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President's Desk

Walls rising up…

Oct 26, 2020

Dr. Alan LaFave, VCSU PresidentOne of the most significant events on a college campus is commencement and the celebratory recognition of a young person’s accomplishment of the completion of their degree. Another of the more exciting aspects of campus life is seeing the landscape improve and change. Whether this takes place in the form of renovation or new construction, facility improvements are vital to maintaining high-quality and functional educational delivery space for our students. This has been an exciting week at VCSU, as we have seen the first walls set in place for the new Center for the Arts.

As the walls begin to rise, you can just imagine the movement of students, faculty, staff and members of the public through this new facility. I can envision the hallways, classrooms, and labs bustling with students, the foyer full of attendees at a pre- or post-concert event, the rehearsal rooms active with large and small ensembles, the art gallery sponsoring numerous shows from visiting artists, faculty and students, the studio spaces filled with students honing their performance, drawing, painting, sculpture and design skills.

It’s quite amazing to watch a construction project of this complexity and magnitude move forward. I recall one of the most exciting and stressful times of mine and Kari’s lives was designing and building a new home thirteen years ago. From working on initial design to deciding final details with sub-contractors, excavators, framers, plumbers, electricians, and choosing everything from outlet locations to finishes throughout, it’s a very intense process.

The planning for this project spanned years and many iterations in design. Now, the Center for the Arts construction is well underway. The walls that are currently being put in place are actually the framework for the concert hall inside the main building. Once this is completed, the exterior walls and framing for the main building will begin. We are so appreciative of all of the workers on this project, especially as the weather and temperatures begin to signal the beginning of the winter season and extend our thanks and well wishes to all involved for safety throughout the process.

Finally, one last significant event in our lives is the election we’re privileged to participate in. We all have an opportunity to vote in the upcoming November 3rd election. I encourage everyone to be a participant in this important civic process, and help guide our community, state, and nation forward together.

Go Vikings!!