16 The Compass Wednesday, October26. 1994
Looking suave and debonair as the Harmier Nmself, SGA’s officers are introduced during Coronation night, 94. The officers are from left: Tank Scott, Presideit: Acquita Robinson;
Treasurer; Keisha Kent, Corresponding Secretary; Nakeisha Sylver, Attorney General, and Warshella Turner, Recording Secretary. Tesha Jones, Vice President, te not pictured.
Students move into Butler Hall;
$2.5 million renovation completed
By Gloria Alexander
The $25 million rerwvation of Butler
Hall is finally complete and Butler Hall is
readyforoccupancy.Thatdiouldbegood
news to the approximately 28 ECSU stu
dents who have been housed in local
motels until the renovation was com
pleted.
Although Butler Hall was originally
scheduled to be ready for fall, 1994 occu-
p>ancy, the renovation has been slowed
by bad weather, the need to remove as-
b«tos from the walls, and a slow pace of
work, according to Roger McLean, Vice
Chancellor for Business and Fiscal Af
fairs.
The contractors worked at a pace that
went beyond the agreement of Aeir con
tract, according to McLean.
"We were not happy writh the overall
performance of the contractor, relative to
getting the job completed," he said.
"Workmanship appeared to be good but
thedeadline for completion was notnr^et"
McLean said he and other officials feel
"very bad" about the resulting inconve
nience to the students who have been
living inlocal motels asaresult of Butler's
not being ready for them. .
"We would like for the male students
to move on campus to be closer to their
classes," said McLean. "I know it is diffi
cult because of this inconvenience to
them."
Sonoe of the young men who ha ve been
staying in motels are upset because of the
delay in construction.
"How do they expect us to get to class
on time when we are across town?" said
one ECSU senior who has been living in
Holiday Inn. Ronnie Edmundson, super
visor for the renovation project, declined
to comment on the pace of work.
Jerry Hooker, the supervisor for paint
ing of Butler Hall, said there were prob
lems getting the inside of Butler Hall
painted.
'Trying to put the finishing coat inside
is a difficult tadc because of the nwiy
contract workers completing their jobs,"
Hooker said. "It gets pretty tiresome try
ing to put a finishing coat on walls with so
many people around."
The weather also helped delay the
completion of the painting, said Hooker.
"Whenif s wet the walls don't dry very
well," Hooker said. "I believe that wre
still did a good job with all of the strikes
against us."
McLean said Butler Hall is designed
for two students per room; however the
new section is divided into suites that can
house four students, if necessary. Each
room in the suites vsill have two closets, a
sprinkling system and a fire alarm. Al
though the new section will have one
bathroomper suite, there will only beone
large batlffoom on each floor of the old
'‘How do they expect us
to get to class on time when we
are across town?"
ECSU Senior
section of Butler. The building will also
have three wheelchair ramps for handi
capped students, an elevator, and a bath
room and a kitchenette across from the
lounge for female visitors.
"We hope that the young men will do
a good job keeping the building clean,"
said McLean. "I would like to extend my
gratitude to the custodians who clean up
day by day and I think that our students
shouldappreciatetheeffortsofthesemen
and women who keepour campusdean."
The University spent about $6,000 to
house the students in motels, McLean
said. He added that the Uruversity is
negotiating with the contractors because
of the delay.
Last Feburary, the renovation of Butler
Hall came to a halt after a foreman found
nrvaterial in the walls that he suspected to
be asbestos. Afterthe material was tested,
supervisor Ronnie Edmundson con
firmed the substance was adjestos. Pro
longed exposure to asbestos particles in
the air causes cancer and asljestosis, a
chronic lung inflamation. Butler Hall is
now free of asbestos and the students can
feel safe knowing that they will not be
exposed to the harmful substance, said
McLean.
"Asbestos removal has cost this uni-
veraty one million dollars over a ten-
yeatf period," McLean said. "Chancellor
Jenkins deserves most of all the credit for
the renovation of Butler Hall."