The University Memorial Center. (Calyx Ward/CU Independent)
The University Memorial Center attracted students this week to activities and promotions celebrating the campus building’s 60th birthday.
Peet’s Coffee is offering 60-cent coffee to those needing their daily caffeine fix at Baby Doe’s, and students craving something more savory can pick up a bag of popcorn for 60 cents at The Connection. The UMC art gallery has dedicated space for an art exhibit of pieces that represent the essence of the last 60 years.
There will be free roller skating in Glenn Miller Ballroom on Thursday night from 7-11 p.m. and the Friday Afternoon Club on the South Terrace of the UMC from 3-5 p.m. Visit the UMC website for a complete list of activities.
Since it was built in 1953, the UMC has grown alongside the university and established itself as a unique part of the Boulder community.
The building is Colorado’s official memorial to veterans. On Monday, Veteran’s Day, Gov. John Hickenlooper will take part in the annual ceremony and rededicate the University Memorial Center.
Tyler Romero, a senior communications major and chair of the UMC Board, said the that when the university erected the UMC, campus gained an outlet for community gatherings and diversity, as well as physical space for what amounts to 85 student club offices today.
The UMC sees an estimated 25,000 visitors every day for activities including work, food, shopping, debate, community service and special events.
Andrea Zelinko, assistant director for administration at the UMC, said the space serves a greater purpose outside the CU campus community.
It has played host to reputable events from the annual Conference on World Affairs to prom for local high schools. It also houses the only bowling alley in Boulder, The Connection.
Mariah Kohlruss-Ecker, a senior studying sociology who works at The Connection, spent many hours of her five-year college career at the UMC. What she will miss most when she graduates in December, Kohlruss-Ecker said, is the UMC community.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Jordan Mathews at Jordan.mathews@colordo.edu or @Jordan_MMathews.
