Deondra Clarke/Contributing Writer
Students looking to study or play some of their favorite video games now have a place to do it at the Biscayne Bay Campus.
A few months and $1.1 million later, the Wolfe University Center’s Game Room is available to the BBC community.
Although the grand opening of WUC 222 was last Nov., it was officially opened this spring, according to Pablo Haspel, Student Government Council at BBC speaker of the senate.
Boasting flatscreen TVs, a Microsoft Xbox 360, a Nintendo Wii and lounge chairs, the space, which once housed the cafeteria, is nevertheless called a quiet area. It is also adjacent to a study room that students can access at any time.
Students may check out games from the WUC Computer lab. Some of the games offered are Madden NFL Football 2012, NBA 2k12, Mario Kart, FIFA Soccer 2012, and Call of Duty Modern Warfare.
According to Sholom Neistein, former SGC-BBC president, the new furniture and carpet cost over $200,000. The funds came from the Activity and Service fee that students pay every semester.
Now that it is open, the game room has become a place of refuge for students like Kimberly M. Lauriston, a senior social work student.
“I like the new game room. I can come here relax and study with my friends,” Lauriston said. She suggested, however, that a pool table should be added to the game room.
Earl Richards, a sophomore advertising major, thinks SGC-BBC should do a better job spreading the word. He doesn’t remember seeing or reading a single thing about a grand opening.
“There is no sign on the door and the room looks dark. You won’t notice that it is here just by walking by,” Richards said.
Neistein thinks that even though the game room has a lot to offer, the game selection is not vast.
According to Neistein, they should have a larger selection of video games, because of the budget that SGA gives the WUC every year.
Haspel acknowledges that it will take time.
“It’s about getting the word out to people and that is not something that can happen from today to tomorrow,” Haspel said. “It’s something that takes time, but it’s something that we will be tackling within the weeks to come to make sure the people know about the services that are being offered. At the end of the day, it was paid by the students to be used by the students.”
SGC-BBC’s expectations of the game room are slowly being met. Haspel thinks it is a great step up from what SGC-BBC has offered in the past.
Being a fan of the gameroom, Haspel uses it at least once a week and he enjoys his down time by playing the Xbox.
“Right now, I think the offerings are great but there is potential to grow it and to improve it in the near future,” Haspel said.
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