Erin Humphries | Student Life

We’ve had a lot of construction on our campus recently and many of the changes and additions have been incredible. New Bear’s Den and College Hall leave pretty much any other campus’ food and dining in the dust; the new engineering buildings kick our academic facilities up a couple of notches; even the DUC, which was new my freshman year, has become a necessary and useful hub for students on campus.

These construction projects have brought a lot of great things to our campus and to our students. But let’s consider the South 40. Over the last five years, the amount of change to the 40 has been astounding. Can you imagine being an alumnus and returning to a place you called home for four years, only to find that nothing is the same? When I return for my five- or 10-year reunion, it’s something I would almost expect.

Maybe that’s not a bad thing. Certainly, our facilities and housing have improved, but I’ve spent three years living in a traditional dorm, and I feel like my own living requirements have been far exceeded. Then again, I’m not the one who calls the shots.

The Chancellor and the administration, I feel, are warranted in their constant desire to improve campus. Reputation is built on more than on academic factors, and a commitment to students through excellent housing, incredible food and other great resources says something that a lot of comparable institutions don’t. But it also ignores the fact that it promotes a lack of physical tradition.

I’ll admit that this idea probably works less as it relates to the 40, simply because housing standards change over time. But there are a few parts of main campus that I have to touch on before I finish. Yes, Eliot Hall sticks out like a sore thumb; no, this column will have no effect on its future demolishment. But darn if I don’t love that building. Maybe it’s just the fact that it sticks out so strangely, but I find its ugliness endearing; a blemish that gives the Danforth Campus a little bit of character. I’m honestly not too excited to see it replaced by another rose-colored building.

The same goes for KWUR, which will soon be moving—no longer will students wander the graffiti-ed, pock-marked rooms to search for records, instead frequenting a clean, sterile space on the third floor of the DUC. We’ve loaded history and memories into these places, only to have the physical aspects of such memories stripped from view.

I love it here and am so glad I have had the opportunity to spend my college career at such a great school. Wash. U. has absolutely been my home for four years and I hope that, when I return as an alumnus, it’s still a home that I recognize.

Genevieve Hay | Student Life

Construction takes place at the southwest corner of the Millbrook parking garage near Village East and the Charles F. Knight Center.

Beginning this summer, two new buildings will be constructed in the hall’s current location to host John M. Olin School of Business’s graduate program.

The southwest corner of the parking garage used by students, faculty, staff and visitors was removed to open up an area for construction staging, where the construction equipment will be stored and the process will be coordinated.

The project resulted in the reduction of about 100 of the garage’s 1,111 spaces, Steven Hoffner, associate vice chancellor for operations, said.

The removed parking spaces will become a pedestrian plaza after the construction of the new buildings is complete.

Nicholas Stoff, director of Parking and Transportation Services does not believe the reduction in parking spaces will significantly affect those who use the garage.

“There will continue to be available parking in the Millbrook Garage. It may not be as convenient as it once was, but there should still be sufficient parking,” he said. “My department will monitor the space availability in the garage on a daily basis.”

Stoff said his department does have some long-term plans for providing more spaces, but those will not benefit students for at least a year.

“We are in the very early stages of exploring a new underground garage at the east of campus,” Stoff said. “However, this work is not expected to begin until the spring of 2013 or later. There is still a lot of discussion and planning that needs to occur.”

Some students say they were not given sufficient warning about the garage construction.

Senior Johanna Kaufman said she only heard about the construction through the Record.

“They didn’t really tell us…it would have been nice to have an email,” Kaufman said.

“Because I live in Village East, it is very annoying. During the day it is impossible to get a spot.”

The demolition of Eliot Hall is scheduled to begin this June, followed by the construction of the two new buildings. Much of the project is being funded by two donations from October 2010, totaling $25 million.

“We have raised naming gifts for two new buildings—Joanne and Charles Knight have pledged $15 million for Knight Hall, Carol and George Bauer have pledged $10 million for Bauer Hall,” Associate Dean for Finance and Administration Brian Bannister said. “These gifts have enabled us to start the design of the new buildings.”

