WATERLOO -- Hawkeye Community College honored one of its founders Wednesday by naming its newest building for him.

The Brock Student Center was dedicated during a noon ceremony on the college's lawn. It is named for Harold Brock, 94, a retired Ford and John Deere engineer who helped organize Hawkeye in 1965.

Brock was chairman of Hawkeye's board for its first 15 years of existence. More recently, he served for another nine years, stepping down in 2007.

Five wide ribbons, each in a different color, were stretched across the plaza in the front of the $4.6 million student center where the dedication ceremony took place. Students, faculty, trustees, politicians and other dignitaries each cut a ribbon at the end of the event with a pair of oversized scissors.

Then a blue banner emblazoned with the name in gray letters was unfurled from above the building's entrance. "Brock Student Center" will be permanently attached to the northeast corner of the building with 14-inch-tall letters later this fall.

Those who spoke at the dedication praised Brock's decades of involvement in the college.

"He helped build Hawkeye Community College, and also he came back at a time when the trustees and board needed him," said Mark Birdnow, the current board of trustees chairman. "Harold may be small in stature, but he towers over all of us today."

"Harold continues to challenge me to be forward-looking to what Hawkeye Community College can offer in the future," said Hawkeye President Greg Schmitz.

"This institution exists today because of the vision of a few people and the support of many, and Mr. Brock was there all the way," he added. "Harold Brock's commitment is to all students all the time."

"It's been a wonderful experience for me to be around young people," said Brock, when he came to the podium.

He acknowledged the college has come a long way since the first buildings were constructed on the campus. At that time, little consideration was given to the aesthetics. That has changed.

"This building is beautiful, and it brings our campus together," said Brock.

Behind him was the curving glass facade of the student center. The 25,900-square-foot building is at the west end of an interior campus lawn near Butler and Buchanan halls, opposite Hawkeye Center.

The building was completed last spring after most students had left for summer break. Fall classes began Monday.

The student center features a food court and seating for 300, a vast improvement over the former cafeteria in Hawkeye Center. The building is designed so that many of its exterior walls are floor-to-ceiling windows, bringing a lot of natural light into the space.

It also includes a lounge area with games and TVs, multi-purpose rooms, work areas and student government offices. Many of these amenities weren't available on campus in the past.

Construction was financed with proceeds from a $25 million bond issue approved by voters in 2003. Those bonds are repaid with a property tax of 36 cents per $1,000 of taxable value across HCC's 10-county service area.

"Students need a place to gather, to get a cup of coffee," HCC Associate Professor Tracy Grandy said during the dedication ceremony. "This student center provides for that need, so it's a great addition to our campus."

Students participating in the fall festival occurring on the lawn or eating lunch in the new cafeteria agreed.

"I think it's really, really roomy," said freshman Stephanie Wyss of Cedar Falls, finishing her lunch before heading to class, "It's never crowded, there's always a spot."

She appreciates the study area and has already made use of it during her two-hour break over the lunch period.

Sophomore Megan Herzog was a member of the student senate last year and helped pick out the blue carpet in the lounge area. But she still is getting used to the cafeteria.

"This place doesn't have much personality. It's very modern, very sterile," she said.

Herzog recalled the lime green walls of the Hawkeye Center cafeteria.

"The old one, you might not like it but you never forgot it."

"The old cafeteria didn't have such comfortable places to sit," said sophomore Alex Fortch of Readlyn. "It was a little more crowded and lot noisier."

Freshman Chris Apling of Janesville, sitting out in the lawn eating with friends, liked what he saw in the building.

"I think it's really nice," he said. "It was a good investment for Hawkeye to make."

Contact Andrew Wind

at (319) 291-1507 or

andrew.wind@wcfcourier.com.