After graduation, renovations are scheduled to be made to McNulty Hall and its amphitheater this summer.
According to John Signorello, associate vice president of Facilities Engineering and Business Affairs, renovations will begin May 22 and will end August 17.
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Sarah Yenesel/Photography Editor Renovations will begin May 22, according to John Signorello, associate vice president of Facilities Engineering and Business Affairs.[/caption]
Also known as the Science and Technology Center, McNulty Hall’s amphitheater is set to “receive new seating with power at each seat,” according to Signorello in an email. This will allow those in the amphitheater to plug in their devices to charge.
The renovations also include the installation of new carpet, acoustic panels and painting the amphitheater, he said. Signorello added that the audio visual equipment will be updated and new LED lighting will be “installed for energy efficiency.”
In addition to the renovations on the amphitheater, Signorello said there will be some minor work done in McNulty’s pre-function space, which is the lobby, to add a display monitor.
Signorello discussed why McNulty will be undergoing renovations.
He said McNulty was renovated 10 years ago and that, “Current AV [audiovisual] technology is analog and changing to digital.” He added that the, “Seating needs replacement as they can no longer be repaired,” and that the, “Finishes are worn.”
He also commented on what inspired the changes to McNulty. He said, “Part of our maintenance and repair to the building and opportunity to upgrade the amphitheater with power, lighting, AV and finishes.”
Project Manager for Facilities Engineering, Michael Marconi, further elaborated on the renovations.
Marconi wrote in an email that the new seating that will be added to the McNulty amphitheater is similar to the seating in Jubilee Auditorium, which was recently renovated. The seating will have “tablet arms and an electric outlet at the arm rest of the seat providing power for laptops.”
Marconi said that the amphitheater’s seating capacity will stay at 231 seats, including accessible seating locations. He added that, “ADA [American Disability Act] accessible seat locations will now feature an accessible table for wheelchair use similar to those provided in the Jubilee Auditorium.”
The audiovisual equipment will be “updated to accommodate new technology,” Marconi said. “In order to enhance viewing within the amphitheater, two large monitors are being added to either side of the upper level that will supplement the large format screen at the center of the amphitheater. Existing lighting is being replaced with more energy efficient LED lighting.”
Students who have classes in McNulty discussed how they feel about the upcoming construction.
Valenza Stearns, a senior biology major, wrote in an email that she is “pleased that McNulty is scheduled for renovation.”
She said she has had most of the classes required for her major in McNulty and she likes the building.
“The front-facing windows pour light into the atrium and create such a nice atmosphere,” Stearns said. “Aside from updating laboratory equipment, I think general areas could be updated with additional seating and more outlets.”
She has been in the McNulty amphitheater multiple times for lectures and seminar talks and said “it needs some modernization.” She added that redoing the carpeting and adding outlets would help.
She said these renovations will be a good thing and that, “The environment where your education is taking place significantly impacts your experience.”
Alyssa Criscuolo, a sophomore biology major on the physician assistant track, feels that it is a positive thing McNulty is being renovated.
She wrote in an email that many of the amphitheater seat covers are ripped and need to be replaced. She said there are also lots of noticeable carpet stains.
Criscuolo has several classes in McNulty and likes the building, especially the amphitheater in McNulty because it has more space than the one in the Nursing building.
“I do think that the blackboard in the amphitheater needs to be changed to a whiteboard because the board gets very dirty throughout the day, which makes it difficult to see what the professor is writing,” she said.
“These renovations will be a good thing because as a biology student I have a lot of classes in this building so it is more enjoyable to be learning in a nicer, newer place,” Criscuolo added.
“Also, I think that students will appreciate having power at their seats because a lot of students use their laptops to take notes, so when their laptops need to be charged students have to sit in the back of the amphitheater,” she said. “Having power at each seat will allow students to still be able to sit close to the front while charging their laptops.”
Samantha Todd can be reached at samantha.todd@student.shu.edu.
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