The project is estimated to cost about $90 million.

“The fundraising effort will be supported by the continued development of the design of our new facilities. We are on schedule to complete design development by the end of March,” Bannister said. “We anticipate occupying the new facilities during the winter break of December 2013.”

Michael Tabb | Student Life

Construction on Umrath Hall continues to reroute students’ paths across campus. Renovations started in June and are expected to continue until late May.

The renovations, which started in June and include a new roof and interior layout for the building, are approximately 45 to 50 percent done, Facilities Planning & Management Project Manager Michael Benoist said.

He noted that the changes will take better advantage of the building’s space, making previously cramped hallways and low ceilings more efficient.

Benoist added that the process of completely redoing a building’s interior is unlike any previous renovation on campus.

“We’ve never taken an entire roof off and replaced a whole roof before. It’s always been construction from the inside,” he said. “We basically gutted all the way up through the roof and put a new roof on. We’ve never done that with one of our 110-year-old buildings before, but it’s worked really well. It might set a precedent.”

When the renovations are complete, Umrath Hall will attain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver status, according to Benoist.

The revamped Umrath Hall will boast a new and upgraded air conditioning system, electrical system, fire sprinklers, restrooms and windows, as well as two elevators.

It will also feature a classroom with a maximum occupancy of more than 50 students and house offices for the YMCA, the John C. Danforth Center on Religion & Politics, the Center for the Humanities, the Department of Classics and other campus groups.

“It’s a brand new building, practically,” Benoist said. “It’s going to be a really nice building—one that everyone will be proud of.”

One special feature is the addition of skylights that will shine all the way down to the bottom of the building.

“It’s going to be spectacular,” Benoist said.

Construction on many of the larger facets of renovation is progressing well, he added.

He noted that the new roof is in place, the framing for the walls and the rough-in for the mechanical and electrical systems is done for the second floor and the insulation process is just starting.

“The weather has been so good it has allowed us to move this fast. We’ve really only lost about five days to weather,” Benoist said.

Grace Fung | Student Life

The Underpass connecting main campus to the South 40. A recent report published by the Federal Highway Administration rated the bridge as structurally deficient.

The iconic South 40 underpass is structurally unstable, according to a recent report released by the Federal Highway Administration.

A structurally deficient bridge is not necessarily at high risk of collapsing, but does require consistent monitoring and inspections at least once a year.

The Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory Database says that the bridge “meets minimum tolerable limits to be left in place as is.” While its substructure (base supports) and deck are both in good condition, its superstructure (the section between the supports and the roadway) is not up to current standards, receiving a rating of four out of 10.

The Department of Facilities and Planning is not concerned about the state of the bridge, which it hopes to replace next summer, Project Manager Sarah Stanton said.

“We’re not going to put people in danger when they’re walking from the South 40 to the main campus,” she said. “It is not in any way dangerous, to my knowledge.”

She noted that the need for improvements is not a surprise.

“That bridge was identified as one that had reached toward the end of its lifespan, which happens; it’s sort of the wear and tear of bridges,” Stanton said. “It’s consistent with what we’ve been planning for.”

The underpass was built in 1962, and Facilities added additional supports beneath the roadway in the summer of 2008. Last semester, they began soliciting opinions from students about the current condition of the underpass in order to better prepare for a replacement.

“A four isn’t critical; we have things at the three and they’re not closed—but a three means you need to do work,” said Mark Croarkin, bridge maintenance engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation. “You can be deficient…but [still] function fine.”

One source of structural deficiency can involve structures that are structurally obsolete—or do not meet the most up-to-date standards. For example, current standards would require that the underpass have guardrails.

Croarkin said he is responsible for inspecting the bridge before Christmas to ensure it is still adequate. The bridge was last inspected in November 2009, according to Transportation for America, a coalition of public and private entities that advocates for an improved national transportation system.

