A-State students will have even more spaces on campus to relax and do homework with the opening of two new lounges: the new study area in the Reng Student Union and the upcoming National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Lounge.

The study area in the Student Union is replacing what used to be the campus bookstore. After Textbook Brokers picked up the contract to supply A-State’s textbooks, the space was left empty.

“You’ve got this space that was the bookstore and it was designed exactly like what students wanted,” said Dr. Bill Smith, chief communications officer. “It has exterior entrances that can be secured on their own. It has its own bathrooms. It’s the perfect reutilization of the space.”

The study area does not currently have a name. Student life will communicate with the Student Government Association, who will then decide on names to present to chancellor Todd Shields. 

“Students will have a chance to be in it and live in it and then consider a name for it, which might lead to something more thoughtful and insightful,” Smith said. 

The space had a “soft opening” during finals week last semester, where it operated under limited hours. 

While the space will be open for 24 hours, supply chain issues have delayed the full opening. It is still operating under the same hours as the rest of the Student Union, closing at 11 p.m.

“The exterior entrances that allow it to be isolated from the Union, the equipment for ID access is still not in so we’re waiting on that. We can’t really have it open 24/7 because we don’t have the mechanism for the students to come in and out,” Smith said. 

Smith added that Student Life will monitor the “ebb and flow” of the space to determine how to best staff the lounge. 

Smith said student response to the space has been positive. 

“So far, everybody loves it. It has become very popular very fast,” Smith said. “That’s a credit to the people that designed it. That space has several intentional elements to bring larger groups together and smaller groups together and individuals and then give them their own space within a space.”

The 24 hour study area is not the only new space however, as the National Pan-Hellenic Council will be getting their own lounge in what used to be the Counseling Center. 

The NPHC, also known as the “Divine Nine” are a group of historically Black fraternities and sororities. 

“We have been working with NPHC to try to identify a space for them to use together as organizations for various reasons,” said Dr. Martha Spack, vice chancellor of student affairs. “When we constructed the new student lounge space and were able to work out a way to make that a 24 hour location within the building, we thought that would also be the perfect time to try to locate something for NPHC organizations in that same area.”

The old Counseling Center is being renovated to be more open. There will be a large space for students to gather and work on projects, along with a meeting room in the back.

The NPHC Lounge was originally going to open in fall 2022. However, since moving the Counseling Center took longer than expected due to supply chain issues, renovation for the NPHC Lounge was pushed back. There is no current estimated opening date. 

NPHC leadership was involved with planning the space, meeting with an architect in spring 2022 to discuss wants and needs for the lounge. 

“I know for a fact that it would definitely give students a space where they can feel welcome and comfortable and also another meeting space,” said Robert Johnson, director of student success. “It gives NPHC members another space where they can do activities like meet-and-greets of potential candidates to join organizations and welcome alumni to see the center and everything like that.”

Alexis Beharse, director of student development and fraternity/sorority life, said the space would help “increase the visibility that NPHC has here and a valuable leadership opportunity for students.”

The Counseling Center has moved to what used to be the Wilson Advising Center. It is now called the Wilson Counseling Center. 

“Now that we’re in our own private space, it allows students a little bit more comfort in coming in. The way that our office is also set up allows some additional confidentiality,” said Amber Martin-Long, director of the Wilson Counseling Center. 

The Wilson Counseling Center features a room for group therapy, as well as a meditation room, which will allow students to relax, destress, meditate and more. 

Martin-Long said in the new space, counselors’ offices now have windows. She added that the staff also have a conference room.

“We are a very tight knit group,” Martin-Long said. “So now we have a common space that we can go and have lunch together. It helps our own mental health so that we can be at our finest to help with our students as well.”

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