Carthage College Student Union brochure

The Campaign for a New Student Center

COMING TOGETHER

A Message from the President

Greetings from Carthage!

Within the pages of this brochure, you will find the story of a wonderful new project here at Carthage. Nearly two decades of sustained growth in the student body have necessitated a plan for expansion of facilities to meet the needs of those students. Projects such as the Tarble Athletic and Recreation Center and Arena, the Hedberg Library, the Clausen Center for World Business, and the Oaks Village have met the growing need in athletics, academics and research, and residential life.

Now, we turn our attention to meeting a need that is equal in importance—the need for a place to “come together.” A residential campus requires a facility whose purpose is to foster the kind of community life that is central to the Carthage experience. Carthage students need a social place of their own. They need a new student center.

As important as each and every project undertaken in the past few years has been, no project has engendered as much excitement and enthusiasm as this new student center. Current students look with eager anticipation to how this facility will transform and improve community life. Recent graduates readily testify to how acute the need has been for such a gathering place. And alumni

from the early days on the Kenosha campus, as well as those from Illinois, remember well how important it was to their experience to have an adequate place to “come together.”

Outgrowing facilities is, in a way, a very nice problem to have—for it is a testimony to just how well the College is doing. The new student center will solve that problem for the 3,300 students that make up the Carthage community, as well as for generations to come, bringing state-of-the-art, 21st century features and amenities to students of promise.

Carthage has come to where it is today because of men and women like you— alumni who have carried the Carthage spirit into the world, parents who have raised and supported our students, community leaders, and friends around the Midwest and around the world. On behalf of all of us at Carthage, thank you for helping to bring us here. And thank you for your consideration in helping us to reach this new goal, which will ensure Carthage’s continued vitality and success in the years ahead.

F. Gregory Campbell

Carthage College Since its founding by Lutheran pioneers in 1847, the college we now know as Carthage has provided students with a classical education in the arts and sciences. Superb faculty, curriculum, programs, and facilities are the instruments that make it possible.

Situated on the Lake Michigan shore, midway between Milwaukee and Chicago, Carthage enrolls 2,500 full-time undergraduate students, coming from half the states in the U.S., and from every inhabited continent.

Carthage faculty members are drawn from the top graduate institutions in the world, and are recruited via international searches for demonstrated talent in teaching undergraduates and involving them in purposeful research.

During the last decade, Carthage has invested more than $100 million in developing best-of-class learning, residential and recreational facilities.

These campus development initiatives comprise significant new construction as well as many renovations and improvements.

Investments in campus development have yielded great increases in applications and enrollment during the last 10 years. In autumn of 2009, more than 800 undergraduates enrolled for the first time at Carthage—the 15th consecutive year of enrollment growth.

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A Residential College Carthage is a residential college. As such, we nurture the human development opportunities inherent in co-curricular activities. Carthage seeks to offer young adults a collegiate experience for which they will have both respect and affection through all the years of their lives.

For Carthage students living on campus, education is a round-the-clock undertaking. It extends beyond the formal academic facilities to every space on campus. Many of a student’s most valuable lessons transcend the intellectual. Learning to live with others in a mutually respectful environment is an essential step in character development.

Alumni report that some of their most cherished campus memories, indeed many of their “learning moments,” occurred while participating in clubs and activities outside the classroom.

“The student union was a popular spot for meeting people. There were two groups, bridge players and pinochle players, and you could get a cup of coffee for a nickel. We’d say, ‘see you at the union.’ Everything was close by.”

—Clayton Diskerud, ’59

The rapid growth in enrollment during the last two decades has challenged campus capacity in all areas. The College initially responded to this need by redeveloping residence halls, and in the process, transforming many common areas into additional housing space.

When it became clear that repurposing current facilities would not satisfy the demand for on-campus housing, the College undertook development of The Oaks, a residential village designed by internationally acclaimed architect Dirk Lohan. With four of six planned villas complete, The Oaks offers the most sought after living spaces on campus.

With a plan in place to accommodate all students who desire to live on campus, it becomes increasingly important to assure that this experience includes the opportunity to gather, to learn, and to celebrate community in ways both great and small.

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Coming Together From the early years in Hillsboro, to the present day, coming together in community has played a crucial role in the development of every Carthage student.

In Carthage, Illinois, the place where students came together was the Student Union—an Army barracks that the College purchased and moved to campus. It was a place where you could get an egg sandwich for a dime and a cup of coffee for a nickel. More importantly, it provided a space for students to gather with friends and faculty, continuing the debate from the day’s lectures, and catching up on campus gossip.

When Carthage moved to Kenosha, one of the first buildings constructed was a smaller version of what we now know as Todd Wehr Center. Here, students gathered as they had in Carthage, Ill., Springfield and Hillsboro.

By the turn of the 21st century, increasing enrollment already had outgrown the capacity of the presentday Todd Wehr Center.

