Issue date: 3/25/08 Section: News

A group of Eastern University students usher in and out of an elevator door in the south tower at Carmen hall on Monday night. (John Bailey/The Daily Eastern News)

Correction added


An elevator project can now get started on again.

It has been on hold since November 2003, said campus architect Steve Shrake.

The project involves more than just elevators.

Elevators in Student Services Building and McAfee Gymnasium, toilet renovations in the Student Services Building and the Multi-Culture Center, an accessible ramp for the Multi-Culture Center, automatic door operators for Tarble Arts Center and Buzzard Hall, and fire alarm upgrades in Facilities Planning & Management buildings were all included.

The elevator project designs for McAfee and Student Services buildings were complete and ready to bid when the project funding to construct the work was suspended by the State of Illinois, said Gary Reed, director of Facilities Planning and Management.

While funding was stopped, other obstacles limited construction on the project.

Electrical and building codes have changed since the designs were first drafted.

"This work was part of a larger state-wide compliance improvements initiative managed by the Capital Development Board," Reed said. "We were recently advised by the CDB that this project could now proceed."

With the designs being years old, it was essential to review them.

"This ensures the work meets current applicable codes and standards which may have changed since the original design date," said Reed.

Capital Development Board is negotiating a contract modification with the architect to get the project moving. That project is not specifically elevators but includes new elevators in McAfee and Student Service Building, Shrake said.

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Eastern's cars go Green

Facilities Planning and Management is going green.

Facilities was the first on campus to experiment with environmentally friendly vehicles. Currently, they have many environmentally friendly cars in the Eastern fleet including two Prius and one electric car.

The Prius is a hybrid electric car that combines a conventional propulsion system with an on-board rechargeable energy storage system.

An electric car uses chemical energy stores in rechargeable battery packs, electric motors and motor controllers.

Additionally, Facilities also has several 3-cylinder-al terrain vehicles that the grounds crew uses.

"These al terrain vehicles are more environmentally sound than the pick-up trucks they used to use," said Ryan Siegel, campus energy and sustainability coordinator.

The effort to have cars go "green" has been going on for about a year and a half.

Siegel is the chair of the Energy and Sustainability Committee. The committee meets quarterly and discusses ways the university could be more environmentally sound.

The group supported the more environmentally friendly cars.

"Small vehicles and alternative fuel is the types of cars we are trying to get more of," Siegel said.

Currently, Facilities has requested one more environmentally sound car. Eastern's locksmith would use the car.

One of the Pruis' that Facilities has is rented out to departments, Siegel said.

Currently, it is used by the athletic department. The women's basketball team is using the car and keeping mileage. The mileage is kept in an effort to compare this car with a car less environmentally efficient.

Woman's asketball Head Coach Brady Sallee said the team has used the Pruis for a couple of years. Assistant Coach for the women's basketball team, Quacy Timmons, drives the car. The car is used for recruiting trips.

"It's very economical, it gets 41 miles to the gallon," Timmons said.

Cars are not the only way the campus is going "green."

Waste oil from dining services is used to make bio diesel fuel.

"It is possible to take waste oil from the dining services and add methanol and turn it into bio diesel," Siegel said. "The bio diesel produced reduces emissions."

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Students urged to avoid procrastination

The Academic Success Center is offering students study tips as finals approach.

Taisha Mikell, Student Success Specialist at the Center, said students struggle with time management.

"If you haven't been doing what you're should be doing the struggle increases," she said.

Mikell said that for every hour a student spends in class, the student should commit two to three hours studying outside of class.

"Kick it into gear as the year goes on," Mikell said. "Seven hours a week is a lot and by breaking things into smaller chunks it helps students remember what they need to."

Brian Gorman, Graduate Assistant at the Student Success Center agreed with Mikell.

"If a student doesn't understand an assignment they put it off," Gorman said. "Ask questions early. Students are too afraid to ask instructors and they don't realize that they are allies."

Students that go to the success center said the tips they offer were helpful.

"Once I sat down and followed through with some of those study tips, I felt like I was making huge progress," said Jeremy Wiora, a sophomore marketing major.


Study tips from the Academic Success Center:
Chart actual hours of studying and other activities.
Study at the right time- before or after class.
Avoid cramming
Study one subject for only one hour at a time.


Ashley Mefford can be reached at 581-7942 or at almefford@eiu.edu.

Jeff Racic can be reached at 581-7942 or at jjracic@eiu.edu.

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