REXBURG - BYU-Idaho will be jam packed Friday as they dedicate their state of the art BYU-Idaho Center. President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency of the LDS Church will dedicate the center at 10am.
If you've been to the LDS conference center in Salt Lake City, you'll see a lot of similarities as this building was tailored after it. BYU-Idaho President Kim Clark called the new center the capstone project that will represent what the university is for years to come.
"When the BYU-Idaho Center was conceived, our primary purpose was to create a gathering space. A place that would gather the student body and would be big enough to fit all of the student body in one location," said President Kim Clark.
"Why are large gatherings so important to the university and the church?" asked Steven Pope.
"First of all, the 'spirit of gathering' is an important part of the doctrine of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ," (answered Clark.)
It's really that theme that represents everything about the new auditorium.
"To come into this space and be taught at the foot of a prophet and other general authorities and great speakers, and to feel the spirit and gain that appreciation that (students) are not alone? To me that's just amazing and that's power," said BYU-Idaho Resources Vice President Charles Andersen.
15,000 students can fit inside of the BYU-Idaho Center. But just how big is it? 5,000,000 cubic feet.
"One of the key aspects of that building is its sacred character. So whatever goes on in there will be appropriate for that space," said Clark.
The building also sports twelve full-sized basketball courts and an indoor track. Clark repeatedly called the BYU-Idaho Center an inspiration under the direction of heaven. When Clark was asked about future growth of the university in the lesser-filled south part of campus, he said, "Never get ahead of The Brethren."
All of the major decisions at BYU-Idaho are under the direction of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the LDS church.
One of those decisions was whether to make the facility broadcast capable. President Clark says that's something they mulled over for sometime, but in the end, decided it was important to be capable of large-scale productions and broadcasts.
"There was set in motion a whole series of things that needed to put in place to really make a four-year school possible and to provide the facilities necessary to serve the number of students we expected. And that's what has been completed. Now, in the future I'm sure there will be other projects and other things that will happen. But I doubt that at least in your lifetime and in my lifetime we will ever see anything like the BYU-Idaho Center," said Clark.
President Clark says they don't expect to outgrow the 15,000 seat capacity of the center in the foreseeable future. However, the university did just raise it's enrollment cap to 15,000 full-time equivalent students, so the center will likely see it's capacity go to good use.
The project to build the BYU-Idaho Center began breaking ground October 31st, 2006. It finished 6 months early.
President Clark says they built the auditorium for more than just student use.
Regional conferences, concerts, and other church related activities will be held there.
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New BYU Broadcasting Buildingby byutrueblue11,450 views
president clark was a phd economist from Harvard. that is creapy
theredfoxisquik 13 hours ago
Dedication Available Online Now stream.byui.edu/stream/dedication/
phydroxide 1 year ago