The Alumni Lounge in the Student Union is most often overlooked. Located on the second floor next to the Grand Ballroom, “it is a place where students should feel welcome and come to make a connection,” according to Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel Nadler.

Once a dreary room with 12-year-old carpet and old blue drapes, it has been redone to make a more inviting feel to anyone who uses it.

Nadler and Deputy Director for the Union Cathy Englekes are very excited about the renovation and the new feel of the Alumni Lounge.

“We are continuing to search around the building to make it more attractive to students and I like to make the Alumni Lounge known as the student’s living room,” said Nadler.

While the room is primarily used for student affairs such as Greek Week and for other student groups, it is also used within the community of Charleston. Weddings can be held here on the weekend, the YMCA has utilized both rooms and the Chamber dinners are also held here.

“It came at the right time to show our appreciation to the alumni who have donated so much money into this institution and whom have given us our wonderful clock tower,” Nadler said.

The Grand Ballroom has gotten new carpet and the stage has been refinished. Another project that was started and thought of by Nadler was redoing the entrance doors to the Grand Ballroom and making a greater transparency to both rooms. There used to be six doors, two single on the far ends and two double in the middle that gained entry into the Ballroom.

Nadler has decided to take the two single doors out and put in frosted glass with the Eastern Illinois logo in the center.

“I felt that the doors were unnecessary and not used very often so with the installation of the glass it gave the room a classier and dressed up look,” Nadler said.

Although there is still not a figure of how much the renovation has cost, all of the money for both rooms has not come from state funding or tuition dollars but from the rental cost that is gained from the use of both of the rooms. This project was one that was finished particularly fast starting Aug. 1 and ending Aug. 12.

“Dr. Nadler has been especially encouraging about the entire task and he is very supportive,” Englekes said.

While being very inviting and comfortable it puts an overall classy feel to the Grand Ballroom and Eastern Illinois, Nadler said.