"This is the New Facebook"

After the dedication of the Gleason Library last night, Lorraine stayed around and watched what happened when the space was open to students. She typed up their comments which are just dreamy.


Some initial reactions:

• "Sweet!" (An exclamation by a student as he reached the top of the stairs, followed immediately by a cell phone call to a friend.)
• Students liked the colors, and the art. (Very excited to find out that art will rotate.)
• Some girls tried out every type of furniture in the room, and liked it all. One girl's favorite was the padded stools.
• Many students are enjoying the cup holders and writing tables on the chairs.
• The TV's were of great interest (until someone interrupted the feed).
• Students are moving the furniture already to suit themselves (eg: comfy chairs pulled up to the PC's)
• Students are already using the studio rooms (the ones I spoke to were studying for the GRE's tomorrow)
• An amateur film maker went nuts over the theatre room and declared his intention to "camp out" there.
• Looking in the windows from the outside is already bringing people into the space.
• Some students brought dinner in for themselves and ate at a table by the window.
• 13 laptops and 5 PC workstations being used at 8:25 pm
• Many, many, many questions about "how long this room will be open?" All are thrilled to find out that the space will not close when the IT Center does.
• "Oh my god, this is a whiteboard?!" "This is so awesome!"
• Don's student: "This is where we used to do the pasting? I'm actually excited to study!"
• There are people using the benches in the landing.
• There is already someone asleep on bench couches outside Studio B (which speak to the management of noise in here. There is a ton of activity right now, but there is only a gentle buzz in the room.)

Basically, every area of the room is being used in some way.

Some notes left on the white boards:

• This is awesome! I think I may live here
• I love Gleason. Love. Really love. (<--she's serious)
• All it needs is coffee. Nevermind. (The "nevermind" was added when I told her that there would be coffee on level G)
• I love the colors.
• This is really awesome! The new hotspot on campus
• This is so cool!
• This is the new facebook