For my second public event I decided to attend the groundbreaking ceremony at CSUSB for the three-story, 120,000 square-foot expansion to be constructed immediately north of the current student union at CSUSB.
The $90 million expansion, which was approved by the California State University Board of Trustees, will comprise a multi-purpose ballroom (which is twice the size of the existing Events Center), an eight-lane bowling alley and game room, a pub, food service and retail space, collaboration spaces for student organizations and student support centers, and a bookstore.
Going into this event, I didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t know if this would be a big event or something more intimate for the elites of the University. But upon arriving to the event, we came across some chairs and a small podium placed conveniently under a shade as it was a hot summer day. There was also multiple tables with food and drinks provided by the caterers who were in attendance.
I was also surprised to see that most adults in attendance were in formal attire while my friend Charlene and I were dressed a lot more casual in our everyday outfits.
Once the actual event began, we noticed that a big part of it was meant to acknowledge all of the people who contributed to this project and made it come to be. It was a lot of listening and clapping for various professionals. They began by giving the audience some facts on the new building expansion and the amenities that would be included and then went on to talk about their goals for this project.
At one point a speaker stood at the podium and began to express their motivations behind this expansion such as creating a more residential campus, enhancing the college experience, and creating a sense of community at CSUSB. All very good things to strive for. I have often noticed while attending CSUSB that there was a lack of student involvement on campus, mostly due to the fact that this university is in fact a commuter school. Most students come to campus via a large commute driving themselves or riding the bu which a lot of the times this prevents students from being able to participate as much as they would like. But I think that CSUSB has been making moves in the right direction in shifting the environment on campus and pushing for a more inclusive, fun college experience.
One of the things I was able to pick up on based on the speakers various speeches was the fact that CSUSB is trying to compete with other campuses in the CSU system. There was talk of how they are making moves to modernize our growing campus, therefore gaining the attention of prospective future Yoties. They called this project, the largest SMSU project to date which will become the largest facility of its kind in the CSU system. This area is meant to host high profile events and provide students with common areas that are unmatched.
The event as a whole was very uplifting and exciting as they closed their event with the statement that CSUSB would always strive to “Define the Future”.
Life in the Public 