Mech X Student Center: City College’s Hope For The Future
Figure 1: City College Logo “Look behind, Look here, Look ahead”: Wikipedia
November 8th, 2023
Ifedayo Oderinde, Carlos Fernandez, Richard Guaman, Emmanuel Reynoso, Kyler Lindo
Introduction
“The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.” (William Ralph Inge). Team Mech X are college student at The City College of New York. Our friend Kyler visited Columbia College because he and his friends had a Smash Bros Tournament, and he saw that they have an interesting Student Center. He told us and we consulted our college’s president and he told us to come up with a proposal for a student center to be built at our college. He gave us a budget of 16 Million dollars to build the new Mech X Student Center. In order to get some insight into what this student center will have, we conducted a survey within the campus. We asked students around the University and the questions and results we received are below
Questions:
- Are students in favor of student centers? (y or n)
- Where should the student center be located on campus?
- What do you prefer in a student center?
- What does having a student center mean to you?
Results:
Figure 2: Student Survey Data (pie chart)
Aside from the survey, we conducted our own research consisting of other college student centers, referencing academic journals. The colleges we researched were Columbia, Syracuse, Brooklyn College, The Culinary Institute of America, and Rutgers. A combination of these two types of data contributed to what we implemented in our Mech X Student Center.
Action Plan:
Team Mech X has organized a detailed, extravagant, and cost-effective proposition for a Student Center established for the enjoyment of all City College of New York (CCNY) students. The location of this Student Center will be strategically placed in the center of the N.A.C. for optimal student accessibility. This will be a unique and spectacular creative extension to an already aesthetically pleasing campus.
The Student Center will be approximately 28,700 sqft in total. This measurement takes into consideration the four different floors including the roof which are equally available to all students. These floors consist of social spaces, cinema exposure, study rooms, and a fitness/wellness Zen experience. Each floor is specifically designed to have its own attractions for paramount student pleasure.
Waste Stations have been implemented on each floor to increase environmental awareness and bring zero-waste concepts to life. These stations include compost bins (for food waste, and compostable utensils), mixed recycling bins (for plastic containers, and aluminum cans), and trash bins (for snack bags, and condiment packets). This idea was developed to support our school’s participation in the Campus Race to Zero Waste (previously known as RecycleMania) competition. CCNY’s continual engagement in this competition is excellent for raising awareness about recycling and composting throughout higher education. Our student center will be quite an inviting incentive to enroll at CCNY for students who are pursuing Environmental Engineering and are passionate about planetary health.
The First Floor will have a modern theme using a palette of Black, Anchor Grey, and Whisper White. This floor is directly across from the cafeteria where the dining hall will host vendors such as Chipotle and will provide an exceptional Pizzeria for student indulgence. There will be seating areas for students to congregate, eat, and engage in activities. A designated eating area will be located on the split level. The First Floor will have a combined game room concept consisting of various gaming tables (e.g. ping-pong, foosball, air hockey, pool), and entertainment displayed on large TV screens. This floor is specifically designed for an enjoyable time spent between and after classes.
On the Second Floor, the color theme will be Whisper White and Navy. This floor will also carry on the gaming experience (with the use of a neon palette as accents) but not as intensely to prevent overwhelming the main attraction, the theater! It will be closed off from the arcade portion of the room and will have free popcorn available, creating the atmosphere necessary to enjoy some of your favorite movies. There will be a snack bar in the arcade area to satisfy student cravings with some of the sweeter things in life. This snack bar will be operated by students who apply for the position. Not only will this help save money on having to hire outside assistance, but it’ll also be great for promoting more student involvement on campus.
The Third Floor theme takes into account the school’s emblem colors by using Whisper White and accents of Purple. This floor will be dedicated to the academic success, club participation, and physical health of all students. There will be available study pods in which students can complete their studies and meet deadlines in a suitable, quiet location. In addition to this, there will be a clear glass Club Conference Room that students will be able to reserve and hold club meetings/events. The clear glass is specifically designed to welcome other students from the outside looking in to join clubs and engage in various student activities on campus. The last addition to this floor will focus on the physical aspects of student life. A room containing two fitness coaches and a nutritionist’s office provides outlets for students to maintain their health throughout the semester. These two wellness rooms allow for a sneak peek of what to expect on the floor above.
We’ve now arrived at the enclosed Zen Roof (Fourth Floor)! Here the theme is driven by the seven chakra colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Exposure to these colors provides a sense of awareness, communication, and healing. This roof is ultimately meant to provide a pleasant ambiance and relaxing experience. This will be the prime location to lounge and experience the aerial perspective and openness the Zen Roof provides. A nutrition bar will also be made available to students where smoothies, protein drinks, and other beverages will be provided.
Logistics:
- Student Center 14,000 sq ft in size. 28,700 sq ft in total size.
- Located in the middle of NAC
- Waste Stations on each floor – Includes compost bin (all food waste, napkins, paper towels, tissue napkins, clamshell containers, and compostable utensils), mixed recycling bin (plastic bottles and containers, paper, glass bottles, aluminum cans), trash bin (snack bags, condiment packets, plastic bags) – Idea came from American University who AU beat out 604 other American colleges to Grand Champion in the 2012 RecycleMania contest. It was a milestone in the school’s way to becoming 100% waste-free.
(One study found that behaviors of people can be more accurately understood by the settings they are in than from the individual characteristics of the inhabitants themselves ) – If our student center could put the school on the map for having some of the best waste programs that would be great for our community and reputation. It will also be an incentive for possible students pursuing Environmental Engineering and Earth Science to get their degree at CCNY.
