VANGUARD EDITORIAL: Space: The student frontier

One of the more powerful and unique aspects of Portland State is its multitude of student groups. The popularity of PSU student groups has grown so much that finding and allocating room for them has become quite a chore due to tight and limited available space.

The potential of these groups has become a significant force on campus—it is time to let them grow further. As PSU reorganizes its administrative offices, the needs of student groups should be taken into account.

Students at PSU are engaged in extracurricular activities specific to their interests, which provide them with resources not often found in the classroom. Valuable experience can be gained through student groups. They instill ethics and a sense of responsibility, and exercise skills such as communication and critical thinking. These groups effectively bridge a gap between the classroom and the world outside of Portland State.

For example, students have taken PSU’s penchant for sustainability and healthy communities a step further by establishing Food for Thought not only an enjoyable café here on campus, but also a student group that works within sustainable practices while offering real-world experience to its members.

Beyond the valuable experience they can provide, student groups also serve as safe outlets for special interests on campus. Political organizations, from the College Republicans to the International Socialist Organization, allow students the chance to express their particular political beliefs. There are other groups that specialize in recreation, spirituality and arts. In keeping with the region’s growing industries, there is even a fermentation society—that’s right, our students can educate themselves on the fine and magnificent art of beer making!

With such a diverse wealth of student groups on campus, it is understandable that space for all these organizations is limited. The PSU Debate team, for example, has experienced concerns with space in which to hone their skills. Its office in the sub-basement of the Smith Memorial Student Union cannot accommodate this need.

As new groups are added, such as PSU-TV, which recently acquired a location in the sub-basement of SMSU, the need for new student group space grows. Pathos, PSU’s quarterly literary and arts publication, currently has no office of their own and has been relegated to a small single desk in a corner of the Vanguard office.

Room availability is further strained by the most recent proposal for space allocation by the SMSU Space Committee, which leaves three student groups with no accommodations at all.

The needs of student groups vary. While some require office and administrative space, others may need storage or meeting areas. There are also needs for event space or even lounges. Groups need space that pertain to their specific needs.

As PSU currently shuffles offices around campus—many to the newly purchased Market Street Building—opportunities will open up to present student organizations with room to grow.

One such opportunity might just lie with the Office of Information Technology’s forthcoming move out of the SMSU basement. The opening of this space, a portion of the basement that occupies almost a quarter of the floor, could alleviate the needs of many student groups. Though it is currently under the purview of Portland State, it would be wise to turn over at least a portion of its use to groups housed within the Student Activities and Leadership Programs.

As a building dedicated to the student union, it is only fitting that this location in SMSU further benefits the students of Portland State, and their efforts to expand their educational opportunities.

 

Virginia Vickery Editor-in-Chief Corie Charnley News Editor  Nicholas Kula Arts & Culture Editor Richard Oxley Opinion Editor Kevin Fong Sports Editor Noah Emmet Chief Copy Editor