Remaining funds will go toward renovating St. Mary’s Student Lounge
Replacing the Victory Bell was at the top of the list for ASUP’s Major Project Fund. ASUP announced its decision, along with renovating the St. Mary’s Student Lounge, last Monday (Kayla Wong | The Beacon)
By Rose Hoonan, Staff Writer -- hoonan15@up.edu
The Major Project Fund (MPF) decision was announced Monday, with the purchase of a new Victory Bell and improvements to St. Mary's Student Center coming out on top.
Because the Victory Bell should cost about $7,000, the rest of the $20,000 MPF budget will go toward renovating St. Mary's, according to ASUP vice president Chloe' Ruffin, a senior.
The Victory Bell, which is located outside the Chiles Center, was previously taken on by last year's ASUP administration and was left in the hands of this year's administration to finish.
"Seeing as we are dealing with last year's project, we want to complete it soon," Ruffin said. "We hope to have the project done by the end of the year. But we have to wait on a contractor and other offices, and that takes awhile."
The bell used to be traditionally rung at home game victories, but has been cracked and silent for years. Because it is made of cast iron, it cannot be repaired, so ASUP plans to replace it with a new Victory Bell made of bronze.
Because the Library will be closed for 14 months beginning this May, Ruffin views improvements in St. Mary's as a high priority.
"There is a dire need for study spaces," Ruffin said. "Plus, fixing up the place will help provide a place to spark UP student life, educationally."
The renovations will include adding new tables, chairs, lights and possibly repainting the interior, giving the outdated space a fresh look.
"I'm excited to see what St. Mary's is going to look like," freshman Claire Seibold said. "Right now I rarely go in there, so hopefully it will become a more comfortable atmosphere for students to study."
If there is any leftover money from the Victory Bell and St. Mary's renovations, it will go toward the third, fourth and fifth place projects, respectively: outdoor seating and lights at The Anchor, mats in Howard Hall and social events, such as a speaker.
The social event or concert option ranked low on the list, despite its passing last fall. This option was allowed through resolution 11-07, which expanded the Capital Improvement Fund (CIF) to a Major Project Fund (MPF), allowing for funding to go toward social events such as concerts and speeches as well as campus physical improvements.
The lack of support for a major event this time was surprising to some.
"It's strange to see the MPF events so far down," senator and junior Julia Balistreri, who is ASUP's secretary-elect, said. "I understand where they are coming from, but from what I heard from constituents, they really wanted an event or speaker to come to campus."
Beyond the MPF results, Ruffin sees the opportunity to vote as a chance for ASUP to connect with the student body.
"The MPF vote was a great time for student government to take student voice and put it into action," Ruffin said. "It also put a buzz on ASUP – both good and bad – but it was good to raise attention."
Monday, ASUP announced that it will use part of its Major Project Fund to improve St. Mary’s Student Lounge. Because the Library will be under renovation during the entire 2012-2013 academic year, ASUP saw a need for study space, making St. Mary’s a high priority (Kayla Wong | The Beacon)
