Barnard student center slated to open in January 2010

Construction on Barnard’s new student center, the Nexus, began in 2008 after the demolition of the old McIntosh Center. In April 2009, it was officially named The Diana after Diana Touliatou Vagelos, BC ‘55, who donated $15 million to the project. (Until the building’s official christening on Barnard’s Spirit Day, some students were concerned that it would be named “The Vagelos”- whose abbreviation “The Vag” would have led to an endless stream of jokes.) After several construction delays, the 70,000-square-foot building is scheduled to be ready for use in January 2010, complete with a black box theater, a 500-person auditorium, offices for student groups, and a spacious area for eating and hanging out. Computer facilities will be doubled and some departments, especially architecture, dance, and theatre, will benefit from the additional space. The new center with the orange exterior and curtain wall will even have a green roof, where students can hold events or just lounge.