This past Monday, I had the opportunity to go on the second student tour of the new University Center Complex (UCC). For years, students, administrators, and organizations on campus have been patiently waiting for the opening of the towers, and I can certainly say that these towers will mostly be worth the wait. Overall, I think the UCC will help Stevens become a more unified campus. It’ll be a space for all students to convene, whether they’re a commuter, live on-campus, stay in their own apartment off-campus, or through Stevens leased housing.
For so long, it’s seemed that the focus of Stevens has been a strong emphasis on academic excellence and curriculum building. Most of the large-scale changes made to Stevens during my time here have been academic-focused: the addition of the Gateway buildings, renovations to academic buildings, revamping of core curriculums, etc. But it’s clear that the focus has slowly been shifting from academics to the student experience.
From immediately entering the space, it’s clear that the UCC was made for students. The space is littered with seating for students to unwind and hang out, lounges to be filled with comfortable furniture, outdoor seating to enjoy the New York skyline, eateries, and student organization spaces. Without this space, most students would be seen hanging out on the stairs of Gateway North, the Student Center, or in random rooms in Babbio. There’s no doubt that the UCC will be the new hub for students to convene, relax, and study.
The other shining aspect of the UCC is the residential towers, and let me just say, they had me envious. The towers are meant to house close to 1,000 undergraduate students. Each suite is complete with a kitchen (with a 2-in-1 microwave and oven), living room space, double- or single-bed rooms, and (a rather large) bathroom. All fixtures in the suites are dramatically contemporary and trendy, and they seem functional enough for 2 to 4 people to share. Definitely a stark contrast to the living conditions of Stevens’ old dorms!
Some other cool aspects of the UCC are (1) the tennis courts, which overlook the Hudson River and will eventually have a duck mural painted on the wall behind it, (2) a plan for a Stevens Pride Museum, (3) a sit-down restaurant that students can visit when invited by administrators, (4) the Tech Flex, which can accommodate large events, (5) a large fitness center with men’s, women’s and gender-neutral locker rooms, and (6) an alleged tunnel system underneath the UCC.
Of course, despite the new amenities, student spaces, and dining options, it’s hard for me to conceptualize what using the space will be like, especially for student organizations. For one, The Stute has certainly gotten used to how we function as an organization in our current office. And while having a new office will be great, moving to a new space doesn’t equate to solving all of our past problems; it may even invite new problems. While I’m certainly excited to move The Stute into the UCC, the functionality of our office will remain a mystery until we start using it. But it does seem like we’ll be close friends with The Link since their office is right next to ours and we share a layout space with them.
The towers will officially be opening up at the very end of this semester; the ribbon-cutting ceremony will be on May 14, student organizations and administrators will move into their offices on May 16, and the space will be open for all of the Stevens community to explore by May 17. The residential towers will be open for students to move in for the Fall 2022 semester.
Next semester, students will be returning to a very different campus and a new Stevens.
The Stute Editorial is an Opinion column written by the current Editor in Chief of The Stute to address and explain editorial decision making, discuss news and media issues, and develop a sense of trust and transparency between readers and members of The Stute.
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