UofL News: The Student Activities Center is the student hub on Belknap Campus. Why do you think it is so important for students to have this kind of gathering space?Ěý

Wildman: The space the Student Activities Center provides to students in institutions across the country is irreplaceable. I was telling a member of my staff that the SAC is similar to the Mirror of Erised (the magical mirror in ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’) because it is a space that students can go to find what they need. Students can eat, sleep, study, spend time with friends, work, get involved, and spend informal time with both staff and faculty of the institution. The learning that happens outside the classroom for many students is as important as the learning that happens inside the classroom, and the SAC is the best place for these opportunities.

UofL News: What do you want UofL students to know about the SAC that they may not know? What makes the SAC special?Ěý

Wildman:Ěý I have been to about 30 student unions across the country, and each one is special in its own way. Most important, they serve the campus they were built on, and UofL is no exception. The SAC was built for a campus that is both commuter and residential with a focus in research. That is evident as the spaces within the SAC are designed for eating, studying, and gathering with organizations. The SAC has a lot to offer the almost 40,000 students it serves each week, around 8,000 per day.Ěý

Among my long-term goals is to provide a student employment experience to students in the SAC that is something they can use to build their resumes. I also hope to find ways our students can serve the patrons of the SAC so that events are not only a joy for the clients but a learning experience for students. We will continue to assess and discuss long- and short-term goals based on the needs of our students.

Where’s your favorite spot in the SAC, or do you have several favorites? What programs are you looking forward to enjoying this semester?

Wildman:ĚýI love so many spaces in the SAC, and I continue to find new spaces in the 422,000 square feet of space. If I had to pick a few of those spaces, I would choose the Red Barn for its history and the people that are so passionate about the community it creates. I also love the lounge space on the second floor. Students make spaces in these facilities their own, and this space has become a quiet space where students can go to think, relax, eat and study. It is such a versatile space with so much light and action.Ěý

The events I am looking forward to this semester are endless, but mostly I look forward to being able to host more events for students in these spaces. Covid-19 has limited what we are able to offer, and what students are comfortable attending. So, as we prepare for orientation this summer and bringing new students to campus, I am looking forward to all that we can offer our fall 2022 first-year students.

Then there are Quantá Taylor’s three Rs.

When the new University of Louisville director of student involvement considers the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on student involvement, the three Rs that spring to his mind are reimagine, revamp and reengage.

“This is one of the ways that I have been proud of the work of the Office of Student Involvement, as they have been resilient, innovative and adaptive in finding ways to continue to engage and connect with students,” throughout the pandemic, Taylor said. “From grab-and-go options, to hybrid events, to fully online opportunities, OSI has never stopped, but only temporarily slowed down to make sure that the programs and initiatives that we offered were still able to be delivered at a high standard.”

Taylor came to UofL earlier this year after working for the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program and The Ohio State University. His time at OSU included working in a program whose goal was to be a national model for graduate and professional student engagement.

“After three years in this role, I shifted to an assistant director of campus programming, which focused on the holistic student experience and ensuring that all students were included in campus programs, traditions and experiences,” he said.

Taylor and his colleagues thrive on high doses of student contact, and UofL’s plans for a fully open campus this fall are a dream come true.

“I don’t think there are adequate words to describe how excited I am looking forward to a return to a vibrant and active campus life,” he said. “Having an office space that is in the Student Activities Center, I am looking forward to randomly popping in on student events, the hustle and bustle of students moving between grabbing food, attending meetings and just relaxing. I get energy from the activity of our students and I am looking forward to seeing the best that UofL has to offer.”

Student involvement is part of the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. It provides cultural, social and recreational programs that enrich the education experience by maximizing the capacity of students to learn, serve and lead.

“As a practitioner scholar, research tells us that those students who are involved develop necessary skills such as better time management, transferable skills to their career and a better understanding of their personal values. When involvement shifts to engagement, this is when we see students retained,” he said.

Taylor pointed out that belonging aligns with UofL’s Community of Care, the first of the eight Cardinal Principles.

“When a student experiences belonging, it equates to feeling as if they matter to the campus community, that their presence has a significant impact on those they interact with,” he said. “When I think about the Cardinal experience we hope to foster here in the Office of Student Involvement, every experience we curate is done so to increase student academic and social success and help them reach the ultimate goal of graduation. With students spending more than 70% of their time on campus outside of classes, we want to be intentional in helping students maximize every opportunity to achieve success.”

Like The Thinker and the alumni clock tower, the Red Barn is an iconic landmark enabling signature moments on the Belknap Campus, from the annual Crawfish Boil to job fairs to book sales to the debut of Dan Fogelberg’s Derby-themed song, “Run for the Roses.”

Campus will officially mark the building’s 50^th anniversary with a celebration on Oct. 25 from 6-9 p.m.

There is certainly plenty to celebrate. Consider the history created in that single building, which used to be a metal fabrication and welding shop for the Caldwell Tank Company, by the way. The Caldwell property was acquired by the university through urban renewal in 1969 and the structure was scheduled for eventual destruction.

