‘We need to come together’

Natalie Mesplay often finds herself bored, believing there are fewer entertainment options in Moscow than there could be.

“It’s boring. I want to go out and do things and meet people outside of campus. I don’t know of any good places to do that or if there are, there are just restaurants. Or bars. Which I cannot go to. It’s way different than where I grew up,” the University of Idaho first-year student said.

Coming from Boise, Mesplay said she wishes there were bigger movie theaters, a bowling alley, an arcade or even a waterpark — places she went regularly with her family while at home.

a look at past Vandal entertainment options

“I’m a really big movie fan, so I’m very disappointed by the movie theater here. I’m used to movie theaters down in Boise that are big, that have so many options,” Mesplay said. “I wish the movie theater here had a bigger selection of movies and show times.”

Jenny Ford, executive director of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, said there are plenty of options for students.

She said the Palouse Mall provides lots of shopping options, as well as plenty of restaurant options and event opportunities for the community.

“There are plenty of local options, through the art galleries, unique culinary experiences, the theaters, as well as many live music options at coffee shops that are accessible to the general public, as well as youth that I believe are satisfactory,” Ford said. “There are also annual music events such as Modest Music Fest organized by the local business owners of Humble Burger and Rendezvous in the Park.”

Shawn O’ Neal, director of Student Involvement, also said there is plenty to do on and off campus for students.

“But this is the perspective of a 46-year-old man whose department spends $200,000 a year to bring entertainment to campus,” O’Neal said. “I think there’s a ton to do in this town and sometimes it feels like we can’t get people to do any of it. Finding events that resonate with students isn’t always easy.”

He said it can be difficult to get students to attend events put on by Vandal Entertainment and has theories as to why that is, because he thinks about it non-stop.

“That, to me, is the missing piece right now — is getting to move college students. Another theory is that college students don’t want to be moved. People are so demanding of your time at this point in your life,” O Neal said. “You’re studying, doing the things you need to do — your social relationships — that maybe you just want some downtime and sit in your room on your phone for a while. And I can absolutely understand that.”

UI Greek Life student Livy Hynote mirrors Mesplay, thinking there aren’t enough options off campus for underage students, especially compared to her home state of California.

“There’s seasons here. We don’t really have that in California. You usually can be outside most of the time, but here if you are outside for too long, you get cold,” Hynote said, “For me, I’m less social because it’s cold and I don’t walk in the snow.”

Shawn O’Neal | Courtesy

In California, she said there were hiking and swimming options, as well as Ubers or other car services to get to various entertainment options — something she wishes was in Moscow.

“I think municipal traveling would be better, having buses and trains. It’s not that the town has nothing to do, it’s that you have to drive,” Hynote said.

Hynote said she typically finds entertainment options through her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta. But she believes students who live in the dorms don’t have as many options — Mesplay agrees.

In her free time, Mesplay said she generally watches movies in the UI Theophilus Tower and doesn’t travel outside of Moscow, since she doesn’t have a car.

“I really honestly don’t know about entertainment options off campus because I haven’t had time to explore,” Mesplay said.

Mesplay thinks it would be helpful if UI and the City of Moscow teamed up to announce events available to first-year students.

“They need to have a brochure in Moscow for freshmen students. On campus, they do a pretty good job communicating things going on, but off campus, I don’t get a lot of communication from there,” Mesplay said.

Ford, from the Moscow Chamber of Commerce, said the organization works with ASUI to get information to students.

“I think that there are enough opportunities for folks if they were aware of them and that could be something where the chamber isn’t providing enough resources to ASUI to let students know what’s available downtown,” Ford said.

Mesplay said she would go to more events on and off campus with friends if she knew about them.

Jenny Ford | Courtesy

O’Neal said Vandal Entertainment and the UI Department of Student Involvement try their best to advertise events for students through flyers, social media and banners in the Idaho Commons.

Yet, Mesplay said there is not enough on campus for her to do.

“For us there isn’t a lot for us to go out and do together. Most people from the tower generally go to Greek parties, which is not something I’m into,” Mesplay said.

