This Thursday and Friday, U of T students are being asked to vote on a plebiscite that could bring St. George one step closer to having a student centre. To be sure, this is only one small step, and a symbolic one at that: a plebiscite is, after all, in itself non-binding. What kind of student centre we might get is an entirely different question, but a question that ought to be given some thought.

Like an official “opinions poll,” the plebiscite, if successful, would merely provide the Students’ Administrative Council with material proof of the student body’s desire to discuss a possible future for such a facility-proof that could be signed, sealed, and delivered to U of T administrators, who are currently refusing to consider the project without a clear indication of your support.

There are several good reasons why a student centre at St. George is necessary, not the least of which is to counter the historic sense of isolation experienced on this delightfully urban campus-an oft fabled malaise made palpable in The Toronto Star’s March 12 poll of university students across the country. According to The Star, 80 per cent of U of T students who are not living in residence expressed a feeling of alienation on campus; two thirds of respondents admitted to spending “zero” time on campus outside of classes.

These figures are dismal, perhaps even more so because they don’t come as a shock. With the exception of those students sharing toothpaste and toilet paper in the womb-like confines of residence, U of T students have apparently resigned themselves to a four-year stint in solitary confinement.

But is sociability on this campus truly in decline? Hart House, after all, does provide students with a staggering array of extracurricular programs; and the Athletics Centre (AC) is a place where the body roams free. Both sites provide services that we are lucky to have, and they ought to be commended for doing so.

Yet these fine spaces cater to specific interests and niches, and do little to kindle feelings of community amongst students as students-save those who are members of this or that club. A student centre at St. George just might be able to do this. It could provide services that Hart House and the AC don’t: more study space, twenty-four-hour access, vegetarian food, a multifaith center, and all under one roof. But only if it’s given a fighting chance. Voting “yes” this week is your opportunity to give it this chance, so that next year, U of T students might actually get to discuss what a student space like this could look like one day.

Besides, saying “yes” won’t cost you anything; but saying “no” just might.