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The Need Today, there is no common-gathering place for Carthage students. And the absence is felt acutely. Twenty years of sustained growth in enrollment and the accompanying need for this important resource lead us to conclude that we can wait no longer to fortify this critically important element of the Carthage learning experience.

Carthage students—the vast majority of whom live on campus—deserve a space and facility appropriate to their number and needs—one that can support round-the-clock learning and the social expectations of a top liberal arts college.

Following a series of research trips to newly constructed student centers throughout the U.S., Carthage engaged the conceptual and design services of Burt, Hill, a Philadelphia architectural firm specializing in the development of student center spaces for colleges and universities.

The College charged Burt, Hill with assessing the need for, and feasibility of, development of a new student center. After many months of conversations involving administration, students, faculty, and staff, the firm concluded that development of a new student center is sorely needed, and that the project has the potential to become the major center of student activity outside the classroom.

“I always envisioned a student center as the living room of the campus. When I came, our enrollment was smaller, but the center was way too small.”

—Arthur Landry, emeritus professor of education

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A New Student Center

A place to come together—it’s a fundamental need on a residential college campus. At Carthage, we must assure that students have a gathering place that reinforces and nurtures community. A new student center will provide this assurance.

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Situated on the current site of the former Seidemann Natatorium, adjacent to Art Keller Field, the new Carthage student center will be at the crossroads of classroom, recreation, and residential activity zones on campus. It will provide gathering space for small and large

student groups, expanded dining options, a theatre for films and presentations, and a new campus book and convenience store close to where students live.

The new student center also will offer a welcome place of respite for commuter students, helping them forge closer relationships with their residential peers.

An unanticipated benefit of a student center on this site is the opportunity to offer greater

opportunities for student and alumni connections through the celebration of Carthage athletic contests on the adjacent playing field. With the construction of the student center will come new bleachers, and the relocation of Carthage fan seating to the east side of the field. Integrated into the center will also be a new pressbox, as well as seating on the adjacent student center patio, which will accommodate handicapped fans.

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Living Room The heart of the new center will be the CAMPUS LIVING ROOM, providing a warm and inviting place for student conversation and interaction 24/7. The Living Room will be accented by a “winter garden,” retaining an open atmosphere while providing more intimate conversation areas. Pool tables will be situated in the large open space. The Living Room occupies the entire southern half of the building.

“I love coming to Einstein’s. It’s a social location, but I still manage to accomplish all of my work. We have shared many memories—20+ page papers, all-night test cramming and SI study sessions, but also coffee cake-eating contests, late-night talks, and Sunday night dinners, which involved jamming 10 girls at one table.”

— Kristen Stangas, ’10, Kenosha Majoring in economics, minoring in Spanish

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Bookstore / Convenience Store A new CAMPUS BOOKSTORE, run by Barnes & Noble, is situated on the main floor. The expanded bookstore will allow for enhanced services and increased inventory, serving the increasingly sophisticated needs of students and faculty.

Adjacent to the bookstore, a CONVENIENCE STORE will offer “grab and go� food items and sundries, a welcome addition to a residential campus.

Dining Area On the eastern side of the building, facing Campus Drive and the lake, will be four new FOOD OUTLETS, presenting meals from Jamba Juice, World of Wings, Baja Fresh, and Alterra Coffee, and a large DINING AREA. These new dining options will supplement the main campus food service in the Todd Wehr Center, increasing the variety of food choices and reducing overcrowding.

“My favorite moments at Carthage are when I’m meeting new people.

Even as a senior, you’re constantly making new friends.”

– Isa Fritz, ’10, Kenosha, Wis. Majoring in physics, minoring in mathematics and Spanish

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Media Wall / Gaming Area Inside the main entrance, a MEDIA TOWER will welcome visitors to the center—providing six screens of information—everything from “what’s happening today at Carthage,” to 24/7 news feeds, keeping students informed of what’s happening around campus and around the world.

“One of my great privileges during the past few years has been the opportunity to ‘give back’ to Carthage—the place that had such a profound impact on the person I have become. Through service on the Board of Trustees and through financial contributions, I feel that I’m helping to make the ‘Carthage Experience’ possible for today and tomorrow’s students, who will leave here equipped to make their mark on the world, and hopefully give back to Carthage themselves.”

— Thomas Kieso, ’73 Trustee, and Advancement Committee Chair

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“There are so many opportunities to meet new people, join clubs and broaden your ideas at Carthage. You hear about it before you come, but it doesn’t really sink in that you have so many paths to take until you’re here.”

— Jamie Hamill, ’11, Kenosha. Majoring in neuroscience and psychology, minoring in Spanish

Next to the dining area will be an INTERACTIVE GAMING AREA. Here, large format video games will provide opportunities for spirited competition and conversation.

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“My most memorable moments at Carthage have been the times I have spent with my close friends laughing, crying and growing through all of life’s many experiences.”

— Alexandra Matzinger, ’11, Lake Zurich, Ill. Majoring in geography, minoring in biology and religion

Theatre / Art Gallery The second floor of the center features a new 200-seat THEATRE, serving as a venue for movies on campus, small theatrical productions and guest speakers.

