Memorial Union (University of Oklahoma)

Oklahoma Memorial Union University of Oklahoma
General information
Type Student union
Coordinates 35°12′35″N 97°26′37″W / 35.20972°N 97.44361°W / 35.20972; -97.44361Coordinates: 35°12′35″N 97°26′37″W / 35.20972°N 97.44361°W / 35.20972; -97.44361
Opening 1929
Renovated Clock tower 1936, 1951, 2007
Website
http://union.ou.edu

The Oklahoma Memorial Union (OMU) is the University of Oklahoma's student union, or student activity center. The Union was completed in 1928 as a memorial to the students, faculty, and staff of the University who fought and died in World War I.

The Union has more than 26 meeting and activity rooms and eight dining kiosks. The Meacham Auditorium has 400 seats, and the Molly Shi Boren Ballroom, on the third floor, seats up to 500 banquet guests.

History

OU students began an effort to build a student union in 1921. The movement grew, and by 1925 serious efforts began for construction of a combination student union and football stadium. The original architect's drawing for the combined facility showed a facade quite similar to the present day union. However, the consolidated union/stadium was scrapped after football coach Bennie Owen said it would be best to build two structures, a stadium and a student union, instead of one.[1] Construction of the Union began in 1929 at an original cost of US$350,000, which came from the million dollar fundraising campaign – the first in the University's history – to build both structures.[2]

The plans called for the construction of the outer shell of the building so it could be filled in with offices and rooms as the University grew. When the central part of the Union was finished, students and faculty enjoyed a large cafeteria, a book exchange, and a large open area with two regulation-sized bowling alleys and several pool & snooker tables on the ground floor. Offices, a men's lounge, and the ballroom were located on the second and third floors. The Union's landmark 99-foot (30 m) clock tower was completed in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project. Carillon bells were installed in the tower in 1955.

A downsized model of the Sooner Schooner sits inside the Will Rogers dining area in the Union.

When enrollment at the University skyrocketed after World War II ended, momentum increased to complete the interior of the structure. The north and south wings of the building, including the Meacham Auditorium, were completed in 1951 for $2.3 million. The cafeteria expanded into the north wing and was renamed the Will Rogers Cafeteria, to honor Will Rogers. Small retail shops opened on the ground floor, and student groups and some administration offices occupied the first and second floors of the south wing.

After this construction, the Union began a period of decline as the University's campus expanded south. By the time the Union Parking Garage was completed in the early 1980s, the Will Rogers Cafeteria, once Norman's favorite Sunday-after-church luncheon spot, had become a relic, and its decor – and food offerings – were firmly stuck in the 1950s. The book exchange was only large enough to hold the engineering texts and supplies; Crossroads Restaurant was the lone competition to the Will Rogers Cafeteria. The new student dormitories were over half a mile (0.8 kilometers) south along with new classroom buildings. The Union was quiet except for banquet traffic, from both student groups and Norman-area businesses and civic organizations, and visits to Career Planning and Placement (now OU Career Services), the University's employment office for graduating seniors, on the third floor.

Soon after the parking garage was opened, student organization offices began to move back into the Union, which brought more foot traffic into the building. As enrollment again increased in the late 1980s and early 1990s, small areas were refurbished on an intermittent basis, but it was clear that the Union needed more than cosmetic improvements. When the University's 13th president, David Boren, arrived in 1994, he and his wife Molly led a $11.5 million campaign to remodel the building. The result was a facility that welcomed students, and the Union quickly regained its status as a campus gathering place.

Oklahoma Memorial Union - Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK

In October 2006, custodians began to notice small paint chips and sawdust on window sills on the Union's third floor. Expert inspectors quickly deduced that the roof beams above the third floor were pushing the lintels on the third floor windows down, which pushed the walls apart and also pressed against the walls of the north wing. Construction quickly began to rescue the building, and more than $1 million was spent to remove the brick on the east and west sides of the building, strengthen the beams, and repair the walls.[2] The work was completed in the spring of 2007.

Union Programming Board

The Oklahoma Memorial Union is also home to the Union Programming Board, a student led organization dedicated to entertaining and enriching the lives of OU students. The Union Programming Board (UPB) mission statement is "engage students, encourage leaders, and enrich lives." The organization works to uphold “engaging students” by hosting events all around the Oklahoma Memorial Union such as Foam Party, Rap Battle, films, and concerts to make sure students have a safe and free outlet where they can enjoy the student organization led aspect of the university. UPB works to uphold “encouraging leaders” by hosting meetings every two weeks that provide activities meant to strengthen skills such as communication, delegation, and self-reflection. This organization works to uphold “enriching lives” by working to create a sense on inclusion and unity by not having an application to be a member of the organization.[3]

Some of the events hosted by UPB this is past year include Foam Party, Harry Potter Daily, and Comedy Fight Night. September 2015 the Union Programming Board hosted its annual Foam Party on the rooftop of the Union Parking Garage. This event entails bubble soap foam being sprayed from cannons into a dance party with a DJ. Students of the University of Oklahoma got to dance, some received free tank tops with the Foam Party Logo, loud pop music, and a multicolored light show.[4] October 2015 this organization had a Harry Potter themed event in the Oklahoma Memorial Union, where they handed out treats to students passing by. This event had “Olivander’s Wand” chocolate covered pretzel sticks and “Butter Beer.” This event was hosted to provide a quick source of entertainment to the students around the Halloween season and was consumed within fifteen minutes.[5] Comedy Fight Night was hosted September 2015 in Meacham Auditorium, and featured student stand-up comics, as well as, the professional comedian Streeter Seidel. A crowd favorite student comedian was selected, and a judge favorite student was also selected. This was the tenth annual Comedy Fight Night hosted by UPB and it provided a free professional comedian to the student of the University of Oklahoma.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Football - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium". Soonersports.com. University of Oklahoma. 2003-09-08. Retrieved 2007-08-21.
  2. 1 2 Burr, Carol J. An Enduring Union. Sooner Magazine, Winter 2007.
  3. ↑ "About". www.ou.edu. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  4. ↑ "Foam cannon new edition to Friday's foam party". OUDaily.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  5. ↑ "UPB hosts Harry Potter shindig, serves students "butter beer"". OUDaily.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.
  6. ↑ "UPB hosting tenth annual Comedy Fight Night Friday". OUDaily.com. Retrieved 2015-12-02.

External links

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