Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_6010" align="aligncenter" width="685"] University Centers Director Larry Ringgenberg gives students a preview tour of the new student union in November.[/caption]

Student union opens in January

UW-La Crosse’s new student union will open in late January when students return for the spring 2017 semester. The impressive 204,287-square-foot building stands at the heart of campus, just west of Roger Harring Stadium. Community members will be able to tour the facility during an open house Sunday, Jan. 29. More details on the open house will be shared in the January alumni news, along with the building’s name to be determined by students later this month. The four-story, $55 million building is paid for by student fees. In April 2012, students voted to build a new student center instead of making needed repairs to Cartwright Center, the current student center which was built in the 1950s. The new building offers spaces for student socialization, recreation, studying, eating, entertainment and more. It will also house the Follett Bookstore, UWL’s student organizations and some campus offices, including UWL Admissions. Among the building’s many features are four inside fireplaces, multiple areas for dining with friends and a catbird’s seat for listening to music in the entertainment café. The new “living room” of the campus provides many modern conveniences, says University Centers Director Larry Ringgenberg. “It’s larger with comfortable gathering spaces for individuals and group interactions,” he says. “Students can recharge personally or technologically.” Take a tour Students who friended the student center Facebook page took a preview tour of the new building. Visit the photo gallery of their tour.