The long awaited Bishop Gorman student union officially opened its doors to everyone on campus on Jan. 7.
When students returned back to Bishop Gorman to begin the second semester, they rushed over to the new building to look around and maybe grab a cup of Peet’s Coffee. After waiting three semesters for the space to open, students who have watched the building process progress were eager to walk through its doors.
The new student union not only gives the campus a fresh new look but it provides a relaxing area for students to study and socialize. “The new building definitely makes the campus more welcoming. The modern design creates a space where students and faculty can feel more comfortable and engaged,” Gavin Briseno ‘25 said.
Within the new student union is Peet’s Coffee where students can grab a drink before school, during lunch, and after school. The cafe offers a wide selection of drinks varying from teas, coffee, and pastries. It has become the new hot spot on campus. “The lines are always long with a buzzing crowd of people,” Isabella Montoya ‘27 said.
The building offers an environment that can not be found anywhere else on school grounds, a place for students to unwind after a long day at school, even without going home. “I think the open study and eating areas of the building are the most beneficial because it allows students, especially those who don’t drive, to have a study area that is very similar to going somewhere like Starbucks or a coffee shop,” said Kyrene Sideco ‘26.
In addition to the lounging space, the new building houses many places for students to benefit academically. There are classrooms, a media center for broadcast, new spaces for computer science, a club prep room, a courtroom, and classrooms were all built to give the students the best education possible.
Sideco’s AP Computer Science class just moved into the building, and the class is able to utilize the new Robotics and Innovation Lab. She said, “Although our computers are the same, the new setup in the class is a good change of scenery. In addition, I am very excited to see how a bigger space allows us to experiment and collaborate more with other students in our class.”
Simar Jolly ‘26 is a student in mock trial and speech and debate, and likes that there is a “full time classroom for both of these things.” Mock trial has their very own courtroom which is waiting to be completed. “Even though the courtroom is a work-in-progress, we use the layout to be used to the courtroom procedures,” Jolly added.”
She also shared that the bigger room is “great for speech and debate because the bigger room carries sound better and allows us to break out into groups better.”
Overall, the new student union has been a huge success on campus for both students and faculty, there is much excitement about the endless possibilities the new building will bring to the Bishop Gorman community.
