New event center ribbon cutting set for Wednesday morning

College campuses across the country will begin classes this week or next, and McCook Community College is no exception. Fall classes begin next Tuesday, with students able to check into residence halls beginning Saturday. We encourage everyone to welcome the new citizens of McCook with open arms. Many of those students are McCook's future; they may one day become some of McCook's leading shakers and movers.

New to the campus this year is the McCook Community College Event Center. Construction on the $9.7 million facility located on East M Street began June 4, 2011 and a cornerstone laying and ribbon cutting ceremony will take place tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. Lt. Governor Rick Sheehy will be the keynote speaker.

The 53,000 square-foot facility features a competition gymnasium with retractable seating for up to 2,000 spectators, and an auxiliary practice gym for the college's six intercollegiate sports programs. The main floor features cardiovascular and weight training areas, concession and gathering areas, seven offices, plus a conference room. The lower level has four locker rooms, restrooms, showers, laundry, and storage areas.

Not only will this facility be a benefit to student athletes, but also to the community as a whole. The possibility of hosting sports tournaments, business and industry conferences and training, concerts, cultural symposiums, and other large events in the community becomes a closer reality thanks to the arrival of the facility.

And it will certainly be nice for the MCC Indian basketball teams to play on a court that meets current collegiate standards, with separate locker rooms for the opposing team.

The first official athletic event in the new MCC Event Center will be next Wednesday, Aug. 29, when the MCC Indians women's volleyball team will host the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) squad from Curtis. MCC head coach Natalie Alred told Sports Editor Steve Kodad, "We cannot wait to get on that floor. The kids have been calling all summer, wanting to know if it's open yet. They wanted to drive down; they wanted to come over. They are really excited to be the first ones to get on the court, which is a privilege. We hope that we represent the school well."

We have no doubt that the school and the community will be very proud of their team, as well as the new facility. We encourage everyone to turn out for the ribbon cutting tomorrow. At the conclusion of the official program, college staff, faculty and students will conduct tours of the facility as well as a controlled MCC volleyball scrimmage, a tour of the auxiliary gym, indoor batting cage, and weight room.

And we also encourage the community to fill it to capacity on the Wednesday, Aug. 29, to see the MCC Lady Indians volleyball team christen the facility in its first formal competition.