News and Updates
Focus on the Dining Hall
The centerpiece—architecturally, physically and emotionally—of the Academic Center Project will be the resituating of the existing Dining Hall into the space formerly occupied by the Multi-Purpose Room. Many remember the Multi-Purpose Room for its Brutalist construction with its large amount of concrete and an absence of windows.
That Brutalism will be softened by the addition of nine three-story windows to infuse much-needed natural light, a domed Ignatian Commons (dedicated to the history of the Jesuit mission) that will serve as a gateway between the current building and the new academic center and a Mezzanine that will extend along the east wall of the room, broadening out in a curved diagonal from the southeast corner to the northwest corner of the room. In addition, this space will house a larger Chief’s Place, a new Prep Shop, the Dean’s office and a student lounge equipped with a big-screen television.
Aside from the obvious aesthetic improvements, the new Dining Hall will have its greatest impact on student scheduling. According to Mrs. Rose Marie Kettinger, Assistant Principal for Academic Programs and Records, at the Prep’s current capacity, “students carrying a full roster may have their one free period anywhere from third period to seventh period.” That means that a student could eat lunch as early as 10:09 a.m., or as late as 1:05 p.m. An early lunch hurts students playing sports and a late lunch forces upon the student a possible six-class grind every day. With the completion of the new Academic Center and its component Dining Hall, all students will have one free period that falls in those more traditional lunching periods of fourth (10:53 a.m.), fifth (11:37 a.m.) or sixth (12:21 p.m.). “Aside from creating an improved flow to the day, the new Dining Hall will also allow for greater community among our students,” says Mrs. Kettinger.
