Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

EDITORIAL: Reclaim Sellinger for Undergrads

Sellinger Lounge is one of Georgetown University’s best efforts at developing a multifaceted space on campus. However, maintenance problems and confusion over the lounge’s primary goals seriously detract from functionality for undergraduate students.

Sellinger, found just outside the university bookstore in the Leavey Center, serves a wide range of people in the Georgetown community. Tour groups pass through during the day, graduate and medical students eat there after going to Chick-Fil-A at night, and undergraduates study through the night.

Each of these functions may benefit Georgetown as an institution but makes Sellinger stray from students’ best interests. The university must address existing facilities concerns, in addition to working with undergraduates to provide the community a space that addresses their preferences and needs.

Outlets across Sellinger are not working, which is frustrating for students who rely on their computers for work. This problem should not be difficult to resolve — Georgetown simply must prioritize functionality for students.

The lounge, Hoya Court and bookstore are also overrun with mice. A space as recently renovated as Sellinger should not be suffering from rodent issues already, but the problem has arisen nonetheless; Georgetown should deal with the intruders before the infestation spirals out of control.

In addition to basic maintenance concerns, updates to the area around Sellinger have brought the lounge further away from its purpose as a student space.

In fall 2017, Georgetown added Chick-Fil-A and salad shop Crop Chop to its offerings in Hoya Court, redesigned the university bookstore’s to bring in more customers, and restructured Sellinger around a more open layout.

The overhaul was likely motivated by a desire to increase campus appeal, in addition to drawing customers to the bookstore. These aims seem to have been fulfilled, but only at the expense of Sellinger’s appeal as a student space — which Georgetown desperately needs.

During the day, Sellinger is plagued by the heavy foot traffic of tourists, students from the Georgetown University Medical Center and other members of the Georgetown community uninterested in cultivating a productive study space.

Around mealtimes, Sellinger becomes, effectively, a spillover area for customers to eat. This influx takes up the lounge’s limited space, restricting students’ ability to study in a comfortable space.

In Sellinger, Georgetown should seize the opportunity to develop a space with undergraduates’ interests in mind.

The Healey Family Student Center, opened in 2014, is a good space for students to both work and socialize. However, limited space provides an unavoidable obstacle in the way of addressing the needs of undergraduates.

The 2016 opening of Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Residence Hall, whose ground floor includes a multipurpose meeting room, a kitchen and many couches for students, was also a positive step toward resolving issues around student space. However, the space only has one table for common use and is made up mostly of couches, leaving students in search of a comfortable study space.

Sellinger is Georgetown’s best chance at further meeting the study and social needs of undergraduate students.

Changes in Sellinger’s layout also resulted in coffee shop Uncommon Grounds moving to the second floor of the bookstore. UG has reduced its operating hours since the move, depriving students of coffee as they study late into the night.

The university has extended the reach of Sellinger and its surroundings, but the space still lacks functionality for students.

In a long-term effort to improve a campus lacking in student-centric spaces, the university must consult students to determine their preferences and needs during renovations and construction. In the short term, Georgetown must address the maintenance problems that currently plague Sellinger.

The Hoya’s editorial board is composed of six students and is chaired by the Opinion Editor. Editorials reflect only the beliefs of a majority of the board and are not representative of The Hoya or any individual member of the board.

View Comments (4)
Donate to The Hoya

Your donation will support the student journalists of Georgetown University. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.

More to Discover
Donate to The Hoya

Comments (4)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Leave a Reply to Actually Phil Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • A

    Actually PhilOct 29, 2018 at 11:08 am

    I don’t know why these jokers are pretending to be me but their waifus are probably garbage.

    I’m really happy to know that the Hoya provides a safe place for us to discuss the fact that perfection only exists in two dimensions- really good on them. Although I am angry with my identity being stolen, I agree with the other Phils above and their choice of animation indulgent.

    Reply
  • J

    John DeGioiaOct 28, 2018 at 9:01 pm

    This sounds like Ed Board ran out of things to complain about. How does “confusion over the lounge’s primary goals seriously detract from functionality”? That makes no sense. It is a public space that has public uses. Undergrads are not the only audience of Sellinger, but they have many other spaces on campus where they are the main audience. Please find more interesting things to whine about.

    Reply
  • T

    The Real PhilOct 26, 2018 at 12:56 pm

    I agree with this Phil above but he really comes off as someone who receives poor grades in community-based learning courses.

    Sellinger is a gathering place meant to foster creativity and innovation that can effectively be achieved through interdisciplinary connection. This productivity space is exactly that – a space for productive interaction between students, regardless of their education level. Futhermore, since the overhaul, the lounge has been equipped with double or triple the seating/work space. If this isn’t meeting functionality needs I don’t know what is.

    I have personally spoken with medical students about which anime girl they think is the prettiest, so you can say things are looking pretty good here. In fact, one of them has made me realize that 3 dimensional women are inferior in all regards. My waifu top tier.

    Reply
  • P

    PhilOct 24, 2018 at 1:18 am

    Sounds like the Ed Board is looking for a quiet study space, rather than an actual student lounge, in which eating, hosting guests, and being utilized by med students is not out of line with its intended function. Fear not, Lau has 5 whole floors of quiet study space for those in search of it

    Reply