Tech Rec may undergo 'major change'

Tech Rec offers many recreational options to students from its location on the first floor of the Student Center. Soon, those options may include a multipurpose studio with a hardwood floor, but yet to be determined is exactly what would have to be pushed out to make room for it.

The main proposed change revolves around taking little-used space in the back and building a multi-purpose studio with hardwood floors.

"We have not made any decisions on exactly what we are going to do at this phase. The big decision we made is that we need to improve Tech Rec," said Rich Steele, director of the Student Center.

Despite promises that their input will be considered, student employees at Tech Rec feel like the decision regarding the future of the space has already been made.

"[The addition of the studio] is pretty much going to happen, no matter what," said Christopher Jordan, a fifth-year Computer Science major who has worked at Tech Rec for almost two years as a bowling lane mechanic.

The area affected by the proposed changes is a strip of space against the back wall, where table tennis, air hockey, foosball and couches are currently spread out. According to Student Center administrators, that space is not currently being used to its full potential.

"Any new construction work we do will be confined to that space. We're not necessarily using the whole space; we might use the back third or two-thirds to create a multipurpose space and do other things in front," Steele said.

"It's a question of taking the space that's not fully utilized and making it into something that can be more useful, and that doesn't mean it can't be used for other things-things that it's used for now," said Rosalind Meyers, associate vice president of Auxiliary Services.

According to Steele, raising revenue is important because it will allow them to embark on much needed projects like repairing or replacing the bowling automatic scoring machines, which were installed for the 1996 Olympics, and the pin setters which are estimated to be at least fifty years old. To raise this revenue, changes are needed.

"Our goal all along was to try and get significant funding support so we could make a major change in Tech Rec," Steele said.

"Revenue numbers have been very flat. If revenue numbers are not growing that means we're fairly stagnant in terms of the number of people that want to come and use our services. The space is not as busy as it can be, and it's a lot of space, so we want to take the best advantage of the space that we can," Steele said.

Student employees questioned the need, however. "I've been here for almost two years and this is the busiest I've ever seen the place and the best condition I've seen the place. It's a lot better than it used to be," Jordan said.

Another focus of the changes will be drawing more traffic to the billiards, where usage has been markedly down over the last year. Since they are located at the entrance, seeing the billiards area vacant gives students the impression that the entire Tech Rec facility is not being used and makes it less welcoming.

Jordan doubts that people walking through to and from the studio could count as additional traffic that would benefit the rest of Tech Rec.

"Personally, I would see it more as an interruption," Jordan said.

Tech Rec employees made their stance known by showing up for the Student Center's Tie-Dye and Ice Cream event on Skiles Walkway-not for the freebies, but to get signatures for a petition against the proposal.

As a result of the employees' protest, Steele met with all the Tech Rec student employees as well as Tech Rec director Deborah Plute July 15 to discuss the proposal.

Steele said in addition to clearing up some of the students' misconceptions, the two sides were able to agree on ways to improve the facility. For instance, all agreed that the entrance to Tech Rec is cave-like and that more can be done to make Tech Rec more inviting from the outside.

"Whatever happens is going to be a result of our listening to students and their telling us what they want. Because if it's not what they want, what good is it? We're not going to spend tens of thousands of dollars on creating a space that isn't going to serve students' needs. That's what the Student Center is all about," Meyers said.