The SAMU Building, while still under construction, has made varying impressions on students. 

Some students say they believe the building is too new to have fully formed judgements, such as Hilary Scott, a first-year taking Bachelor of Arts. 

“I like it so far, but it’s not fully open yet,” Scott says. “It’s kind of hard to actually make an opinion on the entire thing. It’s really bright; I love that.”

Trisha Singh, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student, believes the space is okay but does have one wish for the young building.“I think it needs more power outlets,” she says.

Andrew Joseph and Sean Mochan are both taking their Bachelor of Commerce (fourth and third years, respectively), and they had an appreciation for the aesthetic of the SAMU Building. 

“It’s pretty cool, looks cool. It’s pretty spacious,” Joseph states. “It seems like there’s a lot of useless space though,” he adds. 

Mochan is a fan of the student lounge. “I think it’s pretty; I like the tiles,” she says. “There’s a lot of tables up there to study because it can be hard to find somewhere.”

Ashton Ottenbreit is in his fourth year of the Bachelor of Music and Performance program. He admits he does not see much of a point to the building.“So far, it hasn’t changed my life at all.” 

Alex Dowhaluk, who is a third-year in Computer Science, seems to be the most excited about the MacEwan University addition. “I love it, actually. It’s a very nice study space. Even though it’s still under construction, it’s nice to hang out here already,” Dowhaluk states. “I feel like when they open up some more stuff here … it will be a lot better. Any more study spaces are appreciated because a lot of MacEwan is very cluttered.” 

He adds, “Giving a place for all of us to study and have fun is definitely worth it for me.”

The overall opinion of students seems to remain in development, but as of now, most people appear to appreciate the extra study space.

If nothing else, at least the pedway is open so nobody has to walk outside if temperatures drop down to -50 C again!