Here on campus, it seems like student-led organizations have to fight for event space every week, and things are about to get more complicated for us.
The cubes in the Kennesaw student center — where organizations typically store banners, tablecloths and other items needed for special campus events — will be demolished to make way for a new event space.
Student officers received an email Oct. 12 informing them that renovations would begin the following day. The email said that the renovations should be completed by the Thanksgiving break, but the new event space may not be open to students until spring 2017, according to Student Government Association President Victoria Brock.
The plans for the new event space are available on SGA’s website.
I first heard this news at a town hall meeting on campus. I was shocked and worried about what that would mean for the variety of organizations that our campus hosts.
Faith-based organizations need the space for prayers and Bible studies. Multi-cultural organizations, who contribute to the growth of our campus’ diversity, need more space for meetings and storing supplies. Greek life organizations also used the cubes for storing items needed for their various campus activities.
It would be better for all these organizations to have their own personal spaces, but instead they will have to share a few large rooms that will need to be reserved weeks in advance.
In the new plan, all faith-based organizations will share a single room on the Kennesaw student center’s third floor.
Those with the Muslim Student Association need to be able to pray five times every day without being disturbed by other groups. Brock explained, however, that KSU can’t create a space just for one faith-based group because that would be against the law. She said KSU could be sued for using state funds for religion.
I think it’s important that our Muslim students are able to practice their faith freely, and it seems that SGA desires the same. Although KSU cannot give them their own private room, Brock said that Muslim students can temporarily use a divider in the multi-faith room during prayer times.
SGA has been listening to students’ concerns and trying to make the appropriate accommodations. I am thankful for that.
As a student involved in multiple campus organizations, I am still concerned about the renovations KSU plans to make in the student center. Right now, many campus organizations won’t have any space until renovations are completed next semester. Even then, the space may not be ready for use.
Somehow — with or without the cubicles — all campus organizations need their own space in the university that they can freely access without having to worry about other groups.
