Spruced Up Main Campus Welcomes Students

Ambitious Renovations Undertaken by University

Students arriving at YU this semester were greeted by a host of renovations made throughout the Main Campus. These upgrades, carried out by the Department of Facilities Management and Supporting Services, are considered by some to be among the most ambitious facility enhancement efforts ever undertaken by the University. Improvements have been made to classroom buildings, dormitories, the library and the public areas of the Main Campus. Various technological and safety upgrades were implemented over the summer as well.

The Morris and Celia Morgenstern Residence Hall was the site of numerous major renovations. Additions to the beth medrash in the basement of Morgenstern Hall include the installation of new heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems. Upgrades to the Burdick Lounge adjacent to the beth medrash were also made. Shower rooms throughout the building have been refurbished and a new roof was added.

At Leah and Joseph Rubin Hall, a new ventilating and air conditioning system was installed in the Furman Dining Hall, new closets were purchased for the dorm rooms and the elevator was upgraded. These improvements complete a renovation project that began a year ago with the objective of upgrading the ambience of the building.

New tables, chairs, bookshelves and furnishings adorn the Beth Medrash in the main building, providing for the first major renovation to the Main Beth Medrash in over 15 years. New lockers and coatrooms are part of this project as well.

Elevators are currently being upgraded at Furst and Belfer Halls and extensive progress on both buildings has been made in the ongoing effort to cable offices and computer rooms with Internet and University-system access. The air conditioning and heating systems in Furst Hall will be enhanced by a major re-piping project that is still in progress.

Outdoors, an expansion to the University parking lot at 185th Street and Audubon Avenue has doubled the spaces available and improved the general appearance of the vicinity. Also, in coordination with the New York City Department of Transportation, the intersection of Amsterdam Avenue and 185th Street has been repaved. The outdoor furniture and greenery of the pedestrian mall along Amsterdam have been upgraded and renovated as part of an ongoing project to rehabilitate the mall area, which is now 10 years old. New security surveillance cameras have been installed outside the Main Campus facilities, strengthening YU's comprehensive security/safety program.

Many enhancements have been made to the computer services offered to the students, faculty, and staff of the Main Campus. The Department of Management Information Systems installed 51 new Pentium 360s in the Mendel Gottesman Library, all connected to the main computer network. The department also created a new computer classroom on the eighth floor of Belfer Hall. Additionally, four state-of-the art multimedia carts have been assembled. These carts provide a self-contained portable technology resource center that includes built-in computers, large display screens, audio systems, and a VCR.

"Each project is part of an effort undertaken by the University over the years to upgrade and renovate it's facilities," said Jeff Rosengarten, Director of Supporting Service Administration, whose duties included responsibility for this project. "This is necessary work aimed at providing an enhanced environment in which to live and learn."

"All of these upgrades reflect the administration's commitment to continually improve the ways in which we deliver services and the facilities available to students," said Arthur Myers, director of MIS and academic computing. "I think it's safe to say that the University is up-to-date with current technology, and we are laying the groundwork for the future."

Major renovations to other YU campuses have been made as well. Some enhancements to the Midtown Center include a newly erected air conditioning cooling tower at 245 Lexington Avenue, an additional computer classroom in that building, a new kitchen facility and convenience store in the dorms, and new dorm rooms at the Jerome and Geraldine Schottenstein Residence Hall. A project called Chemistry 2000 was started this year at Stern with the intention of renovating an entire floor of labs in the chemistry department.

Many students salute the University's efforts to enhance the general atmosphere and appearance of the Main Campus. Jake Weintraub, an SSSB/MYP Sophomore said, "I am impressed by the many renovations I have seen. It shows that the administration is trying to improve the quality of life for the students." Ben Franz, a YC/MYP Senior who saw the new changes said, "I must say, they have lovely taste for color."

Meanwhile, some students noted the many changes that can still be made on campus. For example, with the move of the Yeshiva University Museum, a large space will become available in the Gottesman Library. Students asserted that they would like to see this area used for the construction of an activities center or some student recreation facility. Also, many students expressed hopes that the dorms will be wired for Ethernet capabilities during the school year, a promise that was already made last May by certain elected Student Council officials.