The Department has talked about providing undergraduates with a study area and lounge
for almost a decade. SPS believes that it is high time to make this lounge a reality.
Ideally, a lounge will serve a wide variety of purposes:
It will be a study area where students can get work done right in physics building, day or night.
It will be a relaxation area where students can relax and socialize between classes.
It will host undergraduate events for both the Department and SPS.
It will hold resources for undergraduates: textbooks, computers, an LCD projector...
In general, an area reserved for undergraduates in Jefferson will help anchor undergraduates
in the department, giving them for the first time a home within the building that houses them
for so many hours every week.
Locations
Where will it go? This was a choice between the space under Jefferson 250 and Lyman 330,
but the faculty seem to have made it clear that they want Lyman 330. So under Jeff 250 it
is. This room has some drawbacks -- it will be expensive to remodel -- but it's a kind of
neat space and is very close to the entrance of Jefferson, which is a big plus.
Funding
We'll need it, because a whole lot of work needs to be done on UJ250 to make it usable.
The room is currently full of HVAC equipment and construction materials and other
stuff. We actually need to reroute ducts and stuff -- this isn't just a case of needing
to get some people to spend some time to clean up the area. The University can well afford
the cost, but there needs to be enough support for the idea to actually make the money
materialize. Not that many people would object to giving us a lounge, but we need to change
passive support into active enthusiasm to actually make this happen.
Furnishings
These are just ideas, of course. Some of them (table) make more sense than
others (DVD player).
Refrigerator.
Microwave.
Vending machine. (Source of revenue! -- PeterWilliams)
Round table.
DVD player.
Projector for presentations / movies via DVD player.