By Doug Carroll
Communications Staff
It didn’t have quite the drama of a Cape Canaveral space launch, but Monday afternoon’s “super flush” of GCU Arena’s toilets and urinals qualified as a happening nonetheless.
Superintendent Neil Baker of Perini Building Co., the Arena’s contractor, counted down via the building’s public-address system, and a simultaneous flush was conducted to ensure that the plumbing was in working order.
Much bigger super flushes are routine for Perini, which performed one for the 1,000-room Sheraton hotel it built in downtown Phoenix. The Arena has about 75 toilets and urinals.
“Thank you for coming and participating in this momentous occasion,” Baker said with mock seriousness to those in attendance.
A number of student leaders — most of them seeing the interior of the nearly finished Arena for the first time in months — took part as ceremonial flushers, stationed throughout the facility.
Junior Matt Muchna was, well, flushed with excitement afterward.
“It was an epic flush,” he said. “I was in the men’s locker room, first stall. I loved it. It was a smooth flush. I was kind of hoping for a fail, just to see the effects.
“Oh, and the Arena’s pretty nice, too.”
ASGCU President Anthony Mann, always one to get down in the trenches with the troops, carried out his assignment with good cheer.
“We thought the water might shoot up and hit us in the face, but thankfully it didn’t,” he said. “I try to do what everybody else does. If I have to, I’ll flush a toilet.”
Dean of Students Pastor Tim Griffin, Wrestling Coach R.C. LaHaye, Women’s Basketball Coach Trent May, Athletic Director Keith Baker and even Executive Chairman of the Board Brent Richardson were among those on hand. The wrestling team turned out flushers in force.
Griffin admitted that the occasion “might find its way into a message somewhere down the line.”
Steve Morin and Travis Currier of the men’s basketball team liked the flush, but they loved the Arena.
“This place is crazy, how nice it is,” Morin said.
Reach Doug Carroll at 639.8011 or [email protected].
