Renovations Completed for the Davisson American Heritage Building

Renovations to Oklahoma Christian University’s Davisson American Heritage Building were completed during the week of Oct. 11.

The DAH houses primarily history, education and political science classes.

The renovations began in 2014 with the renovation and expansion of the Cail Auditorium, located on the building’s south side.

The ending of the renovation was marked when new windows were installed into the building.

Other changes include a new paint job, new furniture, and a student commons area.

Darin Martin, the director of teacher education, spoke about some of the renovations and the funding that went into the project, particularly the campus-wide fundraiser.

“THRIVE was the name of the fundraiser, and that money was dedicated to re-do the auditorium,” Martin said. “Some of that THRIVE money, along with some other donations, were used to renovate our main education classrooms.”

Martin said the THRIVE campaign was partially used on the DAH, and the rest of the funding went towards other various projects on campus.

“Every once in a while, the University will have a very large, multi-million-dollar campaign that lasts several years,” Martin said. “They designate ‘here’s the funds we need for this, and so on’. The THRIVE campaign had many different pieces to it.”

Among the donors to the THRIVE campaign, Martin said some of the other donations were given by the England family as well as his brother, making the renovations entirely donor-driven.

“[The money] was used to renovate our main education classroom upstairs, room 211,” Martin said. “The conference room also got a major overhaul, the England Conference Room, donated by the same family.”

Martin also said the Shrek family donated to help renovate the office suite in the center of the DAH.

Freshman Bryan Sepulveda, who works in the DAH, said he likes the renovations and changes the building has undergone.

“It’s more spacious, and there’s more room for student lounging,” Sepulveda said. “Plus, there’s more lighting. It’s a lot brighter since they put in the lighting.”

Junior Tanner German spends a lot of time in the Davisson building, and said he likes the renovations.

“I’m a fan of the renovations,” German said. “They help make our campus look nicer and cleaner.”

One of the most highly regarded renovations to the building has been Wilson’s Landing, which serves as a common area for students.

Wilson’s Landing was named after Jim Wilson who served as a history teacher at Oklahoma Christian for 33 years.

The common area features new furniture and a photo biography honoring Wilson on the northern wall.

Martin said he and the rest of the staff in DAH love the new changes to the building.

“The new lighting helps so much in the classroom,” Martin said. “We love the new furniture and the new modern look of the building.”