Business college auditorium updated

An auditorium in the Warrington College of Business is going by a new name.

The Scarola Auditorium, formerly called the Warrington Auditorium, was renovated and renamed as part of the college’s ongoing renovations.

The auditorium, located at Bryan Hall, Room 130, was renamed in honor of Rick and Lynn Scarola, who donated about $500,000 for the renovation. Rick Scarola and his son, Matt, both graduated from the business college.

The renovation started in January and was completed in late Spring. The auditorium will be used for special events, speakers and presentations, Jon Cannon, the executive director of development and alumni affairs for the college, said.

The auditorium was outdated and in need of a renovation, he said.

“I don’t think that room had been significantly altered for decades,” Cannon said. “It had rows of fixed wooden seats that had little arms on them — kind of like elementary school.”

Padded seats have replaced the wooden ones, and new video cameras were installed, along with a large multi-screen television that replaced the front stage, he said. A center aisle was also added, and the auditorium’s entrance was expanded.

The Scarola family has donated to several different projects for the business college, including updates to Heavener Hall, Cannon said, adding that the family has been committed to improving the college.

Gretchen Gutierrez, a 20-year-old student assistant in the dean’s office, said she’s been impressed with the improvements at the college. Gutierrez said she likes that the school is moving toward a more open concept with collaborative learning features.

“It’s pretty neat that we have so much support from people who have graduated from our college,” the UF finance junior said. “That just improves our ranking, and that’s what we want in the end — to have that kind of recognition.”