Aaron Burns | News Co-Editor

Things are lighting up in the dining halls. The recently renovated Centennial Room, commonly referred to as the “Cent Room” by students, is catching the attention of students, faculty, staff, and prospective students and families. The renovation took place during the month of January, while Buena Vista University (BVU) was in its January Interim.

Dr. Meg McKeon, Vice President for Student Affairs/Dean of Students, and Liz Merten, Vice President for Business Services, oversaw the progress of the Centennial Room, with the help of the Sodexo staff. The plan was to give the room more light and to make it more inviting for students and visitors.

“When I first came and observed, it was pretty outdated,” McKeon said. “It needed to be brightened and a little bit more inviting and student friendly. Shortly after I got here, we started having conversations about how to improve that space.”

The current renovations were intended to be short-term improvements, which in an institution’s time, is a three- to five-year span.

“We don’t know where we’re going to be in terms of facilities long-term,” McKeon said.

Many features of the Cent Room were restored or changed. The floor was sanded down and refinished; new carpet was laid; a new, larger flat screen television was installed; the sound system was rewired; and the old flat screen television was relocated to the lower section of the room. The lights were also replaced and are adjustable for multiple uses of the room.

The funding for the renovations of the Centennial Room came from a gift from outside sources. When universities receive gifts, they can be either unrestricted, which can be used on anything, or restricted, given with a particular purpose. The gift received was a restricted gift to be used on the food services and dining halls. None of the money came from the operating budget or student fees.

One feature of the Centennial Room that is yet to be finished is the furniture that was found there before. The original furniture is being reupholstered and will return in the near future.

Junior Paige Miller likes the renovations and sees the changes to the space as positive.

“I do like the renovations,” Miller said. “I think that it gives the Cent Room a fresh new look. It’s updated and classy.”

If students have other ideas or suggestions for the new Centennial Room or general area, McKeon would love to hear them. In the planning, they have considered putting an Xbox and DVD player in by the new flat screen TV, but McKeon wants to be sure students would make use of those before including them. Students interested in offering opinions on those installations or who want to share other ideas for the space are encouraged to stop by Student Affairs to share their input.

Photos by Tyson Domingo