Thumbs Up to the future of Norris Game Room. The rarely frequented Game Room is stuck in the past and about to get a contemporary makeover. And it's about time. The carpet hasn't been changed in over 30 years. Hopefully that doesn't mean it hasn't been cleaned. The new Game Room will be geared towards gamers of our generation and include eight to 10 Xbox 360s with individual but linked screens that will allow for closed network play. With an inventive and up-to-date plan, Norris will be providing students with something that they can't easily access in their dorm room. These exciting changes might actually be able to entice students into visiting the underground floor of Norris.
Thumbs Up to a new environmentally sustainable residential college for next year. Twenty environmentally conscious freshman will have the opportunity to live in NU's first green dorm. While some students debate NU's commitment to saving the environment, this is a great step towards future sustainability.
By creating a green dorm, NU is keeping up with some of the top colleges in the country, such as U.C. Berkeley and Stanford. And since we have the residential college system that caters to students' personal interests, the dorm will be a nice addition to our already diverse housing options.
Thumbs Down to Focus Development and Klutznick-Fisher Development for asking the City of Evanston for $3 million to renovate the Hahn building. The two-story landmark lies just south of the proposed site for the controversial Fountain Square skyscraper. However, on Wednesday, a city consultant reported that builders should only need $2 million to complete the project.
Many residents fear the 708 Church St. "tower" will blur the border between the city of about 75,000 and Chicago by threatening Evanston's small-town appeal. Community outcry over the issue, organized by the Evanston Coalition for Responsible Development, has turned the proposed condominium building into a divisive issue for the city.
Given that the Evanston City Council has not abandoned the project despite widespread opposition from its constituents, the developers should at least limit the bills they send the aldermen. A healthier relationship between the city government and commercial builders could prevent the negative attention that projects like the tower receive.
Side Thumbs to Northwestern for allowing students to express their opinion regarding the search to replace President Henry Bienen, but preventing students from having significant input in the decision process.
Beginning May 8, the search committee will hold four open forums to allow members of the NU community to talk about who the next president should be. Only one undergraduate student, however, sits on the 29-member committee. By marginalizing students' voices, NU is hurting itself because the undergraduate perspective is essential to choosing a good president.
Thumbs Up to Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald, who will be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame this December. The honor is the latest in a litany of accomplishment for Fitzgerald as both a coach and a player. A former outside linebacker for the Wildcats, he was a two-time All-American and led NU to the 1995 Rose Bowl. Now, he's the youngest head coach in Division I-A football.
But what sets "Fitz" apart is his dedication to the NU program and his ability to bring out the best in his players. He is synonymous with Cats' football and has galvanized the school on the field and on the sidelines. Congratulations, Coach. You deserve it.
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