by Mariah Rasmussen, Guest Writer
Homecoming week is upon us, and there is a buzz in the air about this weekend’s festivities. The Karen Hille Phillips Center, which has been under construction since 2010, is making its grand opening on Oct. 12 with a production of “Kiss Me, Kate.”
With two main stages seating about 600 people, the Phillips Center will provide many opportunities for the theater program at Pacific Lutheran University, as well as the surrounding community.
The Phillips Center is being named in the memory of Karen Hille Phillips, a big supporter of PLU.
“Her love was PLU, but it was always about the students … she would be thrilled,” Dean of the School of Arts and Communication Cameron Bennett said regarding Phillips’ impact on making this center possible.
The Phillips Center will be primarily for the use of the theater department, but will also bring in possibilities for major arts programs from around the area to come in to work with students.
When asked about what he was most excited for now that the Phillips Center is complete, Bennett said, “seeing the impact on the faces of people who get to see the finished product and what that means.” Bennett also said, “it has been a lot of work from a lot of people. We’re so excited to see it finished.”
The theater program is putting on the show “Kiss Me, Kate” to demonstrate the possibilities of the center.
“There’s gangsters, there’s jazz and everything, so it’s a really fun show,” senior Taylor Capellaro, an actor in the show, said. “This is the first show that has ever been in this space. I’m very excited to be a part of the first footprints on the stage.”
The homecoming football game will be kicking off at 12:30 p.m. in Sparks Stadium on Oct. 12 too. The Lutes, who are ranked 11th in the nation with a record of 3-1, will be taking on the Lewis and Clark Pioneers with a record of 1-3.
The Lutes had their first conference game last weekend and ended up with a frustrating loss to the Linfield Wildcats.
Looking forward to this homecoming weekend, football player Kellen Westering, a junior, said, “offensively, we’re very hungry to get back out there. We will come out aggressively and look to put a lot of points on the board.”
The Lutes will look for their first conference win this weekend to contribute to their overall winning record.
