The original Baker Center was built in 1953, smack dab in the middle of then OU President John Calhoun Baker’s term.
As students, we use Baker University Center just about every day. Whether we’ve got a meeting, grabbing a bite to eat, passing through for class o just taking a breather, we’re Baker regulars.
But it’s all too often we’re taking the place for granted. Who stops to appreciate Baker? Maybe we’re all in too big of a rush or just preoccupied with classes and just don’t have the time or divided attention to think about it. But whatever the case may be, let me introduce you:
The original Baker Center was built in 1953, smack dab in the middle of then OU President John Calhoun Baker’s term. The building was named after him. In 2006, though, the offices of the old Baker Center were moved into the Baker we know and love today. As construction was just being wrapped up, on January 2, 2007, the new Baker was opened.
Baker’s pretty amazing if you think about it. The campus is more or less divided by all of the peeving hills that each of us has to trek up to class so often. Baker provides a direct and convenient way to navigate classes. Most of the educational halls on campus reside either up on the hill from the top entrance of Baker or down the hill at Baker’s bottom entrance, and Baker’s there in the middle offering anyone who wants it a ride up or down.
It’s not only the constant stream of students and faculty passing through every day making the building so great; it’s an all-around communal place to be.
Not only does it bring so many important things like numerous administrative offices and student organizations together nicely in one place, it also has two delicious places to eat, a café, the school’s tech depot, a variably utilized theatre, a lounge with a pool table and TV and countless other things we’re always enjoying. It’s riddled with rooms and spaces available to be rented out by anyone with any use for them, another way the building can be so accommodating.
So the next time you’re strolling through Baker, riding the escalator or just popping into the Bobcat Depot for a quick computer fix, try not to be overwhelmed by all of the awesome stuff bustling around you.
Kyle Burback is a sophomore studying english. What’s your favorite building on campus? Email him at kb931012@ohio.edu
