All-Night Study Center to be remodeled in the coming months
The center hasn’t received significant updates since 2011, so Student Government plans to refurbish the space to be more accommodating for students.
January 23, 2023
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story mistakenly stated Michael Cooper’s position and Reilly Bridgers’ involvement with a bill passed by Student Government in 2013.
Student Government plans to renovate the All-Night Study center, located on the second floor of the Hillel Jewish Life Center adjacent to the Wimberley Library, with new technology, fresh paint, and refurbished flooring, says Student Government Chief Financial Officer Reilly Bridgers.
“What we’re trying to do is make it a full-on stop for students where if you don’t really need to go to the library or the library is closed, you have a place to go that’s centrally located right in the breezeway,” said Bridgers.
Currently, there is one set of cubicles, three smaller private study rooms, a lengthy high-top desk, and many large circular desks scattered around the room. The floors are primarily white with dull-colored square accents, and visible scuff marks.
Senior computer science major Ariana Galindo frequents the study center multiple times a day because “it’s quieter” than the library.
When Bridgers was the Boca House of Representatives speaker, he worked with former Student Union director Michael Cooper to get new furniture for the study center. That was the last time the space was changed.
“Those bills, they’re in the study space today,” said Bridgers. “Frames are there to view, and so when I’ve gone into the space, you know, [I noticed it had] fallen into a state of disrepair. I could tell that it had been a while since it’s received some love.”
Bridgers is working with the SG members and Boca House of Representatives to allocate funds and slowly implement changes to the study center.
Renovation plans for the All-Night Study center include stripping and waxing the floors, fixing up the stairs, adding new desks with charging ports, and painting the walls an FAU blue. There will also be two “collaboration stations” with TVs available for device connection; one upstairs and one downstairs.
According to SG Boca Treasurer Stefan Andjelkovic, the largest cost of the project is $18,000, which they plan to spend on individual study booths. Andjelkovic said that in total, $60,000 has been allocated to the budget for renovations as of January 2023.
“We want to make it a collaborative environment,” said president’s Chief of Staff Nicole Abreu. “We want to try our best to not displace students who go there for peace and quiet.”
As the project continues, SG is planning to heavily market the newly renovated space with social media updates and added signage on the outside of the Hillel Jewish Life Center to encourage the study center’s use.
SG is hoping for the project to be completed by early May 2023.
“We hope that renovating the space will provide students with up-to-date resources in a comfortable space to allow them to complete their studies whenever they need to,” said SG President Pierce Kennamer. “If there is a change or an addition anyone believes to be beneficial to the space, definitely reach out to Student Government to see if we can make that accommodation!”