Exploring Sarner Underground
When Sarner Underground first opened in the fall of 2012, it was advertised as an alternative social space. Located in the basement of the Class of 1953 Commons, Sarner is comprised of two large event spaces, two lounges and a meeting room.
This summer, however, Sarner does not seem to be fulfilling its intended purpose. Many students don't even know where it is or how to access it, and even those who do say they don't feel the need to take advantage of it.
"The problem with Sarner is that it doesn't feel like a social space,” Jessica Ke ’15 said. “I do a lot of my socializing over meals, and Sarner has no food, so there's very little point in going to Sarner if I'm already in Collis or KAF.”
Neither is Sarner effective as a social study space, Rona Sun ’15 added.
“Sometimes I like to study with my friends and be a little more social, but the tables aren’t really formatted for that either,” she said.
Due to its underground location, Sarner isn't obvious or accessible to students—another disadvantage.
“Sarner is not a place where you walk by, see something going on, and then walk in, the way you can if there’s a barbeque on Collis porch, for example,” Stephanie Sa ’15 said. “It’s set pretty far back, so you can’t really just peek in or see it in passing.”
Although events such as Programming Board’s “A Taste of Class” party were held in Sarner during the regular academic year, these events have been lacking this term, leaving the space empty for most of the summer.
Although it may not draw large crowds of students (or even small ones), Sarner has filled an entirely different niche this summer – rehearsal space for dance groups SHEBAlite and UjiHeavy.
Olivia Field ’15, one of the co-directors of SHEBAlite, said “Sarner is a great space for dance groups because it’s primarily used by student-run groups. When using rooms in the gym or the Hop, we lose priority to P.E. classes or Hop-sponsored groups and events.”
Field also cited the layout of Sarner, as well as the fact that is a 24-hour facility, as advantages of using it as a rehearsal space.
“Sarner works well for dance groups because of the mirrors and excellent sound system,” she said. “Also, we don’t get kicked out when rehearsal run late into the night, which is a big plus.”
Though Sarner has not lived up to its label of an “alternative social space” for students, it is comforting to know that the expensive addition to the Class of 1953 Commons is being utilized in some way this summer.