MAGNOLIA─ Students at Southern Arkansas University will soon benefit from the construction of a new student activity center. University officials broke ground for the Mulerider Activity Center during a ceremony on Friday, December 4.
The facility will be 30,000 square-feet and will be constructed in front of the W.T. Watson Athletic Center. It will house a variety of activities for students. Inside will be a court for basketball and volleyball, a walking track, a workout area with weights and machines, three multipurpose rooms, a Freshens refreshment center, and a large check-out area where students can get things such as bikes, canoes, and camp-out supplies.
The vision for the Mulerider Activity Center came from the student body, according to Dr. David Rankin, president of Southern Arkansas University. He said students approached the University administration with the concept and were willing to pay for construction through a student activity fee. “We wouldn’t be here today if the students hadn’t lent their tremendous input and support to the project,” he said.
Rankin said the location of the new activity center has previously been a dark area of the campus. “This will make a tremendous impact on the area,” he said. “You’re going to love this building. When it starts up, I think you’ll be amazed.”
Corey Davis, president of the SAU Student Government Association, said the Mulerider Activity Center will celebrate a visible beginning of the University’s second century. “Today’s ceremony is a momentous occasion for not only the administration but even more so for the students,” he said. “Two years ago, the idea of a Mulerider Activity Center was brought before the Student Government Association, and after months of touring, planning, shifting of ideas, and re-planning, we stand in front of you today to start the very first signs of construction.”
Charles J. Lewis, associate vice president for facilities, said construction on the Mulerider Activity Center will begin on Monday, December 14. This schedule will allow construction to begin without disrupting the University’s fall graduation ceremonies.
