Actually, this should be a familiar sight to the 305 patients on average who visit each month, the majority seeking treatment for colds and sore throats, says director Jill deLaubenfels. But the Student Health Center also has seen rather unusual cases: bee sting in the tongue, box elder bug in the ear, infected body piercings, and injuries sustained in tumbles from dorm room lofts. One patient was in labor and gave birth four hours later at a hospital. The nurse-managed clinic has two exam rooms and a lab where the two nurses can process a variety of tests including influenza, strep, mononucleosis, and pregnancy.

Student Health Center

Kiln, McWethy Hall

The hottest place on campus is the new annex behind McWethy Hall when the downdraft stoneware shuttle kiln is fired. Temperatures inside the 50-cubic-foot kiln can reach 2400 degrees Fahrenheit. The kiln is fired four or five times a year, primarily for large-scale work such as pots and sculpture. The kiln's door slides along a track on the floor-a great back-saver, notes art professor Doug Hanson, who is spared from hauling heavy artwork into the depths of the kiln. The kiln was built on-site by Master Kiln Builders of Minneapolis.

Debbie Soenksen of Cedar Rapids works at a 60-quart mixer while Judy Parker of Lisbon prepares food at the counter in The Commons lower level. Food for 1,800 student meals is prepared daily here, a space few students see unless they are one of the approximately 150 student workers employed by Sodexho. Food fixed here also serves the Rathskeller snack bar and about 850 catered events annually. From the lower level all food, dishes, utensils, pots, and pans travel via elevator up to the dining areas. After meals, it all moves back down for cleaning or disposal. In a given year, the kitchen goes through 18,900 pounds each of hamburger and flour, 30,240 pounds of cheese, and 352,800 eggs.

Main kitchen, Sodexho Dining Services