One of the main points behind fighting the Talley Renovation Project was the rubber stamping of many of the fee processes and oversights by Student Government and the Fee Committee. Student fees were increased by an additional $83 to fund  projects that the majority of students voted for and will never actually get to use. There is no way to go back on the plans now, but there is a silver lining we can make out as an investment in our futures.

If you have not seen the plans, they offer a vision of an open building with free green space that seems to have been packed full of perks for students. It is hard for us to envision it now, but our future Wolfpackers will lounge on the lawn and have a better selection of student and dining services. Not that we are happy about having to fund it now, but we are making a legacy that our future peers can enjoy and will benefit from. 

Turan Duda’s vision is idealistic, but doesn’t lack perspective. As an N.C. State alumnus, he has been in our shoes and was here when the building was erected in 1972. Not many students can honestly admit Talley is an inspiring or useful building in its current design, but he assessed the obvious flaws in it and has developed an attractive and efficient plan that actually embodies a true student center.

By making the student center more attractive and useful for students, it builds on itself. The improved building will increase the University’s attractiveness and reputation to serve students. Reputations bring enrollment, which brings prestige, which brings value to the school. In essence, this building will raise the value of the University, which in turn can be seen as an increase in the value of our degree.

Since the renovations are not set to be complete until late 2014, the current student body will only catch a glimpse of the building’s true utility. After the renovations, our generation can think of Talley Student Center as the seed we plant that one day will produce the shade we’ll never be able sit under.