It’s been a week since fall classes started and students are already experiencing changes on Lipscomb’s campus.
That includes a new commuter lounge in the Bennett Campus Center. Lipscomb has offered commuters a space for them to work on projects and relax in between classes, but that space has been moved from the Elam Hall basement and into the heart of campus.
SGA president Sierra Sparks said the new location will help commuter students connect with the rest of the student body.
“Change is something students can adjust to,” Sparks said. “Commuters (need) to feel like they’re a part of things and connect with other students who hang out at the Student Center.”
According to Director of Student Involvement Louis Nelms, one of the main reasons the lounge was moved was because the previous location was separate from the rest of the campus.
“Moving it to the (Student Center) gave the commuters an opportunity to not feel isolated,” he said.
Nelms added that it will give students more “exposure to (residential) students and what’s happening on campus and make them feel like a priority.”
Students have already offered their feedback on the new location. Some students have given their appreciation for the effort and the attention given to commuters, while the change has been a hard adjustment for others.
The move from Elam, a quiet place with couches and lockers, to a more crowded area has been cause for concern for some students.
“It’s more like a study room,” Biology major Tiya Souki said.
Other students agreed that the space doesn’t feel like a lounge and believe it needs something else to make it more comfortable.
“It needs a couch and a TV,” sophomore Molly Krueger said.
Others commented that they feel “exposed” when they have “people watching” them through the large Plexiglas windows that line the left side of the lounge.
“It is not as welcoming (as the old lounge),” sophomore Sam Salib said, adding that space feels more like a “fishbowl.”
Besides the adjustment to the new location, students said they like that the lounge has computers and a printer. The space is still not finished completely, as more amenities like lockers will be added within the next few weeks.
Also, the lounge is currently having a contest to name the space. The person with the most creative name will receive a $100 gift card.
Name ideas can be emailed to Nelms (louis.nelms@lipscomb.edu). Submissions must be sent by Friday, Aug.31, and the winner will be announced after Labor Day weekend.