By Kevin Ritchie
The past will collide with the present over a buffet at Oakham House next week, as former and current staff and students gather to celebrate the upcoming construction of a new student centre.
Talk of building a student centre at Ryerson has gone on for the part 29 years. In September, the university’s board of governors approved a plan to build an $11-million facility between Oakham and O’Keefe houses at 55 Gould St.
The building will be home to student organizations such as CKLN and The Eyeopener, retail services such as Copyrite and a pharmacy, and support services such as the ombudsperson and Ryerson’s Women’s Centre.
For Liz Devine, president of the Ryerson Centre — a group set up to raise and manage funds for the new facility — the dinner is a climax.
“This is really sort of the core to the mission of Ryerson Centre,” Devine said.
Devine has invited past student presidents and Ryerson Centre members who have been involved in planning over three years. She expects 100 people will attend the Nov. 28 party.
A planning committee of representative from RyeSAC, CESAR and Ryerson Centre are in the midst of looking over proposals from project managers to oversee the construction of the centre.
Students have funded a large proportion of the project through a $60 levt that comes out of their tuition fees. The school has also made applications to the City of Toronto for $1-million in support.
But for now the student centre committee is focusing on the task at hand: Choosing a menu for next week’s buffet.
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