As a visiting prospective student, Common Grounds was one of the biggest drawing factors for me when I applied to EMU. The ambient space is run and managed by students, as the business is a student organization. I was as shocked as anyone last spring when I first heard the rumors that Common Grounds would be moved, without a concrete plan of what to put in the beloved space afterward.
At Sunday night’s town hall, Dean of Students Shannon Dycus emphasized EMU’s need for a central student hub- what administrators hope to be the student union. If you haven’t heard the plans, the gist is that Common Grounds will be semi-combined with the Den and the game room on the second floor of the University Commons. Administrators want to create a space where everyone will feel welcomed.
I find that interesting, as the plan for the move seems to situate Common Grounds between the greasy food Den smell and the loud basketball games. Both of these aspects are essential to campus as well, but they don’t align with what Common Grounds is for the student body – a safe, chill, ambient space for studying and coffee breaks. Studying in Common Grounds is only made possible by the considerate community and underground feel. I have no doubt that this quiet, yet interesting, study space will not be replicated in the new space. While the plans for the future student union include many renovations to try to recapture some of what exists in the current Common Grounds, I’m not convinced that we’d really be able to gain back what we’ll be losing by moving it. I wanted to inform my developing opinion with perspectives from other students.
Senior Isaac Alderfer is currently Common Grounds’ longest working barista. Isaac started in fall 2019, his sophomore year. While Isaac’s favorite part of working at Common Grounds is making the drinks, he enjoys the space a lot more when people are able to hang out and eat there. COVID-19 prevented that from happening for a while. Isaac sees the need for a student union on campus- a central hub for students. That’s why he’s optimistic about the moving plans. “It’s not going to be the same – we need to set our expectations.”
This semester, many first-years and sophomores were surprised by the plans to move as well. First-year Cassidy Walker is one of those students. She spends much of her time in Common Grounds and was concerned when she heard about the decision being made with what she felt was inadequate student input. She, among other students, organized a petition to stop the move of Common Grounds. The petition has totaled 247 students and additional alumni and community members. Her biggest disappointment isn’t in the move itself, per se, but how little say students had in it.
I, myself, was disappointed to learn during the town hall that only 26% of student input was from commuters. As a commuter myself, I think of Common Grounds as my home away from home- a hub for commuters to not stand out on campus. I feel comfortable in Common Grounds. Most of my time on campus is spent there, and I think commuters have a unique relationship with Common Grounds as a necessity to socializing on campus.
Common Grounds Product Manager and junior Merry Yirga has known about the potential plan since spring 2021 but agree with Walker that the EMU administration hasn’t actually listened to students. “Students, including myself, can see that they weren’t included in this conversation, and they’re going to remember that. EMU administrators are damaging the trust they have with us, students. [EMU administration], are you listening to how hurt students are, how unfairly you’ve carried this out?”
One of Yirga’s favorite things about Common Grounds is the different feel it gives in comparison to the rest of campus. It’s a place for a mental break – somewhere on campus where you don’t have to stress about school stuff. It doesn’t feel like a shabby, college coffee shop. It’s an eclectic, ambient space that is key to the EMU community. It sets EMU apart, and if the plan goes forward, EMU will lose a true student-led gem of campus.
Walker and Yirga both expressed excitement for the student union, but both also affirmed that the student union would be just as or more effective without Common Grounds being present.
During the town hall, EMU staff members asked for feedback on the plan. However, to me, it seemed like the decision had been made, regardless of what students say now. EMU administrators have no right to claim they listen to their students when they don’t.
I’m disappointed in my university and my administrators, and they’re losing institutional integrity. I understand that institutions need to make money, but the amount of money students pay for tuition earns us a voice in decision-making on campus, especially in student-started initiatives like Common Grounds. I’d say, while administrators are claiming to still want our feedback, let’s give it to them.
