By Elizabeth Cavin, Staff Reporter<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Do the names Whitaker, Coblentz, or Hodson sound familiar? They should for many who\u2019ve attended Hood College, although few would know about the peo-ple these essential buildings are named after.<\/p>\n
After emailing two Hood historians and reading more on the topic, I\u2019ve not only discovered more about the origins of Hood\u2019s buildings, but also about the seeds of potential ones.<\/p>\n
But who determines a building\u2019s name anyway?<\/p>\n
Mary Atwell, Hood archivist and collection development services manager, wasn’t sure, but she said the standard practice on college campuses is<\/p>\n
\u201cusually a building is dedicated to the per-son who donates the money that covers the cost to build the structure.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Krista Schaffert, director of advancement services, archive volunteer, and co-author of \u201cPeople Behind the Names,\u201d the College\u2019s Board of Trustees is sometimes responsible for naming at Hood. When specific naming opportunities arise, they generally set or approve the minimum financial giving levels for a donor to secure their name on the space. \u201cThe College\u2019s board may also choose to assign a name to a building or space in honor or memory of an individual who has had an especially significant or noteworthy impact on Hood.\u201d<\/p>\n
For example, both the Whitaker and Hodson-family names were chosen after giving large financial donations to the college. The Apple and Coblentz-family names, on the other hand, were chosen mainly due to their leadership, vision, and long-standing dedication to the College.<\/p>\n
Soon the naming process will occur again at Hood, according to Atwell. \u201cHood is certain to have new buildings eventually. Currently, plans are in the works to raze the Marx Center and erect a new residence hall. The Board of Trustees is to vote on this plan in June 2018.\u201d \u201cOther plans for new buildings can be viewed by looking at the campus master plan.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even when college buildings are set in stone, though, that doesn\u2019t mean they can\u2019t grow and change. A lot of structures have been built or rebuilt since 2000, according to Schaffert. \u201cThere have also been other major renovations to spaces.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hood buildings can also can be renamed, according to Atwell and Schaffert. Both mentioned the old \u201cHood Athletic Center\u201d (completed in 2011) as an example of this. \u201cIn 2015, at the direction of the Hood College Board of Trustees, the building was renamed in honor of President Ronald J. Volpe in recognition of his long and dedicated service to the College upon the occasion of his retirement,\u201d said Schaffert. According to the Hood website, this building was chosen because of Volpe\u2019s strong association with Hood athletics.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"