Student leaders from the Union government, WBRS and the Justice met with Alwina Bennett Thursday to both praise and complain about the Shapiro Campus Center. Since the Campus Center opened in October, "we have turned a corner in this building," according to Bennett. She said students now regularly use its study areas, the Java City caf and office space. The Shapiro Theatre screens student-run films Tuesday evenings, the art gallery has hosted numerous exhibits and the programming space is constantly in demand, according to Bennett. When asked about the new Campus Center, Class of 2006 Senator Jonathan Cohen said it "has the potential be the nerve center for this campus, but there are certain problems which need to be addressed, especially the installation of blinds to exterior windows and the need for further usage of the Atrium as programming space."

Other issues students have with the Campus Center relate to space. At Thursday's meeting, Class of 2003 Senator Aziz Nekoukar, who said he was speaking on behalf of all Brandeis students, said organizations "want to be autonomous, and to do this they need to have their own space and storage."

Organizations such as the Justice, Archon and the Photo Club are still using the old darkrooms in Usdan since the one in Shapiro is not yet functional. According to a memorandum from Shapiro Campus Center Project Manager John Cummings, the darkroom sink and a safelight have been ordered and are ready for installation.

Tomorrow at 6:30 pm, a new steering committee will meet for the first time to ratify policies and set guidelines for the new building. Bennett said she hope this group will function like a town hall meeting to "ensure that the tenant's interests are served (and) to create a truly student-centered governance of the Campus Center."

But, Bennett said she was confident about the current status of the building. "We are making progress," she said. "Things are looking much better."