UH Celebrates Student Center’s 10th Birthday

The University of Houston’s Student Centers are now 10 years old! The decade long milestone marks the celebration of Student Center South’s renovation and the construction of Student Center North.

The space reopened in 2015 after an extensive $80 million dollar restoration, and the buildings now serve as a central gathering space for the campus community and visitors. The renovation created space for groups like the Center for Student Media that houses The Cougar, CoogTV and Coog Radio, along with the Center for Fraternity & Sorority Life which supports more than 30 chapters at the University.

Student Center South, formerly named the University Center, originally opened in 1967. The building contained a ballroom that held up to 1,200 people, a cafeteria, snack bar and more. Since its inception, the Student Centers have evolved to better serve the growing Cougar community.

To celebrate the anniversary, UH invited the community to join in on the fun. The festivities included t-shirt giveaways and UH themed cupcakes. To honor the decade, a time capsule was created to hold memorabilia and hand written messages from Cougars to their future peers that will be opened in 2035.

Eve Esch, coordinator of the 10^th anniversary celebration and executive director of Student Centers, described the Centers importance.

“The Student Centers are the heart and living room of the campus, providing a central hub for student life," Esch explained. "They serve as spaces where students can relax, socialize, study and connect with each other.”

Esch also discussed why working at the Student Centers is a deeply rewarding experience and her front row seat to the positive effect the space has on students’ lives.

“It’s incredible to witness how the spaces foster connections and personal growth, whether it’s through a student attending an event that sparks their passion, a student employee gaining direct skills for their profession or participating in a student organization that sets them on a new path,” she said.

The concept of a student centers has gone through many eras since UH first opened in 1927, but with each passing decade, its core remains the same: keeping community is at its center.

Looking into the future, the next evolution will be the expansion of Student Center North, which will include the addition of even more state-of-the-art facilities, expanded student services and space for student organizations to flourish.