Summer construction abounds on campus

Brian Farkas News Editor

While Vassar students enjoyed their summers at home and abroad, teams of workers were busy making a number of improvements to the campus.

Residential buildings saw some of the most significant renovations. Noyes House received major improvements to its floors, bathrooms and elevators. The dormitory now includes updated kitchenettes as well as redesigned wardrobes. Student rooms have been rewired to accommodate more reliable telephone and data lines.

In Josselyn House, the floors in student rooms were also redone. According to Director of Residential Life Luis Inoa, the floors had not been properly refinished in over 100 years. The bathrooms look—and in two cases are—brand new, complete with black wooden doors and new tiling and plumbing.

Although the dorm was not completed in time for student leaders and house teams to move in on Aug. 22, Buildings and Grounds was able to finish its work by freshman move-in on Aug. 25.

The Terrace Apartments have received entirely new exteriors. The so-called “old TAs,” which remain unchanged on the inside, now look similar to the newer TAs on the outside, with new roofs, siding, and windows. The only interior change was new telephone and ethernet wiring in all of the student rooms.

“The exterior work on the older TAs gives the structures a more durable envelope and improved energy efficiency, as well as a nicer appearance complemented by the new landscaping,” said Andrew Bennett ’09, the chair of the Vassar Student Association (VSA) Special Committee on Dorm Renovations.

Bennett was very pleased with the work completed this summer: “These improvements were badly needed and an excellent use of capital expenditure. Every dollar spent was a dollar spent well,” he said.

These dormitory renovations are part of a larger residential life master plan. During the next decade, the Quad dorms will undergo full-scale internal and external renovations.

“Hopefully, partial renovations on Joss, Noyes, Cushing, and Main will also be included in Vassar’s capital plans,” said Bennett.

The Special Committee on Dormitory Renovations, created last spring by former VSA President Abel McDonnell ’07, represents the primary student voice in the residential building renovation process, expected to unfold over the next decade.

“I couldn’t be more pleased about the way the renovations have gone this summer,” said Dean of the College Judy Jackson.

“We try to do a little more each year to maintain the safety, comfort, and beauty of the residence halls,” said Bennett of the College’s overall plans.

Josselyn House resident Jackie Down ’09 was very pleased with the updates to her dormitory. “I was really impressed with all of the construction. The new bathrooms are much cleaner and brighter. Hopefully students will see how beautiful they are and do a better job of maintaining them. Noyes House resident Jessica Harrison ’09 was also more comfortable this year. “The Jetson Lounge was recarpeted, and the new furniture is very comfortable,” she said. “The new kitchennettes are also cleaner and feel more spacious.

One of the largest improvements to residential life at Vassar—the entire renovation of Davison House—is still to come in summer 2008. Among the topics discussed by the committee is the need for “swing space,” temporary housing for the students displaced during the construction in an effort to avoid overcrowding existing dorms.

Unfortunately, a moratorium on building in the town of Poughkeepsie could delay additional housing to the point that it would not be ready in time for Davison to go offline.

The incomplete construction of brand new Quad-side staircases to the Strong, Raymond, Davison and Lathrop Houses is a lingering reminder of the summerrenovations. These staircases will not be completed, however, until mid-October.

Bennett believes that many of the gains from these initial renovations have been intangible. “I think the College has learned a lot from the work done over the summer that will prove invaluable as we look to the Davison House renovation and capital projects beyond,” said Bennett. “I, for one, am thrilled to see what the future will hold for Vassar College and its beautiful but aging residence halls.”

Renovations to Matthew’s Mug, though much smaller, will enhance student social life at Vassar.

According to Executive Director of Campus Activities Teresa Quinn, “The primary goal was to enhance and improve the space for Mug activities and programs.” Quinn chaired the Mug Renovations Committee, which has worked since last fall to plan and oversee the project.

The renovations were financed by a gift from the Class of 2006, which raised $9,304 for the project. This sum was augmented by a gift from the Vassar Club of Portland, and by standard capital project funds for continuing campus renewal.

Last year, when a student bartender served alcohol to an underage student, Vassar was cited for violations of the Federal/State Alcohol Board regulations. Although authorities did not arrest the student bartender, the College was fined and is under watch for further violations.

Discussions with food supplier Aramark began about the possibility of taking over the College’s liquor license. “We decided that to have professional bartenders handling the alcohol served in the Mug is in the best interest both of the College and of the students who had been bartenders,” said Dean of the College Judy Jackson. “After some discussion with Aramark, we decided to transfer the liquor license to them. When the Mug reopens, there will be no more student bartenders. With the Mug under professional management in handling alcohol, it is quite likely that hard liquor will be made available.”

The final decision regarding hard liquor will come when it is discussed by the Committee on College Life.

When the Mug reopens, it will sport an improved bar, new lighting and furniture, and a new DJ area in a different location in the room.

Not all of the changes to the Mug will be physical, however. “The Committee also considered ideas for expanding the use of the Mug beyond the nightly bar activity,” said Quinn. When not being used for “Mug Nights,” there will be other activities scheduled there.

“Previously, the Mug was under-utilized during the day, and we hope that once the renovations are done, students will want to use the space for other activities,” Jackson said.

The space will be an additional programming venue for Vassar Student Association (VSA) Organizations . “All this while ensuring the nightly bar service continues to function in an enhanced environment,” said Quinn.

Although Jackson and Quinn could not give an exact date for the Mug’s reopening, they expected that it would be operational before the end of the month.