On Nov. 26, 2011 the roof of the Virgil Henson Activities Center (VHAC) was blown off by 60 to 70 m.p.h winds.

“It literally folded up like an accordion,” Bill Craddock, director of Recreational Sports, said.

The roof started leaking after the top layer was pulled back across the T-beams of the ceiling and weighted back down to ensure the roof would provide coverage to the VHAC.

The roof does not leak unless a big rain comes. When this happens, the people who enjoy playing on the courts in the VHAC or use the all-purpose room are the ones who are generally annoyed with the leaking problem.

“I haven’t been to the AC basketball courts this year, but I did go last year, and I noticed the roof leaking, and it did inconvenience me.” Nate Giffin, a sophomore Music Education and Performance major, said.

Some of the students didn’t realize the roof leaked until this semester, even though it’s been damaged since last November.

Sara Jobsky, a junior Wildlife Biology major, noticed the leaks when she was finishing her workout one day and saw buckets, wet floor signs and small puddles of water on the track in the upstairs portion of the VHAC.

“I’ve seen spots on the track, but I wasn’t aware it leaked until I walked the track,” Jobsky said.

Although students may be frustrated with the current roof, construction will begin Oct. 8, 2012.

“Because of the type of roof it is, it takes time to get it fixed,” Craddock said.
As long as weather is permitting, the new roof should be finished by winter break. The construction will be conducted during the day with one court being blocked off at a time. A hard cover will be placed over the roof at night so all four courts can be used when construction is not being performed. The recreatinoal sports fee will not be raised because of the construction costs.