Elm, Webster, Gym To See Renovations

Elm Street Dining Hall and Webster Hall will undergo renovations beginning this year. Plans for renovations of Fisher Theater and Love Gym are also moving forward.The renovation of Elm Street Dining Hall has been approved and will begin this summer, according to Dining Services manager Daniel Ferland. Although no renovations are planned for the kitchen, updates in the front of the dining hall such as new refrigeration and hot holding equipment will facilitate the food preparation process for kitchen staff. Additionally, new flooring, enlargement of space and new menu concepts, including a Hearth Oven, are currently being planned.Preparation for the renovation has begun. “They have [already] taken out all of the bricks. They are getting the floors prepped for the new flooring which is going to be a Terrazzo, which is totally different then what is down now,” Ferland said. “In order to do that, they have to be able to dig up all of the tiles, level out the new slab or the Terrazzo, but in the long run I think it’s a nice floor which should last about twenty years.”Elm Street Dining Hall has not been renovated since the 1970’s, when it was originally built. Ferland believed that compared to the dining facilities in other academic institutions, which are highly modern and upgraded, Exeter’s was outdated and in need of renovation. He added that the Elm Street Dining Hall is one of the “high-traffic” areas of the Academy and emphasized the necessity of renovating areas that students and faculty visit frequently. “[The facilities management] hopes these upgrades will offer an exciting new atmosphere for those who spend much of their time in the dining hall,” Ferland said.Along with Elm Street Dining Hall, renovations in Webster Hall have been formally announced for this summer, with changes to the common room and the landscaping outside the dorm, the installation of an elevator and updates to the windows of the dormitory and the hallways.Proctor and senior in Webster Hall, Alan Guo, said that the renovated common room’s “design is intended to be much more open, and be an entire room rather than separate and individual rooms.”Guo further explained the problems of Webster’s current facilities. Prior to last summer’s renovations, paint was chipping off of windows and the floors and walls were worn out, Guo said.Lower Chris Vazan spoke about the details of the renovations that are planned to take place this summer. “I believe the renovations will change the layout of the dorm significantly,” Vazan said. “Besides a more modern look, some of the new features will include a single and central entrance to the dorm, similar to Dunbar. The pit in front of the dorm will be filled in and replaced by a small triangular patch of grass; the design looks really pretty.”While renovations in Webster Hall and the Elm Street Dining Hall have been formalized, other facilities on campus that are in dire need of renovations are still being planned and discussed.For example, Fisher Theater has long been slated for renovations and funding. Designer and Technical Director Cary Wendell stated that the theater was built with a shelf life of 50 years. He added that the theater is now 41 years old and will be destroyed when renovation is prepared with proper funding.Wendell said that many areas of the theater needed improvement . “The seating capacity is inadequate for the size of our audiences. In the past two and a half years we have sold out 19 of 21 dramatic productions including musicals and 14 of 18 dance concerts,” he said. ”We are turning away dozens of people who want to see our shows. That isn’t fair to anyone.”Along with audience capacity, Wendell addressed other problems such as inefficient and unsafe mechanical systems and lack of Harkness classrooms for drama courses. Wendell believed that the theater would better address the needs of the dance program. “We want the dance program to be located under the same roof,” he said. “The needs of the dance concerts involve costume construction, storage, and cleaning as well as scenery and props sometimes and to be able to meet these needs is much easier under one roof.”Wendell also mentioned that the new theater will have an orchestral pit for musicians and a rehearsal hall that resembles the size of the main stage. “This will enable the crew to work on lights, sound, and scenery on the actual stage at the same time the cast is rehearsing,” he said.Like Fisher Theater, there has also been discussion about renovating facilities in the Love Gym. Although nothing has been confirmed, there has been planning for a new weight room.Lower Will Rau explained the problems with the current weight room, such as the need for more space. “When I am trying to do something that requires some space like suicides or a medicine ball throw, it can be really inconvenient when another team or fitness squad is in there, trying to do a workout with fifteen people in the middle of the weight-room,” Rau said. “The halls around the outside are all surrounded by machinery so it can get pretty crowded in there.”Prep Charlie Dubiel agreed. As a golfer, Dubiel feels the limited space prevents him from doing other athletic activities besides lifting weights. With a bigger weight room, this problem could be solved.In addition, there has been discussion about renovating the Cage. Lower Joon Kim said that with a few renovations, the Cage will again be helpful. “In the Cage, obviously the ground is slightly bumpy and I see the potential dangers associated with it,” Kim said. “I've heard there were going to be renovations to the cage to build a track, indoor tennis court or whatever, but once it's slightly touched up and furnished, I think the Cage will not be a problem but an asset.”