Concordia College: Student Union Now Organization

When the SUN Began to Shine

Many Concordia alumni remember the rallying slogan from 1969, "We're #1 – the only one without one," meaning a college without a campus center for students. Now, 37 years later, students can proudly proclaim, "We're #1 – with one!" as the $32 million Campus Center – the single largest construction project in Concordia's history – takes shape.

The Student Union Now (SUN) organization was formed to generate interest in and support for a new student union. It was the most publicized but not the first attempt to secure a space for students on campus.

After World War II, Concordia experienced record enrollments and need for more classroom and residence hall space. In 1947, in response to this space crunch, students proposed a student union for gatherings and leisure activities. But while alumni supported a resolution and formed a planning committee for this initiative, the effort was ultimately unsuccessful.

In 1951, students made another attempt at securing a student union. Their first goal was to create space in the old gymnasium that would be vacated once Memorial Auditorium was built. This goal proved fruitless. However, when Memorial Auditorium was opened in 1952, regents approved the use of a basement room that became a popular spot for roller-skating. A lunch counter was also opened in Brown Hall, and student life in the early 1950's thus included indulging in an evening snack, watching television on the student senate-funded set, listening to long-playing records, or roller-skating.

But the desire for a student union continued on. In the mid-1950's, students were planning for a student union by taxing themselves a $5 fee each semester. By early 1957, they had raised more than $25,000 and ultimately contributed $50,000 toward the construction of the Commons building that was opened in February 1960. The Commons featured a cafeteria, student offices, game room and lounge.

A survey conducted in 1968 found that 25 percent of Concordia students were very dissatisfied with their social life on campus, which they thought would improve with a student union. Faculty and administrators also suggested a need for more meeting rooms, storage, and informal gathering spaces.

As a result, SUN was organized and the "We're #1—the only one without one" campaign began. Greg Dale, chairman of SUN, said, "The reason the (student union) drive was so low key in the past was that we had an idea of what we wanted, but we didn't have the resources." The SUN committee sought to secure funds for a campus center by working with the Development Office and encouraging students to engage in fundraising efforts.

By 1970, SUN had raised $20,000 for a campus center, and the idea was endorsed by C-400 as Project 5. This ultimately led to constructing a swimming pool adjacent to Memorial Auditorium, and the addition of the Knutson Life Center attached to the existing Commons building. The Knutson Center included a post office, campus information, Korn Krib, meeting rooms, campus pastors' offices, and the Centrum multipurpose room. Both facilities were completed in 1975 at a cost of $1.3 million.

The Knutson Life Center has satisfied the needs of students since then, although there have been on-going discussions about student needs, renovations and updates to the facility. The latest and most significant evolution of a campus student union has resulted in the construction of the current Campus Center that began in the fall of 2005. This new center will continue to meet the needs of the Concordia community by providing space for dining, worship, recreation, and fellowship as the previous student unions have done throughout the college's history.

(Contributed by the Concordia College Archives)

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