alumni newsletter
Introduction to the Crawford Center
by Kelly
The Scholarship Hall community welcomed a new building this year with the addition of the Crawford Center. The center was named for Wilna Crawford, and was made possible by a generous donation from Reginald and Juanita Straight. Located at the corner of Louisiana and 14th Street, the historic building began renovations a few years ago and was completed earlier this school year. The center became open for public use in early February.
The goal of the center is to bring the Scholarship Hall community closer together by providing a space for everyone to use. Intended uses for the building include serving as headquarters for the All Scholarship Hall Council and office space for administrators, providing housing for new outdoor equipment to be checked out and used by Schol Hall residents, and providing a place for scholarship hall related meetings to be held, as well as parties and gatherings for the entire scholarship hall community. In the future, it is hoped that the building will also offer living space for the complex director in the second story apartment. Desk staff will monitor the incoming and out-going students, and users of the center will be able to access the building with their student ID cards, but will need a non-KU ID to check out equipment.
Since its opening to the Scholarship Hall community, the center has already hosted its first women's dessert party. The event, open to all six women's halls, boasted numerous delectable delicacies in order to better acquaint the women with the new building. It also allowed the women to socialize with others from different halls. "The event had a decent showing," said Sellards sophomore Elizabeth Collison. "About thirty girls were there. I'd say it was a moderate success."
A dedication ceremony has been scheduled for April 21st, 2007. The ceremony will begin on the lawn of the Crawford Center at 3pm and is open to all scholarship hall residents and alumni. It will be approximately 15-20 minutes in length, followed by refreshments and tours of the new building. Tours will also be offered in all of the Scholarship Halls. Alumni are encouraged to revisit their old homes away from home.
