New desk, look for Crosby

While talk of a new student center has rapidly spread, it is common knowledge that it will not be constructed before current Gonzaga students graduate. Therefore, Gonzaga is working to improve Crosby so current students can have a pleasant common space.

According to Larissa Fort, the night manager of Crosby Student Center,  "Students know we aren't building a new student center during their years at Gonzaga, so we are asking, what can we do to make Crosby be nicer for them?"

An easy way to improve the Crosby information center was to update the information desk, which has been in place for two decades.  A new desk was designed and installed over the summer, which drastically improves the look and functionality of the main floor of Crosby.

Fort said that along with the new furniture that was added to Crosby last year, she is hoping the new information desk will also add to the atmosphere of the student center. Fort said the improvements to Crosby will not only change the student experience, but also make the building nicer for visitors. "Every visitor walks through Crosby, so we wanted it to be nice for them, too," she said.

Mac McCandless, the head architect for Gonzaga, said that a lot of thought was put into the new information desk, which has specific features that will help improve the information center and the room as a whole.

"I think the curved shape provides a much better orientation to the room.  Also, the combination of the low service counters and high transaction counters helps channel users to specific work station points. Finally, the use of wood, tile and carpet matches the rest of the décor in the room, which helps blend the desk into the room.  It looks like it fits," McCandless said.

 Fort said one of the goals of the new information desk is to appear more professional. While the new desk itself will have a more professional feel to it, so will the employees working behind it. Crosby staff will now wear more than just the nametags that previously had been required.

"Students will be wearing an apron, so people know that the student is working," said Fort. The Crosby manager explained that in the past it has been hard to differentiate between Crosby employees who were on their shift and those who were just hanging out. "The aprons will help," Fort said.

Other aspects of Crosby will also receive a makeover. "Most of the Crosby forms will be on the community website, and they will be interactive," said Fort, who explained that this is a good way to cut down on paper and also make the forms easily accessible to the Gonzaga community.

While many students will be sad to see the old information desk go, the new one will certainly add a refreshing look to the Crosby Center. Even McCandless admitted, "Can't beat ‘old' for nostalgia!" He then explained that he, like many others, has a personal connection to the desk. "Designing that desk was the first project I did at Gonzaga, which led to a permanent position as campus architect going on 20 years."