The bridge currently has a sufficiency rating of 39.7 out of 100. Croarkin said that any bridge rated below 50 is entitled to federal funding toward construction of a full replacement.

Students did not voice particular unease with the underpass’ present condition, other than annoyance with the fact that it leaks.

“I don’t really feel unsafe,” freshman Linn Wang said. “I think [they should] fix the problem with leaking water, but I feel generally it’s pretty good.”

“I hope it doesn’t collapse and I don’t like the water drip,” freshman Jon Luskin said.

Sophomore Nicole Applebaum thought that Facilities could definitely improve the current structure by eliminating the leakage problem and reworking the walkway to make the turn safer for bicyclists. But she stressed her hope that the new underpass maintain the feel of the current structure, and for improvements not be taken to extremes.

“If they want to improve the structural quality of it so that they can prevent accidents from occurring in the future, they should go ahead and do it,” Applebaum said. “[But] they shouldn’t change it in a way that would change the feeling of the South 40 or of campus…modernizing and making it cool won’t necessarily make it better.”

Stanton said that the planning process, which involves both the Missouri Department of Transportation and the City of Clayton, is taking many of these student concerns into account.

“I know a lot of people have expressed concerns with the drainage, line of sight, circulation…so all those things we’re trying to incorporate into the design,” she said. “Being able to paint the wall spaces is going to be maintained.”

The construction is slated for this summer to minimize conflicts with campus life.

Michael Tabb | Student Life

A series of images posted in McMillan Hall show tentative plans for the demolition of Eliot Hall. Bottom: The university plans to demolish Eliot and part of McMillan to create the new “Throop Building,” which would become part of the Olin Business School.

Cole Bishop | Student Life

Eliot Hall

Washington University has not officially announced the changes, but many students claim to be aware of them.

The renderings by Mackey Mitchell Architects detail tentative plans for a partial demolition of McMillan Hall and a full demolition of Eliot Hall to create room for Olin’s new “Throop Building.”

Members of Facilities Planning & Management were reviewing schematic designs at a meeting Wednesday night, Project Manager Frank Freeman said.

University officials stressed that the plans are not yet complete, though they are fairly well developed.

“It wasn’t a secret, but we weren’t quite ready to announce,” said Steve Givens, associate vice chancellor for Public Affairs. “Basically, until the Board of Trustees makes a final decision and approves the whole project, we just don’t talk about what might be. Yes, there’s plans for a new building and there’s a formal process going on right now, but generally we don’t talk about that process until it’s finalized.”

Givens said that the business school has been looking to expand its square-footage for a long time.

“It’s part of the business school’s longer-range strategic plan to add a needed facility,” Givens said. “It’s a school that’s experienced a lot of growth in students and programs since Simon Hall was finished, and they’re just looking for more space so they can deliver those programs to their student body in a better way.”

Some students are heavily in favor of the construction plan.

“It’s wonderful that Olin is expanding on campus and tearing down the ugly eyesore of Eliot Hall,” senior Daniel Bernard said. “It’s the worst-kept secret.”

Although an announcement hasn’t been made, many business school students said they have heard about the construction plans.

“Rumors started last fall…people I’ve talked to about this are mostly upperclassmen, professors, faculty members and students that are employed in the business school,” junior Cassie Rowland said. “We are kind of outgrowing this space, having more space will allow professors to have classes at better times.”

Other students noted that while the school could definitely use more space, the tentative location is not optimal.

“We definitely need more space, teachers are on top of each other for office hours,” sophomore Imani McKenzie said. “I think it sounds good in theory, first of all because Eliot’s a really ugly building, but it’d be really nice if it was next to where the B-school is now, and it loses the exclusivity of the B-school. But we definitely need more space.”

Several upperclassmen said that numerous deans in the business school have said the plans are only awaiting an official sign-off from the board of trustees, and that the University is hoping to break ground in January.

None of the business school deans could be reached for contact.

Members of the Department of Anthropology, which would be required to relocate many of its classes according to current renderings, echoed that the plans have not been confirmed, and said the images were posted for faculty to see what the changes may look like.