However, according to “The University of Louisville,” by Dwayne D. Cox and William J. Morison, its 5,000 square feet of floor space proved enticing to a group of enterprising students. Led by Louis Bornwasser (’70), a group of students requested funding from then-President Woodrow M. Strickler to turn the “drafty, leaky building into a passable concert hall, dance hall and movie theatre.”

Prior to this renovation, there weren’t many spaces on campus dedicated to student activities, and Bornwasser saw an opportunity. Strickler must have too, as the students’ funding request to renovate and maintain the building was granted from the university. The “Save the Red Barn” campaign added a new stage, new lighting and sound equipment, a new roof and an addition to house the Student Activities office, with George Howe tapped to lead the department.

Before long, the Red Barn began providing an outlet for student events. Comedian and social activist Dick Gregory spoke there, while benefit performances were held for environmental campaigns in a politically charged time.

According to the book, in April 1970, attorney William Kunstler was scheduled to speak. A year prior, he gained notoriety with his courtroom defense of “The Chicago Seven,” leaders of demonstrations held at the 1968 Democratic national convention. One day before Kunstler’s appearance, the city fire marshal made an unexpected visit, found the building to be one exit short of acceptable, and prohibited use of the building.

However, a maintenance crew worked around the clock to frame a new doorway, breaking through three layers of brick in the process. University administrators may not have been enamored of Kunstler, the book notes, but they liked censorship even less. During his address to a full house, a bomb threat forced the evacuation of the building. After a search found nothing amiss, 1,100 students filed back in.

Perhaps the biggest Red Barn moment came during the building’s traditional “Derby Eve” party in 1980, in which ABC television broadcast “Friday Night Live from the Kentucky Derby” at the facility. Singer Dan Fogelberg premiered his hit song “Run for the Roses” – which continues to be a perennial staple of the Kentucky Derby – and the program featured interviews with UofL’s 1980 NCAA championship team.

During that event, actor and horseman Jack Klugman was wedged into the audience, which left a bad impression. At one point he reacted to the noise, the crowds and the heat by looking into the camera and declaring, “If my horse wins the Derby, I’m going to buy this garage and then I’m going to burn it to the ground.”

Showing their affinity for the building their predecessors saved, UofL students roundly booed Klugman and named the Red Barn’s bathrooms after him and his horse.

This affinity continues today.

For Howe, who now leads special programming at the Red Barn, and for whom the building was named after in 2008, the building may have a strong 50-year legacy, but it’s just getting started.

“When I think about what’s next, I always think of that song by The Carpenters called, ‘We’ve Only Just Begun,’” he said. “There’s something magical about this building, that to this day when I walk in, I feel the transformation. It’s so positive and it’s so uplifting. Call it karma. Call it whatever you want, but it’s here to stay.”

As part of the Oct. 25 celebration, Stuart Neff (’81), coordinator for special projects for the Student Activities Board, will be recognized as the recipient of the 2019 RBAA Mary Fay Rumford Unsung Hero Award. Also, a commemorative porcelain Red Barn plate with the original Red Barn watercolor by Gene Hatfield (1989) will be given to the first 30 attendees contributing a minimum of $100 as part of the Red Barn 50^th anniversary celebration. Money will directly benefit UofL students.

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Those returning to campus may not even recognize the 1990 building after its . Ěý

The $40 million project consisted of 80,000 square feet of renovated or expanded space, for a total of 412,662 overall square feet, making the SAC the largest building on the Belknap campus, behind Cardinal Stadium.

New amenities include:Ěý

• 90 percent of the building was redesigned, renovated or expanded
• More than 5,000 new meeting seats added
• Grand Ballroom with almost 10,000 square feet with a capacity to hold 1,200
• Multi-Purpose Room with almost 6,000 square feet with a capacity to hold 500
• New Herman and Heddy Kurz Campus Visit Room for prospective students
• 16 new meeting/conference rooms with integrated audio/screens/projectors technologyĚý
• Multiple outdoor plaza areas
• Renovated and expanded Campus Store
• Expanded/enhanced dining facilities
• Canon Print & Mail Service Center
• Renovated Floyd Theater
• Integrated functional spaces for Dean of Students and VPSA, Student Involvement, SGA/SAB/ELSB, Commuter Student Lounge, Parents Association, International Service Learning Program, Athletics, Women’s Volleyball, Campus Store, UofL Dining, Canon Print & Mail Services, PEACC, Health Promotion, Health & Sport Sciences classrooms, lab space and department/faculty offices

Dr. Glenn Gittings, director of Student Activities Center and Special Programs, said people were amazed when they first saw the newly finished multi-purpose room used for President Neeli Bendapudi’s meet and greet in May.

“We need campus to see this place and understand what it is,” he said. “It’s not just about square footage. It’s what can be done with it — the programs and services for students that can come here.”

