Katie’s Closet is relocated to CdC basement, QSA to follow post-commencement

By Ella Tracy 

Katie’s Closet and QSA, previously residents of CdC 355, are transitioning out of their shared space so it can be used as a classroom. 

Katie’s Closet has already shifted to their new space. Free clothes can now be found in the basement of the CdC in former study rooms 13 and 14. QSA’s move was postponed to next semester. 

The space both groups occupied will become a classroom for healthcare students in the fall. As the health and sciences class sizes increase, bigger classrooms are needed. According to Jackie Font-Guzman, SVP of Student Affairs, Equity & Belonging, and Kenneth Cooper, Dean of Equity and Belonging, there are no other classroom spaces that are already set up and large enough to hold over 30 students. 

Katie’s Closet expressed excitement about their move. Maria Cobos, marketing intern for Katie’s Closet, said that the decision to move Katie’s Closet had been made by previous interns or supervisors last fall. Cobos said that she “thought it would be a great idea for Katie's closet to have its own space.” 

QSA, on the other hand, responded to the concept of the move with immediate frustration. The proposed replacement space is a combination of two rooms in the library (146 and 149). On the large whiteboards in the lounge, the QSA board listed several reasons why the club should not be moved to the library. The board is concerned about having more restrictive hours, since the rooms would not be accessible when the library is closed. QSA currently has more than 80 registered members; transitioning to a smaller space could make it challenging to host member events. Being in the library also necessitates quieter conversations, the board wrote. 

The issue of larger classrooms for the growing health sciences programs was brought up in a university Spaces Committee meeting in early March, a committee on which Font-Guzman sits. She said that when CdC 355 was brought up as an easy space to use as a classroom, she requested that the student leaders of QSA be brought into the conversation. Cooper met with QSA board members in mid-March. 

Cooper said that during that conversation, a main focus was restoration. “We wanted to acknowledge the grief, anxiety and frustrations students have felt,” he said. “The consensus that we came to was that… [QSA] would have ownership and be able to design the full space. In addition, we’re receptive to working with the library on what it could look like in terms of having greater levels of accommodation.” He said he also asked the board to consider what they would want the space to look like in several years, including what services could be provided down the road. 

The original plan was for QSA to move into the new location in the library this semester, but after conversations with Cooper, they decided to delay the transition. “We didn’t want to displace students before commencement,” Cooper said. “This move will now occur sometime after the commencement period, which we hope will be more seamless for students.” 

Both mentioned learning from last fall when SEEK was moved out of their office in the Student Org during Finals Week, and how that period of time was incredibly stressful for students. 

“I’m really appreciative that students, even though I recognize that we’re still in the process of building trust with the entire team of Student Affairs… feel comfortable enough to come to me and [Cooper] to seek out information,” Font-Guzman said. “I want students to know that there is nothing that is going to upset me. I want students to come in and hold us accountable. I’m not annoyed by it. This is healthier than not coming forward.” 

She added that she is working to get student representation on the Spaces Committee, hoping that will increase communication between university leadership and affected student groups as the use of campus spaces continues to evolve. 

“There’s still a sense of loss,” Font-Guzman added in reference to the QSA move. “Even though the space was not ideal, there was still a consensus that this was home. I know that is incredibly frustrating. We are and will continue working with students, and we’ll continue to do that to find ways of making any future moves smoother.”