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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 23, 1990)
Renovations enter third and final phase Racquetball courts, saunas to be added to Coliseum, Mabel Lee By Ryan Steeves Staff Reporter _ In the old days, fitness-minded students could go to the NU Coliseum or Mabel Lee Hall for a little basket ball, weightlifting or a swim. They still can, but now they can add racquetball, running or maybe some soccer to their indoor exercise routine. In about two years, they’ll be able to top it all off with a trip to a swelter ing, steam room reaching about 110 degrees. Construction crews will build two saunas in the NU Coliseum when they renovate that facility and Mabel Lee Hall. The renovation, which will begin a year later than expected, is scheduled to start in January. The remodeling is the last stage of a $14.9 million, three-phase program designed to upgrade physical educa tion equipment and buildings at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Phases I and II arc complete. In Phase III, construction crews will gut the Coliseum, replacing the gym floor, remodeling locker rooms, installing a combative arts room and removing some seats to make way for a fourth basketball court. The current plan also will add physical education classrooms, offices and labs to Mabel Lee Hall. If construction starts in January, the new floor will be installed by August 1991. The rest of the renova lion would be done by August 1992. Originally, only the Coliseum was to be renovated in Phase III. Stan Campbell, director of the Office of Campus Recreation, said university officials decided to delay that renovation plan to explore alter native designs. Officials were concerned with high 4 . . .when Phase II is completed, we think we'll have one of the best programs in the Big Eight and one of the best in the Midwest Campbell director, Office of Campus Recreation -1 f costs and the way the Col iseum would look under former design plans, Campbell said. The basketball courts, for example, would have been built on a third floor atop classrooms and offices used by the School of Health, Physical Edu cation and Recreation. As a result, people would have seen only the second level of racquet i ball courts from the gym. Currently, two levels of racquetball courts are visible. “We think that’s one of the nice features from an aesthetics standpoint - seeing all those racquetball courts,” Campbell said. The current plan moves all HPER offices and classrooms to Mabel Lee Hall, keeping the gym on the ground level. Another reason the renovation was delayed was that athletic officials and coaches objected to the former Phase III blueprint’s plan to allow for seat ing of 2,100 volleyball fans, down from 2,500. The current blueprint allows for more than 4,000 fans to attend NU women’s volleyball games. The belated Phase III design will cost about $5.7 million. The current plan is $600,000 more than architects predicted in 1987 when Phase I be gan, but $500,000 less than a revised projection developed in October 1989. The overall project cost will not ex ceed $14.9 million because UNL saved money on Phases I and II, said Bob Carpenter, a UNL campus architect. The UNL Central Planning Com mittee approved the Phase III design last week, Campbell said. The NU Board of Regents is expected to vote on it during its September meeting. %Donations, a surplus of bond reve nue and surcharges on Nebraska foot ball tickets will pay for the renova tions. The university started soliciting donations in 1987 and increased ticket prices the following year to finance the overhaul. The ticket price increases didn’t affect students, faculty or staff, Campbell said. UNL used the revenue to build the Cook Pavilion, which houses an in door practice field and the Lee & Helene Sapp Recreation Facility. Both buildings are open to stu dents attending classes at UNL, re gardless of the number of credit hours they carry, Campbell said. Cook Pavilion and some courts in the Coli seum can be closed to students when i NU athletic teams use them. About 2,000 students used the new rec center daily last year, a 300-per cent increase in use of campus rec facilities, Campbell said. According to a 1979 study, UNL had some of the worst “recreational opportunities” in the Big Eight. That has changed, Campbell said. “We’ve certainly made a lot of progress already,” he said. “And when Phase III is completed, we think we’ll have one of the best programs in the Big Eight and one of the best in the Midwest.” -—I Tournament, shootoff to be held From Staff Reports A bowling tournament and a basketball shootoff arc in store for new and returning University of Nebraska-Lincoln students. The bowling tournament, Oct. 19-21, and the basketball shootoff, scheduled for April, are new this year from the Office of Campus Recreation. Campus rec also sponsors a series of Outdoor Adventures, trips rang ing from biking to white-water boating and rock climbing. Registration for sports such as tennis, slow pitch softball and coed flag football begins Monday. Men’s and women’s volleyball registra tion begins Oct. 10; basketball, Dec. 5, and soccer, March 6. Housed in the NU Coliseum, Cook Pavilion, and the Lee and Helene Sapp Recreation Facility, the Campus Recreation Center has 13 racquctball courts and one squash court, a 25-yard swimming pool, an indoor football field, six bas ketball courts and a weight train ing and conditioning room. The building is open from 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays. Building hours are available at the rec center’s front desk. Equipment can be rented for a small fee. An informational meeting about programs and facilities is sched uled for next Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Nebraska Union. . Fraternity Continued from Page 1 “We are shooting for 35 to 40 guys,” he said. “We are looking for guys with the interest and energy to make us work. You can’t measure success by the numbers, but I person ally think that by getting good quality individuals, the situation will im prove.” Ranson said potential members had a “unique opportunity” to join a house without ever being pledges. Pledging probably will begin again next semester, Gearhart said. Usually when a reorganizing chap ter fails to keep old members, it be comes a colony, a group on probation for one to two years. It petitions the national organization for full status, Gearhart said. To make the transition easier, the UNL chapter maintained national chapter status, voting rights in the Interfratemity Council and univer sity recognition as a student organi zation. “We don’t want to give them two years of struggling,” Gearhart said. Ranson said chapter officials were working on fixing up the house and grounds. “We’re going through a stage of improvement right now,” he said. Gearhart said he and members were happy about the changes. “(Members) seem so excited just to welcome a whole new group of guys in and find some change com ing,” he said. Toxic Wiste Dumpi jar 00 654-0471 ana you won’t have to wait till spring to get a break. 'There's nothing like a call to keep in touch with people you really care about. But there’s nothing like a bt of bng distance calls to cut into a student’s budget. Which is why AJ&T has a whole program of products and services called AlErl Student Saver Hus. It includes the AT&T Reads Out* America Han, which gives you savings 24 hours a day 7 day s a week, for example, youll get 25% off our already low evening prices? Youll even save when you call during the daytime. •Discount applies to out of-state calls direct dialed 5-10 pm, Sunday Friday' This service may ixx be available in residence halls ext your campus. C 1990 AT&T To enroll in AJ^T Reach Out America or to learn about the Student Saver Phis programs that are light for you, call us at 1 800 654-0471 Ext. 1252. And get a break any time of the year. AI&I. Helping make college life a little easier. AKT '■ The right choice. * ___