The proposed conversion of the Smith Memorial Center (SMC) bowling alley and gaming room into a microcomputer laboratory has caused some controversy within the Portland State University student body.
The projected computer lab would be constructed in the space, which currently houses the video arcade and the Viking Bowl bowling alley in the basement of Smith Center.
An e-mail circulated by Student Fee Committee member and fall 2002 Orientation leader Chase LoGreco, stated he finds “the elimination of this area to be absurd and not in the best interest of the students.”
Students maintain that SMC is the primary location for students to relax between classes and gain a sense of Viking pride. LoGreco stated “the general public already feels PSU is less than a ‘real’ university because it lacks Viking pride. By eliminating the gaming area you take away a large sense of pride for students who live on campus and also those that use this area between classes.”
Mark Gregory, executive director for the Office of Information Technologies, first proposed the idea for the new lab nearly a year ago. He reasoned that the current labs were being heavily used, that there has been an increase of an estimated six to eight percent student enrollment over the past few years and that PSU needs a general access lab.
Alan Brown, director of Smith Center Operations, echoed Gregory’s list of reasons for deciding on the Smith Center basement as the ideal location for the ambitious project.
The space is located within close access of the help desk for students wrestling with the familiar PSU Web access accounts, and SMC currently serves as a student community center, which attracts students who, Brown feels, will utilize the resources provided by the proposed lab.
Also, constructing the new lab would mean closing one of the smaller labs in Shattuck Hall or Neuberger Hall. This would free space for the telecommunications department to switch from their current offices on the mezzanine floors of SMC to the old lab, and the new space could be utilized as office space for student organizations.
The proposed computer labs would have roughly 100 state-of the-art, brand new computers, flat-screen monitors, Pentium 4 processors up to 2 GHz with 256 RAM memory, a full software suite containing over 40 different applications with ADA compliance and disability access to the lab with ramp areas.
Gregory stressed his intention of equipping the new lab with “the fastest and best machines, making it the best lab on campus.”
The 6,000-square-foot space would have “clustered environments” spaced within four feet of each other as opposed to the horizontal set-up of the current labs gearing the new lab toward creating comfortable environments for group work. A separate “presentation” room will also be included in the new lab where students will have access to a set of computers with a projector screen.
LoGreco argued, “Most students who live on or off campus already have computers (or access to them) so adding another computer lab is not in the best interest of the student body.”
He elaborated further by pointing out that the labs in Cramer Hall and Shattuck Hall run at only half their capacity with most students not knowing the hours of operations of the said labs. The only lab that remains at capacity is in the library and he reasons this is because of the highly visible nature of the library.
LoGreco also noted “gaming and e-mail were their [the users’] primary use.” He suggested instead of constructing a newer lab, a policy on computer use could be instituted instead.
Gregory argues even though such a policy does exist, the rule wasn’t aggressively pursued as it is “difficult to police” a student body whose average age is 27 years.
“Even if you did, you would irritate and annoy people,” Gregory said.
He stressed there were still a large majority of students who did not have personal computers and this project was intended to “further reduce the digital divide” on campus.
A marketing survey undertaken by the School of Business Marketing division showed a four to one favorable response to the proposed construction.
Gregory points out “hundreds of people per day would use it [the computer lab] as opposed to 10-15 people per day” using the gaming facilities.
The machinery and equipment at the gaming facilities needed replacement at significantly larger costs, therefore money was going to be spent in any case. Economically, it made more sense to spend money on something that would bring in larger dividends.
Gregory and Brown went on record to insist the SMC Advisory Board and the Student Advisory Board were open to any ideas for the relocation of the video arcade in any part of the campus.
Another worry put forward by student Karla Bernardi Detsch was the gaming facilities “holds great jobs for a few students.”
Brown responded with the assurance the displaced would be compensated with other SMC jobs.
Currently, the blueprints of the proposed construction stand ready for further consideration from different committees on campus. If accepted, construction could start as early as fall term of 2002 and will be ready for student use by the winter term of 2003.