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Show The Tfuuufer6irtf Monday, September 26, 1983 Page 3 New Events Center nears construction Approval expected by Christmas by Kalhe Parkinson Construction for SUSCs $7 5 million Special Events Center is expected to begin in early January, according to Mike Richards, assistant to the president Construction approval is anticipated as the college begins Christmas break, enabling construction to begin in early January or February. Last week engineers were on the site to .inalize plans, and blueprints have been returned to the architects for completion. That process will take an estimated two months at which time bidding will take place. Bidding usually requires 30 days, said Richards. He said that funding for the center has been met. Blueprints are being finalized for SUSCs 5,000 seat Special Events Center. Construction expected to begin in early 1984- is - According to Richards, the $1 8 million in private funds were accumulated in a period of 10 months, achieving a record amount of donations in any given year for SUSC. Richards said that efforts to raise revenues will continue to provide for extra amenities. Seats are still available for prices of $250 and $1,000. Original plans called for three buildings the center itself, a classroom building and a heating plant. Plans were redrawn to incorporate the classroom building into the Special Events Center The Special Events Center will house a basketball court. Located beneath the concourse will be dressing rooms for home teams, visiting teams and guests of the college. After a great deal of wrangling, final plans for the $7.5 million facility are now in the works. In March of this year, the Legislature approved funds for the center and two other buildings for SUSC. State funds equaled $5.7 million, with $1.8 million m private donations, making a total of $7.5 million. Concession areas, restrooms, sound and lighting booths, and trophy cases will be located on the concourse. Richards said the facility will be able to seat 5,000 people in chairback seats. "The chairback seats will be nice and they were quite expensive, he said. For concerts and other events, areas of the arena can be curtained off. g Seven classrooms with a total capacity of 375 are planned, as are conference rooms, faculty studios and a statistics computer lab. Also housed in the center will be an art museum and display area with studios for painting, ceramics, and sculpture. A darkroom for photography will c placed between this art department and the graphics department, enabling it to serve both areas. Contained in the graphics department will be communications labs, extensive equipment and a television lab, with room for expansion. Landscaping will be highlighted by lines of trees extending across the campus toward Old Mam. New parking lots are planned and the college is trying to acquire adjacent properties for further landscaping and more parking. The Special Events Center will replace the War Memorial Fieldhouse, which has been the object of complaints because of its limited seating and poor x 1 facilities. Richards also said that the center will be available to the public for workshops and continuing education, as well as conventions and conferences. Scarlet, white, royal blue adopted as colors by Cal Rollins For the sixth time in SUSCs 85 year history, the college has changed school colors. By unanimous vote of the colleges Institutional Council m early September, scarlet, royal blue and white replaced the Columbia blue, orange and white the school had used only three years Steps were initiated to make the change after SUSC President Gerald R. Sherratt received word from Mark Wade, ASSUSC president, that student body sentiment seemed to favor a change in the colors. Wades Aug. 18 letter led to the appointment of a committee to investigate the possible advantages and disadvantages of changing the colors. Following a month of research, reasoning and controversy, the committee presented its findings to the Institutional Council, along with a heavy recommendation for the change to take place All members of the council who voted approved the change. One member chose to abstain from voting SUSC adopted its first school colors, red and w'hite, in 1897, when the college was known as Branch Normal School. In 1913, the school was transferred to Utah State University, and colors were changed to azure blue and white, in order to match those of Utah State. When USU later changed colors to navy blue and white, SUSC (then called Branch Agricultural College) followed suit. SUSC achieved independent status in 1965, and the school immediately changed colors from navy blue and white to turquoise and coral. In 1980, the colors changed to Columbia blue and white, with orange trim. The scarlet, royal blue and white make the sixth set of colors the school has had Some people have liked the color changes over the years. Others have not basketball coach, Boyd Adams, former wei-aga- in remembers when the school opted for turquoise and coral in 1965. When we changed the name from the Broncos to the Thunderbirds, says Adams. We also changed colors. I think it kind of classed it up a bit. I thought that other than the color itself being difficult to purchase, I thought it kind of classed up the campus a little bit. LuAnn Briggs, president of the SUSC staff association, said she felt differently. I have been in favor of changing the school colors for some time, she said. I attended school here under the present colors, but never have liked the uniforms The people who participated in athletics, the cheerleaders... 1 never have liked their uniforms. head football coach, Don Conrad, current 1 The new colors are expected to add new vibrancy in many applications . wore one of rhe uniforms Briggs spoke of when he played football for SUSC between 1969 and 1973. It was terrible, he said. We never had uniforms that looked very good because you had to special order every little thing. And to have the kind of money to get the really quality stuff, youre talking some big money for uniforms. We always had stuff of different colors. Cons'derable controversy has surrounded the school colors over the past year In preparation of a marketing plan for the college last -- ar, publications pe'sonnel and trcditionalists met head on with regard to a proposed change in the colors. Those designing the school publications did not feel that the current colois were appropriate to pnject rhe image of a robust, expanding institution Those who sought a mere vibrant look elected to use red as the dominant color in the brochures, arguing was too passive. The publications, complete with their vibrant red, were Ive had such great positive feedback about the quality of material in recruiting, Conrad said His enthusiasm for the more attractive publications is shared by Briggs. I attended a conference last year with the registrars office and the admissions office, she said. At the time, they were critiquing all the information that was circulated by all the schools in Utah. SUSC was the only school in the state that didnt get ripped apart. I thought our school colors needed to coordinate with the type of information that we're sending out. Wade attempted to sponsor a move to change the colors soon after taking office last spring, but was met with fierce opposition When change sentiments died down during the summer, Wade again suggested to Sherratt that the colors be changed. Sherratt responded by appointing the committee that later recommended the change to the institutional council. The students wanted to make sure they had some say in this thing if it was ever considered again, said Mike Richards, assistant to Sherratt. So the conclusion we drew when we got the letter from Mark Wade was that they had talked about it. ..Mark was reporting their wishes to the administration. Conrad said he thought the change was timely. Right now the college seems to be in a transitional period, he said. As we donned this nbw era, I felt it would be a good time to change the colors and get into something that is a little more dynamic Many people on campus expect to see some unrest once word of the change is made public. The change will be made known to most everyone on campus in the first edition of the student paper, Richards said. Ive sent news releases to all the state papers and they havent been printed. that the schools Columbia blue anti-col- |