Issue 2

Page 1

FEATURES Student author: "Beeswax and Other Sticky Things" by Emmett Ferree | PAGE 5 CAMPUS LIFE "Rocketman" movie review | PAGE 10

The Etownian

www.etownian.com

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Vol. 116. Issue 2

Summer rain, Housing renovations to Royer, Schlosser update campus upkeep by Elizabeth LePore Asst. News Editor newseditor@etown.edu

E

lizabethtown College has had experiences in the past with heavy rainfall over the summer. In fact, according to Millersville University’s Weather Information Center, 2018 was Lancaster County’s wettest year with 153 rainy days. To compare, it rained 123 days in Lancaster County in 2017 and the average number of rainy days for Seattle is 152. August was the rainiest month of 2018 with a record 10.5 inches of rain falling in about four hours Aug. 31. Last year was unprecedented and no one was prepared for the issues that the abundance of rain would cause. “Last year was awful. We had a lot of rainfall related issues and moisture related issues,” Director of Facilities Management and Construction Mark Zimmerman said. This summer, Facilities Management made several changes to their policies and maintenance routines to prepare for a summer that could have been as bad as last year’s. Luckily, the worst was avoided, according to Zimmerman. “We didn’t get those prolonged days of rain,” he said. “It was a lot worse last summer than it was this summer.” The biggest concern for this summer was not the just the rain but the humidity as well. These conditions caused problems with microbial growth, especially in the Vera Hackman apartments. Facilities had a meeting last spring to discuss how to improve the protocol used in maintaining the buildings on campus, especially the older residence halls, in order to prohibit any microbial growth for this summer. Zimmerman said that Facilities used to close doors and blinds in dorm rooms when cleaning them between events and over the summer. Now they keep the doors and the blinds open to keep the air circulating and allow natural light into the rooms. They have also increased room inspections for microbial growth. “[The Apartments] really drove our concerns about how we wanted to treat our buildings,” Zimmerman said. Over the summer, new HVAC systems were installed in the Apartments to better filter out humid air along with humidity sensors to monitor the air. Luckily, the rain that the College did experience did not impact the construction on the Apartments because most of it was already under roof. Facilities also had Environmental Services become more involved in inspecting the rooms to assure that moisture and humidity levels were normal. Facilities also improved their work order system, transitioning from paper to become more digital. This change allows a faster response to submitted work orders and “better communication” between Facilities and the students. Zimmerman said that Facilities did not experience any issues with Lake Placida flooding or with major roof leaks in any of the buildings. He also reported that Facilities was being much more proactive with maintaining off-campus housing by cleaning gutters and doing inspections. “There’s actually more mold spores in the air

SEE RAIN PAGE 3

Paula Groff | Staff Photographer

The Zimmer Project, the residential renewal plan for Schlosser and Royer Residence Halls, was halted by President Cecilia McCormick. In the original plan, Schlosser and Royer were scheduled for demolition, and replacement.

I

by Elizabeth Gipe Copy Chief newseditor@etown.edu

n an email to the Elizabethtown College community released Tuesday, July 16, President Cecilia McCormick announced that the residential renewal plan for the Schlosser and Royer Residence Halls, known as the Zimmer Project, would be halted. The Zimmer Project called for the demolition of Schlosser and Royer, and the two residence halls would be replaced by apartment-style buildings.

Previously, the Zimmer Project was a source of controversy in the community. It was the hotly debated topic at the spring 2019 Board of Trustees meeting, and the funding motion for the Zimmer Project was eventually passed at that meeting, though four trustees had voted against it. The concerns over the Zimmer Project at that time were because some trustees saw it as too costly a financial risk and thought it might jeopardize the College’s finances if it did not attract enough students. However, the trustees mentioned numerous times that their issue wasn't with the idea of residential renewal itself; in fact, many said it was long overdue.

These same sentiments can be seen in the statement McCormick released in her update email. “The information I have reviewed, conversations with the senior leadership team and a focus on prudent financial decisionmaking for the institution have all led me to this decision [to pause the Zimmer Project],” McCormick’s email read. “I am deeply committed to enhancing our College’s residential facilities and I will update you in early 2020 on progress. Our work will end with a plan for long-term and sustainable residential improvement.” SEE HOUSING PAGE 3

Music department staff changes, alumni teach by Samantha Seely Asst. Features Editor newseditor@etown.edu

W

ith Robert Spence, associate professor and director of instrumental studies, on leave for the year, the music department has invited two Elizabethtown College alumni back to help teach and direct during the 20192020 academic year. Kimberly Hirschmann will be directing the Symphonic Band, as well as teaching one upper-level music education class, and Micah Albrycht will be directing the CollegeCommunity Orchestra. The Symphonic Band and College-Community Orchestra are both popular ensembles for Etown students of all academic majors to participate in. Albrycht graduated from Etown in spring 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in music education, and Hirschmann graduated in spring 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in music education with honors. “I am excited, honored and energized to be back at my Alma Mater,” Albrycht wrote in an email interview. “It is a wonderful opportunity to pass on knowledge to students who are sitting in the same seats I did 10 years ago.” Hirschmann is also excited. “I am thrilled to be directing the band at Etown this fall. So much of who I am as a musician, educator, and leader is a result of my experiences at Elizabethtown College. Being on the podium

Photo courtesy of Kimberly Hirschmann Etown alumni returning to campus, Hirschmann, '09 and Albrycht, '10 will direct the Symphonic Band and College-Community Orchestra, respectively.

and making music is my favorite activity, and I love the positive and collaborative culture in the band program here,” she wrote in an email interview. Hirschmann is the curriculum specialist for secondary visual and performing arts in Frederick County, Maryland, and Albrycht is a director of orchestra at Exeter Township Junior and Senior High Schools in Berks County, Pennsylvania. “Both have graduate degrees and lots of professional success,” Jim Haines, music department chair, said. “It’s all those things that encouraged us to want to bring them

back.” Both have also stayed in touch with the music department at Etown through the summer music camp. The summer music camp is a yearly residential event hosted by the College in which young musicians entering grades 7-12 come to take a wide variety of music classes and to perform. The camp lasts a week and culminates in the participants performing in a concert that features a symphony orchestra, symphonic SEE MUSIC PAGE 3


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.