Porter Davis Game Room re-opens

By: Alejandra Serna / Staff Writer
For the past two years, the Graham Center at University Park has been undergoing a long-awaited remodeling process that is still in the works today.

Part of this process included the relocation of several GC offices into the space occupied by the Porter Davis Game Room.

The game room’s doors closed in the summer of 2004 with the promise that they would one day re-open.

On July 10, the game room officially opened for business.

“It’s about time. It was hard to find something to do between classes, but we’re all glad to have our place back,” said junior Gilbert Torres, a long-time advocate of the game room.

Torres had pulled support from Student Government Association and other student organizations in the Spring semester of 2005 to draft a petition urging officials to reinstate the popular hangout.

Located in an intimate corner of the Rathskeller, the game room has plans to continue to offer students a place to relax and unwind during their spare time.

It currently features an array of games and activities including billiards, table tennis, a wide selection of board games and many classic arcade games such as Street Fighter 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

The game room will be following in GC’s footsteps by getting some renovations of its own.

“We’re happy to be able to give it a face lift for the Fall [semester],” said Ruth Hamilton, executive director of GC.

At the beginning of the summer, new paint, paneling and carpeting was added following the move of the offices housed for the last two years.

“It gives the game room a more sophisticated feel and a better atmosphere,” said Rene Sanchez, a junior and game room counter attendant of four years.

The billiards area is next. Each table is being leveled and re-upholstered to ensure smoother games.

Table tennis will be assigned its own area once the arcade section is consolidated and localized.

The Fall semester will usher in a new online gaming area that will be established in the game room’s current office space.

“It’s an attempt to keep up with our student body, since they’re getting so high-tech now,” Hamilton said.

It will hold approximately eight computers and offer popular options, such as Counter-Strike and StarCraft.

“This will save me the trouble of having to bring my Game Cube from home,” said Adrian Valladares, junior and game room regular.

This addition will be complemented by two flat-screen plasma TVs and a poker/domino section, which are said to be in the game room’s future.

As improvements continue to be made, students can stay up to date on the status of the game room by visiting its websites online at guc.fiu.edu/gameroom and www.myspace.com/gcgameroom.