Major events that were too large for any space on campus and held elsewhere in Louisville can now happen in the SAC, such as many of the large-scale Welcome Week events that were recently hosted in the Ballroom, Multi-Purpose room and other spaces.

If a unit would like to host a dignitary, or a regional or national education conference, now there’s space on campus that comes with Aramark’s on-site catering and the latest AV and presentation technologies.

SAC space is free for university units, along with nominal AV costs, and may be . Gittings said these new spaces will ultimately save the university money on travel expenses and rental costs.

And, SAC space can generate funds. Anyone outside of the university can book rooms for a fee, whether it’s for a corporate retreat or a wedding. Gittings said Student Affairs is working with the Convention and Visitors Bureau to make people aware.

“While students and campus departments are the primary user, we have space where the community can come,” he said.

As for students, they’ll also have new space for formal meetings, like Greek weekly leadership meetings, and the informal encounters and experiences that make campus life memorable.

The SAC renovation features improved and expanded open areas, with movable furniture and lots of natural light.ĚýĚý

“Students can come in and socialize and feel a sense of community, no matter who they are. We even have a new lounge for commuter students. We’ve got a place, an operational component, that allows everyone to have a home,” Gittings said.Ěý

Tim Moore, assistant to the vice provost of Student Affairs, said the SAC is like the campus living room and acts as a natural complement to the new .

“We feel strongly students will come out of new academic building, walk that 400 feet, and come straight into the SAC, flow through the corridor and marketplace to the upstairs and lounge area to decompress from their recent studies, talk, collaborate and share ideas,” Moore said.

The office, which is housed in the SAC, also has been better arranged so that students can find a one-stop help center for non-academic grievance services and other programs.Ěý

Thanks to a generous donation from Herman and Heddy Kurz, the SAC will also act as the campus front door for prospective students as campus tours will kick off in the new Herman and Heddy Kurz Visitors Room.

“The SAC is part of that continuing story of campus improvement,” Moore said. “All of this is about enhancing the quality of the student experience.”

Last year, University of Louisville officials began an of the 28-year-old , offering students more than 112,000 square feet of additional or renovated dining, retail, meeting and office space.

As part of that project, there will be a new campus visitor space in the SAC – theĚýHerman and Heddy Kurz Visitors Room – where potential students will meet admissions officials, pick up campus information and embark on campus tours. For many potential students and their families, this space will be their first impression of UofL.

Project directors envision placing two murals on walls there that creatively represent UofL’s personality and traditions, while generating a sense of pride and excitement.

UofL is issuing a request for submissions for mural concepts from the creative minds who know the institution best: our own. Artists and designers who work at UofL, are currently enrolled or have graduated from UofL are encouraged to submit concept proposals.Ěý

“We hope to highlight the talent and creativity of our alumni working within the fields of art and design and bolster ties to the community,” said Kim Butterweck, director of communication initiatives. “If designed by UofL students or alumni, then the murals become an interesting talking point for our tour guides. Our hope is the campus visit area in the SAC becomes one of UofL’s most unique and often-photographed spots on campus, while also contributing to our city’s public art offerings.”

One goal is to harness the power of social media with one of the murals. It’s envisioned as a ‘selfie wall’Ěý– a backdrop that will inspire students and potential students to take their photos and proudly share them to their social media accounts.

As currently conceived, the two interior murals will be two-dimensional and printed on vinyl, with UofL vendors handling installation. However, project directors are open to other, more innovative types of murals, installations or materials that achieve project goals.

If interested in submitting a concept, click here to request the official Request for Submissions, which contains additional project information and guidelines. The project is a paid opportunity.Ěý

Just a week into the new semester and he has already spent some time sampling the new menus including Olilo, which serves Mediterranean cuisine.

“It was awesome to walk in the SAC the first day and finally have all these options. Everything was delicious,” Correll said. “Olilo was my favorite, it was super unique and affordable.”

The new dining options are just part of the Student Activity Center renovation project, which is now at the halfway point.

With a project budget of more than $39 million, this is the SAC’s first major renovation since it’s creation in 1990. The renovations began June 2016 and the final phase is expected to be completed by summer 2018.

“This comes from looking at student needs and campus development over time, part of this renovation is to keep up with that development and complement the student experience,” said Tim Moore, director of student activities and the Student Activities Center. “This will make a much more dynamic campus experience.”

Some of the new dining options include:

• A newly-renovated Wendy’s
• A full-service Starbucks on the Floyd Street side of the SAC
• The Marketplace, a hub of new dining venues including: Olilo Mediterranean Cuisine, Prime Grill, Southern Traditions, Aqua Sushi by Drakes, and The Exchange, a rotating restaurant concept which will feature a changing menu

Some features still under construction include:

• The full-service Chick-Fil-A next to the MarketPlace, which should be completed and open on Aug. 28
• The addition to the plaza on the west side
• Work on the existing Multipurpose room

“We are going to be able to meet so many different needs for the student community and larger campus community with this renovation,” said Moore. “This project creates an environment to foster the educational excellence we want at UofL.”

More information about the SAC renovation is .