Lerner Space Crunch Angers Students

On the west side of the fifth floor of Lerner Hall, space is at an absolute premium. Small offices are packed with filing cabinets and boxes full of papers, computers fill much of the usable desk space, and people affiliated with the Student Government Office and other student-run clubs are often crowded together in small areas trying to work efficiently.

For years, students have expressed frustration regarding the lack of club space in the student center, especially as the sixth floor of Lerner lies vacant. But as proposals for the empty space have come and gone, students and administrators have become exasperated, with some giving up on the space.

"Space in Lerner has always been an issue," said Juliet Berman, CC '07 and Editor in Chief of the Columbia Yearbook.

Last year, Senior Executive Vice President Robert Kasdin announced that the administration was considering a transformation of the sixth floor of Lerner, an area which many, including Berman, cite as a possible way to alleviate the space crunch, into a temporary gym. That plan was abandoned due to security concerns.

Lisa Hogarty, executive vice president of Administrative and Student Services, expressed frustration at the process of converting the vacant area into a usable space. "I give up. I do. It's about money and territory," she said at a January meeting of the University Senate's Student Affairs Committee.

While the administration is looking for ways to use the sixth floor of Lerner effectively, some have expressed concern at jumping into anything too quickly.

"The thing with Lerner six is ... we're only going to get to do it once. Let's do it right and let's find out what that is," said Joseph Ienuso, senior executive vice president of Columbia Facilities, in February. "Something has to get done."

While the administration looks for ways to utilize space effectively, some student club leaders have expressed frustration, saying that the inability of space hinders their ability to maximize their clubs' potential.

"It's harder to build a sense of community if there's no central space," said Taylor Walsh, CC '08 and editor in chief of the Blue and White. "It's a big draw for recruits to have a space that they can associate with the publication."

The Blue and White shares an office with The Fed on the fifth floor of Lerner. However, Walsh noted that during layout weekends they are often relegated to working in someone's suite or in the Broadway Sky Lounge because Lerner closes at night.

"A publication that comes out as often as ours that is 40 pages and that employs 100 students would benefit from a space," Walsh said. "It must not be a priority for the administration, or else there wouldn't be so many roadblocks."

Berman noted that she felt lucky to have even a small permanent space on the fifth floor, though it is also used as storage for other groups.

"At the end of the day we're one of the only groups with our own private space," she said. "That's a big luxury here at Columbia."

Josh Hirschland contributed to this article.