New study spaces on campus
Think-tank winners propose changes to Copywrite and EB
Dayla Brown
News Editor
Brain Drain for Social Gain was a competition held back in February, challenging students to create ways of enhancing the campus. Winners Zoe Slusar and Andrea Dubak, won for their idea to take unused spaces within Mount Royal and change them into spaces that students could use. Now they’re gearing up to get the spaces in motion.
One of these spaces could be where Copywrite currently is.
“We saw from several surveys that we did, and talking dialogue with students that study space was the highest need in terms of campus space,” explained Slusar.
Slusar and Dubak then began to look around campus study areas to see what ones were efficient and which ones were the busiest. From there, Slusar and Dubak began to look at spaces that were empty on campus.
The Student’s Association and Copywrite, according to Slusar, have been discussing what to do with the Copywrite space. Changing it into a possible study area could be an ideal quiet study space.
“It would be like the areas we have down in T-wing a Y-wing where people go and it’s kind of an over-known thing that it’s going to be quiet, with small whispering, but mostly individual study.”
Dubak also talked about another possible space being in the EB building.
“We wanted to understand our audience before implementing all of these ideas. We found that group study spaces were needed, silent study spaces were needed as well as plug-ins.”
Copywrite would fulfill the need for quiet individual study space, whereas the area in EB would provide a space for group study, with plenty of plug-ins.
The room that would be used in EB is the one right beside the lobby.
“It used to be a computer lab,” said Dubak. “It used to have computers, it doesn’t anymore and what’s left are just these giant bulky desks. It’s really awkward for people to study there, so we decided basically to just work on putting different furniture in there and opening up the doors so people know it’s open. Just really simple things that would have a huge impact.”
The two won in Brain Drain for Social Gain, which kicked-off for the first time in February. Students who want to participate can contact Zachary Champoux, who spearheaded the event.
“It’s an opportunity for students to create multidisciplinary teams to tackle some of the university’s largest issues,” said Champoux.
Challenges and ideas were given to students, who then formed teams to tackle the problems head-on. Topics were taken from issues that would be interesting to students such as: how to utilize space on campus, waste and recycling management and how curriculum could change on campus. Students formed teams and were given resources to form solutions. Prizes were given to the winners of the competition.
Slusar explained, “to me Brain Drain is like bringing these puzzle pieces together and then connecting for a picture and a solution that works really well, and that’s why it’s phenomenal.”