9-9-2021

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UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA CEDAR FALLS, IA THURSDAY, APRIL 5 VOLUME 114, ISSUE 42

CEDAR FALLS, IA

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9

VOLUME 118, ISSUE 4

NEWS

CAMPUS LIFE

SPORTS

NEWS PAGE 2

CAMPUS LIFE PAGE 4

SPORTS PAGE 6

Students weigh in on why they choose whether or not to wear a mask.

UNI falls 10-16 to ISU on their opening game Saturday.

“The Earth is a House of Stories” honors the Meskwaki Nation in an art exhibit at UNI.

A closer look at on-campus construction see the university remodeling, and it makes a good impression because UNI is spending money to make itself better.” Assistant director of campus services Brian Hadley reassures students that progress on both projects is being made as efficiently as possible. He estimates that the construction near Wright Hall will be complete in the next few weeks. However, the Redecker Plaza project is much more intricate and will likely be finished in a matter of months. CATHERINE CROW/Northern Iowan Both projects Students walk by the fence separating the construction zone on the north side of Wright set out to re-engiHall between classes. Construction by Wright should be done within two weeks. neer failing subgrade infrastrucwas caught off-guard seeing all ture in and around the buildings. of the construction when she the added inconvenience of conHadley details the severity of the struction, others are looking on first moved to campus. problems at Redecker Plaza say “It scared me a lot at first the bright side. ing, “The storm drains were failwhen we were taking our tours One third-year returning of the buildings because I didn’t student feels that the construc- ing in that they were undersized know how I was going to get tion reflects positively on the so they were not not acceptaround the construction, spe- university, adding, “Students ing all the stormwater that they needed to, which was causing cifically near Wright and the library,” she said. “It really just felt kind of stressful.” While some students have had similar concerns regarding

MALLORY SCHMITZ Staff Writer

Most students knew going into the fall 2021 semester that campus would look a little different compared to the year prior. There would be more in-person classes, more students and fewer masks. However, few predicted what has become one very noticeable change on campus: more chain-link fences marking construction zones. The northeast section of Redecker Plaza and the area surrounding the north side of Wright Hall have been under construction since this past summer due to failing subgrade infrastructure. While students still have the ability to access all parts of campus, the fenced-off areas impede on sidewalk space, creating more narrow pathways and requiring detours to reach certain destinations. Freshman Mikayla Capman

Gallagher Bluedor n receives $2 million ANTONIA GOODWIN Staff Writer

Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center (GBPAC) will be receiving a facelift in 2022 after the Pauline R. Barrett Charitable Foundation donated $2 million to the UNI Foundation GBPAC. The contribution will go towards a $14.9 million expansion and renovation to the building. The center of the expansion will be the “Pauline R. Barrett Charitable Foundation Marquee Lounge.” Construction for the expansion and renovation is

Courtesy Photo

Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center received $2 million from the Pauline R. Barrett Charitable Foundation for renovations scheduled for the summer of 2022. Above is a rendering of proposed renovations.

expected to begin in the summer of 2022. The marquee lounge will serve as a place for guests to have coffee, drinks or dinner around showtimes. It will also

serve as a classroom for the GBPAC’s Kaleidoscope students, where they can discuss and reflect on performances. The Kaleidoscope program hosts over 40,000 local pre-

school to 12th grade students to come to performances for only $1 per student. The space for Kaleidoscope participants would be especially meaningful to Barrett, as she had

water to back up into Redecker Center.” Redecker Plaza will eventually be unveiled with less concrete surface area in order to assist the new storm drain system. The visible changes to the area around Wright Hall will include a newly poured sidewalk and new landscaping. Many students are curious about the timing of these projects, specifically why they were not taken care of while class was not in session. To create more clarity around the construction process, Hadley described it in three phases. A project must first be conceptualized, and a team must identify the problem and potential solutions. In the second stage, a design firm designs the construction plans, which is oftentimes the longest part of the process. As the final step, Hadley said, “You have to bid those projects, get contractors on board then construct. It may look like it’s an easy process to say, ‘Hey, fix this. It has to be done,’ but it’s actually quite involved.” See CONSTRUCTION, page 2

a particular empathy for the local youth. Barrett was a Waterloo resident and a connoisseur of local culture. People who knew her describe her as an uplifting, wonderful, and philanthropic person. She was involved in many community organizations before she passed away in 2018. During her life Barrett greatly enjoyed attending shows at the GBPAC. She financially contributed to UNI many times throughout the years. Barrett was one of the first people to extend a leadership gift to help establish GBPAC. She also gave scholarships to students attending UNI, and she donated to multiple projects on the campus. After Barrett’s passing, the trust foundation is doing their best to contribute to the community in ways that are true to what she stood for. See GBPAC, page 2


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