A renovation of Schine Student Center is just one of many construction projects scheduled to be completed on Syracuse University’s campus at some point in the near future, but it’s one of the most important and relevant projects to students. Thousands of campus community members move through Schine every day, whether it be to access the SU bookstore, food court or other areas to meet for work. Schine’s accessibility is vital.

Regardless of the disruption the renovations will cause, the project will improve access to important campus organizations including the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

The possible 18-month period of no access to Schine makes it easy to overlook the benefits the renovations will provide. Student offices and services that are currently hidden in the lower levels of the building will be temporarily relocated to more visible areas such as Bird Library and the Women’s Building before being moved to the main level of the new Schine structure.

Currently, the Office of Student Activities and Office of Multicultural Affairs are tucked away and not prominent aspects of Schine. Some students may not even know that the offices exist, there. This is a major issue for a population trying to become more actively intolerant of bias incidents on campus.

The renovations will also generally improve Schine’s accessibility, according to building plans.

“Last year I broke my foot, and there were stairs to almost every single entrance of Schine and I had to walk all the way around. It made me think, ‘Oh my gosh, my foot’s broken for a couple months, but there are students where this is their everyday life, where they have to find the accessible entrance,’” said Student Association President Ghufran Salih.

The only elevator at Schine currently requires permission to use. The floor inside the building consists of uneven bricks which are loud and difficult to move over in a wheelchair or with a cane. The renderings of the new, proposed Schine building fix these issues by adding an elevator on the Waverly Avenue side of the building and replacing the brick with a smooth material.

To make the new Schine feel more like a student center that meets the needs of the entire student body, renderings of the plans should be made available online soon. Students should also take advantage of the opportunity to provide input on the project through meetings with architects and designers working on the renovations.

“A lot of the time you’re in here for a meeting to work or to get something, and then you’re out,” said Kyle Rosenblum, SA’s vice president. “A student center is somewhere you should be able to hang out. That’s something we don’t have right now.”

Although closing Schine will be difficult for everyone, at first, it’s critical that one of the most popular locations on campus become a more accessible building that represents the university’s commitment to sustain an inclusive campus community.

Bethanie Viele is a junior biology with a focus on environmental sciences major and religion minor. Her column appears biweekly. She can be reached at bmviele@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @viele_bethanie.

Published on October 30, 2018 at 8:42 pm