Monday, Aug. 22, 2016 | Volume 212 | Number 1 | 40 cents | iowastatedaily.com | An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890. Katy Klopfenstein/ Iowa State Daily
Max Goldberg/Iowa State Daily
ISU President Steven Leath discusses plans for the future, athletics and policies on campus with Iowa State Daily reporters and editors Wednesday.
ISU President Steven Leath welcomes incoming freshmen during a speech Thursday night at Hilton Coliseum during Destination Iowa State. The annual program helps students transition to college.
A CULTURE RICH IN TRADITION
Towers becoming a ‘destination location?’
President Leath addresses student housing needs
By Jake.Dalbey @iowastatedaily.com While meeting with the Iowa State Daily on Wednesday, President Steven Leath spoke on the issue of student housing and the evergrowing need for new living spaces. Given the record enrollment expected for the fall semester, combined with a lack of space for new living areas, finding adequate housing options for students has been a challenge. “As everyone knows, we’ve grown incredibly rapidly over the past five years and it’s been a struggle to keep up,” Leath said. “We’ve grown 40 percent in 10 years, but request for our housing grew 60 percent. So the demand for housing is different than what we expected, as we expected it to track student growth.” To alleviate pressures, Leath proposed several options for new housing, including a revamp of the Wallace-Wilson Towers. “We are thinking about changing the towers from an ‘Oh, I have to live in the towers,’ to a destination location,” Leath said. Both Knapp and Storms halls were demolished in 2003, leaving only Wallace and Wilson. The four towers were originally built in the late 1960s. Approved for destruction in 1998 due to insufficient wiring, cracked foundation and a need for new windows, both towers served students for nearly 40 years. Leath coined the plans as a “comprehensive overhaul,” which plans to possibly include a new dining center, residence hall and fitness facility given the close proximity to the nearby intramural sports fields. “I think you will see a move toward an expansion of new facilities and this [Wallace/ Wilson] would be a likely spot,” Leath said. ”This would make for a very nice community.” While the plans are still being finalized, Director of Residence Peter Englin said an architectural firm has been declared to create conceptual designs for the proposed idea and space. However, no discussion between the Department of Residence and the firm has taken place.
Emily Blobaum/Iowa State Daily
Top left: Cyclone Martial Arts Club members show off some of their skills to incoming students Thursday at Destination Iowa State. Bottom Left: ISU Police Officer Anthony Greiter simulates arresting a freshman student Thursday at Destination Iowa State. Right: Jacob Park is hit by a young fan during Cyclone Fan Fest on Sunday.
ISU participants of primary formal recruitment wait to open their bids Thursday on Central Campus.
Upgrades, efficiency keep ISU up to date By Jenna.Hrdlicka @iowastatedaily.com Provost Jonathan Wickert sat down with the Iowa State Daily on Friday afternoon to discuss goals, initiatives and recent news from the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. One of the topics discussed was recent and future classroom renovations on campus. In order to accommodate continued growth in student enrollment, his office has taken a series of steps to improve classrooms on campus. The first step was to use the full capacity of current spaces, using them as responsibly and efficiently as possible, Wickert said. He and his office use data to look at how classrooms are being used throughout the course of the day, focusing on both the instructional periods of the day and time outside of those periods, such as in the evenings when the classrooms are often used for
study groups, clubs and lectures. Being conscious about space usage has allowed the school to become more efficient over the last eight years. “We are [now] using our existing classrooms about as efficiently as we can,” Wickert said. The second step was to be systematic about renovating and improving current classrooms. About two years ago, an initiative was implemented on campus called the “Classroom Improvement Initiative.” To start this initiative, an external architect graded all 214 of the centrallycontrolled classrooms on campus based on the quality of the space, the ventilation, the technology, the seating, etc., and gave advice on how to use the spaces better. “We looked at all those classrooms and prioritized some projects, so every year we’re going to work on the highest priority projects and improve the quality of these classrooms,” Wickert said. An example of one of these major renovations is Marston
Emily Blobaum/Iowa State Daily
Open forums for LGBTQA+ canidates conclude By ISD Staff
Max Goldberg/Iowa State Dail
ISU Provost Jonathan Wickert speaks Friday to Iowa State Daily reporters and editors about improving classrooms through renovations and efficiency.
Hall, home of the College of Engineering. This summer, the 110-year-old building named after Anson Marston, the first dean of the College of Engineering, went through a complete renovation process. The building is rich in ISU history, but its outdated infrastructure had started causing tangible facility issues, and the overall design of the building was not meeting the needs of students with student growth and changes in technology. “[We said], lets keep the historic part of the building, which is wonderful. We want to keep
Four individuals were named in the search for a new project director of LGBTQA+ affairs at Iowa State on Aug. 4. The finalists include:
DAVID GREEN JR. PAUL HENGESTEG DANIEL HOFFMAN-ZINNEL NICCI PORT
that feel, but we want to update it,” Wickert said. During the renovation process, construction crews completely gutted the entire inside of the building, and removed all of the walls on the inside of the building to put in two new elevators, move the stairwells, etc. “Saying renovation is almost not doing the project full credit,” Wickert said. The new design highlights improved offices, added classroom capacity, increased technology capabilities and more.
The position is new within the Office of Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion and “will provide, develop and facilitate education, outreach and other support functions to students, faculty and staff, with special emphasis on the LGBTQA+ community and other targeted underrepresented populations,” according to Iowa State. Here’s a recap of all of the
WICKERT p4
FORUMS p8