The "gold key of completion" passed from UNM administrators to students Tuesday in an afternoon ceremony marking the summer opening of the newly renovated SUB.
Julie Weaks Gutierrez, UNM Vice President for Business and Finance and Walt Miller, associate vice president of Student Development, passed the key to UNM President Chris Garcia at the beginning of the ceremony.
To close the ceremony, Garcia passed the key to ASUNM President Jennifer Onuska and Eliseo Torres, vice president for Student Affairs.
"This truly is a facility built by our students, for our students" Weaks Gutierrez said. "We are pleased to have it open. It is a beautiful and wonderful building."
UNM fired Silver Construction Company Inc. from the SUB project in March, citing failure to provide a sufficient amount of skilled workers and failure to keep a timely schedule. The SUB has been under construction for nearly two years and its completion is a year behind schedule.
"We ran into some snags and some rough waters and we did some things that universities haven't done before," Weaks Gutierrez said. "But with lots of support we made this a success."
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Weaks Gutierrez thanked K.L. House, the local architecture firm that finished the project, but said the real thanks goes to the University community.
Onuska said that students "couldn't be happier" about the opening of the SUB.
"The SUB will be the heart of UNM once again," Onuska said.
Onuska also said she thought that the opening will be a nice compliment to student life in coming years.
"It will be a place to call their own," she said. "It's for students and about students."
UNM students were ready to explore the new building, the many levels it offers and its variety of food options.
"I like it," said sophomore biology major Adrienne Raniszewski. "I still want to explore it, I've only been downstairs."
The three-level building features office space for student government and organizations, a credit union branch, a game room, a theater, a ballroom and a computer lab that accommodates 100 people. The building also has new electrical, heating and cooling systems.
"It's impressive," said senior biology major Ryan Sheehan. "It doesn't look like a dump anymore."
Sophomore sign language interpretation student Emily Madsen said she visited the old SUB in her middle and high school years and thought it was dark and dreary, but that now it is much brighter and inviting.
"It's really nice," Madsen said. "They've done good."
She also mentioned that she was excited about having a Sonic restaurant as a food option.
According to a UNM news release, a few minor details are being completed on the building and a more formal grand opening will take place closer to the beginning of the Fall 2003 semester, when more students will be available to attend.
"We once again have the living room for the campus," Garcia said.
