For years, Kryzsko Commons has been an essential part of a student’s life here in Winona State University; and a good portion of their day is spent here. Whether it be taking a break between classes, studying in the study rooms, meeting in the purple rooms or coming to the dining hall to have meals, students walk the halls of Kryzsko Commons at least once a day.
There are many students who prefer studying at the study rooms in Kryzsko rather than the library because of the view. One can easily admire the beauty of the campus from inside the building. Though there have been many upgrades and renovations done to the building, there are still few changes that would be appreciated by the students themselves.
One of the biggest problems students have been facing is charging ports. Though there are many charging ports scattered around the building, only handful of them are useful. Students face two problems with these ports. One is so many of them don’t work. It’s either they are broken, or they are not the right size. Another problem would be their placement.
“There are chargers with long cables but same time there are people like me who don’t have them. And I don’t want spend money to get a long cord which won’t be necessary for me to use at other places,” a student, Selenda, stated.
So even though there are perfectly fine charging ports, their placement at some places is so odd that it’s hard to reach to use.
One of the latest additions to the building was the elevator for people who are unable to use the stairs to get easy access; this is also to help lift heavy objects up and down levels easily. But in recent days, there have been incidents seen where people entering the entrances without elevator signs struggle with the use of the elevators without proper information. An incident was being described by a student, Derek, is as follows:
“[A] few days back, on my way to the Kryzsko Commons, an elderly couple with a walker with seat were struggling to go down the stairs near the door behind bookstore. They thought all the entrances were similar as they were new here. I ended up carrying their walker down the stairs to help out and informed them about the elevator on the other ends,” she said. “It would be great if more signs and directions for people were put up to help them find their safe route.”
Now talking about the outside remodeling, we all know how the fire pit is loved by all the students. But during events or even just on a normal day many students want to sit around the fire pit, talk, work, study, paint or read a book or do something while looking at the beautiful pit along with enjoying the nature outside. But there are some obstacles in their ways.
One could be the limited sitting arrangement. Though it would have been nice to have few more spaces to sit around, the bigger issue is the weather. With the weather of Winona, whenever it is snowing or raining, the fire pit can’t be accessed. When people want to enjoy a beautiful fire in a cold winter to keep in touch with the nature, have some time outside, sit around the fire pit enjoy their time with friends with smores’, all they see walking past is a snow pile or a pit drenched in water. Upgrading the fire pit, with both indoor and outdoor like setting could be an incredible addition the students’ enjoyment and our campus’s beauty.
Lastly, greenery in the building would be a significantly positive addition to Kryzsko Commons. At this point in time, where global warming is a big issue and people are becoming more and more aware about it, it is common to have students wanting to see more greenery in the building itself. Additionally, having plants around improves students’ well-being. Looking at greenery is proven to make minds calm and reduce stress, which is ideal for students who may be exhausted and have to study through the last weeks of the semester.
