STAFF EDITORIAL: New hub repeats good idea

Preliminary plans for a hub for undergraduate research have our warm support. It's not so easy to sum up the combination classroom/lounge/center of intellectual ferment. After all, what to make of a place where seminars are taught on couches, the kitchen is only ever a few steps away and, on some evenings, one can walk in on a live radio broadcast. But one thing is certain. At both the Writers House and the conceptually similar if topically different Civic House, the joint is likely to be hopping with students pretty much any time of day. Now, a third campus center is in the works, this time for undergraduate research -- and we couldn't be more pleased. While planning is still at a preliminary stage, the research hub has the potential to provide a long-needed center for undergraduate research-related activities. While not intended as a home for the process of research itself, the hub will hopefully serve as a meeting point for faculty and students; a place to exchange ideas, explore funding possibilities and participate in special events. While specific plans for the hub are far from final, we'd like to add a couple of ideas of our own. First, in the spirit of the Writers House's hugely successful open mic nights, the research hub should provide opportunities for students to present their original research. Second, while the administration has already committed to finding a central location for the hub, we would reiterate the importance of making the location accessible and, equally important, the interior inviting and comfortable. Third, while no specific timetable has been set for the hub's creation, we encourage Provost Barchi to continue to view the project as a priority. Performing research should be an integral part of any liberal arts education, and creating greater research opportunities for undergraduates has long been a stated administration priority. Now, with the Humanities Forum up and running and a research hub in the not-too-distant future, we are beginning to see the fruits of that commitment. We hope that both will help to raise the percentage of students performing significant research during their time at Penn from 75 percent currently to the point where such research is an integral part of everyone's four years at Penn.