Like many Tritons who attended UC San Diego in the ’80s, I spent a lot of my time at the Student Center (back when it wasn’t yet the “old” Student Center). It was a place to study, to meet up with friends, and where I learned to become part of the campus community as a member of the Asian Pacific Student Association. Back then, the next big move for the university was the creation of a much grander student space that would eventually be known as the Price Center.
Students today likely couldn’t imagine life without the Price Center. We could barely imagine our campus with it! But even then, we knew it was necessary for the natural evolution of our university to better support the students of the future. We voted to increase our student fees to build it, even though it wouldn’t be finished until long after we left UC San Diego. But still, we paid it forward.
It seems every wave of Tritons has that one thing they pay forward to the students who come after. For some, it was RIMAC. For today’s students, it’s the move to Division I athletics, and the scholarships that come with it. We do this because we care about the experience we share. We may be different generations, we may know a different form of campus, but we all know this place as where we became who we are today. And that fact is what makes us Tritons.
For all the change, it’s comforting to know that a lot of things do carry on, better than ever. I’m thrilled that the Craft Center, a space beloved for decades by our most creative Tritons, will be revived and reinvigorated as a cutting-edge outlet for today’s students. And what I knew as The Pub, what many of you knew as Porter’s Pub, will be soon be reimagined by a fellow alum, and our campus culture will be shaped by someone who lived it. It’s a perfect example of coming full circle.
I encourage you to come full circle as well: Come see it all at the events during Alumni Weekend, shape the future of campus as a part of the Campaign for UC San Diego or join us online where we’re sharing our UC San Diego memories. Right now it’s favorite campus foods, and we’re saving a seat at the table for you.
Robert Brownlie ’85
President, UC San Diego Alumni