U
CONNECTING DECEMBER 2017
In this issue of ConnectingU - December 2017, you will find: Introducing the Roll20 Esports Lounge South Dining Commons Grand Opening Jen O’Connor Elected VP of ICBA Board SUA’s UnionFest and Carnival Sharon Leatherman Featured Cyndie Faircloth Named Employee of the Month Director’s Corner with David Mucci The Shop at Chalmers Hall Two New Meeting Spaces Student Spotlight: Harneet Sanghera KJHK Alum Wins Murrow Award @KUunion Discover the Union online at
union.ku.edu
upcoming events
U
CONNECTING DECEMBER 2017
HIGHLIGHTS INTRODUCING THE ROLL20 ESPORTS LOUNGE The Union’s newest space, the Roll20 Esports Lounge, was officially opened on level 1. All three donors, Riley Dutton, Nolan T. Jones, and Richard Zayas, were able to join SUA for a ribbon cutting on August 31. The Roll20 Esports Lounge, located on Level 1 of the Kansas Union (formerly the Hawk's Nest), has been made possible by a partnership between the Kansas Union, Student Union Activities, and Roll20. The space features flat screen TVs, reservable console gaming (currently featuring a Playstation 4, Wii, N64, and three Xbox 360s), computer stations for PC gaming, and reservable board games. Roll20 (The Orr Group, LLC) was founded by three KU alumni who are dedicated to enabling gamers to unite across any distance via easy-to-use gaming tools. With a few more equipment pieces yet to be installed, this new space has been eagerly used by KU student groups seeking gaming resources.
SOUTH DINING COMMONS GRAND OPENING The KU Memorial Union hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for KU’s new South Dining Commons on Wednesday August 9th, 2017. The event showcased KU Dining's fall menu and tours of the new kitchens were given. A ribbon cutting and program took place, featuring Tammara Durham, Vice Provost for Student Affairs, Harneet Sanghera, KU Memorial Union Corporation Board President, Mark Petrino, Director of KU Dining, and Sarah Waters, Director of KU Housing. South Dining Commons is not only home to a new dining hall; it is where the newly implemented commissary is housed. Food is stored and sometimes prepared for all KU Dining locations through the commissary, providing KU Dining an opportunity to offer fresh food everyday. The dining location also houses a grab-and-go grocery store (Southside), providing students the option to quickly grab a bite and extend available food option hours. Thank you to everyone who made the grand opening a success!
JEN O’CONNOR ELECTED VP OF ICBA BOARD
Another notable achievement—Jen O’Connor was elected vice president of the Independent College Bookstore Association and will advance to the presidency within the year. Congrats and thanks for taking on this responsibility for the stores across the nation.
SUA’s UNIONFEST & CARNIVAL UnionFest, coordinated by SUA and supported by all who work in the Kansas Union, again welcomed students back, showcasing the Kansas Union to 8,194 attendees on August 18th. With the largest amount of student groups ever featured, attendees were able to explore involvement, learn about KU Dining options, explore the KU Bookstore, and learn about all the Kansas Union has to offer. Saturday, September 16th, SUA hosted their 10th Annual Campus Carnival at the Lied Center of Kansas parking lot. With rides, games, face painters and more, this event is a regular welcome back for Daisy Hill residents, KU families, international students, and those young and young at heart. KU Dining delighted with typical carnival fare including walking-tacos, cheese filled pretzels, and corn dogs. With 3,108 student, staff, and faculty attendees, the event was popular from before gates opened to past closing time.
-David Mucci Director KU Memorial Union
CYNDIE SHARON LEATHERMAN FEATURED IN FAIRCLOTH Strong Ties: 24 Hours In NAMED Life Of KU The 4pm Hour EMPLOYEE OF Sharon Leatherman, assistant director of Building and Event Services, KU Unions During the past fiscal year, campus offices and student organization THE MONTH reserved spaces in KU Union facilities more than 10,000 times. Whether planning began two weeks out for a small group meeting or more than a year in advance for a large conference, Sharon Leatherman was there to help sweat the details.
KU recently recognized Cynthia Faircloth, Manager at KU Dining Services' Courtside Café, as August Employee of the Month! Be on the lookout for Cynthia in a future edition of KU Today. Congratulations, Cyndie!
Leatherman, who’s been with the Union for a little less than 10 years, has been in her current role since July 2016. She likes working with all the different KU entities and knowing something about their interests and missions. “We are really invested in the success of your event. We care, and we try to be creative with the spaces and equipment we have.” Connecting with clients helps make sure the job is done right. “We’re trying to gear ourselves to the customer experience. ‘How do you want people to feel as they leave?’” She strives to help offices and student organizations bring their ideas to life by assembling the tools and associated Union services to make it so. The role requires attention to detail and communication. Leatherman works with other professional operations staff, part-time staff, custodial staff as well as student staff. “If we don’t tell them what’s needed then the event falls apart.” The level of work is picking up, too. Reservations are now available for the new Burge Union, which opens in April.
