ULM Student Center reopens with beautiful renovation

Originally published in The News-Star newspaper, December 31, 2006

She is open again - the Student Center, also known as the Social Building, 1938 companion to Brown Field football stadium, once located just to her northwest.

In the early 1960s, when 13 buildings and three streets were named after persons and things of note, strangely, she did not receive a name. "STUDENT CENTER MCMXXXVIII" remained cut into the stone above her door. No matter, once again she stands shining as the most recent bright part of our campus.

When I came to Northeast Louisiana State College in the summer of 1967, all I knew about this building was that it was the location of the Post Office. I wasn't sure what else was in there except some empty rooms. I never went upstairs, so am at a loss as to what was there then.

I do know that over about the last 30 years the building's windows were covered, the bottom floor held books as part of the NLU/ULM Bookstore and the upper floor held offices for the PowWow, Chacahoula, and Public Affairs. Over the last year and a half she has been under renovation, which included removing the addition to her east. She is open once again.

In a 1938 radio broadcast, Dean C.C. Colvert declared the new Student Center to be "the most beautiful building of its kind in the state of Louisiana." He must have been so proud.

After occupying what is now known as T.O. Brown Hall since 1931, here was the first building of his administration and the start of a building frenzy for him. This was his first building - and it was dedicated entirely to serving the students' extracurricular needs. One can only imagine what paths she has seen in her time, but at the same time can also imagine her excitement at now being able to serve our campus once again.

And guess what ... once again, the Student Center is completely dedicated to the extracurricular needs of the students. Where there was a 14-by-36 foot kitchen and a cafeteria with seating for 150 and a 26-by-60 foot social room with a fireplace faced with Belgian black marble on the first floor, there are state-of-the-art meeting and conference rooms for student organizations and other groups. Where upstairs there were dormitory rooms for athletes, male students and finally female students (several Chacahoulas, including 1948, show coeds smiling out of the windows), there are now beautiful offices and conference rooms.

A walk down her halls on both first and second floors will impress anyone with what an awesome and lovely building she is. Although her companion football stadium is now across the bayou, there are now plenty of surrounding buildings to keep her company.

She is still to be called the Student Center and will still front the Student Union (which was built as an "addition" to her and is being renovated). And she once again is "the most beautiful building of its kind in the state of Louisiana."

Have a great day at ULM!

Dr. John Knesel, ULM Professor