Harrisburg University held a special ribbon cutting ceremony as the university unveiled its Student Union Center at 3 p.m. Friday.
Located on the arcade level of the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, the $2 million completed project marks the second collaboration between the Whitaker Center and HU. The first project was completed last year, when HU transformed the Whitaker Center’s Stage II area into a state-of-the-art practice facility for its eSports team, the HU Storm.
The 7,950-square-foot Student Union Center features dedicated collaborative learning and small group areas, private study and conference rooms, student club meeting space, an aquaponics lab outfitted with a video monitoring system for guests, fitness and gaming areas, and a self-service kitchen.
A portion of the Whitaker Center’s interconnecting stairwell has been altered to separate the science center from the Student Union Center, which also boasts a mezzanine for fitness and aerobic classes, and private study and gaming areas.
The Student Union Center, designed by Harrisburg-based Murray Associates Architects, features a wellness center. And it includes a custom-designed amphitheater outfitted with a seamless video wall display, which can be used as a collaborative student/faculty work area, a lecture and presentation space, distance learning lab, community event space, and for other student team building events.
Speakers and distinguished guests at the ceremony included: Harrisburg University President Dr. Eric Darr, State Sen. John DiSanto, Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick III, and Robert Taylor, Vice Chairman of the HU Board of Trustees; Melissa Morgan, Director of Student Services; and Tiffany Smith, President of the HU Student Government Association.
See more photos at PennLive.
