The Scarlet & Black

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The Scarlet & Black

The Scarlet & Black

Students Speak: The HSSC

%E2%80%9CThe+new+chairs.+All+the+new+chairs+are+very+exciting.+I+sat+on+five+different+types+of+chairs+and+I+like+all+of+them.+Also%2C+fun+fact%2C+Keith+Brouhle+was+in+charge.+He+is+the+department+chair+for+economics+and+he+was+also+the+HSSC+chair+chair.%E2%80%9D%0A%0A%E2%80%9CI+think+if+they+were+willing+to+spend+so+much+money+on+the+HSSC+then+they+should+have+been+willing+to+pay+prisoners+a+proper+wage+to+do+it.+Because+what%E2%80%99s+a+few+more+hundred+dollars+in+the+scheme+of+things%3F+Also%2C+they+shouldn%E2%80%99t+have+rushed+it+for+admitted+students+or+for+trustees.+We+were+told+it+would+be+done+2020%2C+and+I+know+from+a+lot+of+students+that+there%E2%80%99s+many+things+they+haven%E2%80%99t+quite+gotten+right+in+constructing+the+place.+So+I+wish+that+if+they+were+spending+so+much+money+they+would+have+been+willing+to+treat+it+with+the+care+it+deserved.+So+I+would+say+it%E2%80%99s+worth+it%2C+maybe.%E2%80%9D+-+Saketan+Anand+%E2%80%9821
“The new chairs. All the new chairs are very exciting. I sat on five different types of chairs and I like all of them. Also, fun fact, Keith Brouhle was in charge. He is the department chair for economics and he was also the HSSC chair chair.” “I think if they were willing to spend so much money on the HSSC then they should have been willing to pay prisoners a proper wage to do it. Because what’s a few more hundred dollars in the scheme of things? Also, they shouldn’t have rushed it for admitted students or for trustees. We were told it would be done 2020, and I know from a lot of students that there’s many things they haven’t quite gotten right in constructing the place. So I wish that if they were spending so much money they would have been willing to treat it with the care it deserved. So I would say it’s worth it, maybe.” – Saketan Anand ‘21

Earlier this semester, the new Humanities and Social Sciences Complex officially opened up for classes. The S&B’s Zoe Fruchter ‘21 and Shabana Gupta ‘22 caught up with students in the HSSC to see what they think about the complex that cost the College $112 million to build, asking “what’s your favorite study spot in the HSSC?” and “was it worth all the money?”.

“I mean, I like the design of it, and usually I’m on the third floor because there’s a lot of rooms there that have glass windows that you can look out of. Usually on the weekends a few friends and I hang out there.”

“In comparison to the ARH and the amount of space, I think yes, because now it’s been updated, especially where the [political science] profs’ offices had been before. You’re not going to have a lot of expansion room to get new professors, new programs, new opportunities as before with the lack of space.”-Tanner Tufto ‘20

“I really like all of the natural light. I like all of the glass and the open spaces. And I like not having to fight over study spaces. I feel like you can always find a spot in here.”

“Yes? I think so, I don’t really have a super strong opinion. It seems like a good investment. I don’t know if I’m supposed to say this, but I heard that they have actually run out of funding, so after they finish their immediate renovations they have to pause. And I know they’ve raised the goal for fundraising from $125 million to $175 million or something, so it seems like it’s a bigger project than they had initially planned for. And that’s understandable with the harsh winter we had and having to pay for, well I don’t know how construction works, but I’ve heard there’s been complications paying workers and stuff like that. So it was a big undertaking, maybe bigger than the school thought it would be, but I think long term it’s a good investment.” -Lynn Nguyen ‘20

 

“The new chairs. All the new chairs are very exciting. I sat on five different types of chairs and I like all of them. Also, fun fact, Keith Brouhle was in charge. He is the department chair for economics and he was also the HSSC chair chair.”

“I think if they were willing to spend so much money on the HSSC then they should have been willing to pay prisoners a proper wage to do it. Because what’s a few more hundred dollars in the scheme of things? Also, they shouldn’t have rushed it for admitted students or for trustees. We were told it would be done 2020, and I know from a lot of students that there’s many things they haven’t quite gotten right in constructing the place. So I wish that if they were spending so much money they would have been willing to treat it with the care it deserved. So I would say it’s worth it, maybe.” – Saketan Anand ‘21

 

“My favorite part of the HSSC is DASIL [Data and Social Inquiry Lab] because it’s a great community. We have a great group of people here, we spend a lot of time here, get a lot of work done, have a great facility, lots of help available for anyone who needs it.”

“Depends on where the money could have gone otherwise — there are definitely parts of the HSSC that are superfluous.” – Hollis Akins ‘22

“I love all of the north-end, second-floor classrooms. My favorite feature is how easy it is to hook up to the sound system to bump your favorite tunes while you’re studying.”

“I would say that it is definitely a worthwhile investment because I feel like the ARH was just getting kind of crusty. In the HSSC, I don’t see a lot of wasteful expenditure in here, I see technology that is being consistently used and is generally very useful. Maybe I’m not educated enough to make that claim, but I feel like generally I’m very happy with the HSSC. And I can’t conceptualize that amount of money.” – Rose Caplan ‘21

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