Student Center Director Andrea Gerber spent a lot of time during the first week of classes watching the expressions of students as they entered the newly renovated space for the first time.

“Everybody just smiles and says it’s amazing,” Gerber said.  

In the past year, nearly 125,000 square feet of rundown Student Center was renovated into a bright, expansive and student-friendly atmosphere.

Prior to the overhaul, many of the Student Center’s facilities and décor dated back to the ‘70s. Today, it is modern and bustling with students, and again a focal point of campus tours.

“The other day, I got teary-eyed looking out at how beautiful of a place it is now and because students have a place that they can be proud of,” Gerber said.

The lower level houses the C&IT Help Desk, Student Center Administration, two new dance rooms with hardwood floors and floor-to-ceiling mirrored walls, a game room with pool tables and pingpong, a video gaming area, and dining options at Grille Works and Bene Pizza. Grille Works is students’ late night option, staying open until 2 a.m. Monday through Thursday and until midnight on Sundays.

Outside the south end of the Student Center, final drainage is being installed for a rain garden and landscaping. The work will be complete in time for the facility’s official grand opening on Sept. 15, following WSU President M. Roy Wilson’s University Address. The south end of the building has an impressive atrium from the lower level to the third floor overlooking the also newly renovated Fountain Court.

The first floor is where students go to refuel, with Wing Stop, Panda Express, Starbucks and Taco Bell. Perhaps the most popular addition is the new Mad Anthony’s General Store.

Mad Anthony’s sells WSU spiritwear, snacks and various convenience items. It’s several times larger than the old Barnes & Nibble. A Mad Anthony's mug that sells for $9.99 and includes pop and coffee refills for $1 for the entire academic year sold out the first day. More are on order.

The first floor also has a Michigan First Credit Union and multiple ATMs.

The second level features an expanded grand ballroom for holding large events, a 100-seat auditorium, several smaller meeting rooms and lounge spaces.

The third floor offers a newly designed student organization collaboration area, a reflection room, ablution stations, and offices for the Dean of Students, Student Senate, and the Campus Activities Team.  

A grand re-opening of the Student Center is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 11 a.m. The ceremony will take place at the south entrance of the building. An ice cream social and building tours will follow.