So, the question everyone is wondering: What will this new and improved Peters will look like after the $9.5 million is spent? Many changes are being made, but the structure will remain the same. This doesn't mean they are just painting and tightening a few loose screws. Actually, a lot of things are being moved around, such as the hallways that everyone gets lost in while trying to find their class on the first day of school.

At the heart of Peters hall will be an atrium mainly for light (thank goodness), covering a wide space. This will not have an open ceiling, but it will be made out of a material that lets sunlight into the room. Under this lighted room will be the climbing wall along with some plants for decoration. The old pool will be taken out, leaving the only pool at Radford in the Dedmon Center. The pool will be replaced by two new dance studios for the Dance Department.

The biggest renovation is the 12,000-foot addition for faculty offices and classrooms. The basketball courts on the side of Peters will be turned into the new two- story addition for offices. The weight room, as those of us who use it know, could definitely stand to change. According to Betty Strum, a professor of health and physical education, the plan is to give it a new space and create a more "fitness club" atmosphere. One of the gyms will stay, but which one is uncertain. The other gym will be replaced by the Teaching Resource Center.

Some students said that leaving the same structure is a bad idea. They say that the hallways are confusing and that the building is just plain old. In response to those comments, many point out that critics do not know about Russell hall. It was renovated in the late 1980's, and its structure remained the same. However, when all was complete, it looked like a whole new building due to a new entrance hall and the relocation of the staircases for easier access. In other words, the structure of Peters hall will not change, but that doesn't mean the building itself will look identical to its old form.

The colleges and departments with offices inside Peters do not know where they will be during the renovation. This is a big concern to many faculty members.

As one faculty member put it, "Anytime you renovate a building, it gets somewhat disorganized."

The Dance Department is getting two new dance studios out of the renovation, but when they move out for construction, what will they use for class and practice? The Department still doesn't know where they will be over the next two years. Residents of the Brain and Research Center, currently located within Peters, know they are going to be moved to the new Waldron College building as soon as it is completed. They will remain there, never to return to Peters. Military Services (ROTC) say they are unsure as to exactly where they will be located during the construction. They are being told 701 Davis Street, but that is still a matter of confusion.

The Physical and Health Education Department is doing a great deal of juggling right now. Everything they use for class is either located in Peters or at the Dedmon Center. One concern is their lab classes. There will be too many people at the Dedmon Center at one time if all labs are moved there.

"We need activity areas for our health labs," says Strum. "We already know we'll be at Dedmon." The Department has found out that it will be losing its master's program for two to three years due to renovations. Also, Kari Kiser, a graduate assistant for Health 200 said that she thinks they should hold off and do it right. Kiser said, "They should wait until they get enough money to construct a new building instead of putting a Band-Aid on the old one." For right now, the old weight lifting equipment and cardiovascular machines will be stored in Muse hall until late summer. It is up to the General Assembly as to whether or not Radford will receive new equipment.

Another controversy with the Peters Hall renovations centers around the gymnastics team. What is going to happen to all of their expensive equipment? The girls are heading for Arizona this week to compete in nationals, and they ARE very successful. Some rumors say that one reason they are being "un-supported" by the university is because of the Peters hall renovations and lack of funding. They want to advertise Men's basketball and fund a new track that is currently under construction. All of those things take money. Jill Caruso, a gymnastics team member, says, "The gym in Peters is where we always practice." The renovation will make it tough on the girls. If they don't have the support of the school or a place to practice, their successful team could be headed for crisis.