CSU San Marcos officials, staff and students are in the midst of a two-week grand opening celebration for the university's new student union building.
The building, which opened in January, features a glass and stone facade that serves as a gateway to the hillside campus, and a small amphitheater between its east and west wings.
Graduating senior Karla Reyes won’t get to use the student union much, but she’s still proud of it.
“You can look down and see the people, check out the scene. There are some terraces as well that you can look down to,” Reyes said.
The 90,000-square-foot building is a growing hub of student activity and a meeting place for student groups. The rest of the campus is within a short walk, and inside the student union are recreation rooms, mediation rooms and study nooks.
Hugo Pinales, also graduating senior, said the location of the student union used to be a grassy hillside and dirt parking lots.
Pinales also said the center has a lot of potential to unify the campus and its students.
“You create kind of a disconnect between the campus if you scatter the entities around, it’s like there’s no cohesion, I feel. So I feel having one central location, like the heartbeat of the campus, definitely shows that we are one Cal State San Marcos, and not split,” Pinales said.
CSU San Marcos officials said the $44 million project was paid for entirely by student fees. There are also plans for an addition if funding becomes available.
