The Hawk’s Nest may look a little different when students come back to campus in the fall. During the summer, the lounge area on the bottom floor and the upstairs Hawk’s Nest will be getting renovated. The Hawks Nest Cafe will also be getting some updates.

The upper part of the Hawk’s Nest will be named “The Perch” and the lower section will be named “The Hawks’ Hangout.”

The Student Senate has allocated $90,000 for the entire project.

“This includes funding to renovate the walls and floors of the space, purchase new furniture, and purchase new gaming equipment,” Jacob Hartzler, the Senate Treasurer, said.

The walls near The Perch, including the involvement wall, and the walls of Hawk’s Hangout, will be renovated with wall wrap, rather than paint.

Student Senate Advisor, Blair Carroll, said in the April 19 Senate meeting that the involvement wall will be covered and photos of students will not be put up again, so the area can stay clean and timeless.

The curved bar in the lower level will be removed to free up space and all the furniture will be removed for different furniture and new gaming equipment.

These funds will come from the Senate Reserve Fund, an account with the accumulation of the unused funds in past years. Hartzler said Senate is in a position where funding this project is manageable.

“This space is being updated now because we are anticipating that the coming year(s) students will place a priority on in-person gathering spaces which our campus community has been deprived of for the past year due to the pandemic,” Hartzler said. “This space is in dire need of an update as the Hawk’s Lounge has not been touched in several years and as a result, it no longer satisfies the demands of students.”

The renovations will start this summer and the project is expected to be completed before students come back to campus in the fall.

“When it all comes together, this will be a very welcoming space for current students and prospective students that will maximize the potential of this under-utilized area,” Hartzler said.