Hynote, who is 21 years old, goes to bars on Thursdays with friends from her sorority. She said it gives her a consistent choice of entertainment, but she wishes she could go with her underage friends.

“I know for a fact every Thursday night I’m going to Ladies’ Night at the (Corner) Club with my friends,” Hynote said. “I think if there were more things for underage people that could become a part of campus culture that would help a lot.”

Hynote said it would be beneficial to have a dance club in Moscow for underage students.

“There’s no place here where there’s dancing. Sometimes you want to go clubbing. If the Corner Club dimmed their lights, it would be more fun for people to dance.” Hynote said. “One of the most exciting things is to just go to Wal-Mart or Dutch Brothers.”

Ford said the Idaho State Government has to provide enough incentives for a business to open in Moscow. She said chain stores, such as Target, Lowes or even Victoria’s Secret, need population at all times — not just nine months out of the year.

“There’s rarely an open store front here for long, and that’s really uncommon in some other regions and areas in our state,” Ford said.

Ford said students still say they travel outside of Moscow to find things to do, despite the in-town activities.

Hynote often travels to Pullman — sometimes for the larger movie theater or different bar options.

Mesplay not only wants to escape boredom, but also meet new people, especially those outside the university.

Nicole Skinner | Courtesy

“I wish there were ways to meet people who are not UI students off campus easier. As of right now, I haven’t because I don’t know where I would go to do that,” Mesplay said.

Hynote said there should be an official student union building on campus, specifically geared to students.

“If we had a student union, it could help with the on-campus boredom. I think students don’t get involved with clubs because they just don’t know where to go,” Hynote said. “If you had a student union building, it would be a place where everyone could go.”

The Bruce M. Pitman Center used to be the university’s student union building until it evolved into an administrative building in the 2000s, O’Neal said.

He said it had a bowling alley, cafe and even a restaurant.

The bowling alley went out around 1994 because it wasn’t used regularly and there was a greater need for computer labs at the time, O’Neal said.

He said the Idaho Commons became the new de facto student union building — or that is the idea behind it.

O’ Neal said students pay around $1.3 million collectively every semester for the upkeep and operations for the Idaho Commons. In order to build a pure student union building, he said students could tax themselves for it to happen.

“Students are wanting more. I think we need to listen to our students. We need to adders the issue (lacking a student union building) down the road. I know ASUI is addressing this problem,” O’Neal said.

ASUI President Nicole Skinner said she advocates for more student spaces on campus and deems them very important. She said having a student union building solely dedicated to student space is very important.

“Student space has been one of our core pillars for the year. We really think that the next building on this campus needs to be a student union building,” Skinner said. “Maybe some administrators put it off thinking we are needy, but really we have a huge issue of sometimes connectedness on campus.”

She said administrators do not deem a student union building important and do not believe that is what students want because the ASUI lounge doesn’t get used that much.

“We immediately got shut down (for a student union building) because for student spaces they said we already have a lot of space. There are chairs everywhere, you never have an issue finding a place to sit,” Skinner said. “Random chairs in a hallway don’t bring people together like a student union building can.”

Skinner said she would love a student union building for student organizations and even as a hangout spot on campus.

But she said students should not be the only ones on campus in charge of paying for the construction though.

“I don’t think it should all fall on us,” Skinner said.

Hagen Hunsaker said the Idaho Commons would be a great spot to define the student union building.

“I think the Pitman is a little too far gone because the Pitman is the center for new students. Over there, I think that building is already academically one sided and then you have the student computer lab in the basement and student media on the third floor,” the fourth-year student said.

Hunsaker said the space should include a student lounge, cafe or restaurant, bars and a trivia place.

“I think students need to come together if they want a student-driven building,” Hunsaker said. “We need to come together if we want it, or at least fight for it if we want it as a group.”

Hunsaker said there is more of a chance to make the Idaho Commons a student union building, despite half the building being classrooms. He said students should make the change, even if it is implemented for future students.

Sadly, he said, the university might not create a building dedicated to students.

“We possibly might never get one,” Hunsaker said.

Editor’s note: Natalie Mesplay is a current Argonaut employee. 

Lindsay Trombly can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lindsay_trombly