By: Melissa Mewdell
Students found themselves behind the eight ball last Tuesday when they discovered Ryerson’s games room closed. Normally filled with pool sharks and pinball wizards, the room is now packed with used book buyers.
“I’m very disappointed. I was looking forward to having something fun to do during my spare. Now we’re going to have to go do drugs or something,” said marketing student Emanuel Costa, 23.
The games room was closed by RyeSAC over the summer to create a space for distributing the new student TTC passes. The used bookstore, already cramped for space before the arrival of the double cohort, was moved to the old games room site and the TTC passes are now on sale in the former used book room.
RyeSAC president Ken Marciniec explained that, unlike the games room, which put only $4,800 back into student coffers last year, both the used book room and student TTC passes save students cash directly.
For example, a student TTC pass is $11.75 cheaper than the adult pass students bought last year. RyeSAC has sold about 400 passes per day since school started.
But does this mean it’s game over for the games room?
Marciniec says that while the games room itself is closed, gaming lives on in Okham House where the games room’s most popular games (pool and foosball) are still available. Arcade game lovers can visit the arcade on Yonge Street during long hours between classes(at the intersection of Yonge and Gould streets) to get their fix.
“I like to have a good game of foosball at the pub,” said RyeSAC president Ken Marciniec. Eventually, students will be able to battle boredom in the Student Campus Centre.
The new centre should be finished by next fall and will be located between Oakham House and O’Keefe House on Gould Street.
“It will be a one stop centre for students,” said Marciniec.
The Student Campus Center will not only house front-line student services like RyeSAC and student group offices, but will also be attached to an expansion of Oakham House. Part of the expanded Oakham House will be dedicated to pool, foosball, and arcade style games.
Leave a Reply