Jordan Cuddemi
Equinox Staff
At the weekly Student Assembly meeting on Tuesday, April 5, Vice President for Finance and Planning, Jay Kahn, presented the project proposal for the Technology Design and Safety Center due for completion in August 2012.
The Technology Design and Safety Center is being built to replace two existing buildings, Butterfield Hall and Adams Technology Building. “They are in bad shape,” Kahn said.
The new building will house the Safety Studies, Architecture, and Product Design majors at Keene State College. Kahn said the three main ideas behind the Technology Design and Safety Center is to create synergy between the Safety, Architecture, and Product Design programs; create an energy efficient model; and create a “wow factor.”
In order to help create synergy between majors, Kahn said “the hub,” or the area where one would walk into the building, is a “very engaging kind of space.”
In terms of energy efficiency, Kahn said 75 percent of the building’s electricity will come from a solar voltaic array atop the building.
According to Kahn, $9 million went towards the Technology Design and Safety Center out of a pool of $25 million that was available to the University System of New Hampshire.
As Butterfield Hall and the Adams Technology Building will be closing their doors at the end of this semester, students and faculty will need to relocate for the next school year. “We have rented 57 Ralston St.,” Kahn said.
Behind the parking lot on 57 Ralston St., Kahn said there is a warehouse building that the school is restoring and will move existing equipment into. Kahn said this project will cost a couple hundred thousand dollars. “We are going to go light on this,” Kahn said.
Student Body President Donnie Clemmenson and Student Trustee Hannah Hayes discussed a rough draft of a letter to be sent to Governor John Lynch and the N.H. Legislature opposing the recent budget cuts to higher education.
Student Assembly passed the Biology Club’s request for $5,585 for a New Orleans Volunteer trip and passed Human Vs. Zombies’ request for $400 for pizza and prizes.
Student Assembly also approved the revisions to the Social Activities Council’s (SAC) constitution and approved Owl Nation’s Constitution. Bryan Diaz, of Owl Nation, said Owl Nation is a super-fan club for KSC athletics.
Head of the Elections Committee, Tyler King, said there are still open spots for student officers. He said petitions are due Monday on the third floor of the student center by 4 p.m.
Jordan Cuddemi can be contacted at jcuddemi@keeneeequinox.com
