12 The Compass Friday, October 10, 1997
Fine Arts Building to be completed fall, ‘98
by Chenay Beamon
The University's long awaited new
Fine Arts Building will be completed
in October, 1998.
The 61,400 square foot building, to
be constructed on Weeksville Highway,
will provide students of art, music, and
drama with "a state-of-the art educa
tion," according to Chancellor Mickey
L. Bumim.
"Our new Fine Arts Building will be
a wonderful addition to the campus,"
said Bumim. "It will be the centerpiece
in the reorientation of the front of the
campus towards Weeksville Highway,
and it will provide a wonderful facility
for our fine arts students to study, prac
tice and perform."
A $3 million allocation from the NC
General Assembly provided the neces
sary money for the building's
completion, said Bumim.
In 1993 voters approved $6.4 million
for the new building in a bond referen
dum; however, due to rising construc-
tionon costs, the University was un
able to construct the building as
originally designed.
In September of 1995, then interim
Chancellor Mickey Bumim met with
N.C. State Seriator Marc Basnight and
State Representative William
Culpepper and William Owens to dis
cuss how the General Assembly could
assist the university.
Burnim attributed the legislative
windfall to support from those repre
sentatives.
The building will be constmcted in
two phases, said Burnim. The first
phase will not include the plarmed
1000-seat auditorium or the 700-seat
amphitheater, said Bumim.
Ground breaking for the auditorium
and amphitheater will take place "af
ter the arts center is built," he said.
Bumim said the new Fine Arts build
ing will provide a "state-of-the-art cen
ter" for teachers of the arts. It will have
improved facilities for art, drama, and
music. Current facilities in these areas
are "out of date," he said.
Since the auditorium and the amphi
theater were funded by the state it will
be used "to serve citizens of the state"
according to Chancellor Bumim. The
primary purpose for the building will
be for education but all "facilities for
performances can benefit students and
the community."
The next step in ECSU's agenda for
capital improvements will include a
new Academic Computing Center, ex-
parwion of the Vaughn Center, and a
new commuter student parking lot.
The new Academic Computing Cen
ter will be built near the Fine Arts Build
ing. Originally the University planned
to expand the 5,000 foot E.V. Wilkins
Academic Computing Building; how
ever, space limitations forced officials
to change their plans.
According to Chancellor Bumim, the
new 25,000 square foot Computing
Center will have state-of-the-art facili
ties for student use and electronic class
rooms. It will also combine the aca
demic computing center with computer
operations.
Ground breaking will begin "before
the end of the school year," said
Bumim. Work on the Vaughan Center
expansion will begin before January,
1998, he added.
In response to the students' concern
about the overcrowded weight room,
the expansion will include an exercise
physiology and wellness center,
Bumim said.
Another capital improvement project
already in process will be a new park
ing lot behind C.W. Griffin Education
and Psychology Building and
McLendon Hall. The new lot will pro
vide parking for students with classes
on that side of the University.
News Briefs
By Frances Hughes and Kim Hines
ECSU's homecoming activities will
begin Friday, Oct. 10, at 9:00 p.m. with
the Miss Alumni Coronation, in
rooml07 in the K.E. White Center
An ice breaker will follow the coro
nation at 10:00 p.m., featuring music
by "The Music Man" and "The
FunkMaster."
The festivities continue Saturday
Oct. 11, with a parade scheduled for
10:00 a.m.
At 1:30 p.m. a pre-game show in
Roebuck Stadium serves as a fan warm
up for the ECSU vs. Bowie State foot
ball game slated for 2:00 p.m.
Effective Oct. 1, 1997 the G.R. Little
Library began operating under an ex
tended schedule, according to a news
release from the Chancellor's Office.
Monday through Thursday the Li
brary will be open from 7:40 a.m.-ll:15
p.m.; Friday, from 7:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.;
Saturday, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.;
and Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00
p.m.
The Academic Computing Center
will be open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00
midnight Monday through Thursday;
from 8:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. Friday;
from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p. m. on Sat
urday, and on Sunday from 4:00 p.m.
until 12:00 midnight.
