What’s Cooking? An Update from the SGA Student Kitchen Committee

By Rexford Bloxsom-Carter, Spring 2011

Changes are coming fast as the student kitchen takes shape. During the past academic year, the SGA Kitchen Committee, in conjunction with the office of Geoff Bingaman, has been working diligently to make the space a little more welcoming, friendly, and functional. It’s been the SGA’s responsibility to manage and maintain the kitchen, and it was the SGA who initially bought all the furniture when CSPP moved into our current building. Fundamentally, it is a space for the students, created (more or less) by the students.

Recently, students have been describing the kitchen as inhospitable and unwelcoming. For me, the only time I used to venture into the kitchen was when I needed to make tea or wanted to buy lunch from Leti and Manuel. Many students expressed frustration about the substandard appliances and lack of power outlets, the coffee machine that's more likely to be out of service than in service, and about the “refrigerator” that struggled to hold its temperature. The SGA Kitchen Committee was formed in direct response to these aggravations.

The first thing we on the committee put on our agenda was getting a new refrigerator. With the help of Geoff Bingaman, we were able to quickly put in the order, and we now all have a fridge that works. After reviewing the statistics on how often the coffee machine was used, the next order of business was to remove it to create more space. Additionally, Geoff has scheduled the vending machines to be moved to a different wall to make room for two recently purchased couches that we plan to place under the skylight. The next stage in the renovation involves putting up artwork, getting new plates and bowls, putting in a new table, and acquiring more than one functioning microwave.

I would also like to thank our Dean, Dr. Sammons, who contributed to the SGA funds to purchase the couches. Additionally, none of this would have been possible without the help Geoff Bingaman. Despite his busy schedule, he has collaborated closely with SGA, and was always there to bounce ideas off and to help plan the next steps of action. He consistently demonstrated his commitment to students and I feel very fortunate that he is working with us here at the San Francisco Campus. If you have any additional suggestions or comments, please e-mail me at rbloxsom-carter@alliant.edu.