Mackey Mitchell Architects have a history of working for the University, recently designing the South Forty House, College Hall and Umrath Hall.

Officials from the Olin Business School were not available for comment.

Dining Services is looking to renovate the Village Dining area for several reasons. According to Dining Services Manager Paul Schimmele, plans for Village dining renovations began when Dining Services decided it wanted to install a dishwasher in the cafeteria.

Dining Services began to investigate student opinion on the facility, and realized that student concerns required more renovation than just creating space for a dishwasher.

Based on student opinions, Dining Services is going to attempt to make the grill and stir fry stations larger, to allow for quicker service.

The renovation will also include work on the actual dining area to make it more communal.

According to Schimmele, the layout of the dining room in the Village is not conducive to community building.

Although Dining Services told Student Life last year that it hoped to complete a portion of the work over the summer, Schimmele said that the plans had not progressed far enough to commence the construction.

He said that it would not make sense for the University to start construction before the plans were completely fleshed out.

“It was a smart move for the University to take a step back to really review the big picture of the project…to build a program that will work for five to 10 years down the road,” said Nadeem Siddiqui, Bon Appetit Resident District Manager.

The University ran into an issue, which was that there is no room in the facility to install a dishwasher.

“We want to be more sustainable, that’s where it began, but we have to work within the confines of the footprint we have,” said Schimmele. According to Schimmele, a dishwasher would make the facility more sustainable, because it would cut down on the use of disposable containers.

The University is planning on holding off on the construction plans until the summer to avoid inconveniencing patrons of the facility.

“I think it’s better to do the construction over the summer,” senior Brittany Simone said. “I don’t think it’s terrible; I think it could use some work, but it’s not urgent and I don’t think it’s worth disrupting everyone’s living schedules over it.

Still, some students think the changes are unnecessary.

“I think that the Village has a lot of great elements that other dining facilities on campus don’t offer. All people do at Wash. U. is complain; we have to be happy with what we have,” junior Maanasa Bandla said.

Umrath Hall
Umrath Hall, which is located adjacent to the Mallinckrodt Center, usually houses the Campus Y, the undergraduate deans, and the Undergraduate Research Office. It will be under renovation for most of the 2011-2012 school year.
According to Art Ackermann, associate vice chancellor for Facilities Planning & Management, Umrath was originally built as a dormitory. The university is renovating it to make the rooms more suitable to serve as office space and classrooms.
The renovations to Umrath have been especially complex because the roof had to be removed to reconstruct the building in a more stable way.
According to Ackermann, most of the heavy demolition was completed over the summer, so the project is mostly contained.
The offices usually housed in Umrath have been moved to other buildings on campus.
The renovations to Umrath Hall will not be finished until the end of the school year and move-in to the building is currently scheduled to take place after graduation.

Green Hall
Despite a delay on stonework that was caused by a mason’s strike this summer, Green Hall will be completed in time for its dedication on Sept. 23.
Although the exterior of the new building will not be complete for another two to three weeks, move-in started this week.
Green Hall, which is the newest addition to campus, is located on the northeast corner of campus. It will provide space for the Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering and house the International Center for Advanced Renewable Energy and Sustainability (I-CARES).

Cupples II
The University completed construction on Cupples II this summer. The building now features a completely renovated interior and will house the College of Arts and Sciences, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Office of Undergraduate Research.
According to Ackermann, the original space, which was about 100 years old, was not well suited to classroom space.
“We tried to make the building as functional for modern education as possible, given the fact that it is a hundred-year-old building,” said Ackermann.
The third floor of Cupples II now has a wide hallway with natural light and strip lighting that will allow students to showcase posters or art.

Mallinckrodt
Due to renovations, the Mallinckrodt Center now has a new entrance. It also boasts new Subway and Bank of America locations. The newly renovated Campus bookstore is still located on the building’s ground floor, and three classrooms are now on the second floor.
“I’m particularly excited to see how people will receive Mallinckrodt because it’s pretty interesting, the changes there,” Ackermann said. “We’re anxious always to get some feedback on what we did.”
Ackermann says he hopes that students will take the time to check out the completed renovations.
Louderman 458 also received a complete makeover.

