Fit to Print: Waybright Student Center a Success?

One Year Later: A Look at the Waybright Student Life Center
By Bethany Kemming

A year after the Gregory L. Waybright Student Life Center’s opening, Trinity International University (TIU) students and staff have responded positively about the center and its role in bringing together undergraduate and graduate students.

Freshman Benita Thorat and Sophomore Stephanie Plotsky encourage
students to donate Misericordia. Many student groups and
off-campus organizations have used the open area of the entrance
to the Waybright Center to set-up tables and displays.
(Times Observer/Bethany Kemming)

According to the Dean of Student Life Dr. William Washington, TIU looked for facilities in which community could flourish on campus, as community is one of Trinity’s core values, and were not satisfied with the places of community on campus.

“We looked at our campus and didn’t feel the places we had for community didn’t meet our expectations…the student life center became one of the prime places of emphasis,” Washington said.

Before opening the center in January 2010, TIU staff had a goal of bridging community between the college, graduate, and divinity school students in one location.

The Deerfield, Ill. campus of TIU is composed of Trinity College, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and Trinity Graduate School. While graduate and divinity school students share many of the same classrooms, the majority of the undergraduate student classes are in one building and on one side of campus. While the Lew Student Center was closer to the undergraduate housing, the Waybright Center is in a more central location, and closer to the library and graduate classroom buildings.

The White Horse Cafe offers grab-and-go options as well as

hot meals. The grab-and-go station was previously located

in the McLennan Academic Building.

(Times Observer/ Bethany Kemming)

The addition of the Waybright Student Center meant the relocating of the White Horse Café, and of university student mailboxes. Graduate student mailboxes were previously located in the lower level of the chapel, and undergraduate mailboxes were located in the Lew Student Center. The name of the old dining hall, Melton Hall, was given to a new multi-purpose room in the Waybright Center, that is used by graduate and undergraduate students alike for a variety of activities, such as coffeehouse events, film festivals, and the State of the University address.

The Waybright Student Life Center is located near the James

E. RolfingMemorial library and the Carlson Hall men's dorm building.

The Waybright Center lantern lounge, the circular section of tan

brick above, has been used for a variety of TIU events, such as

forums and student government debates. (Times Observer/

Bethany Kemming)

While most reviews of the dining hall and new student center have been positive, complaints and issues have arisen. Students have complained of conflicts with meeting room assignments and the
size of the offices allotted to student groups and organizations. While many students like the new Melton Hall, others feel the room is “too multipurpose.”

“It [Melton Hall] is not good for much of anything, the atmosphere is not that great because it’s just a big boxed room,” Trinity College sophomore Ethan Carlson said.

TIU provides other opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to come together through their Dual Degree programs. Undergraduate students can potentially fulfill their masters and bachelor degrees in five years or less through these programs, and interact with graduate students and professors.