There was a party complete with balloons and cake on Tuesday afternoon for the Student Union, in celebration of the building's 10th birthday.
According to Andrea Costantino, the director of Student Unions and Activities, a birthday party was held because the Union is the center of student life at UB.
"The Student Union serves as the hearthstone of the university, providing social, cultural, and educational programs," Constantino said. "We serve as an outlet for students to run such programs."
In addition to the restaurants located within Putnam's, the Student Union provides office space for over 75 student clubs and organizations.
Dennis Black, vice president for Student Affairs, said he remembers what life on the UB campus was like before there was a central location for student activities.
"Any kind of student group's activity was packed into Capen Lobby and there was no way to support that," Black said. "There was no gathering spaces."
According to Black, in addition to Capen Lobby, some student activities took place in Talbert Hall, the Student Activities Center and South Campus.
In order to provide a central meeting place for students and student groups, the university decided to construct the Union, according to Black.
He said during the 1992 opening ceremony, the director of the South Campus Student Union during the 1940's symbolically handed over the keys to the new Student Union administrators.
According to Costantino, the administration is currently considering building a new on-campus recreation center that may "tie in well with the Student Union, in terms of a place for UB students to gather and meet outside of class."
