In April 2024, numerous clubs at Stony Brook University such as the LGBT+ Alliance, Science Fiction Forum, Animated Perspectives, Smash Bros. at SBU, Pocket Theatre, Stony Brook Gospel Choir and Commuter Student Association received emails from the Campus Life Centers (CLC) explaining that they will be evicted.

CLC informed the affected clubs that their spaces will no longer be available to them and will be altered “to meet expanding needs of our Stony Brook community.” However, some of these clubs have received minimal to no communication or guidance from CLC as they prepare for their upcoming evictions. 

Daniel Andrade, the president of Animated Perspectives and Smash Bros. at SBU and a senior majoring in sociology, said these two clubs have shared the Student Activities Center Room 018B for nearly a decade. Despite this, he said that CLC initially wanted both clubs to leave by the end of the spring 2024 semester. Due to the short time frame and busier schedules during finals, the evictions were postponed until the end of the fall 2024 semester.

He shared that there was no communication between CLC and the club over the summer, but he eventually spoke with Samuel Sowah, an operations and event manager for CLC. 

“[Sowah] ended up telling me that the help they will be able to give us [while] moving is super limited, and they’re not sure what they can do for us,” Andrade said. “Last semester, they promised [to] help this year, [but] they’re kind of backpedaling on it. It’s a little frustrating, but that’s where we are now.” 

Smash Bros. at SBU, Animated Perspectives and LGBT+ Alliance share the struggle of being forced to move their belongings out of the rooms they currently occupy to find storage since no replacement rooms are available.

Thoren Giannuzzi, the president of LGBT+ Alliance and a senior majoring in chemical and molecular engineering, wrote in an email to The Statesman on Thursday, Oct. 10 that there were few updates reported on their situation on behalf of the club in May 2024. 

“As it stands, we will be losing access to SAC 309 in early December and [will] not [receive] a replacement office location. We have been [given] a storage crate in the basement of the SAC until the end of the [2024 to 2025] academic year. Following that we have no guarantee of on-campus storage and will be looking into off-campus options. We have not heard anything else from CLC about this and they have not reached out to continue any discussions,” Giannuzzi said. 

The Statesman reached out to the  LGBT+ Alliance for further comments, but they did not respond. 

Jacklyn Yeh, the secretary of Science Fiction Forum and a senior majoring in psychology, shared that their club has until the end of the spring 2025 semester to move their belongings. 

Currently, the Science Fiction Forum occupies Rooms L06-08, which serves as the main space where they hold their meetings, and L06-09, which stores memorabilia, books and furniture in the Stony Brook Union. Due to the eviction, CLC will be occupying Room L06-08, forcing the club to clear out that room and store their remaining belongings in Room L06-09. Room L06-09 is meant to be their on-campus storage area and library that holds its collection of around 1,500 science fiction literature. 

Yeh said that when it comes to planning events such as Brook Con, a one-day anime convention, a designated room is necessary for organizing meetings and preparing for large turnouts.

She said that CLC hadn’t reached out to the Science Fiction Forum since May, which led them to reach out to CLC to ask for the reasoning behind their eviction.

Yeh mentioned they have been in contact with Valerie Cheransky, a coordinator for Student Engagement and Activities (SEA), who serves as their club advisor. Cheransky reached out to the club to coordinate events but Yeh ultimately provided updates about their situation due to the lack of communication from CLC.  

“All of these people, even though they’re making these huge executive decisions, are not actually talking to any of the e-board or any of the members of the clubs that they’re removing,” Yeh said. 

CLC wrote to The Statesman explaining there are over 400 student clubs and organizations at the University and due to limited space, most of these clubs do not have designated storage or office spaces. CLC described the process that clubs go through to apply for a room each year. 

“Each year, student clubs and organizations must reapply for space, without guarantee that they will be awarded a designated area to gather. The spaces currently utilized by the LGBT+ Alliance, Commuter Student Association, Animated Perspectives, and Sci-Fi Forum are being reimagined to meet the expanding needs of our Stony Brook community. The Office of Student Life is working closely with these clubs to discuss their specific needs in an effort to minimize negative impacts on their operations, including finding suitable space for any equipment, books, magazines, and other items currently stored in these spaces,” CLC said. 

CLC also said that they recognize and appreciate the affected student groups reaching out and expressing their concerns. 

“Our goal is to engage in further conversation with each group, review needs, find solutions, and adjust timelines as needed,” CLC said.

In a follow-up email from The Statesman asking what expanding clubs’ “needs” will look like, CLC wrote, “We are currently meeting and working with [the Undergraduate Student Government] and SEA to finalize plans for each space. The goal, as always, is to best meet the needs of our student groups.” 

Pocket Theatre, Stony Brook Gospel Choir and the Commuter Student Association did not comment on their situations or provide updates.