Price Center

In the early 1980s, UC San Diego found that its existing Student Center in Muir College was unequipped to handle the more than 12,000 students that were enrolled at the university. As a result, UC San Diego suffered from reduced student involvement and a sense of apathy across campus. Additionally, the lack of on-campus social space contributed to the fact that nearly 60% of UC San Diego students at the time commuted to school. In November 1983, a survey of 2,000 UCSD students indicated a pressing need for a new student union. That same school year, students passed a referendum that raised their student fees from $12.50 per quarter to $37.50 per quarter, for the purpose of constructing a University Center that would house fast food restaurants, a movie theater, and offices for student organizations. Construction on the center was initially met with some opposition, as student members of the Committee for Responsible Spending argued that the fee increase was passed due to unethical actions by the Student Center Board. The ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 21, 1989 was interrupted by protestors who called the $19.6 million structure the "High Price Center", but the game room and circular plaza were met with enthusiasm. While the old Student Center remained open, Price Center went on to become the main hub of campus. The student fee gathered roughly $46 million for the expansion, with the remainder coming from various campus accounts. The architect for the expansion, Mehrdad Yazdani, was faced with the challenge of integrating the expansion into the existing facility, while redesigning the surrounding area to create an "urban center". The design for Price Center East featured a central four-story atrium which connected to the exterior of the university through a series of plazas and staircases. The adjacent Town Square and shuttle loop, too, were redesigned to create a downtown for UC San Diego students. The university celebrated the opening of the Price Center East on May 18, 2008. The grand staircase connecting Town Square and the second story opened shortly afterwards. == Art installations ==

Price Center features one Stuart Collection piece and two other major university art installations. Former UC San Diego faculty member Barbara Kruger's Another is a 74-foot long mural installed upon the completion of the Price Center East expansion in 2008. It is on the western wall of the central atrium. The mural features two clocks that are punctuated with terrazzo-like phrases that begin with the word "ANOTHER". Two LED displays serve as news tickers, scrolling rapidly with current events from an AP stream. The mural integrates with the building through blocks on the atrium floor featuring quotes from well-known artists and scientists. The south entrances to the building, on the Triton Steps, are flanked by alumnus and sculptor Manuelita Brown's Triton, a 750-pound bronze sculpture that honors the university's mascot, King Triton. It was unveiled on October 13, 2008 by Chancellor Marye Ann Fox. The sculpture had been planned ten years earlier by the graduating classes of 1998 and 1999, as part of an effort to increase campus pride. On February 11, 2015, Chancellor Pradeep Khosla unveiled the Black Legacy Mural, a 17-by-40-foot mural depicting various African-American leaders smiling behind two African-American children, the grandchildren of artist Andrea Rushing. The mural, located behind Dlush on the first floor of Price Center East, is supplemented by a set of 23 tabletops which highlight the various individuals depicted. == Arson incident ==

On December 3, 2013, surveillance tapes showed two young women setting two fires on the first and second floors of Price Center. On February 7, 2014, UCSD student Holly Nguyen was arrested on suspicion of setting the fires, and UCSD student Maya Land was arrested shortly thereafter. The two students, who received eight separate charges, were believed to be connected to the Earth Liberation Front, an eco-terrorism group. This was because the fires occurred the same day that the University Centers Advisory Board voted to replace Espresso Roma with Starbucks Coffee, angering campus fair trade activists. Both suspects eventually pleaded guilty to felony reckless endangerment. == Amenities ==

Food and beverage • Price Center West (Plaza food court) • Price Center East (Atrium food court) Services ;First floor • Price Center Theater • UC San Diego Box Office • UC San Diego Bookstore and Perks coffee shop • UC San Diego Postal Center • Sustainability Resource Center • The Zone wellness center • Triton Lounge (computer lab) • One Button (recording studio) • Group study rooms • Commuter kitchen • Commuter lockers ;Second floor • Outback Adventures surf shop • Kaplan test prep center • West ballrooms • East ballroom • Dance studio • Art studio • Cross-Cultural Center • Inter-Tribal Resource Center • Student organization offices • Meeting rooms • Study lounges ;Third floor • University Centers administration offices • The One Stop (student organization resource center) • Center for Student Involvement • Center for Communication and Leadership Development • Student organization offices • Graphic studio • Meeting rooms • Alumni affairs offices • Event Services offices ;Fourth floor • Meeting rooms • Senate chambers • Student leadership offices • Governance chambers == Awards ==

Price Center and the Price Center East expansion have won numerous architectural awards, including: • 2005 - American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Diego: Unbuilt Category Honor Award • 2005 - Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design: American Architecture Award • 2011 - Association of College Unions International (ACUI): Facility Design Award == References ==