FEATURE
A Flourishing Campus Thanks to healthy operational practices, the awarding of specialized grants, and the support of numerous donors, the E. Carroll Joyner Student Residence is only one of the many construction, renovation, and beautification projects the College has undertaken recently: •
As part of a “Preserve the Oaks” initiative, the grounds unfolding in front of Main Building have been beautifully reshaped with new flower beds, lamp posts, benches, and garden art, while the brick walkways central to campus have been re-laid in a manner that will allow our cherished oaks to continue to grow.
•
Three of the College’s seven residence halls have enjoyed major improvements in the past two years, ranging from new flooring and paint to refinished restrooms and upgraded air conditioning; additional enhancements to our student residences will continue over the next few years.
• Taft Academic Building has been re-carpeted; both Taft and The Norris Theatre have benefitted from new paint and various lighting upgrades. • Our athletes and coaches who call the Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center home were thrilled about the installation of an industrial HVAC system to Historic Holton Gymnasium this past summer. (Additionally, the Ruth Cooke Gardens that lead to the gym entrance will soon see new flowers as well as a new fountain and benches, and funds are currently being raised to replace 78 gym windows original to the circa-1950 building.) These changes come on the heels of major improvements made to the Taylor Center from 2011-2013, including a new roof, refinished floors, new bleachers, new paint, and new football coaches’ offices; the building was renamed in 2012 in honor of College Trustee and donor Roger Taylor ’68. Significant upgrades were also made to the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center from 2011-2013, including new roofing, new signage, and improvements to the Edith C. Lumpkin Community Gallery. The College is currently raising funds to replace the JPAC’s carpeting. All told, gifts, grants, and budgeted funds have enabled the College to invest $4,436,403 in capital improvements over the past four years.
Looking Ahead Plans for a new addition to Louisburg College’s athletic facilities have been drawn up, taking advantage of the campus’s “Old Coal Plant.”
Also built in the 1950s, the coal plant once served as the central source of heat generation for the College community. Now, the two-storied building will be repurposed as a much-needed student fitness center, with its architectural integrity and iconic smokestack silhouette preserved. A second phase to the project will entail a building expansion, providing space for a football locker room, football equipment storage, and an athletic laundry facility. Renovations to the Ray Hodges Fine Arts Complex—so named in 2013 to honor the support and artistic vision of the late College trustee—began in the summer of 2012, including new interior and exterior paint, and new ceilings and floors. The second phase will commence this summer when a 2,100-square-foot studio addition will be constructed to house ceramics and painting courses. The new space, which will open to students this coming fall, will echo the aesthetics of the original building with a cathedral ceiling and clerestory windows. Future plans to breathe new life into the complex include the renovation of the music wing, once again bringing both visual art and music under one roof, and the creation of a digital art and music lab. In an age when digital literacy comes second-nature to teenagers, “investment in this new lab will immediately benefit our admissions office,” notes Professor of Visual Art Will Hinton. “It will help interested students identify Louisburg College as a creative port from which they can start a college career.” Students can also be excited about numerous renovations to the Jordan Student Center slated for this summer. The Hurricane Zone (an à la carte grill) and The Eye (an enclosed area for enjoying meals and games) will be reinvented as part of the main dining area via a large, circular counter and seating space. The dining hall’s kitchen and serving area will also be restructured to function more like a food court with multiple stations. “I think this is a great opportunity for Louisburg,” comments freshman Stephon Jordan. “The grill and The Eye really need this remodeling, so I look forward to seeing the development and transformation.” The Multipurpose Room (or MPR, as it’s known around campus) will also be transformed when it’s converted to a campus living room of sorts where students can hang out, eat, watch movies, and more. “I’m pretty excited!” says Alex Johnson, also a freshman. “The MPR will be more lively than usual when the remodeling is done.” Duke Dining Center renovations will also extend to a newly designed Alumni Room, which will double as a quieter dining space for students when not in use for special events. These dining center upgrades, including all-new kitchen equipment, will be funded largely
The “Old Coal Plant” will be converted into a state-of-the-art fitness center.
“The great quality of our educational enterprise is being matched by the increasing greatness of our facilities, and we’re thankful to our alumni and friends for the growing investment that is making this possible.”
- President Mark La Branche
by investments from Chartwells, the College’s contracted food services company. Rounding out the College’s upcoming projects are extensive improvements to the Cecil W. Robbins Library. New and returning students can look forward to the construction of a “Corner Coffee Café” as early as this coming fall, featuring indoor seating as well as umbrella-adorned tables outside. Additionally, the Title III-funded Academic Success Center will be added onto the existing computer lab, furnished with advanced hardware and software that will facilitate both collaborative and individual research.
Library café concept
Growing Our Campus to Advance Our Mission With such an abundance of rejuvenating improvements, the Louisburg College campus has truly never looked—or functioned—better. “The preservation, restoration, and expansion of our historic campus is at the foundation of our mission as a two-year residential college,” notes College President Dr. Mark La Branche.
Further upgrades to Robbins Library will include a glassed-in study room on the second floor and new carpeting, as well as improvements to the distribution desk, elevators, restrooms, offices, and external building façade.
“The great quality of our educational enterprise is being matched by the increasing greatness of our facilities, and we’re thankful to our alumni and friends for the growing investment that is making this possible.”
These four projects to revitalize the Old Coal Plant/fitness center, Hodges Fine Arts Complex, student center, and library will cost the College an approximate total of $6,112,000 to complete. The investment will again come from a mix of budgeted funds, grants, and gifts.
To stay in the loop with the College’s future building projects, you can subscribe to our monthly “Hurricane Headlines” e-newsletter at www.louisburg.edu/emailsignup, and follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LouisburgCollege.
SPRING 2014 / COLUMNS
23