New McCullough debuts fresh decor

Author: Katie Siegner

With the renovations of the McCullough Student Center nearing completion, students are already seeing changes and improvements to the building.

"While McCullough was closed, there was a noticeable lack of an all-campus social space," said Katie Horner '11.

The project is on schedule to be completed by early spring. It features a new lower entrance as well as renovations to the Box Office, Midd Xpress and the Mail Center that aim to "make the building more accessible and really brighten up the lower level," according to Director of the Center for Campus Activities and Leadership (CCAL) Doug Adams. The color, flooring and new furnishings create an integrated and comfortable atmosphere that is designed to bring students in, because, as Adams repeatedly emphasized, "this is their student center."

The second level has also been transformed by the addition of the new McCullough Center Gallery, which will display student artwork, and the redesigned McCullough Social Space. Adams has lofty goals for the revamped space, which he hopes will serve as a focal point of the campus.

"It can be a lot of things," Adams said of the Social Space, noting that the seating capacity of the venue has increased from 300 to 400 people. The construction team also removed the balcony, replaced the floor, changed the stage, added sound, lighting and seating systems, added a dressing room for performers and enhanced climate control in the facility.

Throughout the new building, Adams hopes to prominently display examples of Middlebury students' creativity. This endeavor hinges on the Gallery, which will feature the work of one Middlebury student-artist every few months. Sam Dakota Miller's '08.5 graphic art is scheduled to be the first exhibit.

The walls of the first floor also present new opportunities for the visionary CCAL director. One wall will showcase student photographs and another will be the inspiration for a student-wide mural contest. Adams noted that there is a lot of empty space that needs to be filled and that he plans to do this in a way bring more students' interests into the building.

"It's only appropriate to have [student art] at the Student Center," he said.

A combination of Middlebury staff and students initiated and supervised the project, the goal of which - according to Adams - was "to provide a more usable and attractive space for Middlebury College students." In order to accomplish this, a Program Plan Committee was created, with members drawing from a cross-section of student performing groups. Adams involved the committee in meetings with the architects in an effort to make the Social Space specifically tailored to student desires, essentially giving the committee the freedom to express "what they would want if they could have anything."

Renovations meant some adjustments for McCullough inhabitants. Box Office Coordinator Debby Anderson pointed out that when the Box Office moved upstairs temporarily, it was "not in the path of people." However, now that it has returned to the first floor, the Box Office's prominent location has made it an "information center."

The Mail Center was also transferred into a trailer for the duration of the project. Mail Center Supervisor David LaRose expressed frustration about the cramped space and the lack of a desk. "I like things in order," LaRose said. He said that life in the trailer was essentially business as usual, however, albeit a bit harder to find packages. The Service Building Warehouse was used as a secondary storage facility for packages, as the space in the trailer was 300 square feet smaller than the mailroom in McCullough. The Mail Center's move back to McCullough was completed in one day. The new Mail Center is brighter and offers considerably more space to LaRose and his staff.

The new Midd Xpress will open after Feb Break in its new location - due to its increased visibility, sales are expected to go up 25-30 percent according to Steve Reigle, the general manager of Retail Dining Operations. Once the project is completed, Middlebury will have a Student Center that is more cohesive, attractive and versatile than its old one. The Social Space is already set to host concerts, dances, performances and many other events that will attract Middlebury students, including the Orange Crush concert during February's upcoming Winter Carnival. These improvements will all help to reestablish McCullough as the literal and figurative center of campus.