Page 168 - ThePhoenix1994-95

News Friday, May 5, 1995, Page 4 Memorial may be finished this summer, says director of project ing to Sell, 'That was just too large a sum of partment, it appeared that the renovations will not being able to use your own offices, and it By GREG E. HEBDlNG ContriburingWriler money that the college could afford for the bequite impressive. Some of them include new is very hard to concentrate with the loud noise Although we were promised the completion project." After months of rebidding, a cost of bathrooms, new motion-detector exit-lighting of the renovations coming from the basement of Memorial Hall before the end of this semes- $3,688,000 was decided upon for the systems, new windows, phone jacks for the of Memorial, where the temporary offices are ter, it looks as if the waiting game is still on. contractor's bid, after eliminating certain luxu- internet system in every room, a new elevator, located. The new Memorial Hall will be much Since July, when the Memorial Hall project ries to Memorial HalL and a new energy-efficient heating and cool- better than what it was, it will definitely be a began, the major questions by students have The college acquired the money through a ingsystem. more classroom oriented, and a better learn- been: When will the building be completed? federal loan specifically designed to assist col- There used to be seven classrooms on each ing building overall." Why has it taken so long for it to be completed? leges for renovations of historic buildings. Sell floor, btl! now there will only be five, with an Even though the renovations have taken sub- And what new renovations are in store for stu- said, 'The loan came to a total of $3.5 million impressive seminar room on each floor. The stantial amount of time, it may be worth it for dents and professors once the building is com- with a very low interest rate." The college also basement, however, will have nine classrooms students because of the better appearance as pleted? Many students are disappointed by the received a state grant, as well as various gifts and no seminar room. The writing center is well as the better and more conducive learn- delays with the project. "It is just taking en- of money to help out with the remaining going to remain on the first floor, and the fac- ing conditions . .Shea Henyon, a sophomore, tirely too long. I am getting sick and tired of $[88,000. ulty lounge is going to be located in the base- said she is very happy about Memorial Hall seeing the building being worked on day in and 'The time it took for the rebidding of the total ment. What is also impressive is that the origi- being renovated. "I just hope I am still here day out," said junior Dean Coccia. This major cost of the project, as well as the daily work time nal character of the historic building will be and have not graduated before this whole Me- delay has inconvenienced many students. by the workers not working any overtime, were maintained morial Hall project finally is completed," re- "Right now, there are classes being held in a the major factors involved in thedelays of tile Me- According to Neal, "It is very frustrating marked Henyon. room on the bottom floor of Rouzer Hall that morial Hall project," said Sell. reminds you of a dungeon, there are classes The project began as a two stage project Lewis Hall of Science, from page 1 being held in the library where the tempera- Renovations began with the second and third ture is near boiling, as well as many other non- floors last July, and were expected to be com- renovation," me to clean my office;' because he will prob- conducive rooms being used as classrooms!" pleted by the end of last semester, however, Guerra added that the equipment for the ably be moved. said sophomore Cynthia Van der Nat. due to delays, the two floors will not be com- physics department is outdated, referring to one Professor Guerra said that the new build- Ed Sell, Director of Facilities Planning & pleted until the end of this semester. The sec- type of machine in particular, an oscilloscope, ing will allow for new equipment and there- Capital Projects, said the renovations to the ond stage of the project dealing with the reno- which is an instrument used to look at electri- fore access to newer research. However, he building began last July and the estimated guess vations to the basement and first floor is to cal signals. He said the oscilloscopes that the said that even with less equipment, students for when the building will be finally completed begin the end of this semester and completed physics department uses were probably bought still continue to succeed. is this summer, shortly before the fall semester the end of this summer. in the late 1970s and have not been calibrated Surprisingly, though, not all science ma- begins. During a tour of the second and third floors since the 19805. He complained that some of jors think the LHS renovations are necessary. The Memorial Hall project began with a bid of Memorial Hall with Dr. Charles Neal, As- the oscilloscopes are so old that you can't see Senior Asanga Costa, a physics major, does of $10 million from the contractors. Accord- sociate Professor of the Political Science de- the laser pulse signal. not agree with the proposed renovations. He But not all science professors complain thinks that LHS does not need to be improved that their equipment is outdated. Dr. Michael in regards to the physics department. Costa M. Brown, a biology professor, said that the said that the college should "save their money." equipment in the biology department is very Faculty members of the physics and math- advanced. In reference 10 computer-driven ematics