Regular users say they want to keep their space

With information surfacing about a possible renovation to the Commuter Lounge located on the first floor of the SUB, students who regularly use the lounge are appalled by the proposal.

Robert Hoag, ULM food services director, recently said plans are being drawn to knock out the wall which separates the lounge from the main dining area. Half of the lounge space could be used for additional seating. These changes would tentatively take place before the spring semester.

“I would not like [the renovation] at all,” said Josh Mobley, a sophomore psychology major from Monroe and a regular occupant of the Commuter Lounge. “It doesn’t seem right.”

Those who frequent the lounge voiced concerns over the loss of their rightful quarters, and some eagerly offered alternative suggestions to solve the congested SUB problem.

Shaun Walters, a sophomore majoring in nursing from Shreveport, proposed that knocking down the wall of the study room would be of better gain because it would utilize the excess space of the study room rather than reducing the size of the commuter lounge.

He also expressed his anxieties that squeezing more people into one space would only increase a fire hazard.

Walters said that even if this pending project took place, he would still go to the lounge regularly.

“I like to study and eat at the same time, which you can’t do at the library. It’s relatively quiet here,” Walters said.

Other ideas for creating additional seating space in the SUB include placing additional tables outside the SUB or inside the lounge, without the need to knock out the wall.

Chris Mouk, a senior computer information systems major from West Monroe, said that the money required for this renovation would be better used elsewhere.

“The money would be spent for minimum gain, especially since there is not much to go around to begin with,” said Mouk.