When I ran for Student Body President in March, I promised to work diligently on developing a plan to improve the overcrowded Atrium Food Court and the outdated Talley Student Center. Anyone who has ever waited 20 minutes for a chicken sandwich at the Atrium or sat on the hard stairs outside the Student Center while waiting for a bus back to their apartment can tell you that these facilities (both completed when N.C. State was home to less than 15,000 students) simply do not meet our needs.
As a result, student life on campus suffers. Students avoid eating on campus just so they can make it to class on time. Student groups are forced to meet in classrooms instead of in the “student center.” And students feel as if Talley is merely an obstacle, a pass-through on their way to class, rather than a place where they can eat, relax and engage with friends. Honestly, if a friend of yours were visiting, where would you take them to show them what life is like on campus?
These problems have gotten progressively worse as our student population has grown. But this year, we have an opportunity to change all that. After months of negotiations and a lot of hard work by your student leaders, I am confident that we have developed the most economical and reasonable plan to fix the Atrium and to build the Student Center that we deserve.
NCSU is the largest and most important university in our state. Students here are some of the most talented in the world, and everyday, we contribute greatly to our community and to the global economy. We truly are the life-blood of the University, and now is the time to provide a vibrant heart for student activity on our campus.
On Oct. 5, we will have a chance to make the single greatest project for students in our University’s history a reality. A “yes” vote on the Atrium and Talley Student Center Renovation and Expansion Project will be an investment in both the short-term and long-term greatness of our University. As early as next fall, students will be able to enjoy a newly renovated Atrium with better dining options. The new Talley expansion will be open as early as 2012, and the completed expansion and renovation will be complete as early as 2014.
These new facilities will enhance student life for decades to come and will be remarkable points of pride for the University. They will attract even better and more talented students to our campus increasing the long-term value of our degrees. And they will allow for greater expansion of other student life improvements on places like Centennial Campus, as it becomes the home for more and more of our students.
Of course, all these terrific improvements come at a cost. On Oct. 5, we will vote whether to accept an $83 dollar fee next year to get this project off the ground. In the face of budget cuts and larger class sizes, to many, this number may seem unreasonable. But I would encourage anyone who has apprehensions to look at the bigger picture.
The average cost of attending the University for an in-state undergraduate resident including tuition, fees, room, board, and miscellaneous expenses is $16,767 as projected by the Office of Financial Aid. An $83 increase in fees amounts to a percentage increase of one half of one percent in the overall amount we pay to attend the University. Additionally, by acting now, we can take advantage of low construction costs that will ensure that this project be completed at the lowest possible cost to students.
There is no question that every dollar counts in times like these. But I urge everyone to seriously think about the way this small fee will truly revolutionize the student experience on our campus for years to come. We can choose to hold off, deciding that, given the circumstances, now is just not the right time. Or we can choose to step up. We can choose to be the class that refuses to settle for mediocrity, demands better for those who come after us and builds a proud, new future for our University
The choice is ours, folks. Be sure to vote, Oct. 5.
Send your thoughts on Rally4Talley to [email protected].
