The Transcript

Issue date: 2/4/10 Section: News

Sanborn Hall

The Ohio Wesleyan administration is looking to prevent a need for major renovations in Sanborn Hall by performing routine upkeep on the building, home of OWU's music department, in its 100th year.

"This is really a relatively low-cost facelift for the building," said Eric Algoe, vice president for finance administration and treasurer.

The maintenance work on Sanborn is among many other upcoming or in-progress campus renovations.

Over the summer, work crews will tuck-point the building's brick exterior, replace damaged wood and paint and power-wash the wood.

"[The work will include] any minor repairs and preventative maintenance work that will help to preserve the building for many years to come," Algoe said.

Junior Jessica Spafford, a music major, said she is appreciative of the maintenance effort but said the work should have been done before this year

"I'm very happy that Sanborn is getting some attention," Spafford said.

"But I also do feel that the administration should have done something about it a long time ago…. I realize that the new televisions and furniture are nice in HamWill, but that place wasn't that run-down to begin with, so I think some of their priorities need to be straightened out."

Sophomore Maddy Hargis, an early childhood education major, has most of her classes in Phillips and said she thinks that it needs more attention that Sanborn.

"I feel like three of OWU's popular majors-education, psychology and journalism-are housed in a building that isn't well-maintained," Hargis said.

"I take a class in Sanborn and I thought it was actually in nice shape; I would rather see Phillips get some things fixed."

Spafford said the administration's disregard for Sanborn's upkeep has affected potential music students looking to go to OWU.

"Sanborn used to be an actual music conservatory but no longer is, and our facilities are so out of date that it doesn't help in trying to get prospective students to come here," she said. "Because Sanborn is so distanced from the academic side, I feel like we are often forgotten about."

Junior Annie Spain, a music education major, said the administration doesn't ignore Sanborn, but other departments do seem to receive more attention.

"Just because we're on the completely other end of campus doesn't mean we don't exist," Spain said.

"It is nice to hear that a 'facelift' is planned and I look forward to experiencing the changes in my upcoming senior year."

Spafford said despite her misgivings about the attention paid to Sanborn, she appreciates the administration's effort to keep Sanborn functioning.

"Overall, I am glad for the workers who will be cleaning Sanborn. It will be nice to see it restored!"

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