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St. Cloud State University
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Lawrence Hall reopens
By Ashwin Raman
Published:
Thursday, September 4, 2003
Media Credit: Adam Masloski
Lawrence Hall is open to students and offices for the first time this fall after undergoing major renovations.
Lawrence Hall, the oldest building on campus, has reopened as a dormitory this semester after a 30 -year hiatus. The residence hall, named after SCSU's eighth president Isabel Lawrence, was built in 1885 and hasn't been used as dorm since 1965.
After a $6.4 million remodeling that took a year, Lawrence Hall now houses 100 students, the Center for International Studies (CIS) and the Foreign Languages and Literature department. One of the remarkable aspects about Lawrence Hall, however, is the concept behind it.
"The concept within Lawrence Hall is that the students are either international or domestic students with an international interest," said Steve Ludwig, vice president of administrative affairs. "This concept has been around since 1995."
The concept of having an international center on campus was what made the CIS and the Foreign Languages and Literature departments move, said Shawn Jarvis, chairperson of the foreign languages department.
"It is easier to coordinate international activities on campus this way," Jarvis added.
Ludwig also said that one of the added features of Lawrence is that it has a computer lab and one regular classroom, which will be used for foreign language classes.
Ruhi Rai, who works at the front desk in Lawrence Hall, feels that this building has a different feel to it than other dorms she has worked in.
"This dorm gives you a fresh feeling," said Rai, a senior in biotechnology. "And it is air conditioned." Rai has previously worked in both Stearns and Shoemaker Hall.
For freshman Kevin Nathan from Malaysia, Lawrence Hall is the prefect welcome for him to America.
"Everything is new and will be a good environment for me to study in," said Nathan who be major in mechanical engineering.
"People have told me that this is the best dorm," he said. Furthermore, he, like Rai, finds the air-conditioning an added bonus to dorm.
Some who have moved into Lawrence Hall are still in the transitional period of getting used to the place.
Linda Raine, office manager and study abroad coordinator for the CIS, said that she still needs time to adjust to being in Lawrence Hall. The CIS was previously located in a house across the library on Fifth Avenue and is now home to the Women's Studies department.
"In my opinion, I liked the house we were in because it had a homely feeling to it," Raines said. The move to Lawrence Hall, however, had been planned for years.
"We moved from the adminISTRation building eight years ago to the CIS house but we knew it was temporary because once this building (Lawrence Hall) was renovated, we were to move in," Raines said.
She believes that over time however, she will get settled in her new office.
"In time I will like this building. And it is nice being here with the international students upstairs," Raines added.
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