By TARA OWEN
Senior Reporter
Northwestern Oklahoma State University will rename Herod Hall auditorium to The Fellers Family Auditorium.
Sue and Kenny Fellers, out of Cherokee, are both Northwestern Alumni. They recently made the largest donation to allow for the campus auditorium’s renovations.
The Fellers lead gift along with The Charles Morton Share Trust and other local donors will allow funds for the renovations.
“The generosity of the donors is what is allowing these changes to happen,” said John Allen, director of Northwestern alumni relations.
Individuals can donate charitable donations during this time. In return, a small bronze nameplate will be created to recognize the donations.
Nameplates will be added to the new seating in the auditorium.
If preferred, individuals may honor an alum, student or an organization on the plate.
There are three levels of contributions, with a donation of $1,500 the nameplate will be on a seat in the auditorium’s first 11 rows.
A donation of $1,000 and the nameplate will be on the next 10 rows.
Finally, with a donation of $500 a nameplate will be placed in the balcony seating.
The donation and nameplate will not reserve seats while attending performances in the auditorium.
Payment plans are available over a three-year span.
Donations under $500 will still go towards the endowment but will not have a nameplate.
These funds will all contribute to the improvement and maintenance of The Fellers Family Auditorium.
As the auditorium remains under construction, the first large event planned in the auditorium will be the Miss Cinderella pageant during Northwestern’s homecoming week.
The project was originally supposed to be completed Sept. 3. However, the factory is delayed on the seating as they are having difficulties getting the fabric for the chair, this is foreseen as a nationwide problem.
The auditorium last experienced a remodel in the 60’s.
Members of the audience may have remembered that many of the chairs in the auditorium were ripped along with extremely outdated.
Walking into Herod Hall the updates are immediately visible with all new grey wood flooring on the first floor including the stairs to the second floor. The restroom on the first floor has also been refurbished.
Updates inside the auditorium include all new chairs downstairs and in the balcony seating.
As the new chairs are slightly larger than the previous seating and with a few chairs being removed to allow for handicap seating. The overall amount of chairs will be slightly fewer than before.
As audience members walk down the aisle, the ranger logo will be branded on a few chairs to give a more modern look.
The flooring in the auditorium has also been replaced with new red, black and grey carpet both in the balcony and downstairs.
Throughout the years, there has been numerous leaks and damage to the walls in the auditorium. These spots have now been fixed.
Along with resurfaced and freshly painted walls, the ceiling has now also been painted.
According to Dr. David Pecha, executive vice president at Northwestern, the overall cost of this project was around $850,000.
These funds are covering renovations regarding updates that the public audience is able to see.
However, the university has not been able to raise money currently for any of the equipment from the stage back such as new curtains, lighting or sound.
“Those are next on our list to try to fundraise for to help enhance that part of the theater program,” Pecha said.
For more information regarding The Fellers Family Auditorium or how to invest in the Northwestern Performing Arts, head to ournorthwestern.org/ffanp
