“I kept thinking that there might be a body in the large pile of insulation,” said CCE office manager, Mary Bubar after discovering the collapsed ceiling in Hendricks Hall on Sept 14. “I was relieved to find there wasn’t a body and I didn’t find any footprints in the insulation, so thankfully I could rest knowing no one had been injured.”

Bubar had entered Hendricks Hall through the front door that Sunday to do a little work.

“It was a sunny day outside, but inside it was literally snowing, insulation, that is,” said Bubar.

Insulation and sheet rock were piled along the right wall of the lounge. Bubar immediately called security to cut the power and remove the electrical equipment from the room.

The ceiling had apparently collapsed during the night when the building was unoccupied.

“We were fortunate that the accident happened during the weekend when no one was in the building,” said Rita Serotkin, CCE dean of students. “If someone had been sitting in the chairs or couches along that wall, they would have been badly injured.”

For the last six weeks, CCE Students have been displaced from the lounge in Hendricks Hall. The lounge normally houses several student computers, a printer/copier, comfy chairs and hosts the “How to” seminars aimed at issues that specifically concern CCE students.

The seminars continued in a more confined space in Hendricks Hall, but students had to use computers and printers in either the library or Bauman. CCE students also had to find other places to relax and unwind before or in between their classes.

Hendricks Hall was built in 1954 and received its current name in 1984 in honor of Charles C. Hendricks, often known as “Mr. Guilford College.” When the downtown CCE campus merged with the main campus, Hendricks Hall became the home to the CCE department’s staff.

In its original construction a grid of metal clips held up a dropped ceiling in the lounge area.

“According to the results from the inspection, the crumbled ceiling happened as a result of simple metal fatigue,” said Serotkin. “The clips that held together the two grids became tired and gave way.”

On Nov. 10, Guilford’s president, Kent Chabotar presided over the ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the newly renovated Hendricks Hall.

The CCE staff provided the students with a chili buffet to complete the celebration.

A new cathedral ceiling, free from grids and metal clips, now towers above the lounge. New light fixtures and high shelves complete the decor.

“The new shelves create a space where students and supporters of CCE can display their artwork,” said Serotkin.

On loan now is a hand-welded steel sculpture entitled “Ribbon Dancer,” created by Scott Sides who is a friend of several CCE students.

Serotkin hopes that others will loan their sculptures, pottery, and paintings to help decorate the lounge.

Besides the hope for artwork, Hendricks Hall also awaits ceiling fans and additional lighting to complete the renovation.

Despite those minor details, the lounge is fully functional, free from debris, and thankfully free of dead bodies.