Helser Hall is getting a summer makeover

By Anne Krapfl
May 16

The north fourth of Helser Hall came down in summer 2001 to create space for the Union Drive Community Center, and the residence department's master plan at that time called for the rest of the student residence to be demolished by 2007. Three suite-style halls were planned to replace Helser and a west section of Friley.

But enrollment climbed steadily for a decade, as did demand for on-campus housing, and the Helser location proved too popular with students to part with it. Despite its age and mostly original state, Helser Hall has remained full the last 10 years.

Instead, the residence department is investing more than $6.5 million in Helser this summer -- $3.4 million to replace all the windows and nearly $3.2 million to refurbish all 353 rooms and a dozen-plus dens.

Director of residence and assistant vice president for student affairs Pete Englin said the west campus facilities plan he inherited in 2005 would have reduced capacity by 700 beds and cost up to $30 million to finish. The intent -- to offer a mix of housing options for students and create a recreational green space on Helser's footprint -- was worthy, Englin said. But he was reluctant to approve additional debt when Helser and Friley structurally were solid -- and full of students every fall. And from a design perspective, Helser's hallway wings provide a simple structure for the department's house system, which clusters smaller groups, he added.

"The residence hall experience contributes to a successful transition for more than 6,000 new students each year and helps students connect to the university," Englin said. "It also contributes to higher GPAs for every classification, higher persistence from year to year, and greater overall satisfaction with their ISU experience."

The Helser community experience, coupled with its convenient location and lower, non-air conditioned price, creates a high (30%) student return rate from year to year, he said.

Well-orchestrated summer

On a tight 12-week schedule (May 13-July 31), windows and tile floors containing asbestos will be removed, and walls containing the original built-in closets, shelves and dressers will be demolished down to concrete studs.

Julie Hartl Barr, the residence department's manager of building improvements, wove an interdependent schedule that involves a half dozen companies, all of whom pledged to meet their deadlines, even adding employees if necessary. There's little wiggle room in how the tasks fit together, she said.

By early August, new insulated walls will contain upgraded electric outlets, and LED ceiling lights will replace fluorescent lights. Tinted, energy-efficient windows, window blinds and vinyl plank floors will be installed in rooms. All rooms will be painted and furnished with $1.7 million worth of desks, chairs, wardrobes and lofted beds constructed at Iowa Prison Industries. The furniture pieces are free-standing to give students greater flexibility in arranging their rooms.

Hallways will receive new carpet, paint and LED lights.

"This is one of our bigger lifecycle projects, because of the demolition and electrical pieces," said the department's associate director for facilities Roger Graden. "To get it done in one summer will be challenging."

More improvements for Helser

Planned in two sections, the first part of Helser Hall opened in 1957, the second in 1963.

This summer's upgrades are part of a larger picture. Last fall, the department converted Helser's freight elevator to a modern passenger elevator, and next summer, the building's exterior will receive tuckpointing. Also planned is a remodel of all Helser bathrooms for gender inclusivity and more privacy, similar to how the department renovated several east campus residences. Englin said they're also investigating options to add air conditioning to the Helser dens.

And those three suite-style halls in the 2000 master plan? Eaton (2002) and Martin (2004) opened. In place of a third one, the residence department opened Geoffroy Hall on Lincoln Way in 2017, incorporating students' preference for traditional rooms.

 

Guests galore on campus this summer

By Dave Roepke
May 16

Students, faculty and staff share campus in the summer with a variety of camps, conferences and competitions held at Iowa State facilities. Here's a list of summer events expected to draw 100 or more visitors to campus. Email inside@iastate.edu to suggest any additions we've missed.

