Hughes-Trigg turns 18 (Photo by Austin Kilgore, The Daily Campus)

Wednesday marked the birthday celebration of the Hughes-Trigg Student Center, which has provided students with a place to eat lunch, attend events or just hang out for the past 18 years.

Each fall, the Hughes-Trigg office staff invites students and staff alike to celebrate the birthday of Hughes-Trigg Student Center, the hub of student life on campus.

“We hold this fun party as a way to celebrate Hughes-Trigg and what it means to the SMU community. We have lots of good food, games, and prizes,” Mariana Sullivan, head of the festivities, said.

The celebration offered students a chance to come have fun in between classes. An array of sandwiches and sodas were available, and chocolate and vanilla cakes lined the tables.

“It was such a fun thing to do during my lunch break. There were a lot of people there and lots of good food and prizes,” freshman Megan Rosser said.

The line of students wrapped around the foyer while music blared from the speakers, as trivia games about the history of Hughes-Trigg were played. The games got heated as the prizes consisted of gift certificates to Pluckers, Burger House and Java City.

Hughes-Trigg’s mission has always been to bring together members of the SMU community.

“SMU would not be the same without Hughes-Trigg. It does bring students together. There are always so many familiar faces,” said party attendee Christina Mountz. “It is nice to sit down for lunch with friends or do some homework in Java City and feel like part of a community.”

Hughes-Trigg was built with a $10 million donation from Charles and Kathy Hughes-Trigg.

The center of Hughes-Trigg, where the celebration took place, is the exact spot where Charles and Kathy first met and fell in love more than 50 years ago.