THE GUILFORDIAN
Greensboro, NC
Science building plans finalized
♦The new 50,000 square foot science building is being designed "from the inside out."
BY PETER MORSHECK
Staff Writer
For many, the walk from Bauman to
the Danas and Fraziers is fraught with am
bivalence. The field of green grass where
a month ago there was only dirt is hearten
ing, a beautiful harbinger of spring. Heart
ening, that is, until one spots the sign which
states simply, "Science Building: Opening
January 2000."
Come May, this beautiful field will
become ugly once more, strewn with the
implements of man as he scurries to con
vert green grass into Guilford's newest
building, a premiere science facility which
will rocket this school into the 21* Century.
The new science facility is currently
in the final phase of the pre-design process,
which means preliminary specifications
have been sent out to the science faculty,
administration, architects, and engineers for
final approval. Current plans call for a three
story brick Georgian-style building with an
18,000 square foot perimeter, which trans
lates into over 50,000 square feet of usable
space.
The plans call for approximately nine
classrooms (designed for 25 or so), 12 to
F acuity
BY PHEOBE JEWETT
Staff VWter
On Wednesday, April 1, after two
years of planning, revising and debate,
the faculty finally approved the new cur
riculum. Academic dean Martha Cooley
sent out a campus-wide voice mail to stu
dents announcing the decision and fac
ulty breathed an almost audible sigh of
relief.
Whether or not they are delighted
with the new format, most people are de
lighted that the process is over.
For the faculty, the restructured cur
riculum means evaluating and revising
Ifearbook in danger of be
coming extinct if more stu
dents don't pitch in
News pg. 2
14 labs, and several seminar rooms (de
signed for 12 to 15 students). In addi
tion, there will be an amphitheater which
seats 150-180 people (more than twice
the size of Guilford's closest equivalent,
the Leak room).
The physics department is particu
larly excited about the donation of anew
observatory which will be on the roof.
Other planned areas mclude a shared
student lounge as well as a science li
brary/reading room, which may raise
awareness of crossover in the sciences
and facilitate more dialogue between stu
dents of different departments.
One of the facility's many innova
tions will be in its construction. Rather
than constructing an outer shell and then
deciding on how best to use the space
under its roof, science chairs were asked
what kind of facilities they needed. Their
individual spaces, or modules, will be put
together in the most efficient, cost-ef
fective way possible, as determined by
computer Only after these modules have
been fit together will the shape and size of
the outer walls and roof be determined.
In other words, the facility is being
designed from the inside out. Geology pro
approves
courses —examining them in light of new
requirements, developing new courses
and eliminating some of the old.
But what does the new curriculum
mean for students?
Although all students entering Guil
ford for the first time in the fall will uti
lize the new curriculum, current non
graduating students have the unique op
portunity to choose a curriculum with
which to finish their studies. The restric
tion is that they must follow either the
new or the old —in other words, no com
bining the two to form a personal cur
riculum.
When asked about the new curricu
An inside look at Guilford's
Community of Writers pro
gram
Features pg. 8
One fifth of the people are against everythi —Robert
Since 1914, but never quite like this
Construction forthe new building, in the empty area by Bauman, will begin in May
PHOTO BY SARAH GIVENS
fessor Charles Almy was particularly happy,
saying, "The lack of a general overall plan
is unusual, but by design."
Other perks of the design include flex
ibility of materials and increased efficiency
lum, most students admitted their igno
rance. Below is an outline of the new
format, designed to provide students with
the general concepts and requirements.
In theory, the new curriculum
"draws on Quaker and liberal arts tradi
tions to prepare students for a lifetime of
learning, work, and constructive action
dedicated to the betterment of the
world," by providing "student-centered
instruction, a values-rich education, criti
cal and creative thinking, a global per
spective, and work and service opportu
nities."
To achieve these ideals in practice,
the curriculum is divided into a five-tiered
Political correctness not al
ways the best way to encour
age discussion
Forum pg. 12
GuHford^neMt
Science Building
January 2000
new curriculum
of space.
With only $7.5 million budgeted on the
building itself, and another $l.O million on
new equipment, the college is determined
please see SCIENCE on pg. 2
system of interrelated elements: founda
tions, explorations, depth experience, con
centrations, and an interdisciplinary
capstone.
The first element, foundations, is de
signed just as it sounds, "to provide a plat
form for and to serve all of the areas of
study."
It consists of four courses, begin
ning with a semester-long First Year Ex
perience', or FYE, a revised version of
the current FYS.
The three remaining courses are:
College Reading and Writing: Many
Voices; Historical Perspective (paired
please see CURRICULUM on pg. 2
Today's lesson: a lacrosse
player explains the ins-and
outs of his sport
Sports pg. 16
April 10, 1998