USC prepares for Topping demolition
Administrators have already moved their offices from Topping Student Center.
Jennifer Smith
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News
Contractors will take over Topping Student Center on Monday to prepare the building for its demolition this summer.
All the offices and student groups have moved out of Topping, and the last group meeting in the building took place Tuesday.
Several offices under Student Affairs, including the Office of Campus Activities, the Office of Orientation, the Volunteer Center and the Center for Student Life and Involvement, have been relocated to different buildings across campus.
"We coordinated the efforts for all organizations to move into Hazel and Stanley Hall," said Jason Cruz, project coordinator for Student Life and Involvement. "For the most part, it was a smooth transition. I think everyone is happy we are all together."
Patrick Bailey, associate dean of students and executive director of Student life and Involvement, said he has been working to make sure the transition from Topping to Hazel and Stanley Hall, located behind Commons, will be easy.
"We have been looking at this move for some time," Bailey said. "We made sure the phones, the technology, everything had a smooth transfer."
Bailey and Cruz have received mixed reviews about the new cubicle-style offices that organizations must use while in Hazel and Stanley Hall.
"It's an indifferent office setting," Bailey said. "The area used to be a financial services area, so that means a lot of cubicles. Most of the student groups are used to working in an open environment, where they could see each other and work collaboratively. I think once they got in the cubicles they realized it wasn't as inhibiting as they thought it was going to be."
Cruz said he's been hearing similar things from student groups.
"A lot of them have happened to like the privacy now," Cruz said. "They now have dividers, which can keep them more focused on their work."
Contractors will begin the initial abatement of Topping next week.
"Anything that is left in the building, any furniture or anything that can be recycled, will be broken down and recycled," Bailey said. "They will do an abatement of any type of hazardous material that is left in the building, that way when Topping is torn down there will be dust and not any hazardous waste in the air."
All the offices and student groups have moved out of Topping, and the last group meeting in the building took place Tuesday.
Several offices under Student Affairs, including the Office of Campus Activities, the Office of Orientation, the Volunteer Center and the Center for Student Life and Involvement, have been relocated to different buildings across campus.
"We coordinated the efforts for all organizations to move into Hazel and Stanley Hall," said Jason Cruz, project coordinator for Student Life and Involvement. "For the most part, it was a smooth transition. I think everyone is happy we are all together."
Patrick Bailey, associate dean of students and executive director of Student life and Involvement, said he has been working to make sure the transition from Topping to Hazel and Stanley Hall, located behind Commons, will be easy.
"We have been looking at this move for some time," Bailey said. "We made sure the phones, the technology, everything had a smooth transfer."
Bailey and Cruz have received mixed reviews about the new cubicle-style offices that organizations must use while in Hazel and Stanley Hall.
"It's an indifferent office setting," Bailey said. "The area used to be a financial services area, so that means a lot of cubicles. Most of the student groups are used to working in an open environment, where they could see each other and work collaboratively. I think once they got in the cubicles they realized it wasn't as inhibiting as they thought it was going to be."
Cruz said he's been hearing similar things from student groups.
"A lot of them have happened to like the privacy now," Cruz said. "They now have dividers, which can keep them more focused on their work."
Contractors will begin the initial abatement of Topping next week.
"Anything that is left in the building, any furniture or anything that can be recycled, will be broken down and recycled," Bailey said. "They will do an abatement of any type of hazardous material that is left in the building, that way when Topping is torn down there will be dust and not any hazardous waste in the air."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Jabril
posted 4/16/08 @ 12:06 PM PST
Someone please post a picture of the Student Center on line before they begin demolition.
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