With fall classes starting in less than two weeks, Rod Lehnertz, 02MBA, director of Campus and Facilities Planning, told reporters earlier today that the university is on track for getting four flood-damaged buildings ready to begin the semester.

One of these, Mayflower Residence Hall, will again be home to 1,000 students. The other three--the Becker Communications Building, Adler Journalism Building, and the English and Philosophy Building--provide important classroom space for the campus. Lehnertz said that on Friday, August 15, the contractors working on all four buildings would complete their assignments, allowing time for final inspections, as well as coordination with the academic units moving back in to the buildings.

Other University of Iowa structures continue to look as if they're on life support. The media toured Hancher Auditorium, the Voxman Music Building, and Mabie Theatre today for an update on recovery efforts.

The good news is that Hancher and the music building smell good--i.e., they don't smell at all. Last week, we heard from interim director of the Museum of Art, Pam White, that that facility smelled like a combination hog lot and fish pond before cleaning. It doesn't smell at all now.

Theatre Building
The only building we saw today that retains some of the odor from the flood is the theatre building, as exterior walls in the basement continue to dry out. Sixteen feet of river water filled the basement up to the ceiling, cracking walls of classrooms and offices. Those walls have been removed.

Alan MacVey, chair of theatre arts, reported that no costumes or props were lost to the flood, even though they had to be moved twice to keep ahead of the water. First, everything in storage in the basement of the building--some 10,000 costumes and costume pieces, as well as maybe 100,000 props--was toted up to the first level. Then, when university officials learned the flood was going to be worse than anticipated, people came back and hauled everything up to the second floor. Thanks to incredible efforts from employees and volunteers, no props or costumes were lost.

Voxman Music Building
Contents in the basement and on the first floors of Hancher and the Voxman Music Building, on the other hand, were damaged and some were destroyed. In those buildings, water rose to 18 to 24 inches above stage level and the first floor of Voxman. As a result, all contents on the first floor and wallboard up to four feet above floor-level have been removed, leaving only the metal studs below.

With cleanup complete in Voxman, the next step is to remove the five organs installed on its first floor. These instruments were purchased during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, and they've appreciated in value ever since. According to Mark Weiger, oboe teacher and summer director of the School of Music, a small portable organ purchased five years ago for about $55,000 is now valued at $155,000.

The other organs to be moved are valued from $200,000 each to more than $500,000 apiece for the larger instruments. Although these organs were soaked in two feet of water for two weeks, experts have evaluated their condition and deemed them worthy of repair, a process that will take one to two years.

On the second floor of Voxman, meanwhile, preparations are being made to move 50 to 55 grand pianos (worth from $85,000 to $125,000 each) and 30 uprights. The move is scheduled for next week, long before winter temperatures could damage the instruments.

Hancher Auditorium
Next door at Hancher Auditorium, the stage and curtains have been removed and all seats in rows A through O have also been pulled. Executive director of Hancher, Charles "Chuck" Swanson, 75BBA, 76MBA, told reporters that an announcement next week will clarify plans for this season's productions. Nothing has been booked yet for the 2009-2010 season.

Performers raved about Hancher's stage, which Swanson described as "a sprung floor constructed with three layers of plywood with floaters between." It will be rebuilt the same way. The side curtains, made of velour, were a complete loss, while the fate of the main curtain is still unknown. It will be dry-cleaned, if possible, or replaced.

Replacing the seats and rebuilding the interior of the auditorium present unique challenges in terms of acoustics and lighting. To restore Hancher to its former glory, the university has contracted with a theatre specialist to oversee important details of the project.

While everyone's eager to get back to the buildings where they taught, worked, and studied, Lehnertz advised media representatives that restoring the UI's arts campus means more than rebuilding. Tomorrow, for instance, UI officials will be interviewing flood mitigation firms to look at protecting Iowa's infrastructure long-term.

And, already, faculty are contemplating changes that could simplify responses to any future floods. It's a pretty sure thing that music department organs won't be returned to Voxman's first floor, Weiger said.

Check out the blog later for photos from recent media tours of Iowa buildings that are closed because of the flood.

Carol
Editor in Chief

Anyone who doesn't live in a cave is probably aware of the devastating floods that have deluged Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and other Midwestern towns. All of a sudden, Iowa City and the UI are big news all over the country and even the world (I received phone calls from worried friends in Britain and Australia who'd heard about the historic floods).

The UI campus is hit pretty hard, with many buildings closed (including the UI Alumni Association offices). That doesn't mean UI staff aren't busy, though. Many of us have been helping with sandbag efforts to hold back the rising river. Others (including the Iowa Alumni Magazine team) are working from home. It's work as usual--well, apart from the catastrophic events and the surreal feeling that we're starring in a M.Night Shyamalan movie!

You'll read more about the floods in the August issue of Iowa Alumni Magazine. In the meantime, check out coverage at the Daily Iowan.

Tina
Editor

That's what I'll be doing this Friday, when the legendary newsman visits the UI campus to meet students and tour the very impressive facilities at the Journalism School.

Art Director LeaAnn Randall and I will be following Tom around all afternoon and then sitting down with him for an interview and photograph shoot. By all accounts, despite his superstar status, Tom is a very laid-back, genuine, nice person with strong feelings for the University of Iowa (he spent a year here as a student before transferring to South Dakota, where he earned a political science degree in 1962).

The results of our interviews and photo session will appear in the August issue of Iowa Alumni Magazine. That's when UIAA members will get to meet Tom Brokaw, too.

Tina
Editor

The Gridiron Bash we told you about in the April magazine turned out to be a gridiron bust. All of the concerts that were supposed to take place this month as part of the nationwide college football celebration—including Kelly Clarkson at Kinnick Stadium—were postponed to the fall. Event organizers wanted to check with the NCAA about rules that might limit student-athlete participation.


Despite this turn of events, the UI has brought one of the best line-ups of bands to campus that I've seen in recent years. Indie artist Ben Kweller and classic rock group Three Dog Night pepped up crowds on the Pentacrest for Homecoming. The Counting Crows drew a sold-out crowd to the IMU on Tuesday, and you might have seen me rocking out at the Athlete and Switchfoot show last night.


As if that weren't enough, OK Go will be playing at the Englert next Tuesday. The band is headlining the 10,000 Hours Show, which you can read more about on page 36 ("What Are You Into?") of the April magazine. When I attended OK Go's show at the IMU two-and-a-half years ago, the band performed the dances from their famed music videos, so get ready to break out those treadmills!




Shelbi
Editorial Associate