Matt Mitgang | Student Life

Six black students who were not allowed into a bar during their senior class trip speak during a town hall-style discussion about diversity.

The year began with the opening of the new South Forty House, which not only included sophomore housing, but also a wide selection of new dining options, including new grill items, comfort food station and kosher station. Construction on the South 40 proceeded around the Swamp to finish building several new modern dorms.

Despite the construction on both the South 40 and the Danforth Campus—focusing on new engineering buildings—the University had budget cuts in other areas. The lower endowment prompted the decision to close the Center for the Study of Ethics & Human Values by the end of the year.

At the same time, adjunct professor Jeff Smith resigned from his Missouri State Senate seat and dropped his course for the semester after he was charged with allegations of obstruction of justice.

But students still took an active role in the community life. WU/FUSED (Washington University for Undergraduate Socioeconomic Diversity) was founded on campus to increase socioeconomic diversity. By the end of the year, it was expanded to become a part of U/FUSED (United for Undergraduate Socioeconomic Diversity) because it had expanded to other universities.

As the year continued, many seniors attended their class trip to Chicago, where they felt that Original Mothers Bar discriminated against several of their black classmates by not allowing them into the bar. The seniors responded with a protest the next morning outside the establishment. After much discussion back on campus, the senior class decided to take a stand against discrimination and involve national anti-discrimination organizations. The bar agreed to publicly apologize to the seniors and to sponsor diversity training for its employees.

Student Union established the Diversity Affairs Council to provide students with a resource to deal with issues of diversity.

On another note, Bon Appétit stopped providing tomatoes to the University community from November to March. Dining Services decided to take a stand against Florida tomato farms not paying their tomato pickers enough money. By springtime, they were able to purchase tomatoes from other states whose farms upheld worker standards, and tomatoes returned to campus.

Coal was another hotly debated issue on campus throughout the year. The University established the Consortium for Clean Coal Utilization at to reduce the usage of coal, but the University continued its dependence on coal companies. The school year ended with the restoration of Metro services as Proposition A passed. Chancellor Wrighton, in support of this bill, was even featured in commercials to encourage its success. The increased taxes provided more Metro services, such as more bus routes and more frequent trains, over the following year.

Christina Kelley | Student Life

The Underpass, which connects the Danforth Campus and the South 40 is pending a complete renovation. Construction is not expected to happen until the summer of 2012.

Washington University is planning to reconstruct the storied Underpass, the popular student advertising spot and pathway that has connected the Danforth Campus and the South 40 since it was built in the 1960s.

Though discussion on the changes has already begun, actual construction is not expected to happen until the summer of 2012.

Facilities Planning and Management is consulting with the city of Clayton as well as the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to plan the construction. The project itself will take at least four months to be approved, and after it is designed, the final approval will take another four months.

Students learned of the change this week through brief mentions in Student Union e-mails.

Overall, students find the Underpass useful because of its advertisements, which student groups are able to paint themselves after registering spaces.

“I like it … I can know what’s fun going on. There must be some events I might never be able to know if the information were not posted on the underpass wall,” sophomore Anne Diaz-Arrastia said.

Facilities Planning and Management is trying to schedule the renovation so that students are not affected.

Designers have just been commissioned for the project, and Facilities is still not sure whether the construction will occur in one or multiple phases. According to Project Coordinator Sarah Stanton, the choice is between rerouting all traffic and pedestrians for a short period of time, or extending the process so that traffic on Forsyth Boulevard can still cross the bridge. Extending the process, however, would result in a longer inconvenience for pedestrians, who would have to enter the South 40 by going around the music building.

SU is participating in discussions with Facilities to ensure that student input is being taken into account.

On Nov. 30, SU sent out a survey asking students about their interaction with the Underpass—how often they passed by or painted it, as well as general likes and dislikes. According to junior Cody Katz, SU vice president of public relations, approximately 400 replies pointed out just one concern: water leakage.

