The Aquilian December 2014 Volume 77, Number 3
Gonzaga College High School Men For Others Since 1821
19 Eye St, NW Washington, DC 20001
Photo by: Nik Lazaroae ‘17
Gonzaga’s Biggest Dig By: Liam Burke ‘16 Contributor A few years back, Gonzaga used to own the K Street parking lot, but the District of Columbia government claimed eminent domain and thus Gonzaga was forced to sell it back to them. For the past few years Gonzaga has been leasing the lot, but that lease will run out at the end of this academic year and cannot be renewed. Gonzaga’s President, Father Stephen Planning, SJ, along with the Gonzaga Board of Trustees, have created a solution to the loss of the parking lot: an underground parking lot to be constructed under the green turf of Buchanan Field. Had Gonzaga not embarked on this ambitious project, and constructed this new lot, the parking spaces available to students, faculty, and staff would have dropped tremendously from the origi-
New Music in the Flannery Center, p. 2
nal number of 265 available spaces. With this new installation we can see parking space availability easily bounce up to 300, a 35 space net gain. The contractors, Coakley and Williams, hope to get the bottom level of the garage completed before the winter, and as of right now they are still on track for that goal. Final completion of the project, however, will not be until the beginning of July Gonzaga athletes have a true struggle this year with some of their commutes, on many days the back and forth trip to the practice field can amount to more than a one hour round-trip. These players are sacrificing a lot between long practices and the amount of school work given, and Father Planning would like to thank them for that. In addition to a new underground parking garage, the new renovations will
beautify Eye Street and make parking and game days much more enjoyable. In a recent interview with The Aquilian, Father Planning mentioned that his favorite part about the new renovations will be the Eye Street enhancements. He stated, “What Eye Street will look like when done is my favorite part.” If you haven’t yet had a chance to view the architectural rendering of the new Eye Street space, just stand in front of the big TV in the upper commons for a few minutes. Students also have made some sacrifices this year. A great deal of the parking usually done on the tennis courts and on K Street has been shifted to an auxiliary lot and the K Street lot. Teachers and staff parking on the portion of the tennis courts unused by the construction crews have also been sacrificing their fair share. These days those folks have been taking the long walk around Wal-Mart
or down North Capitol Street in order to enter campus. But the students, faculty and staff know that the construction crews are hard at work each day and know it is worth it the end. The athletic field renovations have left some disappointed, others confused, but most are excited for this beautiful new installment here at Gonzaga. It is difficult to play home football games off-site. But Coolidge High School has a great field and have been good hosts. The Gonzaga Fathers Club has also been very helpful on game days directing traffic and helping with parking and crowd management. For freshmen the development is more interesting. While many had a chance to see the old Eye Street and Buchanan Field when they made their Eagle for a Day visit, they had never heard the thunderous cheers from the student section or seen
Red Cloud, p.4
Justice - Part II, p.5
Halloween in December, p.8
the stadium packed wall to wall for the Jesuit Gridiron Classic. The seniors also feel the renovation’s burdens, but they know it is worth it. Because we have no home games this year, the seniors have made it their number one priority to show that the Eagles still mean business and will make any field our stomping ground. A Senior Booster Club member believes that it will require extra effort, but the Booster Club will bring the ruckus away from home as well. Sacrifices have to be made this year, but it is worth it in the long run for our commutes, sporting events, and Gonzaga as a whole. Thanks to all the members of the Gonzaga community for helping to make this project possible. Especially to the donors who helped to raise the money necessary to bring Eye Street and Gonzaga further into the twenty-first century.