New RPS social space still adjusting to campus

Huddled around a table, seven boys intensely watch the IU-Purdue basketball game, their eyes not wavering from the screen. \nInstead of watching the latest chapter in the heated rivalry of the residence halls, a crowd of about ten people turned out Thursday evening to watch the basketball game in the new Foster-Gresham social space, now officially dubbed, "Hoosier Den."\nThe social area sponsored and created by Residential Programs and Services officially opened last Friday. A week later, the space is slowly becoming known throughout the 11 residence halls on campus. \nBut some students still don't know the space exists.\nFreshmen Jessica Orr and Jordan Shults, residents of Read, sat at the adjacent food court eating dinner.\n"I had no idea it was there," Shults said.\n"What space?" asked Orr\nBoth women said they probably wouldn't consider going, but only because of the location.\n"If they had a space by Read, I would consider," Shults said.\nFreshman Lauren Grossel, a resident of McNutt Quad, said there were lots of empty spaces in Foster, and RPS needed to do something with them. She feels the new space is being utilized effectively.\n"If it's not too cold out, I will cross the street and come," she said.\nThe cold weather may be hindering the popularity of the space, said RPS Executive Director Pat Connor.\n"It's going okay," Connor said. "We need to do advertising, and the weather has not been very helpful. It's just starting, and we need to promote it more. They have some good things lined up, in terms of what I have seen from the events."\nUpcoming events at Hoosier Den include Mardi Gras festivities, Texas Hold 'Em tournaments, a showing of the Daytona 500 and a celebration of President's Day on Monday. Students interested in signing up for Texas Hold 'Em tournaments must e-mail hoosierd@indiana.edu.\nIn addition, karaoke is held every Friday.\nHoosier Den will open 15 minutes prior to the start times of all IU men's basketball games, with an 80-inch screen available for viewing, said junior Meg Palm, Residence Halls Association vice-president of programming.\n"I know that's a winner," Palm said.\nPalm said she felt last Friday's opening night went well.\n"We had 35 people there for the comedian, Kevin Burke, and he did a really good job," she said. "We had a few regulars that stayed and big groups that came in and out of the night into the space. It slowed at about 2 a.m, but that's okay because we close at 3 a.m."\nThe space is open from 8:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday, and until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday.\nSo far ping pong has been the most popular attraction at the den.\n"We got a lot of use out of the ping pong tables," Palm said, adding that she had to go and purchase more ping pong balls because all of them are gone.\nFreshman Trilok Nichlani, a resident of Foster Quad, said he likes having a ping pong table so close to his dorm room.\n"I like the pool and the ping pong, before I used to go to the Indiana Memorial Union," Nichlani said. "Now I can come down here and play whenever I want." \nFreshman Scott Mermelstein, also a resident of Foster Quad, said the big TV was what drew him to come to the hang-out.\n"It's because I can't fit it in my room," he said. "It's nice here, and the pool table is sweet, I know I'll come back -- it's good for recreation"