The Student Union was designed to be both presided over and enjoyed by UNC students; its operations are funded entirely by student fees. So there is some irony in the fact that the Union’s basement is one of the most noticeably underused spaces on campus.
Upcoming renovations, however, will provide students with an opportunity to bring new life — or at least lots of hungry college students — to the basement of the Union.
In August, a 24-hour Wendy’s is scheduled to open in the space. The area surrounding the chosen location, which currently closes at 1 a.m., will also begin staying open around the clock.
We hope students take advantage of this opportunity to reclaim a space that has been far too empty for too long. Union officials are planning to spruce up the area around the Wendy’s. Ideally, it will become a lounge where students can study, eat and socialize.
These improvements are substantially less exciting than those planned for the second phase of the renovations, which were derailed by a student referendum last year.
If Union officials ever hope to garner support for the second phase of the renovations — which would require an increase in student fees — it is important that students feel like the first phase of renovations has actually marked an improvement.
If the basement continues to be underused, students will likely feel their money was wasted, and they’ll be unlikely to support future renovations.
In the end, however, it is the students who will decide whether the space becomes a hub or a waste of furniture and electricity. And since we paid for it, we ought to take ownership of the process of defining its function.
