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NEWS

THE TARTAN Sept. 21, 2011

R-SPaCE: Behind the scenes of Student Programming and Campus Events

Student organization provides entertainment and activities for Radford University students
BRIAN MASSIE
bmassie@radford.edu
When a popular event happens on campus, the work that is involved to make it happen is performed almost entirely by Radford students. So, who are these people and what do they do? Radford Student Programming and Campus Events, abbreviated R-SPaCE, is the group responsible and they do so much more than concerts. Made up of an 11-person executive board and around 40 general body members, RSPaCE is made up entirely of students. Every RU student is invited to be a member of the general body and there are open meetings every Wednesday at 5:00 PM in Bonnie 248. In addition to the fun R-SPaCE members have, there are additional perks for getting involved. Work ten hours and get a free novelty item youd normally have to pay for, work 20 hours and get free movie passes for a year. Workers also get R-SPaCE bucks for every hour worked, redeemable for events and items at the end of each semester. What R-SPaCE does can be divided into four basic categories: special events, movies, performances and novelties. The opening weekend bash was one of their special events. Movies happen in the Bonnie auditorium all the time. Performances include concerts, comedians, magicians and more. As far as novelties, they do a lot of them. Build-aBear, wax hands, bamboo plants, and the sign shop are just a few of the novelties. A schedule of upcoming activities can be found on the RU R-SPaCE page and there is a Facebook page for them as well, offering those who like them event invites to coming attractions. Since so many of these things are free or very inexpensive, where does all the money come to pay for all this? It comes from student activity fees. R-SPaCE channels several hundred thousand dollars every year to provide RU students with a variety of activities. Every cent is accounted for, and there is a lot of work behind each event. Director of Concerts Carly DuPont said, The planning for Brantley Gilbert took five

Courtesy of R-SPaCE

R-SPaCE adopted the movie ticket logo since they handle the sales of movie tickets in the Bonnie.

months. She went on to say that she was very pleased with the positive feedback students are giving to the concert, and she is hopeful that another concert will happen this semester, in addition to what they are working on for spring semester.

PAST: RUs years as a state Normal school

From page 1
the library exhibit. Later, the Normal schools evolved into four-year teachers colleges, and later evolving into liberal arts colleges. According to the book, Radford College:

A Sentimental Chronicle Through Its First Half Century by Lanora Geissler LewisSmith, on September 18, 1910, The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford officially opened. Three days prior to the official opening, the first student, Miss Ara Lee Hicks from Shawyer Mill, VA, arrived on campus. On September 17, 1913 the first class began registering for classes. At the start of the first semester, the school rented two buildings, Norwood Hall and La

Belle Inn, and utilized them as dorms. The home of Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Baldwin, Jr. was also used to house 12 students. According to Lewis-Smiths book, Norwood Hall, also known as Heath Hall, was a Victorian-style house with large rooms and a reception hall that had a rotunda ceiling encircled by a gallery. La Belle Inn, which was first used as a hotel then converted to a hospital for railroad workers, housed 125 students. Radford Col-

lege: A Sentimental Chronicle Through Its Frist Half Century description of La Belle
Inn says that it had long, rambling porches and crooked halls which narrowed as they approached less frequently used parts. It also had a large tower at one end [that] had two circular rooms with many windows and a lookout pergola at the top. Rooms on the third floor had sloping roofs and dormer windows. In the first floor there was a parlor, which housed a grand piano around which much of the formal social life took place. Ninety-eight years ago, school was very different from today. The students either attended a two, three, or four-year high school before entering into a Normal School. During their time at The State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Radford the women who attended two or three year high schools would finish up their high school work and earn up to a two year Normal School Diploma. The women who graduated from a fouryear high school could start to take classes

Photos courtesy of RU photograph collection

In September 1938, the freshman class gathered in front of Moffett Hall.

Above is an administration building in 1913 from RUs history.

in the industrial part of the school. These women took classes in rural arts, household arts, or manual arts and also received a diploma after two years. Women who attended the school were required to take courses in furniture making, basketry, and school gardening so they could teach others how to do the same skills. Other required courses included physical education and music. The first forms of extracurricular activities were two literary societies, Pocahontas

and Ingles. At a student body meeting on Sept. 20, 1913 the establishment of the two societies was announced. The societies were established to honor outstanding women. The society Pocahontas, often referred to as Pocas, was named in honor of the Virginia Indian Princess. The society Ingles was named in honor of Mary Draper Ingles, the heroine of Southwestern Virginia who was captured by Indians and later made her way back home.

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GREENHILL: Students move offcampus due to renovations

From page 1
some of the students. Greenhill apartments were owned by Hunters Ridge Apartments last year, and had rented out two buildings to Radford University student housing. [Radford University] requested two more buildings this year. Dunn said. The apartments are sort of pseudo-dorms. They are equipped with staff like a student housing hall. I think its way nicer than a dorm; I love it, said sophomore Essence Andrews. We have an R.A. and there is more space, our own washers and dryers, and our own rooms. Students like Andrews look at the apartment living as a positive outcome to the housing conditions, but regular tenants have good reason to want to live at the apartment complex as well as separate leases. Parents really enjoy [separate leasing] because they dont have to worry about other tenants paying their rent, so its not on them if someone doesnt pay on time, Dunn said. The only downside for some students would be the proximity to campus. Unlike on campus students, off campus students are not as close to their classes. It only takes ten minutes to walk, and theres a bus, tenant Paige Doyle said. The Radford Transit runs to and from Greenhill every fifteen minutes until 6 p.m. and then every half hour after. Greenhill offers students lots of ameni-

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Due to renovations in Moffett Hall, Radford University rented out a few apartment buildings at Greenhill for some students and resident directors.

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ties such as a weight room, night patrolling, an outdoor swimming pool (that will be accessible for the next swimming season), quick access to the walking path by the river, and lastly an outdoor basketball and volleyball court. The apartment complex isnt like many around the Radford University campus. The setup and billing makes it easy living for college students. Cable and internet are included in the rent, so the only separate bill is for the electricity.