Bruce Spencer writes:
>Rich posted this AM's Globe article on a new arena for BU.  With other new
>arenas and renovations in HE perhaps BU thinks a new arena is necessary in
>order to remain competitive recruiting-wise.
 
I have to think it is more a case of the other schools wanting to be
competitive recruiting-wise with BU, than the other way around. :-)
Also, as Rich said, this project has been discussed for quite a while
around BU, so it's only a natural progression that it should reach the
point that something is done about it.  I don't think that BU is
lagging behind, but that is just my opinion - maybe BU people can
speak more about that.
 
>BC has Conte Forum.  UMass Amherst has the Mullins Center.  UNH is building
>a new arena and UMass Lowell is talking about a new arena.  Maine recently
>expanded Alfond and Northeastern is planning to expand its ice surface at
>Matthews.  That leaves Merrimack and Providence.  Any plans there?
 
I haven't heard any plans for Providence, but there may be some.
 
After I solicited input on Merrimack's rink from HOCKEY-L, I finally
sent off a letter as a concerned alumnus, along with some excerpts from
the responses, to Merrimack's interim President, Richard J. Santagati.
 
Within a matter of days I received a letter back, in which he said, "I
assure you that many of the issues you raised have been evaluated and
will be part of our thinking as we review the overall needs of both
our athletic facilities and our broader student facility requirements.
I am sure you are aware that we have invested significantly in our
academic buildings over the last two years as well as in our resident
facilities.  We have begun the planning process necessary to make the
kinds of improvements that you have referred to..."
 
Just before I received this letter, I also heard through the
grapevine that the committee which was studying the rink situation
and the school's possible options had completed its work and had
recommended to the President that a new 6,000-seat rink be built at
Merrimack near the current one.  Again, this is not from anyone
official nor are the specifics meant to be taken as gospel - but the
point is, it does back up Santagati's letter in which he said that
"the issues...have been evaluated" and "we have begun the planning
process".
 
This would be consistent with the Merrimack 2000 plan which was begun
several years ago, and recently Phase I was completed with the building
and dedication of the new Mendel Science and Engineering Building,
which includes a lab for the revolutionary work in microchemistry
being done at Merrimack as well as the only rooftop observatory in the
area.  I have not yet been in it, but I am told that it is a special
secured building which allows students who have access cards to come
and go 24 hours a day, so they can use the systems in the new computer
lab or do anything else as late as they want.  At Merrimack, a tiny
school with enrollment 2,000 and which has only been around since
1947, it is quite impressive that they could build something like
this.  The goal is to change the perception of Merrimack which was
that it was only a business school; they hope to attract more of the
area's science students who usually go elsewhere.
 
Rumors have been that once the more pressing academic needs were
taken care of, the school would turn its attention to the athletic
department - not only in building a new rink or renovating the
existing one, but also in adding several new sports and providing
facilities for those.  The current rink building could be used for
several of the planned new sports such as indoor track.
 
Also, it seems to me that another plus in favor of a new rink is the
intent to add women's varsity hockey at Merrimack.  A new rink would
therefore benefit not only the men's team, but it would benefit the
women, too.  If Title IX is a concern with all the money that is spent
on hockey at Merrimack (compared to other sports; Merrimack's hockey
budget is still far below that of most other schools), then it helps
to have a new building that will be shared by both men's and women's
teams (possibly men's and women's basketball, too).
 
As things progress, I will try to keep the updates coming...but I have
to admit, I have been keeping quiet as I learn things because I am still
afraid nothing will be done.  This is all still very early in the
planning stage.
 
Oh yes, there have been some changes made to the existing rink for
next season.  There will be new glass, and only the front panels of the
boards have been replaced - so the boards should still have the same
give and make the same loud noise when someone gets hammered into
them. :-)  But the difference is, they'll be CLEAN.  And, the walls
have been painted white (were blue and gold).  That should contribute
to making it brighter in there, although I haven't taken a look yet
myself.
 
65 days till Dalhousie. :-)
---                                                                   ---
Mike Machnik                                            [log in to unmask]
Cabletron Systems, Inc.                                    *HMM* 11/13/93
<<<<< Color Voice of the Merrimack Warriors (station TBA for 94-95) >>>>>