A Student Activities Center opened at Palm Beach State College’s Belle Glade campus today giving students a new place to connect and unwind.
The 2,781-square-foot center, located in the TEC building, room 109, cost more than $17,000 to create and was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony with live music, dancing, food and giveaways. It features two pool tables, a ping pong and foosball table, three flat screen televisions, four computers, 11 lounge chairs, as well as an X Box 1 and Play Station 4.
The campus previously offered a student lounge adjacent to the library where students could interact. However, after some suggestions from students to PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D., during a forum she hosted on campus earlier this year, the College decided to change the location.
“We believe this new location is a much better fit for our students,” said Andrew Barrett, student activities manager. “Not only is the space much larger, the activity that will go on inside the center won’t disturb anyone in the library.”
The center, which previously served as a tactical training room for criminal justice students, took eight months to complete. According to Dr. Maria Vallejo, vice president for growth and expansion and provost of the Belle Glade and Loxahatchee Groves campuses, this is the first student center created on campus since its opening in 1977.
In addition to Belle Glade, Palm Beach State has Student Activities Centers on its Lake Worth and Palm Beach Gardens campuses.
