Located on the southwest corner of the Kansas State campus is the K-State Alumni Center, completed in 2002 and home to the university’s Alumni Association. Although students may think the building is just a place for alumni gatherings, student use of the center is actually encouraged.
“Students are welcome to study in Hagans Library on the second floor of the Alumni Center or in our small conference rooms, which are great for small group meetings,” said Linda Cook, assistant vice president of communications. “Students may also study in the public areas on the first floor of the Alumni Center when those areas are not being used by groups renting the banquet room space.”
The center’s study areas see their highest attendance during finals week.
“I went there during finals because I heard rumors of snacks,” said Allison Stutterheim, sophomore in kinesiology. “Unfortunately, I could not find them.”
While snacks are provided by the center, students must be members of Wildcats Forever, a student organization sponsored by the Alumni Association, to take advantage of them.
“It’s hard to estimate how many students use the Alumni Center to study throughout the year,” Cook said. “However, during finals week each semester we have several hundred students studying at the Alumni Center.”
Some students, including Chase Battes, sophomore in finance, use the center as a quiet, disturbance-free zone.
“I started studying there freshman year,” Battes said. “A friend brought me there because it was a place we could study without any distractions.”
In addition to offering study rooms and amenities, the Alumni Center also hosts several student events through the Wildcat Forever program.
“During homecoming week, the 5K Philanthropy Run/Walk begins and concludes at the Alumni Center — that event involves more than 1,000 students, alumni, faculty and community members,” Cook said. “In June of each year, the Alumni Association invites incoming freshman and their parents to visit the Alumni Center during orientation and enrollment to enjoy Call Hall ice cream served by Alumni Association staff in the Barrett Wildcat Den.”
The Alumni Association also employs K-State students in part-time jobs in all of its departments in the center, as well as internship opportunities in some departments.
Cook said it is nice to see students take advantage of the center.
“The Alumni Center was designed to be a welcoming place for alumni and students to call home when they are on campus,” Cook said. “It does feel like home to many students. You can see it in the smiles on the faces of students when they are in the Alumni Center and you can hear it in their voices when they tell you about their experiences on campus.”
