Hilles Opens to Student Groups

After a summer of construction, the student organization offices at Hilles quietly opened its doors yesterday. The first sign of life: an ornate wooden throne, littered with purple cushions, recently moved into the office of the Harvard-Radcliffe Gilbert and Sullivan Players.

Offices and meeting rooms opened for groups to move in, and the Gilbert and Sullivan performers were one of the first to claim their spot in the new student center, which features brightly lit student group offices along corridors of translucent walls.

The club’s president Casey M. Lurtz ’07 said that overall, she was pleased with the new office.

“It’s more space than we thought we would get.” Lurtz said. “It’s airier and brighter than before.”

However, Lurtz said that the office’s usefulness might be limited by its distance from the rest of campus.

“Our old office in Holworthy basement got used a lot because people would stop by,” Lurtz said. “Had this office been closer, we probably would use it more. We only have one board member who lives in the Quad, so we’ll see how often we all journey down there.”

CityStep Executive Producer Kimberly Chen ’08 said that many of CityStep’s activities are held in the Quad, so having a decently-sized office would entice people to have meetings there, despite the distance.

“It might take some transition time, but it’ll be awesome in the end,” Chen said.

The remaining portions of the space—including the upstairs Penthouse Coffee Bar, performance space, and recording studio—will open with a louder bang on Oct. 5, when it will hold its grand opening.

—Staff writer Elaine Chen can be reached at chen23@fas.harvard.edu.