Groundbreaking
for new MU Student Center
Julia Shuck, posted Oct. 25, 2006
Performances by Marching Mizzou and For All We Call Mizzou,
guest appearances by Truman the Tiger and Beatle Bailey and
free Tiger Shack hamburgers, Tiger Stripe ice cream, chips,
drinks and t-shirts were all part of the groundbreaking ceremony
for the Student Center at Mizzou, held Friday Oct. 20, 2006
at 3:30 p.m. outside of Brady Commons.
Sketches, floor maps and plans for the Student Center were
displayed beside an example of what the limestone walls of
the center will look like. When completed in 2010, the building
will be 220,114 square feet and house campus organizations
and groups, lounge areas and study rooms to name a few.
According to Catherine Scroggs, vice chancellor for MU Student
Affairs, in her welcoming speech, originally Brady Commons
was built in 1963, for use by a 15,000-student campus. The
building was expanded in 1985 and 1997 to meet the needs of
the growing campus. Today, there are nearly 28,000 students
on campus and Brady Commons is the most heavily used building
on campus, says Scroggs. Symbolizing the Tiger Shack, a place
where MU students in the past could be found relaxing, the
purpose for the Student Center is to give students a hang
out feeling without the creaky boards and sticky floors of
the shack, said Scroggs.
“This is a landmark facility to be a ‘great education
in the heart of the nation’ as the Mizzou singers just
said,” commented Brady Deaton, MU Chancellor, on the
Student Center. “The Student Center will be a place
to house past accomplishments, present goals and future dreams.”
John Anderson, president of the Missouri Student Association,
spoke on his involvement with the Student Center since he
was a freshman. Anderson was on a planning committee and traveled
to other Big 12 conference schools to view their centers and
noticed that there was a need at MU.
Other speakers at the event were Mark Beard, president of
the Graduate Professional Council and Matt Sokoloff, current
MU senior who has been working on the Student Center project
since his freshman year. Laura Frick, MU graduate student,
concluded the speeches by leading the audience in singing
the Alma Mater.
The ground breaking occurred in five groups. The first group
to break ground was the Student Center Project Ambassadors,
which included Brady Deaton, Catherine Scroggs, John Anderson,
and Matt Sokoloff. Others who broke ground included involved
students, both past and present, the planning team, the Brady
family members and Columbia City of Commerce representatives.
Afterwards audience members were allowed to dig at the groundbreaking
site for optional photo opportunities. The event ended at
Kuhlman Court with free food and t-shirts.
