28 Comments
Artist's rendering of Lerner, circa 2012
Sean Zimmermann gives the scoop on the latest dealings of the math-ier side of student government.
Council member William Cybriwsky gave a presentation on how it would cost a mere $123 to purchase a video game system (with games and four controllers) that could be checked out for student use in Lerner. According to his master plan to make Lerner, well, fun, students or groups would be able to rent video game systems from the front desk, and connect them to the televisions in Lerner—which he claims are not being used “effectually” (they are currently used to broadcast information from the student councils. We’ll leave it to you to decide how effective they are…). Ideally, this would turn Lerner from that place you go for mail and meetings into that place you go for mail and meetings and then stay at to play Mario Kart for five hours.
Much more effective use of Ferris Booth’s second floor via Wikimedia Commons
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28 Comments
@... lerner has all of the impersonal and inhuman harshness of an airline terminal, but no airport bar to soften the sharp edges.
@community should be built amongst the 4 undergraduate communities as a whole.
whatever ends up happening, i hope everyone, not just seas, is in on it.
@Anonymous It would not be expensive to set up a game room in Lerner. I do agree that if you want to study, go to the library. Lerner should be for fun, eating, socializing, meeting, clubs, movies, relaxing, etc.
@Anonymous the kraft center already has a Wii for student use
@nate ESC Some initial ideas:
-equipment is signed out with cuid as collateral (damages = ssol fines)
-we are looking in to moving/relocating the ESC tv for better ergonomic gaming
Also “movies” is a good suggestion. We’ll look in to that.
@This is brilliant really
@Honest analysis It makes sense that the students would be more inclined to bring the equipment back or else risk being fined. But imagine random strangers jumping in to play, and suddenly you have to go to class. And you were the one who checked it out.
Either you’re going to get a lot of fines, or you’re going to be the party pooper that has to passively-aggressively plead for everyone to stop playing so you can bring it back, until you eventually become Mr. Uncool and unplug the console, clutch everything close to your chest and scurry to return it in time to get to your 9am class.
@Anonymous who would play before a 9 am class?
@alex In light of recent events, the university responded with the stellar counseling and therapy that is available. These are all reactive. I think the fundamental problem is the overly stressed atmosphere here, and I support this proactive attempt to loosen things up. You got my vote
@Anonymous Make it something that only happens in the evening, so people studying during the day aren’t disrupted.
Then make it so people are accountable for the controllers etc., just like you would with any library item.
With those two things accounted for, I think it’s a great idea! Not just for games, but movies too.There are a bunch places to study on campus, but nowhere to let off some steam.
@Anonymous That’s because you have an entire city filled with amazing theatres, parks, museums, etc. in which you can let off steam. Get out of Butler/Lerner and get on the 2/3.
@Anonymous Completely true we are in NYC. But, sometimes you have only a couple hours free which is not always enough time to be worth the trip. These things can also be expensive.
More importantly though one of the reasons for the lack of community on campus is that very fact. Doing cool things in the city does not build a campus community. Something like this would. It would lessen the “everyone peaces from campus on the weekends” effect. Also it establishes campus as a place for fun as well as work making just being here less stressful. I know when I first came to school, it felt like you always had to be “on” since there was no geographical separation between work and play. This can help establish a relaxed fun place on campus.
@Anonymous People studying should take advantage of our many libraries, which are designated quiet areas, as someone pointed out earlier. No one should feel they have to be quiet in Lerner…
@Anonymous Libraries are for studying. Student centers are for fun.
@hmm In that case I suggest that a climbing wall be erected somewhere alongside the ramps, and a bowling alley on the parquet floor near the entrance to the auditorium. It would be nice to hear the sound of the pins crashing to the ground every once in a while.
@Anonymous I actually have no problem with this
@Climbing Club I would love it. No more dropping $275 for a gym membership and $4.50 round trip just to climb! DOOO ITTTTT
@Nate ESC Do you think this would be a good idea? LET US KNOW!
@Anonymous it’s not. it sounds incredibly lame. not to mention another excuse to fill lerner with annoying gamers who yell out loud and disrupt ppl studying/meeting.
@Anonymous Haters gonna hate. Lerner fills a lot of roles for students, and one of them is recreation. This is just another way of doing it and if it’s fun why not? If your evening plans are full of studying then may I suggest one of Columbia’s many libraries, but don’t take it out on the fun loving mario karters.
@yesyesyes this is A GREAT IDEA!!! omg i would loveee it!
@Anonymous 1. The screens are way too high up to be comfortable for games.
2. Have fun replacing every controller and other part that will get stolen every other week.
@BC'13 The McIntosh Student Center at Barnard, before it was demolished, was devoted to recreational fun for women – it even had a bowling alley. Now we have the Vag/Diana – a place solely devoted to studying. No fun. We as a community must bring the Administration’s attention to the lack of fun on both campuses. Other schools have fun hang out spots open 24/7 for students to kick back and relax. When I visited my friends in Cali they were doing homework by the pool – WHILE TANNING – for chrissake’s. Now, I know CU can’t control the weather, but they can control our recreational facilities and those need to change.
We NEED more fun on this campus. Don’t they wonder why everyone is depressed??? We can’t devote all of our time to studying. That mindset needs to change, and it starts now. So by all means, install the video game rental system. It’s one step in the right direction, and I will own anyone in Mario Kart/Super Smash Bros/Mario Party.
Lovingly,
@Anonymous I think it’s a good idea, and I’m not even a gamer. Other schools have video game rooms and I’m sure there are ways to prevent things from getting stolen. Having fun at Columbia does not have to be such a big deal. Let people fucking play.
@Anonymous This would mean that the Lerner would be filled with not only piano music, but also frustrated screams as someone gets hit with a blue spiked shell right before crossing the finish on the 3rd lap.
@Anonymous This is not funny. This has happened to me many times :(
@I'm pretentious This is “COLVMBIA VNIVERSITY,” not some lame summer program.
@um... You can go to BVTLER LIBRARY 24/7, I’ll go to Lerner to play some MarioKart XD