The new Jay Lounge has made a big splash around campus. The state-of-the-art space is located on the lower level of Baugher Student Center (BSC). The Lounge doubles as an event space while also a leisure area for students.
This wasn’t a process that happened overnight. The construction of the Jay Lounge came with many important and difficult decisions. At the helm of dealing with those problems was Procurement Manager at Special Events and Summer Programs (SESP) Melissa Gruber.
Before becoming a lounge, the walls were mirrors which caused a problem. “By building a wall in front of the original mirrored walls we were able to save time and cost since the removal of the glass would have been costly,” Gruber said.
The ceiling of the Jay Lounge caused some conflict with the modern design, too. “We found great tiles, but they were not sufficient to hold the…light fixtures,” Gruber said. “We finally found a tile that held the weight and gave us the look we sought.”
These issues were only minor setbacks as the experienced SESP team got everything accomplished for the grand opening. The Jay Lounge opened on Oct. 14 when it held its first Open House and hosted speaker Kyla Jenée Lacy for the first social event. The next day, the lounge was open for students, family and faculty to walk through and view it for the first time.
The Jay Lounge is an area where clubs could go and have meetings, guest speakers could come and present, students could go to study or even just unwind. It includes a large open area with tables and chairs as well as a living room area equipped with a couch, virtual fireplace and television. It also has additional seating with booths and a high-top along the perimeter of the room.
Junior engineering major Scotty Reagan had nothing but praise for the new Jay Lounge. He went during the Open House and loved the new event area.
“I instantly loved the vibe and all the space,” Reagan said. “It felt like a place I would go to study or even just chill with friends.”
Reagan was impressed with how much space was in the open layout of the lounge. “It has all the seating you need for a presentation, but if you clear some room, there is so much room for activities,” Reagan said.
The main theme that is being discussed is the modern design of the lounge. Junior criminal justice major Dylan Waller really enjoyed the new layout of the lounge.
“I loved the modern feel that you get right when you enter,” Waller said. “It’s a place I would show anyone of my friends or family to impress them.”
Waller didn’t know what they were going to do with the lower floor in the BSC, but he’s happy with the addition of the lounge. “I knew that there was something down there, but the room has been changed recently in the past,so I didn’t know,” Waller said. “Now, I see myself spending a decent amount of time there”
Visit the Jay Lounge now Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday’s 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact Elizabethtown College SESP to find out more information about the newly added event space.
