The unsightly concrete pit is one area the Student Association is planning to renovate at the Casa Loma campus. Photo: Preeteesh Peetabh Singh/The Dialog

The Student Association (SA) wanted your ideas and now they have them. On Feb. 5 and 6, the SA held a “World Café” where students got to share their ideas for the Casa Loma Student Centre renovations. 

“All the ideas we receive, will be compiled,” said Margot Thompson, senior consultant for Educational Consulting Services (ECS). “We will try to improve all the things that need improving based on the ideas discussed.”

Four tables and four groups of students discussed what they’d like to see in the soon-to-be improved student centre, each group getting 10 minutes to share their ideas with each other.

“Like the water bottle stations we already have, we should have a hot water station as well,” said Yanze Wu from the architecture technician program.

Among the students who registered for the world café, Rauoua’a Al-khanti from the general arts and science program complained about the current TV screens, “there’s no sound and I have to read the subtitles, so I don’t pay attention.”

“The games area is too noisy,” said Al-Khanti. “Maybe some new games as well.”

With the most obvious areas in need of improvement discussed first, Shavaughn Kerr from the computer systems technology program chipped in, “the sound system is not being used properly.”

Ali Shahid, director of public relations for the SA suggested the possible implementation of “cinema nights.”

Students felt that the existing student centre lacked comfortable seating and natural light, which were among the initial ideas by the SA at the Jan. 21 board of directors meeting.

Existing provisions such as displays, projectors and the current TTC Metropass outlet, worked well in the student centre.

With all the students’ ideas being considered, Waqas Malik, planner from ECS said. “We will be looking for major themes, among the ideas, for the renovations.”

Nicolas Kiriakou, the SA’s Casa Loma campus director said, “It was good seeing people from different programs not only participating, but sharing their ideas from their student perspective.”

With the World Café now complete, consultants have gathered the input and will prepare their design for a new Casa Loma Student Centre.