Had a chance to go inside the new Kent Campus Center (KCC) yet?

If the answer is no, then you should probably change that. This is something you do not want to miss.

“The only thing that’s really open so far is really the Student Development Offices and the corridor up here, the restrooms on the second floor and the Security office downstairs,” Assistant Dean of Students Rich Ramos said.

The grand opening ceremony will take place on Oct. 19; however, the building is only days away from being fully up and running.

“October 11 is the date we’re looking to have it all open,” Ramos said.

That date depends on if the construction remains on schedule from this point.

KCC offers a wide variety of features such as Hubbell Ballroom and the Principal Black Box Theatre.

Another noteworthy thing, one that is currently open for student use, is the Student Activities Suite, located on the second floor. The area offers space and resources for student clubs and organizations that has been lacking on this campus. A wide variety of things are located in this suite.

“There’s going to be a couple staff member offices, like my office,” Ramos said. “You will also find the student government area. There’s a resource room that has everything from paper for groups to markers to a copy machine to whatever you really need for groups to be successful. There’s a meeting table in the general room with a couple computers out here for students to work on whatever they need to and there’s a lounge sort of area where people can come and sit, hang out, do whatever.”

One exciting piece of technology that is going to be installed in the Student Activities Suite is a Mediascape table.

“It’s a collaborative workspace,” Ramos said. “Basically it’s like any meeting table except it’s kind of like a ‘D’-shaped sort of table and four computers can plug into the table.”

Each computer plugs into the table via connectors called pucks.

“It’s a little round thing almost like a hockey puck,” Ramos said. “You plug in your laptop to that particular puck. On the wall there’s two TV screens; say you and I and two other people are working on a project, if I have something on my computer that I think could be really cool, I can tap my puck and my image will appear on the screen. It allows you to share computers really fast all while working together.

The table can be used with other technology as well.”

That table is set to be installed on Oct. 18.

The suite is accessible to any registered club or organization on campus through card swipe.

“If you’re the leader of a group and you want to have a meeting in here on a Thursday night after the staff is gone, you can use your card,” Ramos said. “As the leader of a group we’ll put you on a list of people that are approved authorized users, you can swipe your card and get in here and have your meeting in this space.”

The main benefit of the suite is that it is really focused on providing groups on campus with the space and resources they need to be as successful as possible.

“We’ve never really had a space like this before in any building on this campus,” Ramos said. “It’s a big space. It’s in a prime location in the building; it wasn’t hidden away. It was really centered on students and what students need to be successful.”

The suite is an important addition to the campus, along with all the other features found in the KCC.