What Students Expect of the New Otis

As the construction on our campus is coming to a close, expectations are running high. I went around different departments and asked students what their expectations were with the new and improved Otis.

What do you expect of the new campus expansion?: 

Sophie Sin (Sophomore / Communication Arts / Illustration): As a student paying a lot of money to attend this college, I just really hope that the money I am putting into this school will show in the new campus building. As a person who was in fashion design and now am in illustration, I hope this expansion will give me a chance to possibly take fashion electives now that they are moving here. 

Nathan Alicaway (Sophomore / Digital Media / Animation): I’m expecting everything that was promised such as the new library, art store, studio space, and the new cafeteria. I’d like to think that now new space is opening up more people will be willing to hang out in the area which will make for more social interaction. When I was a freshmen I expected more people to hang out at school in the outside space, but there wasn’t, so I hope this will be a change. In regards to the money being used for the new area, I hope it’s going to good use or else it could have been used to benefit the specific departments by adding funding to education, and also to give better scholarships and financial aid to those who need it.

Beau Nakomori (Freshmen / Foundation): I expect campus life, in a way to be real campus life. When the fashion department comes to Otis we will finally be a whole school with all the departments interacting together. When students are living in the dorms there will be a sense of actual community and night life. Along a new library, cafe and lecture rooms, it'll feel like a whole new school. I'm excited for Otis and it's new expansions, soon nothing will be the same and that's a good thing!

Yejin Park (Sophomore / Communication Arts / Illustration): I’m looking forward to the expansion because the school has been making it sound really amazing. So, that’s what I hope. I’m looking forward to the lawn, mainly because it’ll make it seem like a campus with nice greenery which is encouraging to look at after a tough day in class. I’m also hoping that the social space in the new cafeteria will improve. The food is already great so I have no expectations of how the food will be in the following fall.

Hannah Kim (Junior / Fashion Design): The day we found out about going back to the main campus, there were so many different reactions. People were worried about having to move houses, while others were happy to be reunited with their friends again. I personally really enjoy being at the fashion campus now because we are very close to the Fashion District. If we just walk downstairs and out the door, we can get fabric swatches and buy sewing supplies. There is one thing all the fashion students are looking forward to: campus being opened 24 hours!! Here at the fashion campus, with loads of homework and projects, we still need to leave as soon as it hits 11:50pm because the garage gates close at 12. Being able to stay at school however long we want will save us a lot of time and I also think being around other people in different majors will be fun and interesting! I've seen the building and can't believe it's almost done! It's going to be like foundation year all over again.. But bigger!

Otis College Campus Expansion from Otis College of Art and Design on Vimeo.

Even with that simple question, all the different students had different expectations for the new campus expansion. The excitement for the expansion contiunes to grow with the student body each and everyday! 

Written by Janis Ahn