While this is the first time that the Underpass is being completely reconstructed, it is not the first time it has been renovated.

Several years ago, paintable sculptures in the form of three-dimensional shapes were added to the north side of the Underpass. In the summer of 2008, a temporary reinforcement was added to the Underpass itself.

The convenience of the Underpass is a key part of its appeal.

“I think it works well,” freshman Julia Katris said. “I usually use the Underpass because it is the fastest way to get to the campus.”

According to Stanton, the bridge is nearing the end of its projected lifespan, though MoDOT does not consider the structure at all hazardous.

“It needs a renovation at some point because it won’t be up to code,” Katz said. “We have a meeting next week to find out exactly what’s going on.”

While plans are in their initial stages, Facilities and SU have already established a few priorities.

According to Stanton, one goal is to widen the bridge to reduce traffic among bicyclists and pedestrians.

“If you look at what we’ve constructed between Skinker [Boulevard] and Hoyt [Drive] along Forsyth, that will continue from Hoyt to Wallace [Circle] over this summer,” Stanton said. “We’ll continue that strategy to enable better shared pedestrian and bicycle access across the bridge.”

SU is also working to ensure that the Underpass can continue to serve as an advertising tool for student groups.

“The spots are pretty big, and a lot of people see it as they come by,” said freshman Chris Au, who has painted the Underpass twice this semester. “It’s a great place to advertise.”

Katz is also working to reach out to give other student groups, including Congress of the South 40 and the SU Senate, input on the plans.

With additional reporting by Sam Kwak

Like Melville Avenue and Delmar Boulevard, Skinker and Forest Park Parkway are also being repaved and widened as part of the Centennial Greenway project. The construction will connect Creve Coeur Park and Forest Park with an 18-mile path for pedestrians and bikers.

The construction sites on the sidewalks are supposed to renovate and improve the paths to allow for easier access. At the intersection of Skinker and Forest Park, the sidewalks on all four corners are completely blocked off for the installation of handicap ramps. Similar construction sites can be found all along Forest Park Parkway.

Much of the response about the construction has been negative, as the construction not only poses an inconvenience for pedestrians but also increases the danger to pedestrians who must now walk alongside moving traffic.

“There is construction all over Skinker Boulevard and Forest Park. They made it really hard to walk around the construction sites,” said Genna Morton, a junior and a daily runner in Forest Park.

“There is a part of Forest Park Parkway where you have to go onto the street. That is really dangerous for any pedestrians who have to cross,” she said.

Although the general consensus is that the sidewalk situation can be a nuisance, there have been disagreements on how much of a danger the construction on these roads potentially poses for the pedestrians and joggers.

Members of the University’s cross country team have said that the construction does not bother them too much, even though they have been the dealing with the hindrances more than most other students. The team runs in Forest Park every week.

“The cross country team does the six-mile loop around Forest Park. There’s some construction around the three-mile mark, but it’s not a problem if you just run on the grass,” said Chris Brennan, a senior on the team. “You are an idiot if you get hurt running in Forest Park…all you have to do is not run in the construction zones,” he said.

Peter Bush, another senior on the team, expressed a similar sentiment.

“It’s a little bit inconvenient, but you can just run around the sites. I think they are building a better course that will be better for running,” he said. “I don’t think it’s that dangerous.”

However, students who live off campus find that the construction is putting them in dangerous situations.

“Now it’s a safety hazard whether you’re biking or walking at night because you can’t see the big holes in the ground, and if you’re biking, you have to be in the street, and that is dangerous if there’s cars,” junior Mariana Oliver said.

Oliver also felt that there were not any visible improvements to the sidewalks, which made the changes all the more frustrating.

“I don’t even know what they ended up changing because the sidewalks looked the same. It would have been nice if they expanded the part of the sidewalk that’s flat so more bikes have room to get onto the sidewalks, so I don’t even know what the purpose was.”