Traditional Halls, Student Center Renovations Help Modernize Campus

With sushi available for purchase and renovations to Morgan and Randall Hall, new and exciting additions to campus are everywhere this semester. Rebecca Flintoft, Director of Auxiliary Services, and Heather Boyd, Associate Vice President of Enrollment Management, shared information about everything from the Periodic Table Food Court, to the Mines’ Bookstore, to the upcoming Starzer Welcome Center.

“We wanted to design a new food court to replace the Digger Den that would create a vibrant and welcoming space for students,” expresses Flintoft. “The Periodic Table takes advantage of lots of natural light, offers flexibility for students to use throughout the hours of the day and evening, and offers students, faculty and staff some really great dining choices on campus.”

The Periodic Table promises to be an excellent dining addition to the current campus dining options of Mines Market, Einstein’s Bagels, Subway, and the Starbucks kiosk in Brown.

In comparison to Digger Den, the Periodic Table is an enormous upgrade. Digger Den was capable of seating 140 people and offered only two venues, compared to the Periodic Table’s 330 seats and five venues of Habañeros, WOW Café, Starbucks, Elements Convenience Store, and a fresh sushi bar.

Flintoft also says that the new Periodic table offers an outdoor seating area, “that will offer seats for up to 80 people to soak up the Colorado sun year-round.” This is a true breath of fresh air over the old Digger Den, indeed.

The Periodic Table is not the only new edition to the renovated Student Center.

“The updated School of Mines Bookstore is nearly double the amount of square footage as the old bookstore, allowing it to offer a much wider selection of merchandise than was previously available,” explains Flintoft.

Dramatic as these changes are, they are actually only phase one of the student center complete renovation.

“[Phase two] will include new or renovated offices for the Student Activities Department, Graduate Studies, the International Office, Bursar, Registrar, Career Center, and Financial Aid, as well as additional conference rooms and informal student lounge space,” Flintoft informs. These renovations will take some time though, and will probably be continued well into the spring 2016 semester.

Beyond the radical changes that were made to the Student Center, students living in Morgan and Randall Halls are enjoying other renovations that occurred during summer 2015.

“The renovations were a total facelift for these buildings, which are the oldest residence halls on campus,” says Flintoft.

The two halls received new carpet, windows, paint, doors, lighting, closets and furniture in their bedrooms, as well as new sinks, counters and showers in the community bathrooms. In addition to these new developments, entirely new lounges and community kitchen spaces will also be open soon.

“[The Starzer Welcome Center] will be the new front door to the university, a welcoming location for new students, alumni, and friends of Mines,” declares Heather Boyd. “It will also house the new CSM Alumni Association, the CSM Foundation, and the Admissions Office, all of whom will move into the building during October 2015.” Boyd also promises that an opening date will soon be announced to the student body.

To truly take advantage of these campus changes, Flintoft has a few recommendations for students.

“Come visit the Student Center if you haven’t already! Check out the new Mines Bookstore, The Periodic Table, and our new student lounges and five study rooms,” she suggests.

Additionally, students should feel welcome to share any feedback about the new developments directly with the staff in Residence Life, Mines Dining, Mines Bookstore, and the Student Center. As the Directory of Auxiliary Services, Rebecca Flintoft is also happy to receive any feedback herself.