Students and faculty celebrated a successful ribbon cutting for the newly renovated campus bowling alley Friday.

After 13 months of renovations, 25 students, faculty and staff gathered in the basement of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union to celebrate the grand opening.

The $300,000 project officially opened its doors on Friday, after a two-week postponement of the ribbon cutting because the wrong carpeting was ordered.

Student Body President Hugh O’Hara cut the ribbon to officially open the doors to the Union’s bowling alley and threw the first two gutter balls.

“It is a great day because Charleston doesn’t have many things to do,” O’Hara said.

The bowling alley was closed for renovations as a part of the food court construction project and it now has new carpet, pinsetters and a more modern scoring system.

The Charleston Bowling Association, a group of local bowling teams, bowled at Charleston Lanes since 1959 and has found its home at the University lanes as a result of the closing of Charleston Lanes this past fall.

Students that attended the ceremony were happy about the opening and the bowling alley’s new renovations.

Josh Hudson, captain of the Men’s Bowling Team, said, “It is an exciting day for me because now I have a place to hang out between class.”

Tim Taflinger, who has been running the bowling alley for 18 years, thanked all the people who supported and were patient with the project.

He also said he hopes that the Union Bowling Alley and new food court will draw more students to the university.

“I am happy with the success,” he said.