Union Board celebrates 100 years at IU

Student and first Union Board President John Whittenberger had a mission when he helped found the Union in 1909: to start a place where students can gather, have fun and forget about their differences and divisions. 

One hundred years later, the Indiana Memorial Union is “one of the largest student unions in the world,” according to its Web site.

The Union Board is still here with a bigger budget and more members, but with the same mission Whittenberger created, Union Board President Andrew Dahlen said.

The Union Board turns 100 on Dec. 6, and it has been celebrating with events throughout the semester to get the whole campus involved.

“The entire year is an exciting year, I think, for the board and for campus,” Dahlen said. “We’re informing students that it is our 100th year on campus and what we’ve had throughout these 100 years on campus, and working on the role that we’re going to have for the next 100 years.”

The Union Board started in 1909 as a club for men to meet, play billiards and be social in a room in the Student Building. Women were not allowed to join until 1952.

Union Board is now the biggest student programming group on campus and is made up of 16 directors and more than 200 committee members, said Anna Williams, Union Board vice president for membership.

It organizes popular events on campus, such as concerts, free movies every weekend in the Whittenberger Auditorium and other programs. It also releases “Live From Bloomington,” a CD of local artists, and “Canvas,” the student literary magazine.

“I think Union Board is really whatever you make it to be,” Dahlen said. “If a freshman coming into campus wants to get involved, there are so many opportunities to take leadership on the committees the first day you walk into the office.”

Union Board Public Relations Director Hannah Kinkead said if a student has someone in mind that they want to bring to campus, or an event the whole campus would enjoy, Union Board is the place to make it happen.

“We bring all of those great events, all of those things you hear about happening every weekend. That’s what Union Board does,” Kinkead said.

For Union Board to keep the same standards for 100 years, the board has had to adjust with the changing times, Dahlen said. But, Williams said, with a group full of students, the change is natural.

“We’re not advisers, we’re not graduates – we’re students trying to consult with other students and saying what do we want to see,” Williams said. “I think that allows us to remain relevant because we have so much flexibility.”

Union Board hopes to remain flexible for the next 100 years. At a September fall retreat the board discussed how it should cater to the students of each generation and that it should never get stale, Williams said.

But even though Union Board must adapt to changing times, Dahlen said its purpose must always remain the same. 

“Obviously we’re doing much larger things, much larger events, we have a much bigger budget and we have many more people involved in the process.” Dahlen said. “But the mission of unifying the campus, bringing events students need and desire on campus, is no different from day one.”