THE SHOP AT CHALMERS HALL The KU Bookstore's newest location, The Shop at Chalmers Hall, officially opened to students at the start of this academic year. The Shop not only provides a place for art and design students to buy supplies, but also serves as a grab-and-go location with coffee and snacks. Learn more about the new space here.
DIRECTOR’S CORNER Advancing KU tradition and loyalty is at core of the Memorial Union. The Union just celebrated the 15th anniversary of the KU History Project launch. The unvarnished history of the institution unfolds through collections (The Big Tooter), history panels (Student Senate complete with campaign buttons) and online narratives (kuhistory.com). No historical endeavor is complete without a bronze plaque and we affixed one above the AV closet doors outside the Kansas Room. It honors the project’s original director: “Henry Fortunato Office, Birthplace of the KU History Project”. In typical Kansas and Union tradition, from humble origins come great things. The project is also exhibiting signs of renewal with reprinted panels and the move of the website to University servers to facilitate better institutional dissemination. We are building an endowment to fund an ongoing curator (Endowment KU History/Traditions Account 09806). The effort perhaps to be termed The More for Lore Campaign. Other historic events include the approaching open of the new Burge Union. The construction group indicates that we may be able to occupy the Central District facility as early as April. A time capsule will be slipped into its walls shortly for open in fifty years.
The recently renovated space in Chalmers Hall also includes a seating area outside of The Shop in which students can gather and study or simply enjoy the space. The tables are all made from reused wood. The wood for one of the tables (pictured bottom left) was actually sourced from a Jaybowl bowling lane. The Jaybowl had been the main feature on Level 1 of the Union since 1953. It permanently closed at the end of the 2014-2015 school year. We're glad to see a piece of the Jaybowl live a second life in this new space in Chalmers Hall.
TWO NEW MEETING SPACES We are thrilled to announce the opening of the Crossroads and Roundtable meeting spaces! Located on Level 4 adjacent to Alderson, you’ll find the Crossroads. At 1,300 square feet, this meeting room is similar in size to the Centennial Room and offers an installed a/v system with projection and audio available upon request. Across from our Human Resources offices on Level 3, you’ll find the Roundtable. This meeting space offers a beautiful wood roundtable for 10 people. This is the first such configuration in the Kansas Union and allows groups to collaborate by seeing each other in no particular order of importance. Find out how you can reserve either of these spaces by visiting our Event Services page online at union.ku.edu/events. Crossroads
Roundtable
After two decades as a Coke campus, PepsiCo will provide the waters and caffeine that fuels students. Mt. Dew and Dr. Pepper fanatics rejoice. And the Union hit its 96th birthday this year. The legacy of service to students and Jayhawks rolls on undiminished. -David Mucci Director KU Memorial Union
@KUunion Discover the Union online at
union.ku.edu
upcoming events
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: HARNEET SANGHERA Harneet Sanghera, a junior majoring in Political Science and Finance here at KU, is a student you’ve most likely seen around the Union once or twice. Not only does Harneet work as a Building Manager here at the Union, she also serves as President of the KU Memorial Union Corporation Board and was recently promoted to President of Student Union Activities. Harneet had this to say about her experiences at the Kansas Union: "Three years ago I stepped into the Kansas Union, a building. At the time that's all it was, a building; however, over the last three years, this building has become my second home. The place where I met my closest friends, had the best memories, and grew as a person. My freshman year I got involved in Student Union Activities. It was through this organization that I fell in love with the Union. I soon got a job as a building manager and helped oversee all the events at the Union. As of last year, I became the President of the Memorial Union Corporation Board. Getting to work with a diverse group of people every day is what draws me to the Union. In all my positions, I am constantly learning about new cultures and how to better include everyone. The lines often get blurred between my 3 roles since they overlap. However, this overlap allows me to help people find the resources that they need to succeed. The Union has played a critical role in my college experience and has shaped me to be who I am today." Thank you, Harneet, for all your hard work with the Union! You are among the many reasons why we are more than just a building.
KJHK ALUM WINS MURROW AWARD
Former KJHK Content Director Claire McInerny was awarded an 2017 Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television Digital News Association for her reporting and stories about Indiana’s English learners in rural areas. A nationally-recognized reporter for Indiana Public Broadcasting and now at KUT in Austin, Texas, Claire’s work has been featured by National Public Radio, including NPR Ed and NPR Politics. The Edward R. Murrow award is one of the highest national honors a journalist can receive. Claire began her work in radio at KJHK as a student at KU and has been an award-winning reporter and producer of compelling stories ever since. "Winning this award was incredibly humbling because less than a decade ago, I produced my first radio story when I was a student at KU. I joined the KJHK news team my sophomore year, and I never looked back from wanting to be a radio reporter. Through working for the station, I learned the techniques of audio production, received incredible guidance from our staff, and eventually met professional mentors that got me my first internship."