Reubin O'D. Askew Student Life Center

Front View of the Reubin O'D. Askew Student Life Center Building on Florida State University's campus

The Reubin O'D. Askew Student Life Center, also referred to as the ASLC, located in the heart of campus at Florida State University,^[1] is a building on Florida State's campus which provides a wide range of amenities for student who attend the university. Not only does it include the Student Life Cinema (a fully functioning, state-of-the-art movie theater), it also offers counseling for students, a famous coffee shop known as the Grind House, a gaming area, and it hosts many events that students can participate in or get involved with.^[2] Many of the amenities offered at the ASLC are free or discounted for students, making resources and recreation affordable for the students at Florida State University. The building was renamed the Askew Student Life Center in 2006. The naming ceremony took place on Friday, October 6 where it was officially named the Reubin O'D. Askew Student Life Center, after the former Florida Governor.^[3] The building was renamed to honor him and recognize his "leadership and involvement during his days as a student."^[4]

Reubin Askew

The Askew Student Life Center is named after former Florida Governor, Reubin Askew.^[5] Reubin Askew went to Florida State University to receive his B.S. in public administration in 1951. In his time at the university, Askew served as student body president and president of the Oxford Association. After completing graduate school at the University of Florida Law School - where he was also class president, chairman of Board of Master of the Honor Court, executive director of the Law Review, and Justice of the Phi Alpha Delta law fraternity ^[6] - he began his political career. In 1958, Askew was elected to House of Representatives and then in 1962 to the Florida Senate.^[7] Between 1969 and 1970, Askew served as president pro tempore. Following that in 1970, he became Governor of Florida and was the first person to ever be re-elected for a second consecutive term.^[8] A major accomplishment during Askew's time in office was his push for legislation focusing on tax reform. The tax reforms were aimed at a variety of targets including consumer protection, education financing, criminal justice, the environment, and standards of conduct in public office.^[9] In 1970, Reubin Askew was appointed by President Carter to serve as chairman of the president's advisory Committee on Ambassadorial appointments.^[10] Governor Askew gave the keynote address at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach. In 1984 he became the first Floridian to formally run for President of the United States of America.^[11] After his political career, Askew decided to pursue of a teaching government, public policies, and public administration. He taught at several universities starting at Florida International University in 1989 and then moving to Florida Atlantic University in 1990. After 5 years at Florida Atlantic University, he became a member of Florida State University's faculty (1995), where the School of Public Administration and Policy was renamed in his honor (1994).^[12] Askew passed away March 13, 2014.^[13]

Amenities

Sign showcasing the amenities by floor level

The Askew Student Life Center offers a wide range of amenities for students at either a free or discounted price to those with a valid student ID. Not only does the ASLC offer recreational activities, but it also offers amenities that are important for students' mental health and success at the university.^[14]

Student Life Cinema

Within the ASLC, there is a fully functioning movie theater called the Student Life Cinema. It is one of the nation’s leading campus film programs and features a movie screen that is 18’ x 43’, seating that can fit up to 380 guests including accommodations for guests in wheel-chairs, high-end digital projection, 5.1 Dolby digital sound system, and infrared headphones for those with impaired hearing. The featured movies are selected by an all-student committee that picks out recent block buster films, foreign films, documentaries, and others, showing films of a specific genre according to the day of the week. Movies are free for FSU students with a valid FSUCard.^[15]

Student Counseling

In addition to recreational amenities, the ASLC offers important services that are beneficial for student’s mental health and wellness at the University Counseling Center, also known as the UCC. At the UCC, students can meet with a confidential licensed and professionally-trained counselor to help them cope with any number of conflicts. They offer one-on-one sessions, couples sessions, group sessions, and emergency walk-in services. They also offer drug and alcohol assessments, programs to manage anxiety, and peer-to-peer support, directing students to services on and off campus that fits their needs if necessary. Mid-semester and the end of the semester are usually the busiest, due to the high volume of students needing assistance. The Counseling Center is located on the second floor of Askew Student Life Center, Suite 201, open Monday through Friday.^[16]

The Grind house

Located within the ASLC is the Grind house, a coffee shop that offers smoothies, Italian sodas, coffee, tea, and pastries. Preceded by Reel Coffee, Grindhouse Cafe has continued the trend of selling coffee products and pastries while marketing their products with cinema-themed advertisements. It was founded in 2004, and is one of a nationwide chain of coffee shops around the US which includes Metropolis Coffee Company.^[17]

Cyber Café

The Cyber Café in the ASLC is where the students can gain access to a multitude of interactive activities, from board games and Lego building sets to high-speed wireless internet and a myriad of gaming consoles that are equipped with popular games. There is also a computer lab where students can play games with each other. The Cyber Café holds gaming events for students to participate in and tournaments where students can play one another in their favorite games to win prizes.^[18]

Events

The ASLC serves as a venue for a myriad of events ranging from movie premieres to gaming tournaments. Board game nights involve games such as Dungeons & Dragons, poker, and chess, but students are encouraged to bring their own games as well. Trivia and open mic nights are found on the ASLC events calendar. The monthly trivia nights are themed and consist of questions centered around various movies, television shows, or video games. The ASLC’s two largest annual events are interactive screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Room.^[19]

References