Funding needed

Now that President Joel Seligman has been in office for a few months, he has outlined quite a few priorities.Making improvements that directly impact student life should be near the top of the list. General student life needs a home on campus, and although Wilson Commons is certainly adequate, improvements can be made. Student services currently spread out across the campus could easily be consolidated inside one building. Suggested improvements include moving the post office to the third floor and relocating the Corner Store convenience store to the second floor of Wilson Commons.Additionally, the center of student life needs to be fully accessible to students and visitors alike. For the handicapped, Wilson Commons is largely inaccessible from the outside. And, even when inside, meeting rooms, food and recreation areas are inconveniently located relative to each other. In order to make Wilson Commons easier to navigate, services that are now on different floors can be placed in a more centralized arrangement. A proposed change puts the most frequented services in Wilson Commons – namely the Common Market, The Pit and Common Ground Caf – on the second level.Recent improvements to the first floor have mainly consisted of moving furniture around. These adjustments do not address the fact that this space is unable to accommodate the large crowds during mealtimes. The proposed changes that move food services also involve increasing floor space on the second floor. This additional area – combined with the Hirst Lounge – will more comfortably accommodate people wishing to eat in Wilson Commons.All of the improvements listed above are not just conjecture, but highlights of a complete renovation plan drawn up by architects and designers familiar with students’ views. With such a plan already in place and a clear need for a unified student union, President Seligman should seriously consider funding the Wilson Commons renovation plan to mark the first years of his administration.