The College of Visual and Performing Arts is commemorating the end of an era through Friday, April 23, by holding a Spirit Week to say farewell to Porterfield and McGuffey Halls.
The final week of classes this semester will be the last time students ever take courses in these buildings as they will each be torn down and replaced with the Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity (CAIC).
The new center will be a state-of-the-art facility for programs housed within the college of visual and performing arts as well as some areas in health sciences.
Spirit Week has offered differing daily themes and events to commemorate the long-time campus structures. Activities include wearing 1950s and 60s style clothing to commemorate the decades when the buildings were erected, as well as wearing school colors and branded clothing. Free gifts have been offered each day at varying locations, and a pizza dinner is planned for this afternoon, April 21, at McGuffey Terrace. All events associated with Spirit Week will observe social distancing guidelines and university COVID-19 safety protocols.
Spirit Week was created by Assistant Professor Laura Kimball of the Department of Design.
“As an interior designer I am acutely aware of the impact the built environment has on us emotionally and psychologically, in particular with place attachment,” says Kimball. “Place attachment is the emotional bond between person and place, highly influenced by an individual’s personal experiences. McGuffey and Porterfield are deeply connected to our students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
“Given these buildings house the arts, students spend double to triple the amount of class time there than in typical college classes,” Kimball said. “Many friendships and memories have been made, life lessons learned, and careers started within these halls.
“Some buildings eventually become a character of their own in the stories of our lives,” Kimball saID. “With both of these buildings housing CVPA programs and coming down simultaneously, it was an opportunity to celebrate and say our farewells as a college, giving one last hurrah on Radford’s campus to our old and dear friends, McGuffey and Porterfield.”