With the fate of the empty CoHo space still in limbo, more than 830 students, alumni and staff members have signed an electronic petition that supports reopening the CoHo in its original Tresidder Union location.

The signers’ comments make it clear that for many members of the Stanford community, the CoHo was much more than just a coffee house.

“The CoHo was, simply put, a sanctuary,” Suzan Ahmed ‘09 wrote in a comment on the petition. “Unlike any library, here was a place where students, professors, TAs, everyone, could study, chat, listen to music and eat the most delicious crepes ever.”

While several signers voiced appreciation for the wide-ranging menu at the new Old Union eatery, the Axe & Palm, many bemoaned the loss of a unique space for the performing arts.

“This was a beautiful place for artists — we deserve this venue, and the Stanford community needs it,” wrote Roselyn Hallett ‘08.

Director of Student Unions Jeanette Smith-Laws said that now is the time for students to express their concerns and describe what kinds of services they would like to see in Tresidder.

“We don’t want to leave that space vacant,” she said. “Now is the time to speak up. I really encourage people to email me or come talk to me.”

The feedback she receives from emails and meetings, as well as from the petition, will inform decisions about what to do with the CoHo space and how the two unions will evolve, Smith-Laws said.

“As we move forward, we want to make sure we’re not guessing what students want,” she said. “We want to get that feedback as quickly as possible.”

The petition to re-open the CoHo was created by Megan Miller ‘06, the arts and student life coordinator for the Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts (SICA). As a student, Miller often played with her jazz combo on the CoHo’s stage in addition to actively organizing student performances and raising the money to purchase the CoHo’s piano.

“When the CoHo closed, it was kind of a disaster for the arts,” said Miller, whose current position at SICA involves supporting Stanford’s numerous arts groups.

“There were just so many different kinds of things that had a home at the CoHo: Open Mic nights, Spoken Word, live performances,” she said. “There really isn’t another venue that’s suitable for that on campus.”

The acoustics of the Axe & Palm make it unfit for live musical performances, according to Evan Brooks, board president of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, which had sponsored regular performances at the CoHo since 1972. He explained that the new eatery’s design causes live music to sound, “boomy, loud, unintelligible and fatiguing to listen to,” and he compared it to the acoustics of a high school locker room.

Miller noted that the Axe & Palm also lacks a stage or performance lighting.

The response to Miller’s petition was immediate, and hundreds of signatures were gathered in the first few days.

“It’s obvious that the students really care,” Miller said.

Many of the comments on the petition mourned the loss of the CoHo’s unique ambiance.

“The CoHo had a special feeling about it. It had character,” wrote Zachary Gianos ‘07.

Kendra Allenby ‘10 wrote that she missed the CoHo’s “dark, grungy feel,” while Lindsey Smith ‘10 described its “warm, cozy, relaxed environment.

“I don’t know any students who are happy that the CoHo is closed,” Smith wrote. “There is nothing, absolutely nothing like the CoHo anywhere else on campus.”

Many alumni and staff members have signed the petition as well, including Marisa Juarez ‘05, administrative associate for African and African American Studies.

“The CoHo’s absence has left a void on this campus that has yet to be filled,” she wrote.

Miller believes that the Axe & Palm and the CoHo could exist side by side. She thinks that the Axe & Palm is “addressing a different set of needs” than the CoHo used to, with features that the CoHo lacked including a jukebox and plasma screen TVs.

“They created a different kind of venue and then got rid of the alternative,” she said. “The Axe & Palm is perfect for Trivia Night and Hip Hop Sushi, but it’s not perfect by any means for live performance.”

In response to the possibility of the CoHo space being used for retail, Miller pointed out that the space is already set up as a performance and coffee house venue.

“If you let that venue slip away, you’re not going to get a new one,” she said.

The petition can be accessed at http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stanfordcoho/index.html.