On the issue of advertising in the MUSC, one of my goals this year on the SRA is to loosen up the rules of the student centre so that important MSU business can be conducted properly. One of the main issues is that student are being bombarded with off-campus businesses and corporations, but are missing the messages of many ON-campus necessities.

In the upcoming months I going to work towards a) removing the 11x17 rules for MSU G.A. ads b) allowing student groups the chance to book space and priority c) reduce the use of pamphletting d) LEVEL ALL THE CHAIRS AND TABLES

If anyone has any other concerns about the MUSC and has solutions or input as to how they could be fixed, it would be a great chance to get your voice heard!

Pamphletting is technically against MUSC Bylaws. You are not allowed to hand out unsolicited information.

Also, do you really find a problem getting room bookings in MUSC? I never seem to have to compete with anyone when I'm getting my room bookings. MUSC is generally very good about that.

My own student groups have never had an issue with booking rooms before. Frankly, I think leveling all the chairs and tables is much more critical. If all that is done this year in there is just that, I will be very happy I hate when I have a drink, someone else sits down, and there it goes....

You're not allowed to sell tickets or anything in there either, because Compass has a monopoly.

We tried being in there one year for engmusical, but having a booth with no tickets didnt sell too well... so now we just stick to JHE

what do you mean by levelling all the chairs and tables?

levelling them so they are evenly balanced. Not in the levelling as in destroying them

ok, good. if anything, fitting more chairs or tables somehow would be even better. or somehow replacing the couches with things that more than one person can use. i'm glad people like them, but curling up across a full couch, and then having your bag on another is really not fair.

i agree-
or having yourself on a chair with your feet on the couch , and your laptop on another chair - not so cool

people are always stuck sitting on the floor because of the lack of seating

Is it possible to get rid of the people who are constantly trying to get you to sign up for some bloody credit card just because it has a pretty picture of the arch on it?

Student groups/MSU affiliated events and organizations should def. have the priority in MUSC but I have a feeling that MUSC generates considerable income from those outside organizations that bombard us every chance they get.

Put in more outlets, please.

Thank you.

As a MUSC admin employee (this is by no means an official statement from the administration), I have to say that the rules that are enforced on students are very fair. We allow MSU approved clubs and anyone affiliated with a faculty and department to book space in the Student Centre as long as they complete a liability form and keep in line with policy. Student groups can also book space to study but it has to be done in office hours because due to lack of respect of our facilities we have to be able to monitor the rooms. Frankly, its the clubs and students who don't take the time to inform themselves of our policies that ruin the possibility of more freedom for the students.

When clubs/groups pamphlet, sell items, tickets and food downstairs and leave our rooms unlocked/messy/vandalized they don't realise they are doing damage to the student body. We try to keep the building in its best possible state but unfortunately some people just don't care or respect the building which is why we have to enforce rules so strictly. It only takes one person to ruin an opportunity for everyone.

See, that's the problem though. I don't want to have to call someone, fill out a form and sign my life away to get a few hours of studying in with my friends.

Also, why couldn't there just be penalties for groups who do unruly things when they use the downstairs area? I imagine there are many more groups who would be tidy and polite rather than blatantly rude.

And i see groups with panphlets all the time in the hall by williams......

By filling out those forms that ensures us that we CAN fine and bill those unruly groups. How can we implement charges on people who do break the rules if we have no information on the people that are using the facilities? We can't just let anybody use the rooms without gathering information and signing a liability form because when things do happen how are we suppose to pin it on those groups?

Also, from my experience working there our rooms are abused the most by study groups rather than clubs. I always find meeting rooms filthy after study groups have been in there. They move furniture and leave garbage everywhere for whatever reason I have no idea. If you can think of a better system please let me know because so far this seems to be the best we've got.

Having at least Union Market stay open longer hours on Fridays. I know people tend to like going home on weekends, but for those of us who are unfortunate enough to have midterms at 6 or 7 o'clock, it's very inconvenient to always have to rush to buy food before all the food places close for the night. =_=

When looking down on the student centre from second floor, the design and flow of traffic is definitely in need of a structure change. With more tables, and consequently more outlets, students will have the chance to study on the main floor and plug in their laptops.

In response to the garbage issue, I think it would be pivotal for us all to do our part to remember to recycle and throw out waste. People need to treat the student centre with respect in order to have positive changes.

I definitely think that some more study corrals would be beneficial (like on 2nd floor) and less couches. People are taking advantage of a bed away from home, and it is cutting down on the study space outside of the library.

All great opinions, keep them coming