New, improved Union

By Kelly Tsutsumi, Special to the On-Line Forty-Niner

Monday, January 25, 1999

Recreation major Ferdinand Castro has an hour to kill between classes. Rather than leave campus or study at the library, Castro decides to take advantage of his free time and vists the University Student Union.

"The Student Union is a place where I can get away from class and relax while at school," Castro said.

The centrally located University Student Union is sometimes referred to as the "living room" of the Cal State Long Beach campus. From playing video games to taking a dip in the pool, the USU offers a variety of programs and services designed to serve the on-campus needs of students, faculty and staff.

Since its recent renovation, one of the major improvements students will notice this year at the USU is the addition of a third floor.

The new floor houses the Associated Students' Government office, the Leadership Center - which will offer services and workshops for individuals and organizations - Cultural Council, Greek Lounge, additional meeting rooms and lounge space.

The Robert C. Maxon Organization Center is also located on the third floor. The center has 22 modular office spaces for clubs and organizations. Each modular contains a desk and storage space, as well as Internet access.

In addition to the new third floor, a walkway from University Drive leads students past the east wing of the Student Union to an escalator. Besides providing a shortcut to upper campus, the walkway gives students access to some new places such as a convenience store, an information center, meeting rooms and a lounge.

"I don't have to walk all the way to the bookstore to buy Scantrons anymore. I stop at the convenience store on my way to class to save time," kineseology major Staci Iwamoto said.

A computer lab with 10 work stations will also be located in this area, student union associate director Robert Lara said.

Besides the structural changes to the USU, many smaller touches have been added to the building to accommodate student's changing needs.

"[The Union] is reassessing policies and procedures to make the Student Union more user friendly for all individual students and organizations," Lara said.

Diaper changing tables will be installed in restrooms, and lockers are conveniently located throughout the Student Union for a quarter per use.