Southeastern celebrated the addition to the kinesiology building this week with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

The ceremony, taking place in the breezeway between the old and new building, happened Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. and brought an official end to a project that has been in the works a number of years.

“It’s kind of hard to tell when we started this project,” said President John L. Crain during his opening remarks. “It’s been around for a long time and it had kind of a tortuous journey.”

The ceremony was opened with a speech from Crain who introduced former Southeastern president and current University of Louisiana System President Randy Moffett who said a few words about the project.

“This project, like many others across the campus, is a real testimony to the university and the university community,” said Moffett.

Current Interim Dean for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Ann Carruth in her remarks gave thanks to people involved in the project and explained why she felt the project was so important.

“Home is really about faculty and students so we really didn’t give much thought to the fact that we were in a dorm,” said Carruth to the crowd. “It wasn’t until I heard a prospective student tell a parent one day, ‘you know, I’ve been to another university and, wow, I can’t believe they are in this dorm’ that I realized where you learn makes a difference.”

The addition to the existing 55,000 square foot kinesiology building added nine new classrooms, a new computer lab, administrative offices, four new nursing labs, an athletic training lab and a Simulator Lab in 35,000 square feet.

After the ribbon cutting, Crain elaborated on what he felt the building meant for the future of the nursing program.

“The nursing program is a great program, considered one of the best in the state. This facility just enhances that,” said Crain after the ceremony. “It allows our faculty to teach in state of the art facilities. It gives students access to new facilities. I think the program has been very successful despite the fact that they didn’t have this facility. I think it’s going to take them to new heights.”