Ribbon cutting set for three renovated spaces on MVC campus

The dedication ceremony for the opening of three renovated Missouri Valley College campus spaces has been rescheduled for 11 a.m. on Nov. 7 in the lower level of Morrison Gymnasium, according to a news release from the college.

A gift from Jon '87 and Dawnna Morris allowed MVC to renovate a section in the lower level of Morrison Gymnasium into the J & D Morris Dance Studio; convert the women's fitness center in the lower level of MacDonald Hall into the new Morris Experimental Theatre (MET); and construct the Morris Fitness Center in MacDonald Hall.

"Over the last few years, Jon and Dawnna have been very supportive of MVC by offering gifts to specific areas," said MVC President Bonnie Humphrey. "This gift is significant not only in the amount of the gift, but also because it is wide-reaching and directly impacts a number of our students and programs."

The addition of a dance major at Missouri Valley College made the need for a dance studio imperative. The J & D Morris Dance Studio will be available for practice space for dance majors, dance ensembles, and the MVC Dance Team.

"The Dance Studio is giving us a designated space for our student dancers," said Diana Malan, director of MVC theatre, music and dance department. "They've had difficulty working on their dance skills because of the shared space in the gym. That won't be the case anymore. It's going to be nice for the students to walk in to a space that is designed and designated especially for them."

The Black Box, previously located in the lower level of Morrison Gym was designed for student directing and acting projects. It was also home to MVC's own comedy troupe, Flatliners. The new MET, which located in the lower level of MacDonald Hall will replace the Black Box. Throughout the school year one act plays, original plays, and student generated projects will be presented in the new space.

"The MET will provide a great deal more space for classes, performances, and seating for several more people." Malan said. "We'll be able to arrange the space in a variety of ways for a variety of performance styles."

The Morris Fitness Center is a welcomed addition to MacDonald Hall. The new women's-only facility includes new exercise equipment and TV's.

"It's so nice to have a place where girls can feel comfortable when they work out," said Brittany Bertolani, sophomore exercise science major from Hampton, N.H. "It's convenient that anytime I want to work out, I don't have to worry about interfering with athletic teams or tons of other people."

Jon and Dawnna Morris will join MVC administrators at the ribbon-cutting ceremony with presentations at each renovated space. The couple will also be recognized during halftime of the Vikings home football game, which is a 1:30 p.m. kickoff.