Cassandra Chin
Contributor
A new information desk will be erected in the centre of Vari Hall this December, which has some concerned over whether the York administration is taking open space away from students.
“Most of the students that I have spoken to agree that space is already at a premium on campus for social, political and cultural events,” said Krisna Saravanamuttu, president of York Federation of Students. “This is not a direction that the university should be taking. What they should be doing is investing in more resources to provide space on campus as opposed to taking it away.”
Keith Marnoch, associate director of media relations at York, said the administration feels the new information booth will be an improvement for students, as well as visitors.
However, progress on the installation of the new booth has been slow. It could not be built during the summer because “it has to do with the people who can do the work for us, as well as other priorities on campus,” according to Marnoch.
Krisna Saravanamuttu, president of York Federation of Students, said he thinks that another information booth in the Ross link, located between Vari Hall and Central Square, “adequately serves the purpose of the information table.”
Marnoch noted that the new Vari Hall desk will be more accessible for the visitors, as it will be located at the front entrance of York’s central location.
“I’m concerned with the construction of the info booth in the middle of Vari Hall for a number of reasons. There is a serious accessibility concern that arises from this construction […] and [there are] safety concerns regarding fire exits in case of an emergency,” said Saravanamuttu.
Marnoch said that the space created by the info desk will serve both York students and general community.
Michael Jackson, first-year psychology major, likes that York is renovating Vari Hall because he says that it’s a popular spot on Keele campus.
“I think it’s a good a idea because every student at York comes to Vari Hall.”
“I think maybe instead they should put more advertising telling people where the info booth is, instead of having two of them,” said Megan Murray, a fourth-year children’s studies and international development studies student.
“Vari Hall is already busy and has a lot of foot traffic. Putting an info booth right in the middle is not going to help traffic,” she said.
