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MU alumnus Mort Walker,
the creator of the Beetle Bailey comic strip, will
have a place of honor in MU's new student center. Photo
courtesy of Publications and Alumni Communication
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New
Student Center
on the Horizon
By Michelle Froese
University of Missouri-Columbia officials
and student leaders broke ground Oct. 20 on a facility that promises
to be a landmark for future generations of students and alumni.
The event kicked off the construction on a new MU Student Center
and the expansion of Brady Commons.
Almost 400 students, alumni, staff and guests
attended the groundbreaking. Following the program and groundbreaking,
the guests joined Beetle Bailey for Mizzou's famous “Shack
Burgers” and Tiger Stripe Ice Cream.
Beetle's presence was no accident, as he will
have a place to hang out in the new center. “An exciting
area for alumni in this building will be Mort's Place and the
Shack,” said Jeff Zeilenga, assistant vice chancellor for
student affairs and director of Student and Auxiliary Services.
“Named for MU alumnus Mort Walker, creator of the Beetle
Bailey comic strip, Mort’s Place will serve grilled
sandwiches and appetizers during and after late-night events offered
in the Shack, a 120-seat programming area surrounded by Shack
memorabilia.”
The Shack, which used to be located on Conley
Avenue across from Jesse Hall, was a popular student bar and hangout
for many years. Walker, BA '48, served as editor and contributor
to a student publication called ShowMe, whose editorial
staff often held meetings in The Shack's wooden booths.
Joe and Bert Franke, former owners of The
Shack, have been working with Student and Auxiliary Services to
incorporate portions of actual booths, as well as photos and articles
recounting student life at The Shack.
Student unions are a key element in helping students feel
connected to their campus community. Above is Brady Commons
as it looks today. Below is an artist's rendering of the
new Student Center and Brady Commons expansion.
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“Alumni who used to frequent The Shack
will immediately notice a lot of the memorabilia in Mort's Place,”
said Mary Flatt, associate director of Student and Auxiliary Services.
Currently, more than 10,000 students pass
through Brady Commons each day. The new student center, encompassing
220,000 square feet, will offer expanded services and amenities
in a state-of-the-art facility.
In a record-breaking referendum in April 2005, students voted
to increase their student activity fee to pay for a little over
50 percent of the $60 million project. The rest of the project
funding will come from the Division of Student Affairs. Phase
One is scheduled to open in fall 2008 and the Phase Two in winter
2010. When completed the new student center will be almost twice
the size of the current building.
Missouri Students Association President John
Andersen said, “I will always have fond memories of the
opportunities Brady Commons afforded me. I look forward to coming
back some day and telling our future leaders about how the MSA
President’s office was a converted closet. The new student
center — through its architecture and design — will
forever signify to future students the priority MU places on its
students.”
For more information about the new student
center visit the Mizzou
Is my Home web site.
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Last Update:
July 2, 2009
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