With the opening of the media and game rooms in the second and third floors of the McClendon Tower in the West-Edens Link at the beginning of this year, is the Devil's Den again in danger of extinction?
The management of the Devil's Den, located on Oregon Street on Central Campus, has had many problems over the years determining a way to successfully use the space. After housing several eateries--most recently the restaurant The Seasoned Ticket--it is now used as a multipurpose center run by Student Affairs. However, the new media rooms in the WEL, with their more appealing location, are expected to draw a larger crowd.
At first glance, the two facilities seem to serve the same purpose--large spaces available to student groups for various activities such as dances, presentations or guest speakers. Both can provide general entertainment as well, with equipment such as pool and air hockey tables. The media room in the WEL even contains a small theater with a 60 by 72 inch projection screen and powerful speakers.
But not everyone sees the two facilities as having identical purposes. Zoila Airall, interim director of Student Activities and Facilities, said she does not expect the existence of the WEL media rooms to affect Devil's Den.
"I see the media room more for meetings, lectures, and talks.... Devil's Den can serve those [purposes] too, but it is mainly an entertainment spot."
While Eddie Hull, dean of residential life, also emphasized the differences between the two facilities, he gave them opposite characteristics: "I see the games room in the McClendon Tower primarily for students' entertainment but Devil's Den mainly for use by student groups through reservation."
A major concern for the management of Devil's Den is location. Students may not be as motivated to use the space as they might be if it were easier to get to. But attempts years ago to create a bus stop closer to Devil's Den did not successfully increase attendance.
However, some see the remote location as a benefit, since they do not have to worry about making too much noise. Ebony Scales, president of the Zeta Phi Beta sorority, noted this advantage, also pointing to the fact that having Devil's Den further from West Campus, where the majority of parties takes place, could add to the exclusiveness of an event. Hull said he does not see the issue of location to be a negative factor either, emphasizing that as groups organize activities in advance, they can plan for transportation if need be.
In general, undergraduates planning events are also satisfied with Devil's Den and do not necessarily consider replacing its use with the WEL. "It's a good place to have parties," Scales said.
Graduate students point to a distinct set of advantages Devil's Den offers them. As Tobin Freid, former Graduate and Professional Student Council student life co-chair, noted in an e-mail, "graduate students are used to going to the Devil's Den for events since we've had several years of successful events there." Current GPSC Student Life Chair Benjamin Cooke also stressed that Devil's Den has worked in the past and benefits a certain population of graduate students who live on or near Central Campus. For them, the WEL might be the more inconvenient space.
With the opening of the rooms in the WEL "the community [is given] one more resource," Airall said, and, as Hull put it, "more opportunity for students to come together for entertainment."
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