University of British Columbia - Totem Yearbook (Vancouver, British Columbia Canada)

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.flfilfion .Lanai gym For its memorial to the dead of the last two wars, U.B.C. students have built a new million dollar gym. lt is a practical monument, one which shows the initiative, deter- mination and courage of the stu- dents to embarck on such an am- bitious program. Early in 1945 Student Council decided that the war memorial for the students of the University who gave their lives in the two world wars would be a modern gymna- sium complete with swimming pool and other facilities. The Government of B.C. on the request of the Student Council and the Board of Governors started the fund-raising campaign with 3575.000 At the fall general meeting in '46 students raised their Alma Mater 54 fee from 1513 to 11215 and allocated five dollars to the gym campaign. A general student drive was or- ganized with fund-raising antics on the campus, parades through the streets of Vancouver, and appeals over radio programs to bring the student drive to liS175,000 by the end of 1947. Students authorized Stu- dent Council to borrow 3150.000 whenever necessary to start con- struction. Meanwhile students still continue to pay five dollars out of their AMS fees to the campaign. In October of 1948 university au- thorities confirmed site of the struc- ture. After a student delegation went to Victoria, provincial government contributed 3200.000 to the construc- tion of war memorial, bringing their total contribution to E275,000. In 1949 contracts are let for the con- struction of the gym, but costs soared to such an extent that the swimming pool had to be left out. The loan authorized by the gen- eral meeting in 1947 was negotiated and the five dollars per year slated to retire debt. Then a campus committee was set 'kU.B.C.'s million-dollar gym as it looked on February 23, the day of the unofficial student opening. Below shows progress construction of the gym early in the fall term. Overhead steel was installed during the summer months. After it was up steel pillar at left was removed. Construction took 17 months to complete and gym is the largest in any Canadian university. 1

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grofic or flue armera- armereifeat For weeks ahead stickers were pasted all over the campus advertising the Farmers' Frolic on lanuary 26. Theme of the barn dance, which was held in the armouries, was 'Aggie Khan'. lust what 'Aggie Khan' meant was kept top secret until the night of the dance. As patrons entered the barn dance they were greeted by Aggie Khan and students beseecher Totem photographer Bob Steiner to have their picture taken contemplating world problems in it. Aggies added a touch of history when they Wheeled the first 'stone boat' the university owned into the centre of the dance floor. Wagon was used to haul stones away from the site of the first buildings built on the campus, includ- ing Science building. Dean Eagles claimed that some day it would be an antique, but over half of the students at the dance had never seen a Stone Boat' before. Large part of the evening was spent trying to get the balloons that had been suspended from the roof of the armouries in a net. Finally after making human ladders in an attempt to get them dovvn, an Aggie executive member got the stand that they had used to put them up with. YA hoe and an old wash tub went a long way to make farmers' frolic a success. Pride of the evening was Aggie Khan. Every- one including winner of the-costume prize spent a few minutes visiting. Intermission had an added sparkle when patrons tried to get balloons down from ceiling. Below couple dressed in hard-time clothes cuddle.

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up to raise over 325,000 from stu- dents alone in 1950-51. At the beginning of the school term, Bill Haggert was appointed head of the committee by President Nonie Donaldson. At first com- mittee tried to raise fund by pep meet, dances, etc., until they found they were not going to reach their objective. The start of the second term found committee members speaking before every class asking them to give 253.43 per student for the com- pletion of the gym. As the term ended student con- tributions for 1950-51 had been 325,000 from pledges, 33,000 from the Madri Gras, 31,000 from other functions, and 534,000 from their A M S fe e s for a total of ' j563,000. Housed on I fo u r floors, th e million- g 0 Gig d o l 1 a r me- morial is the largest a n cl most modern gymnasium in Canada. A steam room, sun room, physio- therapy facilities, message room and individual activities and six bowl- ing alleys will be housed down two levels in the sub basement room. Up one floor are locker rooms which will provide accommodation for 2,500, team rooms, a forty-two- seat snack bar and a small gym 04 New 'za in paula i'Famous six-foot Leland twins returned to campus for unofficial opening of the Gym. During intermission they performed antics with the old Jokers Club. 'A'Next picture shows basement of structure before the basketball floor was put on it. 'kPart of the crowd that crowded gym dur- ing opening night. Attendance almost touched l0,000 in the two-day affair. Workmen worked all summer to complete outside of U.B.C.s memorial to students killed during the last two World Wars. 'l'BeIow is the committee that raised over 525,000 to help finish structure. Committee was headed by 4th year engineer Bill Hag- gert. Other committee members Joe Noel, Phil Anderson, Mary Rettrick, Bill Sparling, Terry Nichols and Barry Baldwin. F. W mam primarily for wrestling, tumbling and boxing. One flight higher is the upper part of the memorial lobby with a large common room with a twolway view towards the north shore mountains, a board room and an alumni lounge. The main court of the gym is 160 feet long and 96 feet wide, with roll in glass blackboards at each end. There is ample space for three basketball courts or 12 badminton courts. 55