Pool sharks and paddlers will be glad to know that the rumors have been debunked: the game room on the Kennesaw campus will not be moved.
After students voiced their disapproval of the idea of moving the space, the Office of Student Life has confirmed that the game room on the first floor of the Carmichael Student Center will remain at its current location.
Featuring billiards, table tennis and card tables, the game room has occupied a corner near the atrium stairs in the student center since 2011. Recent shuffling of departments and student organizations in that building, however, have led to rumors that it would be moved to the third floor. Student reactions to the news were overwhelmingly negative.
Some students, like senior accounting major Douglass Bohn, have safety concerns about the space. The room has several full-length windows, and he was concerned that stray cue balls could break or damage the glass.
Bohn also said that the proposed space on the third floor would be too narrow for activities like playing pool and table tennis.
Another student, Noah Uhry, is an exercise science sophomore who works in the game room, and he also had concerns about the space, though for different reasons. Uhry said the game room typically gets about 25 students or more during lunch hours.
“If there was a threshold, we’re definitely toward the end of it,” Uhry said.
Overall, students who frequent the space weren’t happy about the rumor. According to freshman marketing major Pamela Diaz, some patrons had even discussed starting a petition to voice student opposition against the relocation. Students claimed that the current location has been integral to the community’s growth.
“Anywhere you put something, you want to put it in the best possible place for it to grow,” Diaz said.
In response, the Department of Student Life chose to keep the room in its current location. Ron Lunk, the assistant dean of students for Student Life, recently said that the chances of moving the room in the future are slim. Rather than relocate the room, Student Life is now considering ways to improve the current location.
Lunk explained that the choice came as the result of finding potential layouts inefficient, as well as an acknowledgment of student concerns.
“The students were right,” Lunk said. “The move would not be practical for student needs.”
The game room can be found on the first floor of the student center next to the stairs. It is open to all students from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday.
