There have been several months of uncertainty regarding the future of the former campus dining center McConaughy Hall, a building known for its balcony and for looking like a spaceship coming off of Foss Hill. Now we know for certain that its final destination is a large recycling bin in the sky, and that the land it once sat on will be open for water to percolate the Earth once again, as Alan Rubacha put it so beautifully.
Although the building has been closed for over three years now, a number of alumni and students have expressed their dismay and shock regarding the administration’s decision.
They say, “This is building is an integral part of my experience at Wesleyan—how dare you tear it down!” Or, “Look at the architectural significance of it! The Administration will be sorry if they scrap this masterpiece.” MoCon is certainly an amazing building—far more interesting architecturally than Usdan, to say the least. But now, nearly 50 years after it was constructed, the building is ridden with asbestos and has deteriorated almost irreparably from its three years of disuse.
The administration has determined that it would cost millions of dollars more to convert the building for adaptive reuse than it would to demolish it. Yet, many alumni, through comments on The Argus website, Roth’s blog, the Save MoCon Facebook page, and various other channels, have said they’d be willing to donate extensively to save the building.
While we are saddened to see this memorable structure go, we know that other areas of the University are far more in need of donations than any empty building. In light of the University’s initiatives for expanding the incoming class size, increasing tuition, and implementing departmental cuts, the donor money and passionate dedication behind it could be put to a better and far more effective use. Everyone who wanted to save MoCon has put in a good fight, but now its future is set.
What we ask is that the same fervor and enthusiasm that students and alumni alike have dedicated to MoCon be redirected to supporting areas of the University that would enable the campus community to better thrive on a day-to-day basis. It’s time to let go—we’ve fought the good fight, now it’s time to redirect that energy to other uses.
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