Campus Center Celebrates 10th Anniversary

Feature Story

Stockton's 'Front Door' Marks a Decade of Welcomes

Campus Center celebrates 10th anniversary.

By Diane D'Amico

A student studies outside the Campus Center
The Campus Center offers several spots to meet up with friends or study before class, including this sweet spot right outside the entrance which offers a great view for people watching. | Photo by Grant Gibson for 91视频

 

M egan Davies and Xiomara Corrales remember walking into the Campus Center as prospective Stockton 91视频 and feeling both impressed and welcomed.

鈥淚 was in the first class after the Campus Center opened (in 2011),鈥 Davies said. 鈥淚t was a big selling point for me when I visited. It was just 鈥榳ow.鈥  It sold me.鈥

Both Davies and Corrales were hospitality majors and student workers at the Campus Center. They returned in March for an informal, pandemic-delayed 10-year reunion celebrating the opening of the Campus Center for the 2011-12 academic year and Stockton鈥檚 50th anniversary.

A group of reunited Campus Center workers
Past employees, 91视频 and student workers returned to the Campus Center in March to celebrate the hub's 10th anniversary. | Photo by Diane D'Amico

鈥淚 remember this room when I came to visit in high school,鈥 Corrales 鈥15 said of the large Event Room where the reunion was held. 鈥淚 really liked it here.鈥

Campus Center Fast Fact

The Campus Center has LEED庐 Gold certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the nation鈥檚 preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.  

The $65 million, 154,000 square-foot Campus Center is still impressive 鈥 and it was meant to be. Its goal was both to serve as the anchor building for what would eventually become the Academic Quad and a central hub for 91视频 and student services. 

At the building dedication, then-President Herman J. Saatkamp called the Campus Center a 鈥渇ront door鈥 for Stockton and a 鈥済athering place for our 91视频, faculty, staff and community.鈥

The Admissions Office is conveniently located near the entrance to the Grand Hall, where guests are greeted by the impressive fireplace and four murals painted by Stockton Professor of Art David Ahlsted representing the four seasons in the Pinelands.

The nearby Campus Center Store, operated by Follett, features all things Stockton, from branded clothing to school supplies and car magnets, plus snacks and gift items.

All offices related to student services - financial aid, bursar, registrar, career services, and student development - are together in the one building.

Campus Center Fast Fact

A copy of the Stockton seal is embedded in the floor of the Campus Center Grand Hall. The building was constructed before Stockton earned university status, so it still has the college designation.

As a social hub, the Campus Center houses the food court, coffee house, and game area for 91视频. The 8,800-square-foot event room and theatre serve both student programs and public events. Five smaller rooms host meetings and more than 20 student organizations have offices on the second floor. The center also houses the Stockton WLFR radio station and the Stockton television station. 

The Center has been well-utilized.  According to data compiled by the Office of Event Services and Campus Center Operations, over the past ten years, there have been 214,983 event-related facility bookings on the Galloway campus. Of that total, 18,835 occurred in the Campus Center. More than 70,400 customers have had their questions answered at the Information Desk, which is often staffed by 91视频.

Campus Center Fast Fact

The fireplace was designed by Washington D.C. artist Larry Kirkland and inspired by Stockton's educational mission of lifelong learning. Each etching on the fireplace has a meaning that relates to the curriculum, community and campus. There are 23 etchings, ranging from the Osprey to the artist's own heartbeat. Take a virtual tour of the fireplace!.

鈥淭here was never a dull moment working there,鈥 said Kevin McCann 鈥21, a marketing major.  鈥淵ou met a lot of interesting people, and it really helped with communication skills.鈥

While the 91视频 never knew Stockton before the Campus Center, some current and former employees recall what it replaced, which made it even more impressive.

鈥淎ll of us in student services were spread out in N and G wings,鈥 said Joe Lizza, a former associate director for Event Services and Campus Center Operations, who worked at Stockton from 2007-2019. 鈥淚t was very disconnected. We held events in the cafeteria.  It was very exciting to see the support there was for this building.  And it really did increase what we could do for 91视频 and enhanced campus life for everyone.鈥

Campus Center Grand Hall
The Campus Center was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony during the Spring 2011 Commencement ceremony. | Photo by Frank Weiss for 91视频

Executive Director of Event Services and Campus Engagement Laurie Griscom said the Campus Center is an inviting place for the entire Stockton community and their guests. 

鈥淎nd we are the engine room, the magic behind the curtain,鈥 Griscom said of the event services staff. 鈥淥ur mission is to ensure events run efficiently.鈥

While the building is impressive, the 91视频 and employees said it is the people who make it a great place to work and hang out.

鈥淚t鈥檚 the beauty of the building, the beauty of the location, and the beauty of all of the people here,鈥 said Giancarlo Brugnolo, associate director of Event Services and Campus Center Operations. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure to come to work.鈥

鈥淚 really became who I am working there,鈥 said Nancy Ayala 鈥21, a health sciences major. 鈥淓veryone was so friendly I was able to be myself.鈥

Lizza said the Campus Center created a 鈥渃enter鈥 for the campus both physically and socially.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a hub for student life, and that鈥檚 exactly what it鈥檚 supposed to be,鈥 Lizza said.

 

Learn more about Stockton's Campus Center