Activities Hub abuzz

Following the grand opening of the new Student Activities Hub, USM students are starting to move in and make the space their own.

“The new Hub is cozy and comfortable,” Darius Howard, senior psychology major from Yazoo City said. “It has plenty of room for clubs to meet and students to study. It’s great for USM Campus Civitan Club because we store our supplies in the lobby cabinets.”

Southern Miss’ Hub building has been a central point for students on campus since 1930. Originally called “Wimpy’s,” the Hub building was the main dining hall on campus until the J.B. George Commons building was built in 1962.

The first renovation project was finished in 1963, when “Wimpy’s” was renamed the Hub. The campus bookstore and post office were also moved into the building at that time

Plans for the Hub’s second renovation since its inception began in 1992. Reopened in November 2009, the Hub contains the Student Activities Office that holds four major student organization offices: Student Government Association, African-American Student Organization, Southern Miss Activities Council and The Southerner yearbook.

All students are welcome to use the Hub’s lobby for study hours and reserve conference rooms. Various organizations and departments, such as international studies, have already put the conference rooms to use. Reservations are made at the Student Activities Web site.

“The new student hub provides a much-needed location that allows many of our university’s various organizations to work closely with one another,” senior double major in political science and history Bentley Anderson from Hattiesburg, Miss. said. “The Interfraternity Council has already had opportunities to hold meetings within the conference rooms.”

The building is now officially called the Student Activities Hub because of its accessibility for students. The project to finish renovations to the Hub began to move forward with 2007-2008 SGA President Vince Fabra. Then, as Melissa Cirino took office, she and USM President Martha Saunders finalized details and completed the 15-year project.

“We are much more connected to the students because of our new location,” Assistant Director for Student Activities Audrey M. Charoglu said. “The Hub is a convenient area for students to work together and ask questions of any activities director.”

Charoglu worked closely with Fran Jones, Associate Director of the Union & Programs Department, for the past three years, alongside contractors to complete the new Hub designs and renovation plans. She said the amount of space in the new Hub is the best attribute.

 “I came to the opening of the new Hub and I come back each week because I love to walk around and see changes of the facility,” graduate student Jade Matthews from Moss Point, MS said. “It’s such a tremendous change from the bookstore I remember the building as.”

The Student Activities Hub added 200,000 square feet to the combination of the R.C. Cook University Union and Hub building. It offers resources to all student organizations such as a copy and fax machine, event planning guidance, leadership development and more. For more information, e-mail student.activities@usm.edu.