According to President Steven DiSalvo’s Convocation address, the 15 million dollar Cushing Student Center renovation project will lead to a 15-month hiatus for the student center, leaving many to wonder how much the center’s absence will affect those on campus. Specifically, one professor expressed concern as to the impact the lack of a student center will have on commuter students.

The Cushing Student Center provides, among other functions, an environment for students to study and socialize, especially for those living off campus. Students can often be found using the center as a location to spend time between classes and events. However, when asked how the closing of the student center will affect them, responses from commuter students have been mixed.

While some commuters admit that they use the student center as a resource to hang out and get work done between obligations on campus, many do not cite it as their sole place to socialize and study; others claim not to use it at all. Jenna Bisbee, however, describes the Cushing Center as her “home base” and, as a junior, has gotten used to having the ability to retire to the couches during her free time on campus to take a nap or get some work done.

Yet Jenna’s disappointment is not a widely held view by most commuters. Most off-campus students instead reflect the mindset of Chris Simpson. Simpson, a freshman who uses the Cushing Center in a similar manner, says the temporary closure of the building is “not really a problem” as he has plenty of places to go on campus that give him similar opportunities between on campus obligations. Chris and many other commuters cited places such as the Dana Center, Coffee Shop, Geisel Library, and Multicultural Center as other locations they can socialize and study. Commuter students also have the opportunity to rent a locker in the Multicultural Center.

Where Jenna’s concerns about the closing of the student center lack support in reference to an area to study and mingle, her disappointment that so many offices are being scattered around campus is reflected by many commuter students. Senior commuter Abigail Presby explained that she is inconvenienced by the fact that her on campus job would not only be moved across the college to the Sullivan Arena, but also that she would have to work in the cold environment of the rink. Similar outlooks were provided by other commuter students who’s on campus jobs were located in the Cushing Center. Such sentiments are seen throughout the student population as many offices have been displaced to locations that were not originally meant to house such activities.

The Crier also observed that while most commuting students did know that the Cushing Student Center would be closing for slightly over a year, there were others that were unaware of the situation. The renovation itself received mixed reviews as well, with some students pleased to see new facilities coming to campus and others that did not necessarily view the need for an update to Cushing. Nearly all students expressed their excitement to see what the renovations will bring.

In general, the only overwhelming wave of disappointment coming from the imminent closing of the Cushing Student Center is that upperclassmen will not be able to experience the new building.