporarily without a game room, said management major Marion Threatt.
“Whatever the University decides,” Treatt said. “It is their decision and it’s cool with me.”
Even though the new UC’s design calls for a smaller game room, there are several other benefits that will come with the new building, Anderson said.
“The new center will feature a ballroom a thousand feet larger than the old one, and the second floor will be devoted to student activities,” Anderson said.
A 24-hour computer lab center will also be featured in the new center. The University is researching a new design that would include laptops in private cubicles for students to use.
“We want our technologies to be up totally up-to-date in the new building,” Anderson said.
