SCUE Lounge surpasses highest expectations

Linger a moment in the SCUE Lounge during lunch to soak in the collegiate surroundings, the freshly polished wood, the smooth jazz floating from the piano in the corner, and you just might forget that it was the simple swipe of a PennCard that got you in. The lounge, housed in and managed by the Faculty Club at 36th and Walnut streets, was born out of a Student Committee on Undergraduate Education initiative to bring students and faculty together outside the classroom and will mark its two-month anniversary Tuesday. And even though the lounge made its debut only recently, SCUE leaders, students and faculty members are already singing its praises. "The numbers speak for themselves," SCUE Chairperson and College senior Ari Silverman said, referring to the 318 students and faculty members who have frequented the lounge since its opening. Decisions about the future home of the SCUE Lounge once the Faculty Club moves to the Inn at Penn in two years will be contingent on the lounge's continued success, Silverman said. But for now, that success seems to be holding steady. An average of 11 students and faculty eat lunch together at the lounge each day. SCUE Secretary Jason Marbutt, a College senior, points to the average as an indication of the lunchroom's "phenomenal" success. "At the beginning, there were some days where you wouldn't see anyone at all depending upon the day," Marbutt said. "But certainly for the past three weeks there hasn't been a day that went by where there wasn't someone in the room." Music Professor Norman Smith, who has already eaten at the lounge five times, said he was once even turned away at the door, because the lounge was filled to capacity. "They were filled up, so that student and I went to Le Bus instead," Smith said. Students and faculty members are advised to make reservations before eating at the lunchroom. Silverman meets at the lounge weekly with Faculty Club Director Dan Sullivan to discuss any changes or improvements that may be necessary. The lounge was approved by Faculty Club board members on a trial basis. Sullivan said his initial concern when the idea was proposed was that some of the "old-line" club members might complain that their quiet time was being disturbed by the presence of students. "The history of the club is not to have any students," Sullivan said. But that doesn't seem to have been a problem. "I haven't had any one professor or faculty member come up to me and say they don't like seeing students there," Sullivan said. He added that he has seen many one-on-one interactions between students and their instructors, but he has also seen many groups of six or more, because, he supposes, "they feel more comfortable in a group environment." Undergraduate Psychology Society President Dara Gruen said she organizes regular luncheons at the lounge for members of her group with professors. The College junior limits the lunches to a dozen people. Smith said he has not yet tried dining at the lounge with a group of students. "It would be a nice place to go and talk rather than having a conference in your office," he said. Gruen chose the lounge for the Psych Society lunches since faculty eat free of charge on Fridays -- as part of a SCUE promotion -- and students can use their meal plan to pay for themselves. "It's definitely a little more upscale than Dining [Services]," Gruen said. She described the dark, wooden, elegant decor and waitered service, saying, "It just looks very academic and elite. You just feel important to be here." Even the napkins at each place setting help create the studious atmosphere of the lounge. Silverman translated the Aristotle quote printed in the original Greek on each napkin: "Proper use of leisure time."