Reinemund pushes for student space

“Just something fun to do” — that’s how Lawn resident Steven Reinemund modestly described his involvement in the proposed new student center and South Lawn Project. Actually, Reinemund spearheaded the Student Council effort to push for a new student center. Now in his fourth year, Reinemund has found another something fun to do, co-chairing the South Lawn Project’s student task force.

After learning of the proposal for a new student center at a Student Council meeting during his first year, Reinemund took it upon himself to see that the ambitious proposal move forward. “We conducted studies, analyzed student traffic patterns, visited other universities, and led focus groups in an effort to understand how student life works and to prove the need for a new center,” said Reinemund. The ensuing project, which will create a 24-hour hub of social and business activities, is now managed out of the Student Affairs office.

“The South Lawn project appealed to me because I feel students can offer an essential perspective in the planning of a complex that is specifically intended to engage them,” said Reinemund, who approached the administration about formalizing a student committee for this purpose. “Students will be the users of any new space and can therefore provide a different viewpoint and constructively engage in the planning process,” he explained. Reinemund believes the task force’s value will be in its ability to keep the planning process focused on the classroom experience.

Reinemund, who carries the course load to support a double major in Latin American studies and foreign affairs, plus a minor in Spanish, and works 16 hours a week as a management trainee at Wal-Mart, said his involvement in such large-scale University projects is simply a pleasure: “I enjoy these types of projects, even if I won’t be here to benefit from the finished project. The fact that I could participate is enough for me.”