Prospects 2001 receives 17 submissions in contest

The prospects for Prospect Avenue soon may be brighter as students venture to address the future of the 'Street.' The new student group — Prospects 2001 — has some ideas.

This past semester, architecture student Steve Caputo '01 founded the organization in search of innovative ideas. "Now is a time when a lot of things on campus are changing. These changes will inevitably change the 'Street,' " he said.

Throughout the University's history, the 'Street' has not been perfect, Caputo noted. With the debut of the Frist Campus Center and plans for four-year residential colleges, Caputo senses added pressure on the eating clubs to evolve.

"It is timely to think about longer term development of residential life," agreed University Vice President and Secretary Thomas Wright '62.

Prospects 2001 responded actively to these pressures in February and established guidelines for a design competition.

"The competition is a good connection between the academic work of students and issues that affect their everyday life," Wright said.

Both undergraduate and graduate students were encouraged to submit proposals presenting their reinterpretation of the capacity or structure of any space on the 'Street.' Students submitted 54 entries for consideration.

"[The entries] were anonymous, but you could tell by the variety of entries that we got a diverse demographic," Caputo said.

Prospects 2001 recently completed its selection of 17 semi-finalists. Caputo confirmed that architecture students, other A.B. students, engineers and graduate students are among this group. He added that the high quality of each entry made the selection process difficult.

Multiple proposals addressed the use of Cannon Club and the Third World Center. Several of the proposals viewed these University-owned buildings as targets for more social activities.

Caputo said many of the ideas involved surprisingly concrete and practical approaches.

On April 21, an 11-member jury will consider the 17 semi-finalists' proposals. The jury will be composed of students, faculty, alumni and University officials who have shown ongoing support for this project. Jury members will include former USG president PJ Kim, architecture graduate student Donald Shillingburg, Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson and Wright. The proceedings will be public to ensure that everyone interested can attend.

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Semi-finalists will be asked to expand upon their proposals and give brief presentations.

The selected finalists will then be awarded a total prize of $5000.

A catalog of all first round entries and an exhibition incorporating the display wall in Frist will most likely follow.

"I don't expect we will make immediate changes, but we will work with the University's planning," Dickerson said. As a member of the panel, she said she hopes the contest will "give us a chance to think as a jury and with other members of the community to make best use of the 'Street.' "