Hello! Welcome to my Talley Renovation Blog! My name is Jonathon Smith, and I am the 2011-2012 NC State Student Centers President. This is an exciting time to be a member of the Wolfpack. Currently, the campus is undergoing a major transformation and the renovation and expansion of Talley Student Center will help to bring main campus up to date in the 21st Century.
A little about me. I am currently a second semester sophomore at North Carolina State University. I am majoring in Agricultural & Extension Education with a minor in Horticultural Science in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). I am very active on campus, serving as an advocate for my fellow students. I am a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, member of the Agricultural & Extension Education Club, a student senator in the Student Senate, a member of the Agri-Life Council, and a member of the CALS Dean’s Advisory Council. I realize that college doesn’t last a lifetime and it is important to make the most of the college experience. With one year of service under my belt with the Student Centers Board of Directors, I feel prepared to lead our campus in updating these facilities.
In regards to Talley…
In 2005, I visited Talley Student Center for the first time to attend a convention. At that time, I thought to myself “Is this what a student center looks like?” Immediately as a rising freshman in high school, I realized that this building was not a functional environment for student involvement. Now more than ever, I realize that Talley Student Center is not an effective place for students on campus to spend their time. When it was built, this campus was nearly half the size of its current population and the campus population has simply outgrown this important building on campus. It once met the needs of students but is no longer able to fully serve students as it now stands.
I have watched as students have visited the restaurants in our facilities and then left, never exploring the rooms and study areas in the student center. This is understandable because to use a room in the center, you practically have to reserve a room far in advance because of the demand for meeting space and the lack of provided space. Students should be able to meet in this central location on campus and have all of the resources they need to be successful in their extracurricular activities. This is simply not so in the current TSC. As a member of the campus community, I have heard over and over again the idea that our campus is not unified; that students relate more to their respective colleges in comparison to the overall university. I believe that with the development of this project, students will be more unified and interact with so many more other students they may encounter in the new student center, the heart of student life.
I have traveled to Duda Paine Architects and seen countless presentations on the proposed renovation plans. I am excited to tell you that in the eyes of a fellow student, this project is going to be greater than we could ever imagine. The new center will have almost twice the meeting space, a larger ballroom, many new eateries, and house most of the Student Affairs departments such as Student Government, the Center for Student Leadership, Ethics, and Public Service (CSLEPS), and the Women’s Center. The center will also be home to ARTS NC State.
Many of us are not happy that we must pay now for something that we may never use as a student while we are here. While this may be true in some respects, we as a campus must realize that we are leaving behind a legacy that will impact generations of fellow Wolfpackers that will follow in our footsteps. NC State has always been a place where students look to the future and want to make a difference in our state and nation. Let’s look to the future and Rally for Talley.
I encourage students, faculty, staff, and community members to visit this website often to learn more about the project. Also, find the new Talley Student Center Facebook page online. Find ways to become involved. Students and university personnel have voiced what they would like to see in the new student center, and I’m excited to say that we are now creating the very student center that students want and need.
If you have any questions, please contact me at scp_bod@ncsu.edu. The Student Centers Board of Directors and I would like to hear more about your ideas and thoughts regarding the new Talley Student Center.