Oregon State University - Beaver Yearbook (Corvallis, OR)

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Above left: Each floor has it's own lobby where residents can hang out, study, or just be. | Photo by Andrew McDade Above: The GEM sign is colorful and noticeable from the street. It is a welcoming sign for people interested in checking out this new place to live. | Photo by Andrew McDade Left: The Gem is equipped with a game room which includes pool and foosball tables. This was a great location to hang out with your neighbors and friends. | Photo by Andrew McDade Far left: The OSU campus can be seen out the Gem's front windows. The location of campus to the Gem was very convenient for students. | Photo by Andrew McDade Left: The first floor is equipped with a community kitchen for people to make dinner or hang out in. The bright colors and welcoming atmosphere made it feel like your kitchen at home. | Photo by Andrew McDade ftv Gar 25

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THE GEM What used to be a somewhat unsightly building, on the corner of Kings Blvd. and Monroe St., transformed from the former College Inn, into the cheerful new residence hall called The Gem. The College Inn was open to house students until 2002 when it was shut down, and planning for a $12 million rehabilitation began. Owned by OSU, but managed by College Housing Northwest, The Gem offers the same conveniences of the other residence halls, without the restrictions that normally come with living in them. Some of these handy attributes include an on-sight manager, a parking lot and consolidation of all of the bills into one. At the same time, The Gem provided residents the freedom they would get if they were living on their own. We have the perks of other independent apartment buildings like private bathrooms and full kitchens, stated assistant property manager, Joey Carroll. This six story living facility had a welcoming atmosphere and worked at developing a great community. Events like pumpkin carving and a book exchange helped accomplish that goal. We have a very laid back and relaxed community, you can go to the events if you want to but if you would rather sit in your room and watch TV you can do that instead, Carroll said. Another unique detail about The Gem is that it is named after the first OSU student newspaper, which began in 1883. The Gem was a monthly paper that was founded under then President of OSU, Ben Arnold. The Gem had 231 units, 12 of which were handicap-accessible. Leases of ten or 12 months were available, which gave people the option of living at this enjoyable new residence in the summer. | Story by Emily Delaney The entrance to The Gem, located on Kings Blvd., faces Dutch Bros. Coffee on Monroe St. At night, you can see the floors different colors through each story's windows. This new bright building is a vibrant change after the previous look of The College Inn. | Photo by Andrew McDade 24 Snjdortl.

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BEAVER BUS The 2006-2007 year marked the start of the new Beaver Bus, a shuttle program created through the work of ASOSU, the Corvallis Transit System (CTS), and local business owners. Students, staff and faculty rode the Beaver Bus with a valid OSU ID, while community members paid the regular CTS fare of 75 cents. In past years, when the CTS stopped running at 7 p.m., students had to rely on taxis, Saferide and friends to get them off-campus. The Beaver Bus had two routes: North, which was a modified version of the daytime route 1 and South, which combined the daytime routes 6 and 8. The predecessor of the Beaver Bus was called the Nightlife Shuttle, which was sponsored by the Downtown Corvallis Association and funded through private donations. The Nightlife Shuttle ended in 2000. However, in the fall of 2005, the ASOSU Community Affairs Task Force began working on what would become the Beaver Bus. Each of the three groups - the City of Corvallis, ASOSU, and local businesses - provided $21,000 to fund the Beaver Bus. At a cost of $1.20 per student, the student fees paid for operation costs related to the Beaver Bus. Some 200-300 OSU students used the Beaver Bus during an average weekend (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). “We are here to provide safety for all, whether they are community members or OSU students and staff, ASOSU Executive Director of Services Heather James said. This service is a pioneering effort which bridges the gap between students and the citizens of Corvallis; this partnership is unprecedented and has thus far been a successful endeavor. | Story by Rachel Silver 26 Studert l,(o A student prepares to board the south route as it returns to the bus mall downtown. For about five minutes every hour, the drivers for the North and South routes met at the bus mall to update each other about bus-related issues. | Photo by Rachel Silver