Campus updates please the eye and ear

One of the most visible—and audible—updates to the Hilltop this fall will be felt throughout town as the 1882 King Chapel clock is ticking again and the carillon is ringing. The Seth Thomas clock once again keeps time over campus and rings on the hour after being shut off for a year, and the carillons are ringing after about 18 months of silence.

Among dozens of other summer upgrades, King Chapel’s interior also was enhanced with new plaster and red carpet. The Spear Memorial sundial, which has stood near College Hall since 1906, was cleaned and a protective coating applied.

There have been changes to academic buildings, as well. In Norton Geology Center, track lighting was replaced with modern LED lighting. Facilities Services replaced 70 100-watt bulbs with 60 7-watt LED bulbs, for a savings of more than 6,000 watts. Norton’s carpet was replaced with laminate flooring, and classrooms were reconfigured there and in West Science.

Residential buildings also received special treatment. Approximately 100 residence hall rooms were painted, and two residence halls—Bowman-Carter and Olin—got new windows, along with repairs to their exteriors. Three homes the college uses for faculty/staff rental were refurbished, along with the temporary residence for President Jonathan Brand and his family.

Athletics upgrades include revamped batting cages. And two new electric golf carts are seen buzzing throughout campus for tours and other services. What makes the golf carts special is their color—they’re purple, of course—and the fact that they have the college logo emblazoned on the front.