JULY 5, 2022 • DAILYBAROMETER.COM • VOL. CXXVII NO. 10
CAMPUS
CITY
New student orientation at OSU has in-person sessions throughout the summer for first-year & transfer students. 6
A new community app from the Chamber of Commerce, made to connect community to local businesses. 12
START Orientation
Experience Corvallis app
Oregon’s spring
precipitation expected to have
low impact on fire season By HALEY STARK News Contributor By ADRIANA GUTIERREZ News Contributor
Walking around the Oregon State University campus, construction teams are at every turn. Of the 14 active projects, two include a renovation to one of the oldest buildings on campus and the other is a building completely new. Fairbanks Hall, located near the corner of Jefferson Way and 24th Street, is the second oldest building at OSU and is undergoing a set of renovations that will include structural and HVAC system updates as well as plans to create universal access into the building. The renovation began in the summer of 2021 and is expected to be completed in August of 2022, barring any setbacks. Fairbanks was built in 1892, and serves as a
major contributor to OSU’s historical district, according to OSU Capital Planning and Development. Prior to closing for renovations, the building was mostly used as a gallery space for art and photography students as well as a small number of classes offered throughout the school year in classrooms on the second and third floors. “This project will breathe new life into an important structure for years to come,” said Libby Ramirez, university architect and director for OSU University Facilities, Infrastructure and Operations. Another major construction project happening on campus is the birth of the brand new Arts and Education Complex, which will serve as a performance center available to the greater community, as well as classroom spaces. The complex, situated behind Kerr Administration Building on the corner of 15th Street and SW Washington Way features three buildings: a main recital hall with acoustic design to hold concerts, plays and other showings, a black
box for smaller theater productions and a rehearsal classroom building on the north side of the lot. The project cost $70 million and is on schedule to be completed by the Hoffman Construction Company in early 2024. The building should be open to students in the spring term of 2024. Project Superintendent Sonya Miller is in charge of all-things scheduling for the project, breaking it down to three main stages—the demo, the early works, and the AEC, short for the complex’s name. Of these three, the team is already on the third, building within the concrete and brick structures. “The demo went perfect,” Miller said. “Then we did the early works which was just a little prep to get ready for the AEC, and that went fine.” “Now we’re into the AEC and we had great success with the sheer walls—that’s the recital hall, the smooth concrete structure— and then the black box, which is to the north. Those both went up fantastic. For any CAMPUS CONSTRUCTION Continued on page 2
Despite temperatures beginning to rise for the summer, many Oregonians are optimistic that 2022’s high levels of precipitation will reduce wildfires in the state. Following the dry spell that led to the catastrophic wildfires of 2020, increased awareness has been brought to preventing another similar situation from occurring. A return to normal levels of rain and snowfall this year have quelled fears among the public surrounding current wildfire risk, but experts maintain that preparedness is essential for this season. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Oregon is still experiencing drought conditions anywhere between D0; “abnormally dry,” and D4; “exceptional drought.” While Linn and Benton Counties fall just outside of the affected regions, this does not disqualify them from being at risk of wildfires. “I think that we’re probably looking at something similar to what we’ve seen in past years,” said Christopher Adlam, a regional fire specialist at OSU’s Extension Fire Program in southwest Oregon. According to Adlam, the impacts of a strong, wet season will play little to no role in preventing fires when weather becomes hot and vegetation dries out. Oregonians already began to see the signs of a heat wave, with temperatures over the last weekend in June reaching the mid 90°Fs. According to Colby Neuman, a meteorologist with the Portland National Weather Service, Corvallis’ hottest temperature this Summer will most likely fall between 95-105°F. It is extremely unlikely that the city will reach the high of 110°F it saw last year. At an individual level to prevent the start and spread of fires, Adlam advised taking caution in FIRE SEASON Continued on page 13