Adding seating to Duke Arena was the winning idea at Leadership Baylor's recent project contest. As one of nine student group presentations, students in the group led by Brian Gill pitched their research and plan to judges, Headmaster Scott Wilson and Dean of Academic Affairs Donald Ball, during colloquium period.
The project ideas were seeded by the following challenge:
Baylor is beginning the celebration of 100 Years On The Hill. Your challenge is to select a type of space: academic, nonacademic, or residential and answer the following question: What does the perfect Baylor space look like? How does its form and function celebrate Baylor’s heritage and still look forward to the next 100 years?
You are encouraged to think out of the box - you may choose to revisit an existing space or design a space that does not yet exist. Any and all design considerations can be addressed.
Mr. Gill's group suggested an enlargement of Duke Arena seating and improvements in HVAC equipment, a plan that would preserve the historical charm of the venue and make it more comfortable and usable at the same time. The judges commended the students' work as "a creative and insightful consideration," adding that "suggested improvements would indeed leave a legacy."
Members of the winning group are Alex Armor, Owen Bettis, John Carlson, Georgia Cornell, Chloe Eachus, Emily Gill, Mills Hooper, Weston Jarnagin, Spencer King, Damien Li, Cassie McCarley, Amelia Moore, Aaliyah Muhammad, Matthew Palermo, Anders Pokela, Shemar Rhaney, Ben Shuptrine, Sam Stewart, Patrick Toomey, Grace Wall and Andrew Yan.
Other ideas presented included the creation of a Wellness Center along with improvements to the Athletic Training department, a "Solar Dock" that would provide outdoor eating areas in the quad and an environmentally friendly iPad charging station, creation of a Cheer Gym along with improvements to the Heywood Stadium field house, a "Big Red Gazebo" as student and guest space on Rike Field, creation of an "ideal classroom," improvements to team locker rooms in Memorial Gymnasium, and an outdoor "Treehouse Classroom."