I’m sure Talley Student Center was state of the art in 1972. I’m also pretty sure that in 1972, Talley was an architectural breakthrough. But much like the fraternity houses on Greek Court (that actually won awards for excellence in design) the style didn’t endure, and instead leaves a lot to be desired.

Talley is an eyesore, a relic of awkwardly utilitarian 1970s architecture. Unless you’re a member of an organization with an office in the building or really craving Taco Bell, there’s no real reason for you to be there. Talley misses today’s needs for a true student center.

As the building has aged and the school has grown, the student center has seen a devolving role in everyday life on campus. Witherspoon Student Center has the movie theater and houses some of the largest student organizations; the library draws in students for things other than studying with its new computer labs, video game consoles and ice cream shop — things that other schools tend to centralize in their student centers. In 1972, there wasn’t a need for a facility that could host orientations for 8,000 freshmen. In 1972, there weren’t personal computers, the Internet or e-mail. Talley is outdated, impractical and not suitable for today’s needs. N.C. State needs an upgrade.

We need a central building on campus for students. One that’s attractive and a centerpiece we can be proud to show high school students when they visit our school; we need a building that makes a statement befitting our design school’s architectural reputation.

It must be practical for students — a building that has usable open space for informal meetings as well as static offices for organizations on campus.

We need a major upgrade in technological services — a basic computer lab for starters, but more importantly, rooms that are adaptable for future technologies so we’re not having this same conversation twenty years down the road. The core needs to be people friendly with places to relax and lounge for students and commuters, as well as entertainment like pool tables and gaming stations; the library might be a good model in that regard.

The new center needs to have more dining options — healthier dining options that have plenty of space to eat. Most importantly, the center needs to be big enough to accommodate a growing student body, with open space for orientations and banquets.

There isn’t a perfect design or a perfect idea, but the new plans for Talley will be a compilation of the best student ideas as well as a design that will serve as the centerpiece our campus desperately needs. It’s important that students support this idea, and the upcoming fee referendum will be the ultimate indication of how soon we should push ahead with this new building.Talley will be expensive, but it’s ultimately up to the student body, regardless of the economy; we’ll be the ones footing this bill.

On the flip side, the administration needs to act on the outcome of the referendum since it’s a building for the students paid for by the students.

I hope we do vote to build a new Talley. As a campus, we need it — the process needs to begin now.