ARKADELPHIA — Ouachita Baptist dedicates new dorm
Ouachita Baptist University dedicated its new $26 million housing complex last week.
The "Student Village" is made up of two residential halls encompassing 12, four-story houses.
The facilities include 92 private and semi-private suites for more than 350 students. Amenities include two first-floor lobbies and four upper-level terraces.
The buildings also have study, fitness, theater and game rooms.
VCC Inc. of Little Rock is the project's general contractor, and Clements and Associates Inc. of North Little Rock is the architect.
Future construction plans include Heflin Plaza, which will include a pedestrian bridge linking the university's North campus and main campus.
Hope school breaks auditorium's ground
HOPE - Officials broke ground on a $10 million auditorium and convention hall for the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope.
Hempstead County residents voted for a 1-cent increase in county taxes in March 2008 to pay for the construction project.
The building will be called Hempstead Hall - a 50,000-square-foot, two-story facility designed by Harris Architects of Hot Springs.
The new building will include a 1,800-seat auditorium, a conference center or banquet hall for 800 with a fixed kitchen, office space, six conference rooms, and two large restroom facilities.
It will be the most visible building when entering the campus' main entrance, officials say.
The college's other new projects include the completion of the Science and Technology Building and the forthcoming construction of the Southwest Arkansas Co-op building.
Chancellor Chris Thomasonsaid the Hempstead Hall project will be completed within 18 to 24 months.
4 recipients named for Silas Hunt award
FAYETTEVILLE - The University of Arkansas named four recipients of the Silas Hunt Legacy Award, which recognizes black Americans for significant contributions.
The four recipients are:
Johnetta Cross Brazzell, UA vice chancellor for student affairs from 1999-2009, when she retired. During her tenure, black freshman retention and graduation rates increased. She also helped create the Silas Hunt Scholars mentoring program.
Ronnie Brewer, former Razorback basketball player, now with the Utah Jazz. He mentors basketball players in Fayetteville. In September 2008, he donated $50,000 for a scholarship for students from Arkansas who are interested in journalism and are part of the African American Studies Program.
Gerald Jordan, an associate professor in the UA journalism department. He works closely with the chancellor to recruit, retain and support members of minority groups as students, staff and faculty. He also led an effort to start the Lemke HighSchool Journalism Project involving Hispanic students.
Lonnie Williams, associate vice chancellor for student affairs for Arkansas State University at Jonesboro. Before he moved to ASU, he was assistant vice chancellor for student affairs at UA from 1991-2003, holding board of directors' positions for the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Black Alumni Society. He served on the chancellor's diversity task force, the multicultural center creation committee and the Silas Hunt Hall dedication committee, among others.
Silas Hunt Legacy Award recipients were nominated by the public and selected by a committee of UA alumni, friends, faculty, students and staff.
During the 2009-10 academic year, recipients will visit students and the community, concluding with a black-tie event in April.
The award is named after Silas Hunt, who became the first black student at UA's School of Law in 1948. Hunt died of tuberculosis in the spring of 1949 before finishing his law degree.
Information for this article was contributed by Marie Martin of the Texarkana Gazette.
Arkansas, Pages 16 on 08/23/2009