August 4, 2008 MSU'S MERIDIAN VENUE Penny Kemp, the MSU Riley Center's marketing director, will recount the history of the beautifully restored 19th century grand opera house. The center is operated by the MSU Meridian campus as a conference venue, educational facility and theater. NEXT WEEK Rotarian Lewis Mallory will bring his perspective of the current economy and the nation's financial system. LAST WEEK Invocation and Pledge: Johnny Thompson Attendance: There were 114 members (36 exempt) present, and 85 (21 exempt, 7 honorary) absent. Attendance makeups: David Boles in Memphis and Jerry Toney online. Guests and visitors: Members’ guests included. Ruth Remy of Keith, Dale Tate of Steve Taylor, and Les Potts of Brian Portera. Shoshana Brackett of the Starkville Daily News and Tim Muzzi, MSU architect, were guests of the Club. Rotary Youth Exchange participants who also were Club guests included Marie Baran, RYE `06-`07 from France; Takatoshi Sato, this year’s RYE student, from Japan; and Taka’s first host family Jane, Gary and Hugh Windham. Club notes: Emphasizing our international focus, President Chip displayed the club banner that Rotarian O.A. Cleveland brought back from Jakarta, Indonesia. He encouraged members to consider applying to lead the district Group Study Exchange Team to India next year. He also drew members’ attention to the weekend Jackson Clarion-Ledger article about women’s growing involvement in Rotary. And, he noted that Tori Ferguson, our Rotary Youth Exchange representative to Ecuador last year, would be competing in the state Miss Hospitality contest during the week. KONICHIWA AND YOKOSO, TAKA “It’s a bit of a different experience to find a guest’s baggage, but no guest at the airport,” said Rotarian Keith Remy of the opening day of our Rotary Youth Exchange year. Takatoshi Sato from Japan had the dubious adventure of being stranded in Atlanta when the last flight to GTR left on Friday night, July 25. However, by Saturday, he was on the ground in Starkville. Taka is 16, but will celebrate his 17th birthday next month (Sept. 6). He is the youngest of three sons ofSeishi and Yoko Sato. Their home is in Fukuyama, a city of 400,000+, second largest in the Hiroshima Prefecture. His father is a fireman, his mother is a care worker in a retirement or nursing home in Fukuyama. Taka is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Matsunaga, in District 2710, a district with 74 clubs and a total membership of slightly more than 4,000. His first host family is Gary and Jane Windham and their youngest son, Hugh, who is a senior in SHS. Gary is former Scoutmaster of Troop 14. MARIE RETURNS FOR SUMMER SCHOLARS Marie Baran returned to the stage in Starkville as part of the MSU Summer Scholars program in July. In Starkville, Marie had the chance to relax with one of her host families, the Cathcarts. Joining us for our weekly meeting, she reported that, despite the stress of her final year in high school, she finished the French baccalaureate examination with a 17.2/20 score. This fall she will go to university to study international business after a family trip to Tunisa. Marie thanked the Club for making her RYE experience possible and for helping her “discover who I am.” “YOU CAN'T GET THERE FROM HERE": CHANGES AT MSU As our largest local enterprise and the state’s largest university, Mississippi State always draws attention to its ongoing campus changes. Jim Jones, head of the newly established Office of Campus Planning and Sustainability, reported activities in five major facilities projects. The U.S. Navy Postgraduate School alumnus said, “Following a career in military facilities management, I was lucky to return to campus in 2005 when a lot was going on in a lot of directions.” Jones’ office is charged with solving the question, “How do you take a fixed land mass and meet new and increase needs.” “When I was a student in the late `70s, there were about 3,000 cars total on campus,” he said. “Now, we have about that many vehicles pass through at peak times.” Moving center campus more toward a pedestrian area, the university’s long-range plan calls for reducing and re-routing roads between the stadium and YMCA building. The Dog Walk through The Junction will be extended through campus in 8 to 10 phases as funds become available. The overall tab for the project should be $5 to 7 million, depending on the economic climate. The Old Main Plaza between McCool Hall and the Colvard Union should be functional by Aug. 15. The view from Perry Cafeteria to Stephen D. Lee’s bust on the Drill Field should mimic what would have been seen when Old Main still stood a half century ago. Responding to a question about bicycle traffic in the corridor between McCool and Montgomery Halls, Jones said, “It’s not designed for such traffic, but, trust me, creative students will find a way to use it.” Project number two on Jones’ inventory is housing, headlined by the phase III residence complex between Rice and McComas Halls. This $25 to 30 million project will add 350 beds in two-person rooms. It also will include meeting rooms, seminar rooms and utility space opening to the parking lot on its east side. Landscaping will be redesigned to define the area as a residential village. The campus’ major sustainability challenge is energy conservation in the face of a $16 million yearly utility bill. The new complex will tie in to the campus heating and air condition loop and separate McComas from the Allen Hall system. Answering a question, Jones said, “Suttle Hall probably won’t come down until after this project.” The old dorm already is uninhabitable in its top 3 floors. The conundrum is that the university does not need to invest more in a building scheduled for demolition, but the usable area still is needed for swing space. The Zacharias Village, on the north side of campus, will be dedicated in September 5 ceremonies. Jones’ third focus was the Thad Cochran Research, Technology and Economic Development Park Phase II. A $2.5 million road project will connect Highway 182 and the park through North Farm. The current stage is an environmental assessment. The target completion date is 2010. The most striking project that Jones discussed is the new jumbo video screen to be constructed over the M-Club and Field House at Davis-Wade Stadium. He said that the desire was to have the project completed by October. The $5 to 6 million edifice will be funded by the Bulldog Club. At a height of 130 feet, the structure will house a 48 foot by 86 foot screen equal to a 4.5 story building. It will require a 40-ton cooling unit for its electronics. The design of the side facing the Junction has not been determined. Finally, Jones’ fifth reviewed project is the Stone Boulevard extension through South Farm to the Horsepark and Agricenter on Poorhouse Road. The 4 lane, 4 mile thoroughfare originally was estimated to cost $5 million, but Jones said at current input costs, it may run to $11 to 13 million and take up to 20 years. However, Phase I, a two lane road may be ready in about a year-and-a-half. This project, too, is in its environmental assessment. Several archaeological sites have been identified and will require some re-routing of the path. Public hearings have expressed interest in bike and walking paths. Concerns have been expressed about light affecting the university observatory and sound affecting nearby residential areas. |