The Division of Student Life recently sought student feedback for potential furniture options in a new student space in the basement of Farinon. The space will be called the Leopard’s Lair, which was the name of the previous student center in Marquis Hall before Farinon was built in 1989.
According to Vanessa Pearson, the director of Student Involvement, the Leopard’s Lair will feature two reservable conference rooms separated by a removable wall. There will also be a multipurpose room that will serve as a venue for various student activities such as club meetings, group projects, performances, dances and leadership training.
Beginning on Oct. 6 and taking place over the course of four days, students were invited to stop by the space and try out furniture samples, which included a variety of chairs and couches. Pearson emphasized the importance of receiving student feedback on the furniture, as it is intended to be aesthetically pleasing and comfortable.
“Farinon is often referred to as the living room of campus, so our hope is to make it warm and inviting,” Pearson wrote in an email.
Though the Leopard’s Lair will serve partially as a comfy lounge area, it will also be a mixed-use space, and some of the furniture will cater to sitting at tables and studying.
“I feel like sometimes there aren’t enough lounge areas on campus, and I’ve been wanting a change of location to keep me motivated to study,” Kaitlyn McQuaid ‘24 said. “I was so excited to test out the furniture. Some of the chairs were very hard and uncomfortable, so I gave those very low scores, but overall I rated most of them highly.”
Students began the feedback process by scanning a QR code that brought them to a Google form with instructions for students to test out all the furniture. They were then asked to rate each piece on a scale of 1-7 based on comfort level. In addition, students were shown posters outlining the proposed layouts of the space. At the conclusion of the trial, Student Life had 127 student responses to the survey.
“Overall, we had a few items that were standouts, with the majority having a lot of mixed reviews,” Pearson wrote. “A lot of the variation of opinions was due to personal preferences. For instance, some individuals preferred a sturdy back and the ability to sit with their feet on the floor. Others preferred more comfy styles that were more flexible.”
The development of the Leopard’s Lair for student use, overseen by project manager Lauren Daniels of the Philadelphia real estate consultant firm Aegis Property Group, continues to be underway. Students should expect additional opportunities in the near future to provide their feedback as the college continues to finalize the space’s layout.
“We are also still evaluating additional furniture that was not available in time for the showing, specifically large couch options,” Pearson wrote. “We will continue to solicit feedback as samples become available for viewing. Our hope is to get a variety of styles to accommodate a variety of preferences.”
