Kyra Finner
Staff Writer
The vision for the new Idaho State University Alumni and Visitor’s Center is no longer just a dream according to Alumni Member, Ryan Sargent ’09. On Oct. 30, Idaho State University posted a video about the new center which already has 95% of the funding it needs in order to be built.
The ISU Alumni & Visitor’s Center will cost about $8.3-8.6 million and it is estimated that it will take about a year to be built.
According to the Idaho State University Facebook page, 95% of the funding for the building has already been donated. From now until the end of the year, every donation to the Alumni Center is being matched by a donor dollar-for-dollar. That means all donations go twice as far.
“The Center will create a warm and inviting gateway to campus,” Sargent said.
Since ISU draws visitors from across the globe, the new Alumni Center will help articulate the institution’s marvelous history, mission, and vision for the future.
In addition to the event rooms, there will also be a “living room” where small student club meetings can be held and an executive board room will be utilized by the Alumni and Foundation boards, university advisory committees and student groups.
Along with welcoming guests to campus, the building will provide a place for thousands of alumni to “come home” essentially.
The Alumni and Visitor’s Center will include a beautiful atrium for events that will be nothing like anything else on campus today.
“Alumni have the money and have access to career opportunities for graduates,” Ricki Misner, a freshman criminology student, said. “Good opinions from Alumni members means that more kids are likely to come to ISU.”
Students from Idaho State University have many different opinions about the new center being built.
Mikayla Antonson, a pharmacy major, thinks ISU has bigger issues to address.
“They need to worry about parking,” Antonson said. “They could address that problem with maybe a parking garage. It doesn’t need to be ugly! I’m sure it’s frustrating for many students to pay for tuition and a parking pass but have nowhere to park.”
Although it is important to recognize other issues of ISU, Jake Knievel, a music major, recognizes where the Alumni/Visitor’s Center money is coming from.
“I mean, I love the idea of this money going somewhere else but it’s important to acknowledge that the funds for this were all private donations from individual alumni and not money from, say, our tuition,” Knievel said.
Another problem with the new center is the fact that it is being built directly in the area that had previously been discussed as a possible location for another athletic facility near Holt Arena. Former ISU Athletic Director, Jeff Tingey, once spoke publicly about a new facility where the Alumni Center is going to be built but nothing set in stone ever came from it.
This, however, does not mean that there won’t be a basketball facility at all. In fact, on Saturday, November 9, the current Athletic Director, Pauline Thiros, made an announcement about the funding of new athletic buildings on campus, which could come into action soon.
The new Alumni and Visitor’s Center will be an important building for Idaho State University for many different reasons. It will provide understanding to guests on the public value it provides for the ways that ISU stands out from other universities.
Students, Alumni, and guests will find meaningful support services, opportunities for involvement with current students, and a launching point to connect with ISU and former classmates.
Students will be encouraged to take advantage of the outdoor courtyard, the event space, and the executive board room. “As students utilize the center, the alumni experience will be enhanced while also introducing future graduates to the Alumni Association,” Ryan Sargent said.
“Having a center on campus that shows that ISU still cares about its alumni and their history is important,” said Misner.
More information about the Alumni center, you can visit isu.edu/alumnicenter.
