The game room has been operating for more than a year now. Although the space has a fresh, contemporary style that makes it feel welcoming, the remodeling, which cost a million dollars, turned out to be more of a personal endeavor than one that was intended for students.
When the Student Government Association first authorized $660,000 to refurbish the game room in September 2021, questions surfaced. Due to requests from former SGA President Alexander Rubido and an excess of activity and service fees collected from students in 2020, those monies finally amounted to $1 million.
As much as we all were looking forward to the game room, the increase in funding sounded excessive; other facilities at FIU, such the neglected student organizations and the in need of maintenance art department, could have also used those monies.
The entire student body was given a guarantee by Rubido that the game room would be finished by a specific time. Executive orders for additional resources and time were swiftly issued in an effort to maintain face when it turned out to be unrealistic. There was an urgent requirement to carry out the order.
After leaving office, Cristhofer Lugo, the current SGA President, took on the project. As Rubido persisted in getting personally involved in the creation of the new game area, it began to seem less like a project for the benefit of the students and more like a personal one for him.
The response during the game room's official launch, nevertheless, demonstrated that the wait had been worthwhile. It's spanking new and nothing like the old game room from when I was in elementary school.
Gabriel Sierra, a student, remarked of the facility while playing pool with his mates, "It's amazing, really modern."
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