The nation's oldest student union has reopened after two years of construction -- and it has a shiny new look. Students who have lacked centrally located meeting spaces for all or most of their Penn careers say they are expecting that the new Houston Hall will finally fix a longtime problem. The newly opened Houston Hall offers various eateries, plush lounges, student offices and performing arts spaces. The ground-level food court is expected to be open within a month. Response to the new facility from members of Penn's senior class -- the only undergraduate class to have experienced the old Houston Hall -- was largely positive. "I'm glad that it reopened because it was a nice place to meet friends and to buy things," said College senior Kristine Mehok, referring to the fast food and convenience shops that were located in Houston Hall before it closed. "I hope to come here a lot this year because it is the building that symbolizes college life," she said. The Perelman Quadrangle, centering around Houston Hall, is named after University Trustee and 1964 Wharton graduate Ronald Perelman. The central role of Perelman Quad will be to serve as "a living room, a place that will be a gathering place for both organizations and individuals," said Tom Hauber, director of Perelman Quad. Even seniors who did not go to Houston Hall much their freshman year felt that the new Houston Hall was worth waiting for. "Though the sidewalks on Spruce Street were blocked because of construction, which was a real inconvenience, the project was useful because it restored an important building on the Penn campus," College senior Andy Kish said. "It's nice because there's a lot of history behind the building, but I feel bad for the vendors who were displaced by the renovation," he added. And students who had not seen the pre-makeover Houston Hall expressed approval of the project. "The place looks homey," said Edwin Baimpwi, a first-year student in the Graduate School of Fine Arts. "I probably will use it as a place to check my e-mail, hang out with friends and to relax after a long day.
New Houston Hall draws rave reviews
The first student center in the nation is once again providing convenient meeting spaces and food to eager students.
