By Natasha Vemulkonda

Sharp Building renovations opening next fall

President Duke Reiter has declared that by the 2010 fall semester, renovation of the first and second floors of the SAIC Sharp building will be completed.
“We are hoping that these new spaces will be open to students 24 hours,” said Reiter.
Because the first floor is the only SAIC space visible to passersby on the street, Reiter remarked that he believes this floor is significant enough to be “a window into the School.”
Plans for the first floor include a retail space to sell and display students’ artwork as well as SAIC merchandise. Ideas for the space are similar to the museum’s store. Other additions include a small café and a student seating area. The graduate studios in this area are being moved across the street to the third floor of the Sullivan Center.
Reiter stated that arrangements for the second floor include an area for student groups to meet as well as a small Student Services office for drop-in visits. There will also be a larger cafe where students can grab a substantial meal.

H1N1 101

 H1N1 immunizations are now available to all SAIC students and faculty at Health Services, located on the thirteenth floor of the 116 S. Michigan building.
“Receiving the H1N1 vaccine is very similar to receiving the annual flu shot,” said Linda Pas, director of Health Services. “There have been changes since the last outbreak on how the virus has mutated, but those changes have also been made within the vaccine.”
If the annual influenza immunization is almost the same as the H1N1 vaccine, why isn’t the 2009 H1N1 combined into the flu shot? The answer is simple: influenza shots are put together in a yearly cycle, starting in February of each year so that there will be enough vaccines by the fall. The swine flu virus resurfaced only a few months after the seasonal flu vaccines were made.
“People need to educate themselves more on how to avoid the swine flu,” said Pas. “The first step to that process is getting the shot.”

New students’ semester experience and future choices

Registration for the spring term is an exciting time for all students at SAIC, especially First Year Program and transfer students registering online for the first time. It also gives these students a chance to reflect on this past semester and the experience they have had at the School so far.
“I’m a little irritated that, being a first year student, I don’t have access to certain facilities such as the UV exposure unit,” said Alexander Dick, a freshman printmaking student. “I came to this school with fairly good knowledge on how to use this method for my work and I feel that I’m being denied use for no good reason.” Dick plans on taking a bookmaking class as well as a more advanced printmaking class for the spring semester.
Taking advantage of the School’s interdisciplinary program, Ellen Costello, currently enrolled in the Introduction to Fashion course, will be taking a video and a photography class next term.
“Fashion is a lot of work on top of my FYP classes and I want to try something different.”
Transfer student and sophomore Diane Lent came to the School from Hofstra University looking for an academic environment more conducive to experimentation.
“I’m right now taking a photography and figure drawing class,” said Lent. “I thought I should explore more with different materials; that’s why for next semester I’ve decided to take classes in visual communications and designed objects.”