- Consistent ways to enter and exit allow a predictable and non-crowded path for students to move freely in and out of the location
First Floor:
- Food Plan for the dining hall – where there will be a pizza place and a Chipotle (The pricing for food usually works by the vendor making more of the profit but the school negotiates a suitable price so that the vendor “profit” is offset by our “profit” somewhere else, The second Floor?) – (Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Missouri. was able to add Chik Fil to their University food assortment) – (Subway is at the lower end of the initial cost spectrum with a $7,500 franchise fee, plus 8 percent royalties and a 4.5 percent advertising fee) – This gives us an idea of what we might be getting into cost wise
- Theme: Black accessories (table, seatings), White (walls, paint ($14 a gal), Flooring
Figure 3. First-floor (Mech X Student Center)
Second Floor:
- Theme – In the theater will be navy – In the snack bar/arcade area it will be Whisper White and Navy
Third Floor
Figure 5. Third-floor (Mech X Student Center)
4th Floor The Zen Roof:
- Theme – Earthy Neutrals – Zen Aesthetic Color Palette
- Nutrition Bar (accommodate the want for fitness and wellness – Food Menu involving)
Figure 6. Fourth-floor (Mech X Student Center)
Gantt Chart.
Figure 7.
Gantt Chart Continued:
In this chart Figure 7, is the estimated timeline of events of how the student center will be constructed and fully functional. It’s planned on a 1-year and 8-month schedule given account of potential delays or unforeseen issues that may occur during construction.
Costs and Benefits
Regarding the action plan, the cost of the amenities and the construction of the student center is represented in Figure 7. The construction is according to the cost per sq ft of New York City.
Construction Estimate:
| Construction cost | Cost | Budget |
| 1st Floor Construction | $6,310,221.251 | |
| 2nd Floor Construction | $1,680,163.97 | |
| 3rd Floor Construction | $1,684,476.59 | |
| 4th Floor Construction | $1,656,036.79 | |
| Franchise and office cost | $800,000 | |
| Unforeseen Expenses | $3,000,000 | |
| Total | $15,131,898.60 | $16,000,000 |
Figure 8.
Benefits:
Despite the immense costs of the student center, the 17 million dollar construction cost of the student center is much cheaper than an entire dedicated student center building.
This is because the cost per sqft that was used falls under the renovation cost, which is way cheaper than the construction cost. A mere 400 dollar difference per sq ft reduces construction costs from more than 30 million dollars to 17 million dollars. Moreover, the cost itself is a fraction of what CCNY gains per semester, especially earning approximately 80 million dollars or more assuming every undergraduate and graduate pays 5k per semester and is generously funded by the CUNY system. Other than the cost, the student center location and amenities is perfect for a CUNY flagship college. The amenities provided are designed to be unique for a CUNY college with a rooftop nutrition bar, an integrated Gameroom, and a food court that feels spacious and surreal to experience. These amenities would bring pride and excitement to be in CCNY and feel as if a community is alive and energetic from being inside the NAC building.
Biography of the Team
Carlos Fernandez
Carlos Fernandez is a second year Civil Engineering student at The City College of New York, he is a strong candidate for this position because he is currently in the pursuit of a career in Civil Engineering, has prior school experience in project execution and planning, and also demonstrates strong verbal and written communication skills.
Ifedayo Oderinde
Ifedayo Oderinde is an intelligent and curious second-year Mechanical Engineering student with knowledge of HTML, CSS, and photography. He currently takes physics and calculus, so he will be available to help with the confirmation and dimensions of the building. His knowledge of HTML and CSS will also allow him to be of use in the creation of the floor plan/ blueprint. He plans to become a software engineer, eventually.
Richard Guaman
Richard Guaman is a first-year mechanical engineering student at The City College of New York. He grew up in East New York, Brooklyn, and attended Aviation High School. Throughout High school, he was consistently helping his classmates with complex technical assignments such as electrical writing, schematic and manual interpretation, and metal fabrication. He was also a part of the Robotics Club Team 1601 at the position of field lead. In the leadership role, he learned the essentials of leadership and team organization that would heavily bring efficiency to the team. Currently, at City College, he is a member of the Harlem Launch Alliance and Robotics Club. With no engineering experience in his name, he hopes to learn CAD and other engineering concepts in the clubs in order to further his career and make his dream come true. In his spare time, he likes to walk for miles around Manhattan and take breathtaking photos of nature. He hopes with the knowledge he gains from this college; he can commercialize the first human flight in the United States.
Kyler Lindo
Kyler Lindo is currently an enrolled undergraduate student at The City College of New York, pursuing a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering. Equipped with programming, knowledge, AutoCAD, advanced mathematics, and strong interpersonal skills. The proposal of this project revolving around the interests of students enrolled in college allows the utilization of these skill sets to improve student life on campus.
Emmanuel Reynoso
Emmanuel Reynoso is currently a second-year undergraduate student at The City College of New York. He is pursuing a career as a Computer Science major and although not having too many skills to back it up, is willing to improve his skills in the field to better grasp future plans. With this presentation, the goal is to show that a student center that revolves around what the students want is essential if the college wants to attract and keep students.
Conclusion
When this student center is fully built and furnished, the impact will be paramount on the community of students here at City College. Incoming students will be attracted to this, which increases enrollment. Students will have more pride in this establishment, and student engagement with one another will increase. With all of these students will graduate more prepared for the real world and then the colleges which reflect on the college in a positive light.
Appendix and References
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