Just outside the theatre, facing east, will be a CAMPUS ART GALLERY—a venue dedicated to showcasing art from Carthage students.

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Terrace / Bleachers Just off the west side of the living room will be a TERRACE, overlooking Art Keller Field.

At times, it will simply be an outdoor expansion of the Living Room. During football games, the Terrace also will provide access to the NEW HOME BLEACHERS and PRESS BOXES. Our fans will have access to student center restroom facilities, food services, and a welcome warm-up on chilly days. The Terrace will provide handicap accessibility for the games, with designated wheelchair seating with commanding views of the field.

The 46,000 square foot new student center will literally transform community life at Carthage. Once completed, Carthage will have a community center on par with the academic, recreational, and residential facilities that have been built in the past decade.

“Some of my favorite moments at Carthage have just been everyday activities with friends.

Just about everybody knows each other on campus, which is great. No matter what kinds of events are happening on campus, it is guaranteed to be a fun time, because we are a close community.”

— Emma Van Riet, ’11, Elmhurst, Ill. Majoring in German

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Join Us Carthage launches Coming Together: The Campaign for a New Student Center, confident that our loyal alumni and friends will recognize the singular importance of this project, and will want to help make it a reality. Your support of the campaign for a new student center will enable not so much the construction of a building as a place where young lives will be transformed for decades to come.

An Investment After several years of careful study and planning, the Carthage Board of Trustees, at its October 2009 meeting, authorized solicitation of construction bids for the $14 million student center project, as well as a campaign to fund its construction. Commitments to the project were, in fact, already underway, and will continue throughout the three-year campaign period.

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Participation is welcome at every level. Major giving and naming opportunities, ranging from the principal naming gift, to auditorium seats, can be discussed with anyone on the Carthage development team. All donors to the campaign will be recognized prominently on a wall of thanks which will be located on the main level of the center.

Giving to Carthage A Comprehensive Approach While the new student center is the centerpiece of the “Coming Together” Campaign, the needs and opportunities to support the Carthage mission extend beyond any single project. The “Coming Together” Campaign is the final segment of “Celebrating Carthage”—a comprehensive campaign that seeks to raise $165 million by 2012, the College’s 165th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the Kenosha Campus.

“Celebrating Carthage” seeks to develop resources for the overall mission of the College. Other areas of campaign support include: 1. CAPITAL PROJECTS Investment in the College’s infrastructure is arguably one of the most effective ways of investing in the long-term future of the College. New construction and renovations, including the Oaks Residential Village, the Baseball Field, and similar projects, are undertaken not just with the next few years in mind, but with an eye on the next century, as well. These are facilities that will withstand the test of time. Their initial price is considerable, but in the long run, they are a tremendous bargain. Future donors need not worry about replacing what our generation will have left to them.

2. ENDOWMENT The endowment supports student scholarships, curricular and co-curricular programs in perpetuity. A gift to the endowment helps both current students and those who will be here fifty or one hundred years from now. The College makes prudent investments, and spends income with restraint, so as to protect the purchasing power of a donor’s fund across time.

Donors often designate their estate gifts for the endowment, knowing that resources they have built throughout a lifetime will continue to be governed by a long-term view, becoming a memorial to hard work and discipline.

3. T HE ANNUAL FUND Giving to the Annual Fund is the foundation of support for the College’s mission. Annual Fund gifts—both unrestricted and specifically designated—support the day-to-day operation of Carthage—meaning everything from the salaries of professors to financial aid for students. Annual Fund gifts have immediate impact, raising the quality of educational, cultural, and co-curricular programs significantly.

Comprehensive lists of Capital, Endowment and Annual Fund project designations are readily available.

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A Message from the Chairman of the Board On behalf of the Board of Trustees of Carthage, I want to thank you for considering joining us in “Coming Together—the Campaign for a new Student Center.” In October of 2009, the Trustees of the College unanimously approved moving forward with the student center project, because we recognized how vitally important it will be to the success of our students, today, and in the years ahead. With equal enthusiasm we approved the “Coming Together” campaign, to secure the resources necessary for the project.

When I think back on my days as a Carthage student, I hardly can overstate how important it was to have a place simply to be together in community—a place where the experiences of the classroom or the athletic field could be shared, where relationships could be developed, and where lasting friendships first began.

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In the past few years, we’ve seen how important it’s been to meet the needs of a growing student body. Our investment in new facilities, just as our investment in faculty and programs, has yielded the largest and finest community of students in our history. The new student center is just such an investment—an investment in the future, for the Carthage we care about so deeply.

We know that you care deeply about Carthage. That’s why we are confident that you will want to join us in supporting this exciting new venture. Again, on behalf of the board, and everyone at Carthage, thank you for your partnership.

Edward Smeds, ’57

Contact Us Office of College Relations 2001 Alford Park Drive Kenosha, Wisconsin 53140 800-551-1518 www.carthage.edu/coming together