The renovated recreation center at North Campus in Room 4205 will reopen after undergoing a complete makeover. The opening is estimated to be before the spring semester ends, according to Fermin Vazquez, the senior director of campus administration at North Campus.
“Our recreational center has been offline for a while because it was in desperate need of repairs, and thanks to Mr. Fermin Vazquez and campus administration we’ve had the opportunity to completely renovate the game room,” said Jez Catambay-Lopez, the Student Life director at North Campus. “Our students deserve it and they have asked for new options on campus to enjoy their time.”
The recreation center closed in November of 2015. It had a small selection of game tables. The renovation includes new flooring, ceiling, and furniture. It will include a video game wall featuring the latest versions of Xbox and Playstation gaming systems. All the video games that the College has access to will be preloaded in the system and students will be able to check out controllers to use.
Just like prior to the renovation, the Student Life Department will plan videogame tournaments and movie days that will take place in the room once it is functional.
“There was a pool and a foosball table before,” said Marcus Isaac, a student who worked at the recreational center before it shut down in November.
Students wanted more, he said. Although many students frequented the game room, the amount of visitors declined as it deteriorated.
Some students are very enthusiastic about the reopening of the recreational center. Among them, students who bring their monitors, games, and controllers everyday to play in the cafeteria between classes.
“We won’t have to improvise; we’ll have a set area to play,” said Kevin Fernandez, a student gamer at North.
The 1,137-square foot room will feature a multi-game table, that will serve as a surface for different games and an area fully dedicated to watch sporting events. Operating hours will be from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. from Monday through Thursday; and on Fridays it will close at 4:30 pm.
Although it will be closed on weekends, the hours may vary depending on student demand.
“Campus recreational centers have statistically shown to help reduce stress for college students,” Catambay-Lopez said. “It gives them a social space where they can gather and let off steam in an environment that is conducive to working together, to socializing, and to understanding one another so we get to embrace all of that by providing a space that is open to everyone.”
