By ERIC ANDERSON
Students who remember the step-down lounge and the Memorial Lounge in the Wilkinson Center will be glad to know that two new lounges will soon open.
Karen Duffin, BYUSA public relations director, said BYUSA is planning to open a new student lounge in January on the first floor of the Wilkinson Center.
The new area will have vending machines, couches, chairs and a big screen television, Duffin said.
'There are places on campus where students go, but they are usually according to their college or hobbies,' she said. 'There isn't just one area on campus where students can go simply to hang out without being there for a class or club meeting. This area will be for all students to mingle, to watch television, to study and to grab a bite to eat.'
The new student lounge has not been named yet, so BYUSA is having a contest to name it. Students may submit their ideas to BYUSA in 3400 ELWC.
According to a news release, all entries must be received before Dec. 1.
'The chosen name will be placed in the student lounge as the official and permanent name and will offer the winner of the contest a chance to become part of BYU's heritage,' Duffin said.
The Memorial Lounge, which was one of the first major Wilkinson Center renovation projects, was demolished in November of 1995. Before it was taken down, the Memorial Lounge was one of the largest study areas on campus and was used by many students.
Troy Johnson, a senior from Kuna, Idaho, majoring in athletic training, used to study in the Memorial Lounge.
'I remember that place. I loved curling up next to the fireplace with a good text book and studying there for hours,' he said.
The Memorial Lounge was the home of memorials dedicated to BYU students who have lost their lives in a war. Those memorials will be place in the new Memorial Hall.
Dick Aland, construction manager for Student Auxiliary Services, could not give an exact date for the opening of the Memorial Hall, but promised it would be soon.
Now the area designated for the new hall is serving as a staging area for construction. Once the staging area can be moved, construction on the Memorial Hall will be finished, he said.
The new hall will be located on the east end of the second floor in the Wilkinson Center, Aland said.