WINSTON-SALEM – The North Carolina School of the Arts will dedicate its new Charlotte and Philip Hanes Student Commons on Thursday, Sept. 25.  

The dedication ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. on the site, located in the center of the campus. NCSA Chancellor Wade Hobgood will preside, and a student jazz group will perform.  

The $8 million Students Commons is named for Charlotte and Philip Hanes, the School’s longtime benefactors. Busts of Mr. and Mrs. Hanes will also be unveiled. They were sculpted by American artist Jimilu Mason, whose work includes busts of Lyndon B. Johnson, Harry S Truman and Auddie Murphy. Her bust of Roger Stevens resides in the Stevens Center in downtown Winston-Salem. 

Also being dedicated are the Lynn and Barry Eisenberg Social Hall; the Katharine K. and John G. Johnson Atrium; the William R. Kenan, Jr. Student Life Center; and Daniels Plaza, a park-like setting adjacent to the Hanes Student Commons. Daniels Plaza is named for Julia and Frank Daniels of Raleigh. 

After the dedication ceremony, honorees will attend a reception and dinner, and be treated to a performance by drama students. Afterward, student tour guides will take them on a tour the facility.  

Students will be treated to a grand opening celebration of the Hanes Student Commons Oct. 15-19. The band Jump, Little Children, which includes several NCSA alumni, will perform. 

Anne White, the interim vice chancellor for student life, called the new facility “a wonderful place to meet, greet, gather and make new friends.” 

NCSA’s Student Commons was originally built during 1969-70 for 400 students. Today, the School has more than 1,000 students. During the 1990s, the School received the go-ahead and funding to renovate and build an addition to the facility. The building was closed for renovations in December 1999, but the project was delayed several times due to contractor issues. As the nerve center for the campus, it was sorely missed.  

The spacious new Hanes Student Commons has increased from 36,000 to 51,000 square feet, on three levels. Adding in the 20,000 square-foot Fitness Center, which was separated from the commons and completed earlier, students now have more than 70,000 square feet of space to enjoy. 

The Hanes Student Commons features include a rotunda at its main entrance, which faces Daniels Plaza; a “well,” which remains from the previous structure; and numerous large windows. “The Daniels Plaza is part of that initial design of openness, and connectedness to the outdoors is wonderful here,” said Douglas Patterson, director of the Hanes Student Commons. The building is also surrounded by patios and balconies.  

Offices and services located within the new Charlotte and Philip Hanes Student Commons include:  

Lower Level

• The William R. Kenan, Jr. Student Life Center, which encompasses offices for the Vice Chancellor, Residence Life, New Student Orientation, Learning Assistance, and Health Educator
• The Lynn and Barry Eisenberg Social Hall, which includes a wooden dance floor, a portable stage, and full stage lighting system
• An expanded Mail Center with 1,400 student mailboxes (no more sharing!)
• An expanded Campus Store
• Computer Lab

Middle Level

• The Katharine K. and John G. Johnson Atrium
• Well
• Student Lounge
• Student Organizations Office
• Meeting Room

 Upper Level

• Remodeled cafeteria offering food stations, with two annex rooms for lunch/dinner meetings
• Remodeled Snack Bar with Blimpie’s sub shop
• Wellness Center (combines Student Health Services and Counseling Services), which features three exam rooms, a training room, nutritional services and massage therapy
• Offices for the Student Commons and Student Activities
• One-Card office
• Two meeting rooms

 For more information, contact Marla Carpenter at 336-770-3337 in the public relations office at NCSA.

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