Construction deters party-goers
The Alumni Center will experience a slower summer this year than usual due to the construction of the Living/Learning Center on the west side of campus.
The center has been discouraging its use this summer for receptions, banquets and other parties because by May 16 the green fence that outlines the construction zone will be moved up to the sidewalk directly in front of the center’s entrance, Alumni Center Director Louise Young said.
“We’re not closed, but when people find out that they can’t access the north part of the building and there is no vehicular access, a lot back out,” Young said. “The construction has broken a lot of hearts.”
The center is used for many different purposes with summer wedding events being one of the most popular, Young said.
Last year the center was the chosen location of 155 events, and 68 were wedding related. Such events usually generate about $100,000 in revenue and with this year’s summer slump coming up the center is figuring out how to make ends meet.
“We are working with the powers that be and have some other monies to help us function,” Young said. “The university is stepping up so we don’t go into the hole.”
However, despite all this, the center still has 15 wedding-related events scheduled after May 16 and the center is working on figuring out the best walking pattern to the house.
“They just want to have it here, regardless,” Young said.
Another problem due to the construction is that of noise. Young said the construction workers have been great to work with and very kind, but that there is also no guarantee that they’ll put the noisy machinery away at 6 p.m. before a reception starts.
The normal rental cost for an eight-hour reception is $700 which Young calls a steal for what the center offers.
With a slower summer than usual the center plans to fix the sprinklers in the backyard and do other maintenance work that is difficult to do during busy event times.
The center should once again have access to its front entrance in August and final completion of the construction area is scheduled for sometime in October, Young said.
The Alumni Center serves a number of other purposes besides the occasional wedding reception.
Young said she truly thinks the center has a feeling of home to it and much time and effort is spent to keep its gardens beautiful and its atmosphere welcoming.
Before serving as the Alumni Center, the house was used for the residence of USU’s presidents. As the Alumni Center the house holds events for Homecoming, Founders Day, Aggie Family Day and hosts award dinners and receptions for clubs and colleges on campus.
The center also answers requests and questions from alumni and others and was even the site for the funeral of a past university’s president’s daughter.
“We’ve done just about everything,” Young said.
Official Alumni Association members pay an annual fee that goes to campus scholarships and have the opportunity to get in touch with other Aggies through alumni chapters all around the United States and even in Bolivia, Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.
Most recently the association shipped Aggie gear to the Big West basketball tournament and is feeding 300 people at the pre-game party.
-hilaryi@cc.usu.edu