Also effective Oct. 1, Offices of the
Registrar, Financial Aid and the Uni
versity Cashier will be open vmtil 6:00
p.m. on the first Wednesday of each
month. These offices will be open until
6:00 p.m. on Nov. 5, Dec. 3, Jan. 7, Feb.
4, March 4, April 1, and May 6.
In addition to the extended day
schedule, offices of the Registrar and
Financial Aid are open from 8:00 a.m.
imtil 5:00 p.m. weekdays. The Cashier's
Office will be open from 8:30 a.m. until
4:00 p.m., daily.
The University extended hours for
these facilities and offices following the
results of a student survey which "in
dicated students desired extended
everung and weekend hours," accord
ing to the news release.
Juruor Honors Program members,
Chenay Beamon and Jarred Turner,
traveled to England as part of a two-
week English Literature and Life course
on August 9-23.
The course gives students an oppor
tunity to explore English culture while
also teaching them about the roots of
English Literature.
Edinboro University of Pennsylva
nia invited 40 students from across the
nation to join them in a two-week stay
at Exeter College in Oxford, England.
Exeter College is one of 35 constitu
ent colleges of the University of Ox
ford.
While in England, Beamon and
Turner traveled to London, Bath,
Stratford-upon-Avon, and Stonehenge.
The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, Inc. have donated their time
throughout the week to the students at
the H.L. Trigg Alternative School and
to a "soup kitchen" to help feed the
needy. They participated in both the
Health Fair and the grand opening of
the Wellness Center in the Infirmary
on September 11,1997. On September
25,1997, the sorority conducted a "Self-
Defense and Health" fomm. They are
working with a group of ladies at
Northeastem High School known as
the Ivy Academy.
The blue and white ladies of Zeta
Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. participated in
"Clean Sweep 97" on September 20th,
along with the brothers of Phi Beta
Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the men of
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and
the women of Delta Sigma Theta So
rority, Inc. The Zeta's also conducted a
"Safe Sex" fomm on September 30,
1997.
In addition to their participation in
"Clean Sweep 97," the gentlemen of
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. spon
sored a charity raffle and donated 50%
of the proceeds to P.W. Moore Elemen
tary School.
The gentlemen of Kappa Alpha Psi
Fraternity, Inc. have kept busy with
the students at the H.L. Trigg Alterna
tive School, where they donate their
time three days a week. They have
also become "Big Brothers" to a group
of Northeastem High School students
known as the Kappa League and con
tinue to work with the "Adopt-a-High-
way" program.
TTie women of Delta Sigma Theta
Sorority, Inc. donate an hour every
Thursday to "Meals on Wheels" and
"Project Sunshine", where they are
mentors to elementary school females.
They are also involved in a program
called "Habitat for Humanity." Once a
month, they participate in "Project
Generation," a program in which they
provide entertainment for the residents
of Guardian Care.
The brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha Fra
ternity, Inc. have donated their time to
a tutorial program at a local elemen
tary school and are involved in a pro
gram called "20-20 Vision" a tutorir^
and mentoring for at risk youth. They
are also involved in "Meals on Wheels."
The women of Sigma Gamma Rho
Sorority, Inc. have adopted a class at
P.W. Moore Elementary School where
they visit once a week.
Monica Rascoe, a 1997 Business Edu
cation alumna, received a 1997 Award
of Merit from the National Business
Education Association. The award is
given to the outstanding senior busi
ness education graduates. Rascoe will
also receive a one-year professional
membership in NBEA, which includes
a subscription to Business Education
Fomm, Keying In and a copy of the
1998 NBEA Yearbook.
Rascoe is currently a business edu
cation teacher at John Yeates Middle
School in Suffolk, VA.
Pianist Kevin Sharpe will launch
ECSU's 1997-98 Lyceum series at 8 p.m.
on Oct. 20 in Moore Hall. Sharpe's mu
sical career began when he was cast in
the Off-Broadway production of Lost
in the Stars. He has also toured with
Ehike Ellington.
His piano studies began at the age of
12. After high school, Sharpe received
his Bachelor of Music degree from
Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and
his Masters and Doctorate degrees in
piano performance from Indiana Uni
versity.
Currently, Sharpe is Associate Pro
fessor of Piano and Chamber Music at
the University of Florida. During his
career, he has performed throughout
the United States, Mexico, Iceland and
Finland.'