Here we are with the first major change to the campus layout of the year. The Cedar Building is the new three-story building added to SCC’s roster of buildings and facilities. This new building dwarves almost all other structures around SCC with the exception of the PUB, The Dorms, and The FOSS building. The grand opening of the Cedar Building was a huge deal and because of that, it was celebrated alongside an art appreciation for carving blankets presented by Andrea Wilbur-Sigo.
For starters, let us talk about what the Cedar Building is and why it was constructed. The Cedar Building or the 6000 Building was built primarily because the old buildings lacked the facilities and classes needed for the growing number of students. This new massive facility provides students with all the types of equipment that students will use for different types of science classes such as chemistry, biology, geology, physics, and so on. Apart from the new facilities, space for the old buildings is being reused to make a small open path to allow students to enjoy the weather, assuming Washington blesses us with good weather.
The event starts with an art exhibition presented by Andrea, who is the first known carver from her tribe on Squaxin Island and Skokomish. In her art showcase, Andrea displayed many traditional blankets she hand-crafted. These blankets take weeks to months to craft per blanket and are made from all-natural dye from a variety of wildflowers, pigments, and plants. These blankets are not your ordinary blankets however, each blanket here has a special meaning to them and has significance for Andrea and her family. For example, one of the heaviest blankets in the showcase is a blanket Andrea used in her wedding with her husband, which obviously has a huge significance.
After the art exhibition, the main event of the grand opening takes place behind the Cedar Building. The event was primarily focused on the facilities of the Cedar Building as there was a tour that took people around inside the buildings and explored the facilities. Outside, the celebration continues with live music for visitors to enjoy under the warm weather. For those who were parched, there was beer, wine, and root beer provided. Of course, for those who were underaged, including myself, they also provided water. Apart from that, food was available for hungry visitors and passersby alike. For those who need something to beat the heat, one of the food trucks provided cookie dough with ice cream on the house. To those who were hungry, the other food truck provided tacos with a unique shell and a scrumptious filling.
Andrea was also there at the grand opening, crafting a blanket live for those who are curious and want to learn her technique.
To wrap things up, the celebration was a huge success as many people attended the grand opening. Some came for food, some came out of curiosity for the new building, and some for Andrea’s amazing artwork. Overall it was a good day all around and I highly recommend anyone to check out the new Cedar building for either future classes or just general campus knowledge.
