Alumni Association Home > Minnesota Magazine > Past Issues > 2002 > May-June 2002	Print View

Huddled together near Stadium Village, on the southeast corner of campus, are the four residence halls—Pioneer, Frontier, Territorial, and Centennial—that were home for me during my years at the University of Minnesota. To a freshman first setting foot on campus, these buildings could not have more fitting names. They conjure up images of the old west, places at the outer reaches of civilized land, uncharted and unfamiliar territories. Later my parents would describe the look of utter fear on my face as they deposited me on the steps of the dormitory, left to fend for my own in this sprawling, urban frontier. Frontier Hall became my gateway to the University of Minnesota and to my personal four-year voyage of discovery.

Two years ago, not far from Frontier Hall, a stunning structure rose on the corner of Oak Street and University Avenue like a massive granite outcropping on Minnesota’s North Shore. That building, the McNamara Alumni Center, was conceived and built to create a beautiful entrance—a true gateway—to the U of M campus. It is a place that celebrates the University’s rich history and achievements. New students and alumni pass through the reconstructed 55-foot-tall Memorial Arch that once was the grand entrance for football players, the marching band, and spirit squads as they paraded into Memorial Stadium. The arch now serves as the entrance to the Heritage Gallery—a multimedia exhibit honoring the accomplishments of University alumni, students, faculty, and staff.

The McNamara Alumni Center has quickly become a destination point for the University community as well as the surrounding community. The alumni center is one of the Twin Cities’ hottest new venues, hosting everything from a Guthrie Theater gala to FinnFest USA. But 85 percent of the 1,500 events held at the alumni center since its grand opening in February 2000 have been University-related: lectures, award ceremonies, academic conferences, career fairs, and much more. The extensive list of non-University events includes bar mitzvahs, corporate parties, weddings, and even the filming of a music video by the group Incubus. Why the attraction? Guests love the unique architecture, easy accessibility, ample parking, and beautiful location at the heart of a university campus. Until recently, however, what lay outside this glorious new building was an asphalt parking lot, little changed from the days when it provided parking for the throngs of Gopher faithful on Saturday afternoons in autumn.

This spring, the alumni center will receive the auspicious environment it deserves. Ribbons will be cut to unveil the Gateway Plaza, a magnificent public square that reaches to Washington Avenue and provides much-needed green space on campus. Calling to mind our state’s 10,000 lakes, the plaza will include reflecting pools and native trees on a gently rolling landscape. Plaza construction began in May 2001 and will be completed this June. At an estimated cost of $3 million, the plaza was funded entirely with private financing through the University Gateway Corporation, a nonprofit entity comprised of the University of Minnesota Foundation, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, and your alumni association.

The Gateway Plaza will be a place where new traditions might be born and new symbols created for the U of M. Faculty and students will come together among the trees, grass, and granite benches to meet, study, and talk. Its stage will provide an excellent venue for large-scale outdoor events such as pregame pep rallies, commencement ceremonies, afternoon concerts, and sorority-fraternity socials. It also will be the perfect place for an alumni celebration.

So mark your calendars for Tuesday, June 4. University President Mark Yudof and hundreds of alumni and friends are expected to be on hand for the official grand opening of the Gateway Plaza during the 2002 UMAA Annual Celebration. We will have a night of dinner and dancing on the plaza as we enjoy a family-style picnic and kick up our heels to musical entertainment from the ’50s and ’60s. I hope you will join us for the festivities and fun. And next time you visit the campus, stop by to see our new front door, the McNamara Alumni Center and the Gateway Plaza.