Posted 5/27/10

Even before you walk into the newest Ohio Union, it’s clear you’re at Ohio State.

The handles on the entrance doors say “OH” and “IO.” Inside, the university seal, 16 feet in diameter, is embedded in the terrazzo floor. A bronze Brutus sits on a bench in the Great Hall, where the lyrics to “Carmen Ohio” are engraved in limestone wall panels. 

It’s no wonder Buckeye spirit permeates the building. Ohio State students weighed in at every stage of the project—participating in focus groups, touring college unions across the country, even helping pitch the project to trustees.

“It’s really built for students, by students,” said director Tracy Stuck, assistant vice president for student life. “When you walk in, you’re going to be a very proud Buckeye.”

Scarlet, gray, and green

First and foremost, students wanted a building that felt like their own.

“One thing everybody said to us was, ‘Make it look like Ohio State.’ You should not go in there and say, ‘Where am I?’” said Barbie Tootle, an alumnus (’65, ’68 MA) who led focus groups to gather students’ opinions before the project began.

The result, said 2008 graduate Katie Krajny, is “an endless amount of scarlet and gray” decor—along with countless Block “O” and Buckeye-leaf motifs.

Krajny, who helped with the planning, said students also wanted to see a third color in the new space: green. A sustainable building was high on the wish list, and the union is seeking silver status from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.

What makes it green? Among other things, an in-house pulper converts food waste from the restaurants into fertilizer to be used on Ohio farms. The farms, in turn, may supply produce to the restaurants.

The builders reused some materials, such as stones from the previous union in several fireplaces. The floor in Woody’s Tavern came from the ballroom, and the mantels of its two-sided fireplace were made from trees felled during construction. Many salvageable items from the old union went to Habitat for Humanity. 

The new union is paperless, too: instead of fliers tacked to bulletin boards, video monitors throughout the building announce events.

Hands-on experience

The video monitors won’t just save paper. They’ll also serve as a medium for student work, said J. Randall Hicks, the union’s marketing and promotions coordinator. Hicks has formed a new student organization, Ohio Union Television, to create short videos about events at the union. Participants will get experience in writing, producing, and acting as on-air talent.

Ohio Union Television “couldn’t have happened without the union,” said junior Allie Feinstein, president of the group. “Here we have this brand-new building with this great equipment and all this staff who’s ready to support us,” she said. 

Hicks also will oversee student employees who will produce free videos for student organizations to use on the Web.

“We’re getting content, and they’re getting hands-on, practical experience in fields that they want to pursue after graduation,” he said. “They’re actually working with equipment that they would use in the real world.”

More than 360 students will be employed at the union by the time it is fully staffed, up from 68 during the tran-sition from the old building. They’ll work
in areas related to their studies: marketing, event planning, hospitality management, and graphic design among them. 

Said Stuck: “Our whole goal is to get them hired when they leave this position.”

A hub of activity

At the Center for Student Leadership and Service, located on the second and third floors, advisers can help undergrads figure out which extracurricular activities offered by more than a thousand organizations are right for them.

“We will provide ‘empower hours,’ which are specific times that students
can visit the center to meet with a staff member or trained student to discuss involvement, resources, programming, or other individual or organizational needs,” said assistant director Jen Pelletier.

(Such services are fitting for a building paid for in part by students. The union is funded through donor gifts, university money, and a facility fee of $55 to $65 per quarter.)

The center is a hub for student organizations, which were scattered throughout the old building. The Ohio Union Activities Board (OUAB), which plans student events such as concerts, movies, and lectures, is one of the 60 or so groups that have office space.

“I have spent more time in the OUAB office than in my own apartment since the opening of the building, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” said senior Kayln Eyer, president of the activities board. “We take an enormous amount of pride in being the student organization with the mission to showcase the new Ohio Union and all it has to offer.”

Smaller student groups that don’t need offices can use other spaces, including lockers. Among them: the Quidditch Club, whose locker No. 43 no doubt holds an array of Harry Potter-esque equipment.

The area also features a cozy lounge with a fireplace whose mantel, like those in Woody’s Tavern, was built using trees that had to be cut down during construction. Tootle hopes the spot will inspire “serendipitous collaboration” among students.

On the second floor, the Undergraduate Student Government’s Senate Chamber is modeled after the one at the Statehouse downtown. USG president Ben Anthony said the room, which has tiered seating and offers electronic voting and teleconferencing ability, will be “an amazing asset in keeping meetings transparent and accurate with the help of recording and voting technology.”

A home for everyone

Anthony said the union reflects Ohio State’s many faces—an important consideration at a university the size of a small city. “Every student on this campus can call at least some part of the Ohio Union home,” he said.

In the previous building, the Multicultural Center was tucked away off a stairwell on the fourth floor. Now it’s easy to find on the first floor, near the High Street entrance.

“We wanted to make sure that folks knew that diversity matters at Ohio State,” said the union’s associate director, Kurt Foriska.

The third-floor Interfaith Prayer and Reflection Room “meets the needs of a whole range of denominations,” Tootle said. The room has two entrances, to accommodate religious events that require men and women to remain separate. Inside the doors are ablution rooms where Muslim students can wash their feet before prayer, and cubbyholes for their shoes. The space also offers private meditation rooms.

The multicultural spirit is evident even in the many food choices available. The Buckeye Passports dining station will serve different types of international fare each quarter. Students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit favorite family recipes.

Eat, sleep, and be merry

Students also wanted areas where they could study, meet up with friends, or relax between classes—places just for them that couldn’t be reserved for meetings. 

“In the old building, it was not uncommon for students to be asked to get up from a nap or leave a lounge so that the events staff could start setting up for a program in that space,” Krajny said. 

The Stained Glass Lounge is one room that fills the bill, with its fireplace and comfy furniture. Floor-to-ceiling shelves will be stocked with books by Ohio State authors. Also on the third floor, overlooking High Street, is a commuter lounge with lockers and a kitchenette for students living off campus.

Stuck said students had strong opinions about food. They wanted one-of-a-kind restaurants rather than chains, late-night options, and a place that served breakfast all day. 

“In my opinion, the biggest difference [between the old and new unions] is the access to dining,” said Anthony, the student government president.

Sloopy’s Diner, a 1950s-style eatery, will please those students craving pancakes and omelets at 10 p.m. The pub-style Woody’s Tavern is open 22 hours a day. The Union Market offers everything from salads and sandwiches to the international flavors of Buckeye Passports.

Krajny said she’s enjoying seeing how students are using the new union. “There are not many places on campus that are welcoming for any student to just walk in and sit practically anywhere they want and for as long as they want—and the new Ohio Union provides that space,” she said. 

“I love walking in the Ohio Union and knowing that you are at Ohio State,”
said Eyer, the activities board president. “I always tear up just a little bit, because it reminds me how happy I am to be here.”