In its 75th year standing, the Memorial Union has given students, staff and alumni a place to congregate. This April, students will vote on a $120 million referendum to upgrade it.
This plan was discussed at the Union Thursday night.
\It's important to have pride in your space and the Union is not going to stay the way it is forever,"" said Janell Wise, UW-Madison junior, SSFC chair and incoming Union president for 2005-'06.
The largest concern for union improvements is allocating more meeting space to accommodate their 600 plus organizations on campus.
""1,300 requests for meeting space are turned down each year,"" Wise said.
""Technology upgrades will include Internet access, heating and air-conditioning, audio-visual upgrades and disability accessibility,"" said Ben Hawke, Vice President of the Union administration.
Union South will see similar upgrades''??-either a renovation or a complete remodel, to include an outdoor gathering space.
""We want to add an urban terrace comparable to that of the Memorial Union's terrace, which is a major focal point of the campus atmosphere,"" Union Director Mark Guthier said.
According to Hawke, the presence of technology in every room will eliminate the fee that is charged to groups who request audio-visual equipment in meeting rooms.
Student and alumni donations alone funded renovations in previous years. However, Hawke said that the referendum was chosen for the current proposals as a result of time restraints.
""Because of the fact that our planning steps would need to be upgraded as donations came in, it would take several years to start the project,"" Hawke said.
Plans for funding only require that students pay for 75 perecnt of the costs, Hawke said, placing the burden of $40 million in donations on the alumni.
""We're really very lucky to have some of the most supportive alumni in the nation... [the alumni] just provided $30 million for a recent campus upgrade,"" Guthier said.
Students will vote on the referendum on April 5-7 online at http://vote.asm.wisc.edu.
