The New School has been making some changes of its own, so just because you have a new roommate and new classes doesn’t mean you’re the only one starting this year rejuvenated. There are a boatload of care-worthy new things around campus, and we’re not just talking about the fresh layer of paint in the basement of 11th Street.
Three Fifth Ave. Floors Dedicated to Designing
Building a multimedia sculpture made out of wood, plexiglass, and silk can be difficult in an apartment the size of a shoebox. (Trust us, we know.) Finding space to create beautiful, beautiful art may be less of a struggle once the Parsons’ Making Center is finally unveiled. Though still under construction, the Hub will be made up of three floors filled with “3D printing technologies, a complete ceramics ‘wet lab,’ updated printmaking facilities, and white boards, pin-up areas, and configurable workspaces for [students of every major and minor to] develop and share ideas,” a New School spokesperson said. When completed, the Making Center will be located at the corner building on Fifth Avenue and 13th Street.
Design Now Within Reach
Students studying Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Lighting Design, and Product Design will soon have a floor to call their own. This semester, the twelfth floor of 2 West 13th Street will be the new home of the School of Constructed Environments at Parsons. “I’m really excited to have a new space to work in,” said Alyssa Joines, a sophomore BA/BFA student studying interior design at Parsons. “This is going to make us feel a much better sense of community.”
Hey, Arnhold! Thanks for the New Studios
Parsons isn’t the only school benefiting from renovations and relocations. BFA students of the Dramatic Arts will be able to practice and perform in fresh spaces, now that their building’s construction is finished. The School of Drama’s newly completed studios are located in the ninth Floor of Arnhold Hall, located at 55 West 13th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
Going Up on a Monday, Tuesday… Well, Everyday
Trying to figure out where classes are is complicated enough when elevator lines extend for blocks outside buildings and the cars are sweatily crammed with people. (We’re pretty sure the elevators are the sole source of our stress levels skyrocketing.) Last semester many students like Yasmin Ahram, a Journalism + Design student who observed that “on top of fighting to find the best seat in the classroom, we had to fight to even get a spot on the elevator every day,” grew exasperated with the situation. Frustrations have, apparently, been heard loud and clear. 66 West 12th Street’s previous three elevators were replaced with bigger and seemingly faster elevators. Delays and other related problems should hopefully now be solved thanks to this renovation of the 12th Street side of the Lang building.
Print Your Papers in Style
The 11th Street side of the Lang building wasn’t neglected this summer, either. Long gone is the outdated, uncomfortable building basement. Refurbished with black leather seating and minimalistic tables, the lower level of 65 West 11th Street feels as relaxed as the students snacking, printing, and spending time there throughout the day. “I think it looks a lot better,” Lang sophomore Haley Bolen exclaimed. “It’s a lot more enjoyable to spend time down there, less taskful.” We hope this means no more roaches falling from the ceiling, as well.
Sushi Taking Center Stage
The University Center’s Event Café has unexplainably closed, yet there has been an addition of culinary offerings. An entirely separate sushi bar is now open in the corner of the cafeteria on the second floor of the University Center near the microwaves, offering a menu replete with delicious rolls to satisfy all tastes. “I always used to get the Lang roll from the old sushi bar,” said Lang student Andie Fortier, who doesn’t mind that the new sushi bar is a bit separated from the rest of the food. “They renamed it the 5th Avenue Roll!”
Photo by Julia Himmel