College dignitaries inaugurated the new Collis Center with a weekend of speeches and celebrations, starting with a dedication ceremony Friday afternoon.
Although Collis has been open to the public for the last two weeks, Friday was the official christening of the College's first student center.
The ceremony was designed to honor Charles Collis '37 and his wife Ellen, who donated $5.5 million to renovate Collis College Center, said Dean of the College Lee Pelton, who was master of ceremonies Friday night.
About 80 students, professors and alumni gathered in the Common Ground to listen to Collis and his wife, College President James Freedman, Student Assembly President Nicole Artzer '94 and Board of Trustees Chair John Rosenwald, who spoke about their visions of Collis and what they think the center will mean to the student body.
"This is what God would have built if he had money," Rosenwald said. He and the other speakers lavishly praised the new center throughout the ceremony.
Both Collis and his wife made speeches that were met with standing ovations, from a stage set in front of the large fireplace in the Common Ground. They thanked the College for letting them fund the Collis renovations and for honoring them with the ceremony.
Next to the stage was a large drum encircled by the chairs of the five- member Dartmouth Intertribal Singers, who performed a Creek song that was once used to honor chiefs and warriors.
Outside the Common Ground, the center was set up for the numerous student groups who performed during the weekend. Tables of free hors d'oeuvres, desserts and punch were spaced throughout the building, and clusters of students and visitors moved from room to room, following the entertainment.
The Collis Cafe stayed open for dining throughout the weekend but changed its menu Sunday morning to offer special food for an international brunch. Several a cappella singing groups performed in the Cafe area Saturday.
Friday night, the Common Ground traded its formal aura of the dedication ceremony for the hip-hop sounds of Friday Night Dance Club.
Several of the speakers at the dedication ceremony said the weekend's events represent the diverse interests they hope Collis will serve.
"It is a space for everything, a space for everyone," Artzer said.
