This weekend is homecoming and the new president's inaguration. Many of you will be back... if not here's a quick tour of the New Student Center VIA some pixs I took for you this afternoon (Sunday). Jess Schmerse asked for pix of the new student center--so here goes:
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Here is a view of the "finished" Student Center from the exit doors of PPAC... it dominates (the former) Nebraska Street. That swooping glass to the left is the ceiling of the Piazza (see interior pic in part 2). Now we have three great buildings facing a "new quadrangle" with a possible fouth on the way:
1) Wellness & Rec;
2) Student center;
3) PPAC and
4?) New chapel (maybe planted somewhere where Center school now is?).
[I think the four-fold plan is based on the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Or at least Luke 2:52? ]
IWU now owns Nebraska street and it is closed to auto traffic. You can see the "redevelopment plan" soon to occur on the sign here:
"The mall" inside has doubled in length and extends all the way to Nebraska Street/PPAC--which is far out of sight in this picture (taken from MConn) Everything is now "off the mall" even a new Art Galery (black sign to right) including the new entrance to Baldwin and all the alternative eating areas and shops.... the general idea of the new student center seems to be --"have lots more "venues" and less giant open spaces--more places to chat, relax and snuggle. " Even the uptairs section of the enw addition (Dean of Cjapel, Life Calling & records office) has little chat-spoits all over the place which provides an enviroment conducive to mentoring.
In the actual Baldwin Dining room there area whole bunch of classy new serving lines going in (still). The renonovation isn't done yet and the dishwasher isn't even hooked up --so we're still eating on paper plates as of October 1. (Oh yes--what you see in the foreground is true... cool huh?... we're working on the "Freshman fifty" now ;-)
Tucked all over in the old "Baldwin" are tiny venues and snuggle places for people to gather and talk quietly. If you liked the old "Applebees venue" you'll love the new Baldwin. The large open "prison-like eating area" is gone almost.. the open spaces may actually be smaller than it used to be.
Go to part II for the rest of the pix
3 comments:
Thanks Coach. Now I won't look like a loser when my high school students go off to check out IWU and I have no idea what they're talking about. Fabulous updates!
Hey, how are the Barth readings/discussions going?
I suppose when you give money to IWU you at least see what it goes too. I know that my chump change Alumni bucks don't really buy the building (it's the millionaires the buildings are named after that really buy them)... BUT, when I see these pictures it makes me feel like this: IWU IS A GOOD INVESTMENT!
A funny feeling.
It also makes me feel like this:
I AM GETTING OLD!
(I used to clean the carpets in the original Baldwin food center way back when before the FIRST student-center/Baldwin merger!)
PK, Dave,
Thanks for stoppin by Paul--you always do! Barth reading group is OK... for two weeks half the group didn;t do their readings so we canceled... professors don't do their homework any better than students ;-)
Dave,you are right... you are getting old when you remember Williams hall and actually lived in Teter!
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