Iori Yamamoto
Recently, rumors have been circulating about a brand new upgrade to Saint Maur’s campus. It was not long ago that the long awaited Cougar Café, Activity and Sports Center was completed, but it seems that there may be more exciting projects to come to the Saint Maur campus. Namely, an upgrade to an existing building, the Fine Arts Center. The rumors suggest that within the coming months, there will be an extension to the rotunda, increasing its height by an additional 3 stories.
I am sure our readers are familiar with the Fine Arts Center, which was constructed in 1998. We have all taken the trip up and down that spiral staircase, and enjoyed the scenic view of Yamate-cho from the top of the building. However, there have been some complaints about the rotunda, namely that it is not tall enough. A student who regularly visits the Fine Arts Center (who wished to remain anonymous) says “I love the building, but I wish there were way more stairs. That’s where I do my workouts.” Another student commented about the height of the building. “I’ve heard that taller buildings provide fresher air and greater amounts of sunlight. If the Fine Arts Center was taller, I could definitely see myself having picnics at the top.”
However, some are in opposition to the extension of the rotunda. Some say that the rotunda will cast an unsightly shadow over the rest of the campus. Others are afraid that the now towering building may topple over, posing a risk to the safety of students and faculty. One such student said “I would live every day with fear that [the building] would collapse on top of me. I wouldn’t even be able to enjoy the view, because I’m deathly afraid of heights.”
Please keep in mind that this rumor is only that, a rumor, and the extension of the Fine Arts Center rotunda is not completely confirmed to be happening any time soon. In fact, this may be an example of the annual custom, April Fool’s Day, where people, and even media outlets, attempt to play tricks and pranks, all in the name of good fun.
Iori Yamamoto