Photo Essay

This photo essay represents the motions being made to construct a new building for Snell Hall occupants. The current facility is deteriorating and the University is proposing that it be vacated in the near future.

KATE ADOLPHSON, SARAH CHAMNESS, & ALLIE STRAUSS 1

A view of Snell Hall.

The face of a statue located at the entrance of Snell Hall.

“[Snell] doesn’t speak to you at all. It was a former residence hall that’s sort of made do for a long time.” -Jim Carruthers, Project Manager

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(Speaking about results of a 70-student questionnaire): “Here are some of the things we learned from the qualitative information and also some of the survey kind of work: Students were concerned about whether [Snell] was safe over there. Besides the fact that it has some seismic issues going on, there were just some issues of personal safety. So that resonates very clearly in terms of student buildings. There wasn’t that sense of safety over there which was a concern.” -Jim Carruthers

An expired fire extinguisher sits behind a pane of glass. It expired in 2003.

A white powder substance sits on a crack where the wall meets the floor.

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An unprotected frayed wire protrudes from the wall.

“When we talk about wellness, we don’t necessarily talk about it as a student health thing or a psychological service, or recreational fitness. It’s a lot broader than that. Where do you go for support?” - Bill Callender, Dixon Recreation Center Facilities Director

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(Introducing a group activity where participants place orange dots on poster board indicating their personal beliefs about what a new building should offer to the campus) “When it comes to the inside, let’s not worry too much about the rules. We are intrigued by your look, your feelings, your senses. This is for you to personalize the highest priority you believe to be. We are interested in how everyone views this at that personal and motive level. - James Meyer, Architect

From top to bottom: mold growing from the top of a door frame, a crack in the wall previously hidden by a chalk board, a close-up of the damaged wall.

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A stairwell view from the top floor to the basement.

(Speaking about any building that is comfortable and familiar to its users) “It creates a critical mass of people coming and going from this area. There’s a sense that you might see somebody you know or run into something interesting. There’s more opportunity for what was once called serendipity of interaction... everyone’s just coming to see what’s going on. -Bart Hall, Project Manager

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An exit sign completely rusted.

(Introducing the information of an imposed student fee that would occur during the construction of a new building) “Everybody’s cognisant of the recession. Students generally feel that if they are in control of those dollars, then that’s better than having those dollars imposed on them.” -Jim Carruthers

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A participant in a meeting on May 19th, 2009.

“It’s about a group, it’s about community. Those seem to be an important component in terms of what everyone’s looking for.” -James Meyer “It’s all about a means to an informational end. Where can I go to do something, get involved?” -Jim Carruthers

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The proposed site of the M.U. East Project, what is now the parking lot for the Beaver Bookstore.

“Community happens. You provide the shell and the opportunity and then it gets defined.” - Bart Hall “The essence of community and consumption space is really what the key conditions are.” -James Meyer “This doesn’t mean that this is the end-all project of the MU. It is a very significant project and we want to make 9 sure that as much as possible is accomplished through this project, whatever it becomes, weather it’s an addition, an expansion, an annex, there are lots of terms thrown around.” -Jim Carruthers

Students Carl Leniger and John Hendricks (the Station Manager and Action Manager, respectively) at the campus media station, KBVR.

“Part of the point of today is to help you all understand what’s gotten us to where we are today and most importantly you all help us understand where we’re going from here.” -Jim Carruthers

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From Top Left to Bottom Right: The view from Snell hall, group member Sarah Chamness takes photographs of Snell Hall, project blueprints and proposals from the May 19th meeting, a view of room 213 in the Memorial Union, project blueprints for the M.U. East Project, active participants in the May 19th meeting.

“Overwhelmingly, students say [in their terms] go big or don’t go at all. In other words, do it right, or don’t do it. Don’t give us half-full. If we’re gonna have a good media center, have a good media center. If we’re gonna have a great lounge, then make it the way we really think about how a lounge should be.” -Jim Carruthers

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