Summer of 1994

Occasionally, Elizabeth L. Buckley is stopped in the Yard by students. But they're not asking her how to get to Server or why the Yard trees are being cut down--they're telling her what they think of her work as project manager of Matthews renovation.

"[They say] 'You did a great job with Matthews," she says.

It's understandable for her to enjoy the praise. Buckley spent last summer overseeing not only Matthews but Pennypacker and Hurlbut as well.

This summer, she says, is comparatively easy--she's "only" handling Holworthy and the interior of Pennypacker.

Each, of course, will boast new electrical heating and lighting systems, as well as sprinkler systems and fire alarms.

Pennypacker is scheduled to be done in a few weeks. "The interior is really cleaning up well," Buckley says.

While there were plans at one point to just repair and touch up the existing interior surfaces, Buckley says now all the interiors are being replaced.

"It became cost-effective just to do it all over," she says.

The bathrooms are being completely gutted and refitted, she says. One change that should please residents is the installation of bathtub/showers in Pennypacker--once the renovations are finished, they'll no longer be located next to the bathroom windows, but across the room.

WHRB, Harvard's student radio station, is slated to move into the basement of Pennypacker this summer, thanks to a transformer volt installed in Hurlbut courtyard.

The scaffolding on Holworthy recently came down, signaling that the end of that project is near, too. Buckley says the interior should be done by the end of July.

While Holworthy was not gutted like Matthews, Thayer and Weld, it is undergoing significant interior changes. While the new wooden floors will doubtlessly be noticed, students will especially appreciate the changes in the bathrooms--which will have two showers per eight students rather than one.

Holworthy's basement will house several student offices, always a popular point on a campus desperate for student meeting space. A ramp is being installed to the basement for greater access.

While there are always unforeseen occurences with renovation work, Buckley says, these jobs seem to be proceeding more or less as planned.