Student Unions Matter

If I had a dollar for every time I heard one of my beloved co-workers - namely you, Sparky! - say that we need a new Student Union (always said in a funnier way than that) than I would probably have enough money to break ground and start construction on the dang building.

The long and short of it is that student unions matter, and most if not all people I have spoken with at Ole Miss think ours is an eyesore.

Shoot, I was even in a meeting with Chancellor Jones today in Room 404 of the Union - a room where the carpet is particularly disturbing - and he mentioned right then and there that we needed a new Student Union. Another dollar in my pocket!

A friend and I love to visit college campuses, and this semester alone we have visited UGA, Auburn, and Mississippi State. (I visited Alabama by myself this semester so I'll count that in there too.) Whenever we visit a college campus we always, always make sure to stop by the Student Union and compare it to ours. All four of the Student Unions at the campuses I just mentioned have been renovated in the past five years, some of them as recently as 2009. I must say, State's Union - and I know how much we all dislike State - puts us at Ole Miss absolutely to shame. It was renovated in 2007 and is truly beautiful and state-of-the-art. At the end of the day, visitors come to Student Unions, not to mention students, faculty, and staff - so yes, Student Unions matter.

A good, functioning Student Union should be the vibrant center and hub of life and activity on any college campus. Student organizations should want to meet there, events should be held there, and people should just want to come there and hang out - it should be a melting pot of students from all different walks. It should be a gathering place, a place of congregation, where both business and fun can be had. Above almost all other buildings on campus, I feel a Student Union should be technologically up-to-date and should be the bright shining beacon on any campus.

Well, as I said before, ours is not.

I truly feel that we need a new Student Union, and I know Sparky feels the same way. To be honest with you, as much as I love our Student Union (these days I might as well be paying rent for as much time as I spend there), we are lacking and it is a bit of an embarrassment. I know the Chancellor and Sparky know this - two of the most powerful men on campus, if not the two most powerful men on campus - so I know it's on their radar.

Let's hope we can get a new Union soon. Until then, I'll keep a little jar for dollar bills every time I hear that we need a new Union. I expect it to fill up pretty soon :)