The St. Thomas Aquinas Center and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry renovated their facilities to better fit their needs. The St. Thomas Aquinas Center was built in 1964 in an institutional style with folding tables and chairs. Father Jim Morrison said that the buildings had a rough look to them, and renovations have begun to modernize the facility.
The snack bar was remodeled and updated, creating a coffeehouse-type atmosphere. A new kitchen was fixed up, and the appliances were updated. New sofas and chairs were ordered to create a more comfortable atmosphere.
Before, students would gather in the upstairs area of the building, but they quickly outgrew the space. They now mostly hang out in the downstairs area and in library.
Money for the renovations came from donations and grants totaling around $100,000.
Gregory Torres, fine arts director, oversaw the renovation project, and his wife, Jan Torres, was instrumental in picking out the furniture and modernizing the kitchen area.
The center plans to continue with the modernizing of the facility. They are building a wall to hide the dumpster near the rear entrance and would like to add more landscaping.
The building is open from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and serves as a place for students to dwell during the day. Students are excited and anxious to see the finished result.
Also during the summer, the BCM updated its facility. Both cosmetic and energy efficient changes, were made
The windows were original to the building, which was built in the early 70s. They were replaced with double pane energy-efficient windows, which have already made a positive effect on their energy bill.
The old exposed beams were painted off-white, and the lighting was changed to make the room open.
A Baptist layman from the area made a cabinet that would allow sound, DVD player and projection equipment to be locked up safely. Small updates include touchups, sheetrock, insulation and the replacement of electrical outlets. New carpet and molding were also added.
There are generally between 300 and 400 people going through the building during the week. Brother Tim LaFleur said with that much traffic there is was and tear that needed attention.
The money for the renovations for the BCM came from a grant from the Louisiana Baptist Convention and will pay for part of a three-year project which has scheduled $10,000 each year. “God has been faithful to provide,” LaFleur said.
In addition to the grant money, the facility picked up around $6,000 over the past two years, which was used to create a leadership room. The room is used to train student leaders and help them in leadership, not only in the BCM, but also in other areas of their life.
The work began around Jan. 1 and was finished in time to hold a service for the Manning Quarterback Camp on July 10. The work was done by laymen and students. The color scheme was drawn from the mural painted by Gavin Stevens, graphic design graduate from Houma.
Future improvements to the facility include new gutters and remodeling of the apartment. The BCM would also like to add canopies to the front of the building and over the back deck.
