New Quad Unveiled For Fall Start

Fountains, palm trees, and new walkways now decorate the quad that stretches across main campus. With some more construction that has yet to be completed, this $9 million project is part of the school's 1998 Master Plan, reports Gregory Brown, SMC's director of facilities.

Some students can be heard having skeptical conversations regarding the project in the quad and seem to suggest that the money could have been spent a better way. However, the majority of students seem to be pleased by the new quad's presence. Robin Yancey, 19, said, "I feel like I'm at UC Santa Monica."

Also, this project, the center of the campus, was to be completed for the 1998 Master Plan, after the Theater Arts, Library, and Humanities and Social Sciences buildings.

The construction remaining to be done includes the area between Drescher Hall and, HSS as well as between HSS and the physical education locker room. After these areas are completed, the quad will be finished, and the next major project is due to begin this December.

Brown said it "will occupy the space where Music, Concert Hall and Amphitheater are currently located." It is a "large building to consolidate all of our Student Service functions in one building," he said.

The quad is not entirely complete, but already serving as a popular hangout.

Students can be seen eating, talking and relaxing throughout the area at almost any time of the day. For all of the returning students, it is certainly better than the seemingly eternal trip to your class, cutting around fence upon fence of loud construction concealed by the fence's green tarp.

The entire area is decorated with varying plants which, for the most part, match many of the plants on other parts of the school.
Tall, palm trees stand around the edges of the newly constructed pathway.

The landscape architect, Melendrez, is a part of tBP Architecture, who have done work at University of California, Riverside, Fullerton College, and Riverside Community College. They are responsible for our Bundy Campus renovation.

Also, the bowl-shaped object over towards the Drescher Hall end of the quad, which appears full of dirt, is going to be a planter, another design feature by Melendrez.

The caution tape surrounding the grass section nearest to the library, and signs reading "Keep off the grass," is a reminder for us to take care of our school. The new quad is almost complete, and more construction is coming.