Winter break, a time for relaxing, holidays and leaving school behind you. But that wasn’t true for Dodi Rode, the Student Union Operations Coordinator or the Information Technology department or the NIC maintenance facilities.
From Dec. 18 to Jan. 10 the Student Union Building (SUB) underwent a 60,000 square foot renovation costing over $400,000.
The most notable changes came to the SUB dining room and Lake Coeur d’ Alene room.
The resulting renovations are what Student Union Operations Coordinator, Dodi Rode would have liked to see as a student of NIC in the late 90s.
“The SUB is the heart of NIC, a place where you can come to relax, meet friends and gather with the rest of the students.”
As it is place to relax there are also a few more things to do. There are now charging outlets for phones and computers in more than just the Caffeinated Cardinal. Two of the computers in the main hall were moved down to the rec room, where more power outlets and charging stations are being added. The remaining two were left in the main hall but the desk they sit on were greatly expanded for work space.
“It’s not a remodel, it’s a refresh.” ASNIC Vice President Sean Collins, 25, History major, said.
Collins said a remodel usually implies some kind of construction component and this was just an update on carpet, paint and light fixtures.
Student input was crucial to the decision making process. The Student Union Advisory Board (SUAB) reviewed the SUB refresh for the past four months.
Collins said that the SUB hasn’t been refreshed since 2003, so it was decided that the student hub needed a new look, especially since carpet and paint should be updated every five years.
NIC students have differing opinions on the issue.
“I think it looks a lot different,” Hannah Davis, 21, Elementary Education, said. “I think it’s nicer. They really enhanced the appearance of the school.”
Architecture and Interior Design student Sam Berry, disagreed. “I understand they wanted to go earthy, but that doesn’t fit the Cardinals. They got rid of all the red furniture. It just affects how we present ourselves for visitors.The SUB is the main building of the campus, and it’s not appropriate for visitors now.”
Berry said that it would be more appropriate to use natural colors that match everything, and green doesn’t match Cardinal Red.
“It’s just ugly now,” Berry said.
There are other factors students took into consideration.
“If it’s raising the cost of tuition, I wouldn’t think of it as a necessity.” Davis said. “But I don’t think it would degrade the school in any sense.”
Collins said the SUAB set the original cost at $500,000, about $400,000 of which has already been spent. The rest is being kept in reserve for the new Rec Center.
Future renovations are planned to include resurfacing the aggregate floor in the main hall and the addition of some landscaping outside the SUB including a few more benches.
