 "Photo: Kelli Jasso")
The upcoming closing of the Memorial Student Center has induced a sort of panic in Texas A&M students equivalent only with the upcoming 2012 Mayan apocalypse or this year's loss to Baylor. "It is going be hard to replace a building as important to students as the MSC. They are taking away more than just a building, and depriving students of one of the best ways for freshman to meet each other." said Rick Creecy, a classics major and the former historian of Aggies for Life.The impending disappearance of the MSC as a study haven, social gathering and shopping center seems a grim enough reason for the gnashing of teeth, but what is overlooked is the impact the renovations will have on important University functions, such as the semi-annual MSC Open House.
With more than 200 University-recognized groups able to showcase their finer aspects at this club fair, the event already requires some spillover into G. Rollie White. Official plans for the relocation of the Open House have neither been finalized nor released, and an Open House representative declined to comment on any plans. Pondering how the MSC Open House will exist without the MSC may seem unimaginable; however, if students pause long enough to take a deep breath, they will see several remaining viable options for the Open House that can suffice for the three years the MSC will be under repair.
A large amount of room is necessary for the relocation of Open House. At the Blocker building, there appears to be more than enough classrooms and hallways to hold the vast number of groups who wish to recruit new members. However, there may be a need for an additional building to contain spillover, and there is no free parking.
Reed Arena corrects a few of these flaws with a larger floor plan, more than enough hallway space and copious parking spaces nearby. Reed was also built with the obvious advantage of being specifically designed to contain large numbers of people, many coming from off campus.
A more desperate option would be holding the Open House in the great outdoors at one of the University's many fields. Duncan Field would easily provide enough room for everyone with easy organization. The danger exists in a reliance on the elements. January weather in College Station varies from day to day, and a pleasant afternoon outside could quickly be ruined by freezing drizzle. Holding the Fall Open House outside could result in an rash of heat strokes. This should remain a last-ditch option, though, only to be used if Reed Arena and Blocker are unavailable.
The closing of the MSC has been a hot button topic on the lips of many A&M students. The building has become an important part of many students' lives, and closing it for three years to renovate removes the MSC experience from the rest of their time at A&M. "I think the MSC renovations need to be done, it's a good thing. It may inconvenience clubs and students at the moment, but in the long term it will be best for future generations of Texas A&M students." said Brittany Lai, a junior biomedical science major and member of the Texas A&M Ballroom Dance Association. Although it may be hard to live without an important part of the Aggie tradition, remember that the events held at the MSC will simply be relocated to another part of campus.
There will be six attempts for a non-MSC Open House, and the University will improve them each time so the move will no longer even be noticeable by the end of the renovations. No one wants to be the group that has to endure construction or rebuilding, but hopefully, the renovated MSC will be an improvement for future generations to come.
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