|
||||||||||||||||||||
White Hall
White Hall is a four-story dormitory at the southeast corner of Avenue I and 20th Street. It is an outside entrance dorm constructed of cinder block and steel and has a brick veneer exterior and drywall interior. The dorm was originally built specifically for male students but later became coed. The 1964 Alcalde identifies the dorm as housing 306 men and featuring a "cafeteria, tutoring room, color television, and a lounge with an open air terrace.[2]" Occupancy has decreased over the years according to the Department of Residence Life: 286 (1996), 290 (1998), and 144 (2000, following renovations). In 1970 one of two campus outdoor pools were installed near the dorm. Maps during the mid-1980s identify the main section of White Hall as the "weight facility." The eastern parking lot was the site of the "Bearkat Block Party" during Welcome Week festivities during the fall 1997, 2000, and 2002 semesters. In 1997 the Residence Life website read that "the short wings of the first, second, third, and fourth floors are reserved for smoking residents." During the renovations of the Estill and Administration buildings in the 1990s various campus offices were temporarily relocated to this dorm. In December 1995 the Registrar's Office moved to the ground floor and the Financial Aid and Admission offices were located in the main lobby areas. During LSC renovations in 2000 the former cafeteria area was replaced by the 240-seat banquet room and temporary ballroom [4]. Once the administration offices returned to their proper location the dorm was shut down for extensive renovations beginning in Spring 1999. Renovations included electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and alterations to the floor plan to provide suites instead of individual rooms. The suite concept was adopted based on student approval of a prototype suite constructed by the Physical Plant Department [3]. The dorm reopened for the Fall 2000 semester. In early 2001 a switchback ramp was installed at the corner of 20th Street and Avenue I, providing "the first ever access to this residence hall for occupants with disabilities. [4]" Around this time a small handicap parking area was installed on the south side of the dorm’s eastern wing. In 2003 the dorm was reclassified for freshmen only; it reverted back to all classifications by Fall 2011. In 2004, with a $989,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Center of Excellence in Digital Forensics opened at the southern end of the ground floor. The center contains a data-recovery facility, network security facility, and conference area.
|
||||||||||||||||||||
  |
