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Park University's
Unforgettable Graduation
by
Freda Parker
photographs by David A. Collins
Click
here to download a PDF with full color photos of the finished school.
"No one who
attended the first graduation at our new Breckon Center will ever forget
it," said Rita Weighill, associate vice president of university advancement
at Park University in Parkville, Missouri.
The Breckon
Center is Park University's newest addition: an ultra modern sports facility
consisting of twin Monolithic Dome gymnasiums, each 130 feet in diameter,
flanking a two-story, 3289-square-foot office complex (www.park.edu/news/sports_center.htm).
Designed by MDI's architect Rick Crandall, work on this project began in
1999 and was completed in 2000.
"Our December
commencement was the first time we ever used the domes for a graduation
- a truly unforgettable one," Weighill said. "The domes were new so that
in itself was exciting, but then one of the grandparents of our graduates
had a heart attack.
Fortunately,
our security people were able to administer CPR and get his heart going
again.
That gentleman visited us a few weeks later, in much better condition and
very grateful. So, we have some very good memories associated with our Breckon
Center."
Sports
are a big thing at Park. Its men's and women's teams compete in the NAIA
(National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) in basketball, volleyball,
soccer and softball.
The teams use
the dome with two courts for practice. Its twin -- the performance gym with
its 1000 spectator seats -- hosts competitions and special events.
Asked how he
likes the domes, Athletic Director Claude English said, "Well, I'll be honest
with you. There's not much at all that I dislike.
The actual
facility is wonderful. You always look back and think about storage and
things of that nature, but the actual facility -- the office space, the
locker rooms, the gyms -- they're all very good.
"Normally, when
you get into a dome situation the acoustics are pretty bad," English continued.
"But in our
performance gym they're really good. We put in special acoustical material
and we will do that in the practice gym too."
According to
English, he and the coaches appreciate the practice gym as much or even
more than the performance gym.
He said, "We
now have a facility to practice in. No more cancellations because of bad
weather. It's wonderful because we have terrible winters.
It's
been a dream come true. I
think we're all very proud of and excited about the facility.
All the coaches are really impressed." Those
positive impressions extend to visitors as well.
"People look
at the two domes and they're a curiosity that piques their interest," English
said.
"But when they get inside, they get really impressed. Almost all the visiting
coaches have asked for more information on the domes. The feedback has been
very positive."
As for the day-to-day
operation and maintenance of the facility, Rusty Nachbar, plant operations
and maintenance manager, said, "It's great. All is going well. We had to
go through an adjustment period. At first we got the inside of the domes
too cold, then too warm.
Now it's set
just right and it's easy to maintain. The domes are an oddity in this area,
but a welcome addition. They give Park a good home court advantage."
In February 2001,
Park officially dedicated its Breckon Center. English said, "We tried to
make sure that all our sports teams were in town for this dedication. So
we actually began playing in the domes before the dedication -- just couldn't
wait."
The dedication,
held in the performance dome, was attended by the mayor of Parkville, Park
University's board members, all of its teams, faculty and staff.
Along with companionship,
good wishes and good food, attendees looked at photos and memorabilia commemorating
Park's 126-year history. Included
in all that reminiscing were fond, happy discussions of that first, unforgettable
graduation at their Breckon Center. |
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