Emporia State University Memorial Union

The Emporia State University Memorial Union is the student activity center on the Emporia State University campus in Emporia, Kansas.

Emporia State University
Memorial Union
Memorial Union before its renovation in 2010
General information
StatusOpen
TypeStudent union
Address1331 Market Street
Emporia, Kansas
Coordinates38.414316°N 96.178011°W / 38.414316; -96.178011
Groundbreaking1922
Completed1924
OpenedFebruary 15, 1925 (1925-02-15)
Renovated1990, 2012
Cost$24.5 million
($29.1 million in 2019 dollars[1])
OwnerEmporia State University
Technical details
Floor area168,000 square feet (16,000 m2)
Lifts/elevators4
Renovating team
ArchitectTreanor Architects of Lawrence
Renovating firmFerrel Construction
Other information
ParkingParking lot
Website
www.emporia.edu/union

History

The Memorial Union was built to remember the World War I service members who were students at the Kansas State Teachers College and is the first student union on the west side of the Mississippi River.[2] The three story building houses conferences and campus meetings, as well as the dining hall for students living in the residence halls.[3]

Administration

The Union is a corporation operated by a director and two assistant directors. Staff includes almost 20 full-time staff members, and almost 50 student workers, and houses the most employees on the Emporia State campus.[4]

Services
  • Student I.D.s and ticking – The I.D. Office is in charge of student IDs and tickets for campus events.[5]
  • Memorial Union Bookstore – The campus bookstore is operated by Barnes & Noble College Booksellers. The bookstore sells class textbooks as well as clothing.[6]
  • Center for Student Involvement – houses the student government offices.[7]
  • Conference and Scheduling – Schedules group conferences or events at the University[8]

Corky's Cupboard
Official logo for Corky's Cupboard.

In Spring 2014, an idea was proposed to the university administration to provide an on-campus pantry for students living in poverty.[9] As a collaboration between the CSI and Student Wellness Center, volunteers provided canned food items and collaborate with KVOE (AM) and the community to fill the shelves. Students are only allowed to retrieve items form the pantry once a week with 10 or fewer items.[10]

Dining

The Union houses the on-campus dining services through Sodexo and Coca-Cola.[11] The area where the students eat is called the Hornets Nest.[12] The Union also has two small stores, the Hornet Express)[13] and Buzzcotti, which sells Starbucks coffee as well.[14]

Rooms

Throughout the year, conferences are held throughout the 30+ rooms in the Union.[15]

Martha the Ghost

Over the years, there have been many reports of a ghost named Martha. From 1925 to about 1950, single female faculty members lived on the third floor of the Memorial Union, now The Bulletin and Sunflower offices. The story is that Martha asked her boyfriend to marry her, and he said no. So that night, she hung herself in one of the rooms. Stories say that Martha haunts that area as well as the Memorial Union Bookstore.[16] There have been reports of doors slamming, lights going on and off and objects being moved. The most common report is that the operation managers will lock the building up at night, turn around, and see that a light on the third floor is on. So, they would go shut it off, go back outside, turn around, only to find out that the light was still on, and they wouldn't go back.[16]

References
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  2. "Emporia State University - Kansapedia - Kansas Historical Society". Kshs.org. May 1, 2012. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
  3. "Memorial Union Services". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  4. "Memorial Union Administration". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  5. "Ticketing". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  6. "MU Bookstore". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  7. "Center for Student Involvement". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  8. "Conference & Scheduling". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  9. Corky's Cupboard – emporia.edu
  10. Corky's Cupboard – Emporia Gazette
  11. "Sodexo and Coca-Cola at ESU". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  12. "Hornets Nest". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  13. "Hornet Express". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  14. "Buzzcotti". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  15. "Memorial Union Rooms available for rent". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 13, 2014.
  16. "The Bulletin's Interview about Martha". Retrieved October 13, 2014.
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