The Foreign Language Activity Commons invites clubs and students to study, eat and play all in the comfort of the Joseph F. Smith Building.
The FLAC, located in B003 of the JFSB, serves as a place for language classes and clubs to meet for activities and for students to engage in conversations in foreign languages. The commons is open to students during daytime hours and by reservation in the evenings.
“The FLAC is the home of the BYU Scandinavian club; we do most of our activities here,” said Dane Christensen, 23-year-old president of BYU Scandinavians. “We do all of our film nights here, when we can get it. When we plan our other activities like pizza night or when we have dinners or parities, we always use the FLAC.”
The FLAC offers a great creative alternative to a more traditional classroom setting. It boasts several flat screen TVs and an amply equipped food preparation area with a stove, microwave, fridge and sink. Additionally it has tables and counters for dining as well as a large activity room.
“Usually you have to go to a classroom for club meetings and you don’t have the equipment to make food. You have to bring everything, and it’s just desks. It’s no fun,” Christensen said. “Here you have rolly chairs that everyone seems to love, you have screens everywhere so that you can go and lounge in the kitchen with the food or stay in the big room.”
The FLAC, with its accommodations, has become an essential part of many club functions on campus. In addition to serving as a meeting place for classes and clubs, some on-campus organizations choose to use it as a means of increasing publicity.
“It is a good place for us to announce future events as well,” Christensen said. “It’s an awesome environment where we can talk about (study abroad programs) and give students a taste of Scandinavia with the activity we have planned for the evening.”
FLAC attendant Ducan Pickett, 21-year-old psychology major, offers his assistance to those who wish to take advantage of the resident technology systems during their use of the FLAC.
“There are a lot of HDMI ports. We have a projector that we can hook up if you bring your computer for a presentation,” Pickett said. “If you want to watch a movie we have a Blu-ray player, we have DVDs and we even have a VCR still.”
In addition to providing audio-visual supper for those who reserve the FLAC, Pickett, and other attendants like him, frequently handle requests for reservations. Pickett reported seeing a shift in the use of the activity commons.
“It started as a place where foreign language groups could have activities, give presentations or hold group parties,” Pickett said. “It has expanded to more than that. Any club that wants to come in and hold an event here can.”
Benjamin Holt, a senior studying German, said he has used the FLAC both as a student and as a club member.
“They do both Scandinavian movie nights and German movie nights that I come to,” Holt said. “There is also a German conversation class called ‘Stammtisch’ that they have every Thursday in the FLAC. You can take the class for a credit, or its just a conversation hour that you can go to.”
Activities may be scheduled for any block of time Monday–Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. The FLAC is open for student use Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during fall and winter semesters and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the spring and summer terms, unless otherwise reserved.
To check the availability of the FLAC, speak with a FLAC attendant by calling 801-422-5424 or by stopping by B003 JFSB during hours of operation. To reserve the FLAC on a recurring basis, contact Devin Asay at 801-422-6510 or
