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Ellicott Complex to officially be renamed LegoLand
By Rhoda Tickell
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, April 1, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Ellicott Complex’s long-time nickname, LegoLand, will soon become a reality.
Beginning in the fall 2010 semester, the LEGO Group will become a corporate
sponsor of the complex in an attempt to make the dorms a more colorful place to
live.
Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, the CEO of the Denmark-based LEGO Group, is
excited that one of the company’s long-time goals is finally coming true.
“We’ve been interested in the Ellicott Complex since its inception in 1974,”
Knudstorp said. “A 6-year-old child could build a smaller model of these
buildings with some Legos. We want to bring a childhood architectural vision to
life.”
In order to foster this vision, the newly named LegoLand will be painted
bright colors over the summer. Wilkeson will be renamed Red Quadrangle,
Spaulding will be renamed Orange Quadrangle, Richmond will be renamed Yellow
Quadrangle, Red Jacket will be renamed Green Quadrangle, Porter will be renamed
Blue Quadrangle and Fargo will be renamed Purple Quadrangle.
“It will be so
exciting to see all of these rainbow colors define residence halls on a college
campus,” Knudstorp said. “This is a step in the right direction for LEGO. Now
we will not only appeal to the elementary school crowd, but to young adults as
well.”
Knudstorp views the project as a great advertising opportunity for
LEGO, stating that UB Athletics has agreed to give out promotional sets of Legos
during all Buffalo Bulls home football games. Each game will have a different
special-edition set.
University president John B. Simpson shares Knudstorp’s enthusiasm and
believes that the LegoLand project fits seamlessly into the UB 2020 plan.
“Our strategic plan has involved a lot of building of new facilities for
students, but I think it’s equally as important to revamp the existing
facilities,” Simpson said. “I’ve received tons of feedback from students saying
that they haven’t seen any obvious UB 2020 changes around campus. Painting the
dorm buildings rainbow colors is clearly a significant change. It can’t get more
obvious than that.”
Simpson explained that the LegoLand project will
enhance UB’s image as a model for Buffalo and its surrounding areas.
“I’ve
always said that UB is the center of innovation and culture in the Western New
York region,” Simpson said. “Nothing can possibly be a better display of our
creative spirit than this.”
He added that Buffalo already has a taste of
what the new complex will offer, as a LEGO model of the buildings is currently
on display in the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
Joseph Krakowiak, the director of University Residence Halls and Apartments,
looks forward to the newly designed dorms.
“This a great move,” Krakowiak
said. “I feel that these attractive buildings will entice more students to live
in the residence halls.”
Students have widely differing opinions on this
newly named complex.
Elise Boyle, a sophomore communication major and
current resident of Red Jacket Quadrangle, is excited to see her home away from
home enlivened with bright colors.
“Ellicott has always looked like a
prison,” Boyle said. “Now it will be a much livelier environment and a less
dull place to live.”
Nathan Astor, a freshman biology and mathematics major and resident of
Wilkeson Quadrangle, is less enthusiastic about the change.
“I can’t
believe UB would agree to this,” Astor said. “This is a university, not clown
college. And state budget cuts? Are you kidding me? A state university is
selling itself now?”
Anthony Gullo, a junior history major and resident in
the Governors Complex, is angry that Ellicott is getting all the special
treatment.
“The Ellicott kids have all the fun,” Gullo said. “Governors
always stays the same. Now we really are the Gover-nerds.”
LegoLand will have a renaming ceremony on August 30, the first day of the
fall 2010 semester. Knudstorp will fly into Buffalo from Denmark for this
momentous occasion.
Beginning that day, carousel music will play 24/7 in
the dorms, as Knudstorp explains, to create “a more childlike atmosphere.”
Sounds of Wurlitzer and European band organs, calliopes, barrel organs, cottage
orchestrions, violin pianos and piano orchestrions will be played on repeat in
each individual dorm on a daily basis.
At the ceremony, Bob the Builder
will be honored for his efforts in painting and redesigning the complex. Bob’s
theme song will be added to the mix on that day as a sign of appreciation.
There will be a parade around LegoLand led by Simpson and Dennis Black, the vice
president of student affairs, followed by a league of Lollipop Kids and Oompa
Loompas.
“It will be quite a show,” Black said. “But it’s not the show
that matters. It’s the impact that this redesigned facility will have on lives
of each and every student.”
UPspectrum
Hey, you! Yeah, you! Read this:
We’re just going to throw this out there. THIS ARTICLE IS A LIE. A BIG, FAT LIE!
Nothing, with the exception of our advertisements, is real. Absolutely nothing.
Not one single solitary thing is. If you believe any of it, we applaud you, but
most importantly, we will pity your soul. Real news will be back on Friday.
-end of report-
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