departments are more or less unaware spectrophotometers, used to measure color pig- of the plans for the renovations. Professor ment, and some pipets, suction devices used to Guerra said, "We are not clear what the reno- transfer measured amounts of liquid, Brown vations will be" and "we are not sure we know said that he doesn't think there are many where we are going." Professor Boner said: schools that use this type of equipment in fresh- "All I know is that we recently got a grant." man classes. Ethan Seidel said that the reason for this Students who learn in Lewis Hall of Sci- confusion is because the new section is the only ence have their own opinions about the quality part of the building that is at the planning stage. of the facilities. He said the biology and chemistry professors Sophomore Dan Wooten, a physics ma- are involved with the planning and designing jor, said the labs are "prehistoric in design." of LHS because those departments will be in was to He noted that the lab layout is very inefficient the new section, However, the physics and bridges for fu- Maryland Chapter, at its spring conference held here on Saturday, for both the student and the teacher. mathematics professors will be involved when ture partner- Scott Lee, a senior biology major, said that. the planning of the old section of the building said Seidel. begins, ships between high schools and colleges/uni- Attending this conference will give one problem in LHS is the lack of space in the When renovating a building of this mag- versities. Louks an opportunity to find ideas of how labs. He said, "1 think. that everybody could nitude, the college does not use tuition, room German Departments across the U.S. are to get the students interested in taking Ger- use more space." faced with a decline in student enrollment. man. Student interest may urge the school All of the professors interviewed think that and board to pay for the costs, said Seidel. must raise the money from The reason for the decline is because of a to comply. with her request. the improvements and renovations 10 LHS will Instead, the college is at the "early stages of get- WMC donations. lack of cooperation and coordination. During the meeting elections were held make the building a better one. ting funding" for the renovations ofLHS, said The program included a panel discus- for the Maryland Chapter of the AATG. The new building will provide more space, sion and a workshop. During the panel dis- Herman L. Smith, Jr., Leonard Town High better ventilation with fume hoods, and better Richard F. Seaman, vice president of institu- tional advancement. cussion professors and teachers from across School, was elected vice president and Kathy utilities including gas and electric, said Brown. The Campaign Cabinet and the Science Maryland shared experiences and offered Zepp-Imgpff Frederick County High School These changes will make Lewis better for the Center Committee, chaired by Dr. Lawrence suggestions to others dealing with the Ger- and Frederick Community College, was students and the professors. Blumberg, Class of '67, will be in charge of man'programs. The workshop enabled pro- elected treasurer. The president is Dr. Brown said he will miss the history of the raising gift support for the renovation, according fessors and teachers to brainstorm for ideas. Mohamed Esa, German professor from old building. "1 like the ambiance" of Lewis, to Seaman. Alumni and trustees will be asked to One person who probably benefited the WMC. he said. and the college will also invite most from this conference is Dorothy Louks, Ted Potthast, president of German So- The renovations will provide WMC with make donations corporations and foundations to make appropriate teacher at Glenelg High School. Glenelg will ciety of Maryland, and Michael Nieberding, better and safer facilities that are more appro- gifts for the center, said Seaman. not allow German to be taught in the middle chairman of youth programs of German So- priate for the type of work done today, said The college will have to pay about $8.5 school (8th grade) due to a lack of funding. ciety of Maryland, were also present and of- professor Smith. He said that the desks in the million in order to renovate LHS. Seaman said However, French and Spanish are taught in fered help and support for the building labs will be in a ''U'' shape to make teaching bridges program. easier. that raising this money is a "huge and exciting the middle school. undertaking." He added: "It's an ambitious Louks has offered to teach German for The conference was sponsored by Dr. Professor Rouzer said that the new build- free during her planning period but unfortu- Joan D. Coley, provost and dean of faculty, ing will mean a much improved science pro- project but I feel confident that we will be able to raise the entire amount." nately this goes against the union. She also Foreign Language Department, and AATG, gram and a safer building. It will allow stu- Seidel said that renovation of LHS is a can get free books and supplies for teaching Maryland Chapter. dent interaction during the teaching of the lab, definite project but the exact design is not defi- German from sponsors such as the Goethe The conference was the first of its kind she added. nite. He is not sure whether the building will Institute and Inter Nations. Even after all of and acts as a start. Dr. Esa commented "we The renovations will make the science pro- these attempts, the school will not work with should start with small things and expand gram more up to date, said professor Boner. have a traditional theme or a modem architec- her. a that." For an added advantage, he said, "it will force turallook.