So U of T’s Scarborough campus (UTSC) is about to get a brand new student centre. Well, all in all this sounds like a pretty good idea. As one of only two university campuses in the country without a student centre, it’s high time the kids out at Scarborough get a place to chill out and eat their lunch. It goes without saying that a university without a place for students to get together outside of the classroom is hardly worthy of the name “campus.” Finally having some lounges and space for student associations and clubs will go a long way toward improving the community atmosphere at UTSC.
Of course, with a $40-million plus price-tag, paid for mainly by a $60 dollar a year student levy, all this community don’t come cheap. Especially when it’s got brand new titanium siding.
Yes indeedy. $200,000 extra isn’t much on $40 million, especially when you consider that the sleek lines and space age exterior of this building may in fact be invisible to radar.
But that’s beside the point. A letter from UTSC’s president about the new student centre (on the Scarborough Campus Students’ Union website) says that “Philosophically, it will represent student empowerment at UTSC.” A student who refused to be identified was quoted as saying “Philosophically? Probably it just represents a place to sit down and eat something, man.” Need we say more?
