Ground breaking ceremonies for the new $24.5 million Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center is set for Friday Feb. 9.
Festivities will begin at 11 a.m. at the construction site located east of the Science Building across from West Neal Street. Following the ceremony, a reception will be held at the current student center. Refreshments and entertainment will be available for students and student organizations in the Main Hall and Founder’s Lounge on the second floor. A 6- foot by 15-foot display featuring perspectives of the new facility will be on hand by designers Gideon Toal and WTW Architects.
In 2004, a student referendum was passed to construct the new 92,000-square-foot building. The new student center is described to be the culmination of hard work by many, offering a new hip destination for students to go between and after classes.
“The new Sam Rayburn Student Center represents another step in achieving the goals of our campus master plan,” said Texas A&M University-Commerce President Keith McFarland. “Our students will have access to a new facility they can call their own – a destination for eating, studying, shopping or just hanging out. With this new facility, we can portray a more positive image to those visitors who only attend events that are held in the student center.”
Seven years ago, Interim Dean of Students Brian Nichols met with McFarland for the first time to discuss the need for a better gathering place for the student body. Nichols said the planning has progressed from looking at needs, options, and concepts to a new state-of-the-art facility Nichols and MSC director Rick Miller concluded major renovation work was needed on the current student center and construction of a new building would be more cost effective.
“Rick Miller and Brian Nichols are appreciated and commended for their tireless efforts in keeping the new student center project on track. These duties have been on top of their already busy schedules and many responsibilities,” McFarland said.
Representing A&M-Commerce students, Student Body President Amber Ramoz said, “Everybody is extremely excited about the groundbreaking and construction of the new building.” She thinks the new building will “bring students together in one place for dining, entertainment, and studying.”
“It will be a cool hangout place,” Ramoz said.
Although classes will not be dismissed, McFarland encourages faculty and students who are not otherwise in class to attend the ceremony and be a part of the university’s history.
In case of rain or cold weather, the event will be moved inside the foyer of the Science Building.
A&M-Commerce Media Relations contributed to this report.