FACILITIES & CAMPUS LIFE

Chikago Landing

For generations of UVM alums from the 1950s to the early 1990s, the old Dairy Bar in the Carrigan Dairy Science Building was a favorite hangout and a cherished memory of their college experience. Sitting at the counter, chatting with friends while enjoying ice cream made from the milk of UVM's own Holstein herd was one of those small pleasures that even years later can summon fond memories of time and place.

Fred "Chico" Lager '75 and his wife Yvette Pigeon '80,G'87,EdD'99 were among those students, years before Chico would come to prominence as an executive with another ice cream icon, Ben & Jerry's Homemade. When he heard that the Carrigan Building was about to be taken down to make way for the Dudley H. Davis Center, Chico became the catalyst for an effort to memorialize the old Dairy Bar in the new student center by installing a replica of the Dairy Bar counter with the original stools in one of its well-traveled areas and offering naming opportunities at $3,000 per stool to support scholarships for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

It was an idea that quickly gathered steam, and with Chico's energetic fundraising help, all seven of the stools were quickly spoken for, including one sponsored by Ben & Jerry's founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield. Another is sponsored by a group of Chico's friends from the Class of 1975, a renegade fraternity of sorts collectively known to one another as the "Chikago International." In September of 1975 the friends celebrated their graduation with a three-month backpacking trip across Europe. Their lasting friendships now span almost four decades.

When Chico and Yvette started talking in earnest about making a major gift to The Campaign for the University of Vermont, they gravitated toward the Davis Center and the space where the dairy counter and stools would be installed. They were impressed by the plans for the unique space and decided on a naming gift that would reflect their appreciation for the wonderful friendships established at UVM and communicate the message to current students that the bonds of friendship forged at UVM are enduring and meaningful.

"Chikago Landing" on the second floor of the Davis Center is the result — a comfortable terrace area with an expansive view onto the Olin Atrium, recalling special memories of the Carrigan Dairy Bar and offering a space where today's students can relax and enjoy the friendships that may last them a lifetime.

"Of all the things you take away from four years at UVM, by far the most meaningful are the lifelong friendships," says Chico. "The 'brothers' of Chikago International remain in close contact, seeing one another at multiple gatherings throughout the year and with a return trip to Europe every five."

"Yvette and I are making this gift to honor all of the lasting friendships that have been forged at UVM over the years," Chico says, "including those that begin every fall."