After returning from spring break, students noticed something different about the Fish House. The space now contains a few bean bag chairs and two arcade games. The arcade games cost 25 cents to play and include games such as Tetris, Pac Man, Mappy, Millipede and other classic arcade games as well. The games have the option of either single or two-player. These new additions are the result of a project the first-year student senate member Kay Casturo has worked on with her team.

Senator Casturo said that the project came from ideas given by students. Casturo explained, “we wanted a nice space for students to hang out and study… a kind of commuter basement — like dorm basements, but commuter style.”

First-year student Jacob Doorn, who was playing on one of the arcade games Monday afternoon, said, “I think it’s a nice addition. It’s becoming a lot more of a space where you can come and relax rather than somewhere where you have to be doing homework,” said Doorn.

The renovation ideas came from the results of a survey sent out by student senate.

“There were so many ideas submitted for what we should put in that space,” said Casturo, “it did take a lot of discerning and figuring out what should go in the space, but I think we came to a really cool conclusion.”

The space combines two kinds of spaces students asked for: comfort and arcade spaces.

Casturo herself was most excited about the bean bags on the new stage area and how the stage has become more accessible.

Student senate hopes that the Fish House will continue to be a place that fosters community. Now that the games are installed, their hope is that the Fish House will be a place that has continual use throughout the day, rather than one where activity tapers off in the evening.  

There are more elements of the upgrade project yet to come, according to Casturo. While students can expect bookshelves by the end of the summer, a foosball table has not yet been confirmed.