Event	Date	Venues	Attendance
All Iowa Attack Girls Bring Your Best basketball tournament	May 18-19	State Gym	1,500
Midwest Big Data Summer School	May 20-23	Memorial Union	150
Special Olympics Iowa summer games	May 23-25	Various*	3,000
Transfer student orientation	May 24, July 1	Various*	200 students, 250 guests
Freshman orientation	May 29-June 28	Various*	5,400 students, 9,300 guests
Iowa Simmental Assoc. Jr. Field Day	June 1-2	Hansen Ag Center	100
Iowa Association of Business and Industry conference	June 4-6	Hilton Coliseum	600
League of Women Voters state convention	June 7-8	Alumni Center	100
Iowa Sheep and Wool Festival	June 14-16	Hansen Ag Center	2,000
USA Track and Field Iowa state meet	June 15-16	Cyclone Sports Complex	1,000
USA Hockey 14U camp	June 16-21	Ice Arena*	150
Insuring Iowa's Agriculture conference	June 18	Scheman Building	300
Cyclone Gymnastics Cardinal camp	June 22-25	Beyer Hall*	100
National Cheer Association camp	June 23-26	Beyer and State Gym*	320
Iowa Reading Association conference	June 25-26	Scheman Building	600
Iowa 4-H Youth Conference	June 25-27	Various*	650
Cyclone Gymnastics Gold camp	June 26-29	Beyer Hall*	100
Iowa Swine Day	June 27	Scheman Building	500
Universal Dance Association camp	July 6-9	State Gym*	100
Kevin Dresser Skills and Drills wrestling camp	July 7-10	Lied Rec Center*	100
National Dance Alliance camp	July 9-13	State Gym*	130
USA Track and Field Masters Outdoors Championships	July 11-14	Cyclone Sports Complex	1,500
Summer Iowa Games	July 13-14, 19-21, 26-28	Various	14,500
Cyclone Volleyball All Skills Gold camp	July 16-18	Lied Rec Center*	290
Custodian Maintenance School	July 22-26	Scheman Building	100
Kevin Dresser team wrestling camp	July 24-27	Lied Rec Center*	450
Ag and Food HR Roundtable	July 29-Aug. 1	Various	200

*Events also using residence halls. 

Some lots, streets to close next week for Special Olympics

By Erin Rosacker
May 16

Select campus parking lots and roads will close to accommodate the annual Special Olympics Iowa summer games May 23-25. More than 2,500 athletes will compete in Iowa State venues, accompanied by hundreds of volunteers, coaches and family members.

Events include bocce, cycling, soccer, swimming, tennis, and track and field. The opening ceremony is Thursday, May 23, in Hilton Coliseum (7-9 p.m.). Spectators are welcome, and admission is free.

Road closures

• Beach Road: Closed to through traffic from Lincoln Way to the power plant, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday and Friday 


• South Fourth Street: Closed from Beach Avenue to just west of entrance to stadium parking lots, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday 



Parking lot closures

Portions of lot 100, south of the Lied Center, will close on Tuesday, May 21, for event preparations.

Parking lot closures later in the week include:

• Beyer Hall: Lot 3, Friday (all day); open only to 24-hour reserve and handicap permit holders
• Forker Building: Lot 50A, Thursday and Friday (all day); open only to 24-hour reserve and handicap permit holders
• Iowa State Center: All lots between Center Drive and South Fourth Street, Thursday only (12:01 a.m.-5 p.m.); commuter parking will move to the football stadium parking lots. CyRide will stop for riders at lots S3, S4 and S5.
• Lied Center: Lots 57 and 100, Thursday and Friday (all day, all vehicles)
• Maple-Willow-Larch residence area: Lots 56, 63, 80, 89, 90 and 91, Thursday and Friday (all day); open only to Special Olympics or handicap permit holders
• Richardson Court residence area: Lots 54, 54A, 66, 67, 82, 83, Thursday and Friday (all day); open only to Special Olympics or handicap permit holders

Volunteers

Volunteer check-in is Thursday and Friday in lot S6, east of Jack Trice Stadium. Volunteers and visitors are asked to use the shuttles, which run from lot S6 to the competition venues on Thursday and Friday. Shuttles will not operate on Saturday, and volunteer check-in moves to the Lied Center.

A colorful addition

May 16

Like icing on a cake, art was installed last month on the west exterior of the Hub as the final piece of the historic building's 2018 renovation. The colorful two-part steel sculpture, "Coalesce," was created by Iowa City artist and University of Iowa professor Susan Chrysler White.

University Museums' Art on Campus collection now includes six of Chrysler White's works. The other five are:

• "Exquisite Garden," 2012 painting, office of the vice president for research, Beardshear Hall
• "Rain Dance," 2012 painting, office of the vice president for research, Beardshear Hall
• "Zoopsia," 2013 sculpture, west entrance, Morrill Hall
• "Both Sides Now," 2017 mural, Windows dining center, Friley Hall
• "Our House is a Very, Very, Very Fine House," 2017 mural, Windows dining center, Friley Hall

Chrysler White will be featured in a solo exhibition at the Christian Petersen Art Museum this fall.