New name, same building

After months of renovations, the former Christian Association building at 3601 Locust Walk is officially open for business. And it has a new name, too. The building's new, but probably temporary name, is The Arch -- an acronym for the Arts, Research and Culture House. It was unveiled at the building's grand re-opening yesterday afternoon in front of about 100 people. The building houses academic and cultural facilities, with the Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowship, offices for minority groups and performing arts space under its roof. The name was chosen from hundreds of student submissions. College senior Erick Guerra created the winning name, which was selected by a committee of the building's occupants and approved by Vice Provost for University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum. The grand prize was a $500 gift certificate to the Penn Bookstore. The new name will stand until a donor for the project is located, at which point the building will be renamed in that person's honor. Speaking at yesterday's event, Provost Robert Barchi explained the history of the transformation of the facility. "The idea of creating a new hub on Locust Walk grew out of conversations I had with [University] President [Judith] Rodin over a year ago," he said. He then went on to explain that "our focus was on retaining a balance of student life, residential programs and academic programs together." Rodin was also present at yesterday's event, and praised the beauty of the architecture of the facility in the beginning of her speech. "When we first toured the CA with the prospect of Penn buying it, the provost was very eager to move his offices here, and I had to fight to keep him in College Hall," Rodin joked. Rodin went on to say that she thinks the new center will be a hotspot on Penn's campus. "We expect this to really just rock both day and night," she said. The facility is now home to a diverse group of student and academic organizations. The first floor houses various multicultural groups such as La Casa Latina, UMOJA and the Pan Asian American Community House. Karen Su, director of PAACH, praised the central location of the building and explained that she hoped this would encourage more participation in the program. "I hope that students will stop by that central location to see what PAACH is all about," Su said. The second floor houses the offices of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program and University Scholars, both of which are now a part of the research hub. Cheryl Shipman, a BFS administrative assistant, also praised the building's position on Penn's campus. "The new space is going to give us the opportunity to better serve the student body," she said. The building also houses Student Performing Arts, which is directed by Ty Furman. Though the many organizations of the building have a wide variety of functions, Furman feels that the multicultural, academic and performing arts groups fit in well together. "I love being with this crowd of people. Arts and culture go together," he said. "And the building has a lot of cool character to it as well."