11/5/2009
By MICHAEL STRAND Salina Journal
When he was interviewing for the position of dean at Kansas State University at Salina some 13 years ago, Dennis Kuhlman recalled, he was asked what he thought the campus needed.

His answer -- a real student gathering place that would help the campus feel more like a campus -- is finally coming to fruition.

There's still some work to be done, but the formal opening of KSU-Salina's new Student Life Center is set for 4:30 p.m. today; college officials hosted a Wednesday morning "sneak peek" for local reporters.

"We're almost ready to open," Kuhlman said. "It will be a few more days before everything is ready."

There were still a few things that needed to get done; marks on various countertops showed where holes for computer cabling will be, there was no edging between the tile and the soft surface where the weight machines are, and the surface of the second floor is still in Canada.

Still, Kuhlman was pleased.

"Those of you who have been around for 13 years know this is something I've worked on for a long time," he said.

He noted that the 33,000-square-foot facility was built with "wide, wide participation," including funding from the university, a special assessment that students on the Salina campus approved several years ago, and donations from local companies and individuals.

Local businesses kick in

Plaques around the facility bear the names of some major donors: the Cessna Lounge, which is awaiting its pool and air hockey tables; the Bennington State Bank racquetball court; and the Stiefel Gym, which houses the McCune Court for basketball and other events.

Among the first events will be the December graduation ceremony, said Mark Friesen, director of development.

For years, KSU-Salina's graduation ceremonies have been at the Kansas Highway Patrol headquarters, at the former Marymount College.

"We needed a place that could hold 1,000 people," Friesen said. "We're really excited about being able to do this here."

Public has some access

While access to the facility will be free to KSU-Salina students, Friesen said K-State alumni and their families (whether from the Salina or Manhattan campus) could also use the facility, with rates starting at $15 a month.

The general public can also use the facility, Friesen said, by becoming a student and enrolling in the zero-credit "Salina General Fitness Course" at $100 a semester.

Kuhlman and Friesen both said they expect the new center to help with recruiting and retaining students; Kuhlman said admissions staff have already been "sneaking" prospective students in.

For years, Kuhlman said, the campus gym has been a mile away from the rest of the campus, near the airport terminal, and "a mile is quite a way if you're going to have a campus feel."

He noted that the main gathering place for students now is the school library, and that the new center "will change the culture of the campus."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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