Ripon College Days

With the coming of spring, students do not only have warmer weather and the end of classes to look forward to. The various construction sites around campus will soon result in a new look to match the new season.

The first project to reach completion will be the creation of the new bookstore and Starbucks in the lower level of the commons. According to Mark Fitzwater, maintenance manager of the Physical Plant Department, the project is on track toward completion at the end of April.

"I'm happy with the progress of the bookstore," says Fitzwater. "We're progressing as expected."

From his makeshift office near the construction zone, Fitzwater outlines the latest stage of the project. "We removed the wall and ceiling, and the handicap ramp in the bookstore is well underway," he says.

Fitzwater explains that the next phase will be "beautifying" the interior of the bookstore. "By the end of April we hope to be moved in and functioning," he says.

The new bookstore will offer many benefits to customers. "The new bookstore will be more modern and better lit," says Ripon College President David Joyce. "[The project also] increases the square footage by fifteen percent," he adds.

To go along with its new look, the bookstore will unveil updated logos and athletic wear, says Joyce.

Besides an increased inventory, visitors to the bookstore can look forward to the convenience of the new location. "[The new location] just fits the traffic flow," Fitzwater points out. "This will increase the store's service to the student body, which will be financially beneficial," he says.

The employees of Sodexho Food Service are already enjoying a newfound convenience. According to Food Service General Manager Sarjit Singh, the temporary location of Grab and Go has proved more feasible than the old one.

"Down there [in the old location] Chris was in no man's land," says Singh. "This way, the deli line is right next door. If we run out of anything, we can quickly make up what you want."

"We tried to look at every area and ask, how will it work here?" Singh continues. "Time will tell where we can have the best location."

Although the Grab and Go transition was, in Singh's opinion, "seamless", the Food Service did experience a brief inconvenience caused by the construction crew's power tools.

"[The tools] would throw our equipment offline," says Singh, referring to the register used to swipe cards. "It was a couple days of craziness, but now it's very minor."

Singh is not concerned about a competition between Starbucks and the commons, except for perhaps over breakfast, which he points out is not busy as it is. "This is an added product. You're not going to go get Starbucks coffee instead of dinner," he says.

While the end is in sight for Starbucks and the bookstore, the Evans Welcome Center still has a way to go.

"[The welcome center] is behind schedule," says Joyce. "It looks like it will be open sometime in the summer, [but] that's okay."

When the welcome center opens, it will boast a facelift on the inside as well as the exterior. With the administrative offices upstairs, the first floor will be a cozy place to welcome guests.

"The welcome center will be updated but still have a sense of the history of the college," says Joyce. He describes the combination of red oriental carpet, period furniture and a plasma-screen TV as "a blending of modern with history."

According to Joyce, the main benefit of the Evans Welcome Center will be the creation of a central location on campus for the benefit of guests. "We don't have a clearly defined 'front door'," says Joyce. "The first impression of the campus is often a parking lot."

Guests to the campus will not only enjoy the new welcome center, but a renovated Great Hall as well. The hall will be receiving new hardwood flooring, furniture and a climate control system.

Joyce says that the air-conditioning will allow the facility to be used to a greater extent year-round. "It should be kind of a hub for activity on campus," he says.

Fitzwater points out that the climate control as well as the greater space that will come from the hall being restored to its original size will make the space more comfortable for those using it for summer conferences.

"I like that we're restoring our historical building to its original footage," Fitzwater mentions.

New bathrooms as well as a more attractive entry hall are also in store for the Union. "There will be more formalized space," says Joyce.

Although not a part of the formalized space, a key addition to Harwood Memorial Union will be a catering kitchen next to Great Hall. This kitchen will allow Sodexho employees to finish food in Great Hall instead of carting it across the street while trying to keep it hot and preserve its flavor.

"It'll be amazing, how helpful it will be," says Singh of the finishing kitchen.

The final project planned for the campus is the three to four million dollar renovation of Bovay, which will include new wiring, lighting and cosmetic aspects. "Significant upgrading in Bovay will begin the day after students move out," says Joyce.

Joyce is pleased with the progress of all construction on campus, and says that roadblocks have been minimal. He adds that the planning committee set aside ten percent of the budget as a contingency budget to use in the case of a dilemma, as minor setbacks are bound to occur.

Fitzwater agrees that small delays are inevitable. "There are always hidden little surprises that you didn't quite expect," he says. One of the few roadblocks experienced has been the need to order windows, which will take weeks to arrive, for the welcome center.

Joyce expressed a hope that the construction will continue smoothly. "We don't have a lot of wiggle room with the money," he says.

Fitzwater says that students can help construction go well by ensuring the workers are free to do their jobs. "Respect construction boundaries and carry on as usual, for your own safety and our progress," he says.

Joyce adds that students can help by being patient and offering feedback. Singh agrees that students' comments are valuable. "I feel that a lot of times we get our best ideas from our customers," he says.

Joyce asks the campus community to see this period as one of growth rather than one of inconvenience. "I hope folks see that this is a sign of progress," he says, "and I hope we'll be "inconveniencing" you for many years."

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