Honors Hub Grand Opening Celebrates a New Collaborative Space for Students
By Mahidhar Sai Lakkavaram; Photos by Myles Braxton
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On Friday, October 28, Dean Mari Castañeda declared the Honors Hub officially open! With a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a variety of fall-themed food and beverages, the event gathered faculty and students alike to celebrate this new space.
Although the Honors Hub has been available since the start of the school year, Castañeda wanted to have an official opening to recognize it in a formal way. Located on the second floor of the Commonwealth Honors College building, the Honors Hub is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays for students to use. The space can also be booked by campus groups if they need to host an event or a meeting.
The room was originally the Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration’s office, but after they changed departments, it became available to the Commonwealth Honors College.
From prior discussions with students across the Commonwealth Honors College Residential Community (CHCRC), Castañeda felt that there wasn’t a space for students in the CHCRC to collaborate and study together, which is why she pushed for the Honors Hub.
“I want to recognize how important it is to have a space like this to gather. I'm really looking forward to seeing students use it for hosting events, and also as a place to study and to work,” said Castañeda.
She also gave a few opening remarks about the space and how it all came together. “It was Spring 2021 when I finally got the approval, and it's now Fall 2022—it took all that time to move everything, clean everything up, get this furniture, and get the space ready,” she said.
"I want to recognize how important it is to have a space like this to gather. I'm really looking forward to seeing students use it for hosting events, and also as a place to study and to work." — Dean Mari Castañeda
Castañeda also recounted a story where two students were talking about their plans for the day, and how one of them wanted to study at the Honors Hub and was trying to convince the other to join them. “It's doing what it was meant to be doing, which is to create a new space for students,” she said.
Greta Luf, a junior political science and legal studies double major, was using the space to study. She said, “It's really helpful. A bunch of my classes are in this area and it's difficult to find a space that's nice and quiet in between them.”
Tanyi Muanya, a junior political science and journalism double major, and Adrianna Brent, a junior public health sciences and political science double major, were two of the peer ambassadors who helped set up the event. “The Honors Hub is a great space where our peers can feel welcome and appreciated,” said Muanya.
Brent added, “I really enjoyed setting up for this event; we had Honors College-themed balloons, apple cider, apple cider donuts, and cake for everyone to enjoy. I hope that this space brings Honors students and the community together.”
Missed out on the opening? Fear not! The Commonwealth Honors College has a plethora of events lined up for the rest of the semester. We hope to see you at the next one!