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Survey shows room for social changes
This Column represents the views of the Old Gold and Black Editorial Board

The recent survey of student satisfaction on campus has confirmed what many have been saying for a long time. In many respects, students are not satisfied with the social environment at the university. Now, however, the administration has concrete numbers to back up the claims of student dissatisfaction.

The numbers provide an excellent opportunity for the university, if used constructively. They won’t do any good gathering dust on a shelf, but if presented to local businesses and creative student groups, the survey could provide the needed motivation to make positive changes. The effectiveness of these numbers depends entirely on how they are used.

A study conducted by the Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce and two graduate management students last spring revealed that Wake Forest students alone contribute $45 million a year to the local economy. This sends an important message to businesses: If you build it, we will come — and bring our pocketbooks with us.

Students are thirsting for a nook and cranny they can call their own. About half the students surveyed said they want "new spaces" to hang out, and about 40 percent said they’d like a coffee house and cozy study areas. The university should pitch these numbers to local business groups and encourage youth-oriented stores and eateries to set up shop near campus.

Moreover, student desires and tastes should be incorporated into the actual design and mission of the businesses. Why not let them participate in the decoration, entertainment and menu-design? Nobody knows better what they want than the actual students themselves. This would also give the added novelty of a student’s touch and would draw in those who wanted to support their peers.

In addition to looking beyond our campus borders, we can also look inward and find room for positive changes. The most noteworthy arena for improvement is Shorty’s. This student bar/coffee shop/hangout is almost what we’re looking for.

A few cozy couches, featured student artwork and a warm cup of coffee could transform the empty room at the back into a trendy coffee shop.

Instead of loud TVs, music would provide an environment conducive to quiet study or friendly conversation. In fact, more music in general would be a welcomed alternative to the daytime television and talk shows.

As a bar, Shorty’s should also borrow a page out of the books of other local bars. A daily Happy Hour would draw more students desiring to simply relax and socialize between activities. The hour could be geared to different themes or student groups, offering the members of those groups a special discount or other promotion.

Since most fraternity parties take place Friday nights, a lack of activity often plagues the long Saturday nights that follow. Saturday night activities would offer a welcome alternative to fraternities’ beer-stained basements and would provide the campus with a non-Greek social night.

Concerts, theme nights and a little creativity could turn Shorty’s into the new hot spot. This is more important now than ever with the new off-campus party regulations affecting Greeks.

Shorty’s makes a good multi-purpose room with its outside access door, which could remain open after Benson closes, its tile floors and its open spaces. Removing the middle bar that divides the room would also open up more space and help prevent the bottle-necking that occurs during Jive n’ Java and other events.

Why not make Shorty’s a late-night, after-hours student venue?

Currently, our Shorty’s stands as a monument to that of the old campus. But old photos and sports memorabilia are not what the original held as important. The original Shorty’s was a success because it catered to student’s needs and desires. It incorporated their wishes into its design and mission.

What better way to pay tribute to this legacy than by doing the same? Creating the perfect student hangout would be infinitely more commemorative than hanging souvenirs in glass boxes.

The Student Union does a lot with this hangout; Jive n’ Java, especially, is a welcome feature; however, SU should use its talents and creativity to take active involvement in the needed changes. Let students remodel. Showcase student talent by hanging artwork on the walls, displaying sculptures and featuring student bands.

Shorty’s plays a central role on this small campus, but it is just one example of how an on-campus venue could do so much more for the student body.

Nevertheless, the administration is not solely to blame for unhappiness with the social scene, and a remodeling job won’t make us all happy. We as students must also take responsibility for our own attitudes — we are not without blame. Students complain about a lack of social activities on campus, but they don’t offer original ideas. They say there isn’t a viable forum for their voice, and when one such the Town Hall forum is presented, very few attend.

If we want to see changes, we must support different initiatives. We must learn about what activities are going on and make it a priority to attend. A few determined individuals can turn a lackluster gathering into a good time for all.

So let’s take action and do something to create the atmosphere we so desire.