Written on one of two beams stationed on campus Friday is a message for Boston University from an anonymous College of Communication senior: “BU: You’ve helped me to build me, here’s to paying it forward.”
The beams, which are the last two used to construct the frame for the Center for Student Services, were stationed around campus from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday at Danielsen Hall, Barnes and Noble, South Campus, BU Beach, Granby Street, Marsh Plaza, 881 Commonwealth Ave. and Buick Street, Harry Agganis Way, Warren Towers and the GSU Plaza so students could sign them.
Students scrawled their names and messages on the beams as a way to “leave their permanent mark on the building,” according to the Dean of Students website. Sharpies were handed out to people passing the beams and, at times, more than 20 people were seen signing the beam at once.
“Students will be able to see their signatures when it is raised, and will know that they are a part of the building when they use it in the future,” said Assistant Dean of Students Kat Hasenaur.
People with megaphones were present at all the locations, and called out to students with phrases including “Those who sign the beams will be a part of BU history!” and “Your name will be there forever!”
“I wanted to come out and leave my mark on BU with this tradition of signing the beams,” said Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences sophomore Lauren Donnelly.
Following tradition, a ceremony is held to celebrate when the last beam of a steel structured is raised, according to the website.
The beams were signed by more than 600 members of the BU community, including the construction workers, project managers, administrators and the students who the building will serve. They were also signed by local businesses, such as Raising Cane’s.
“By signing the beams, it shows that we are all involved here at BU,” said College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Majed Abbas.
The beams are going to be raised to the top of the building in East Campus at 100 Bay State Road on Friday, Oct. 28 at the Topping Off Ceremony. The United States, Commonwealth of Massachusetts and BU flags will also be raised, followed by the presentation of an evergreen tree, which Hasenaur said symbolizes good luck, renewal and wealth.
“The president of BU wants the Career Center to grow and enhance their services to students. The workshop spaces will increase and more events will be held there,” Hasenaur said.
While the construction for the East Campus Center continues, Boston University students said they have mixed reactions to the project.
The construction has gone as planned, said Walt Meissner, associate vice president of operations, though the weather has caused some minor setbacks.
If construction continues as planned, the building should be “fully operational” before the start of the fall semester in 2012, Meissner said.
College of Arts and Sciences freshman Lauren Michael, who lives in The Towers, said that the early hours of construction on Bay State Road have been a common complaint in her residence.
“There’s actually a law that construction in a residential area can’t start before 7 a.m., but [workers on Bay State] definitely start before seven,” Michael said. “It wakes me up at really early hours.”
However, School of Education junior Kim Hartel said that the construction does not cause a disturbance at the Education House, a specialty brownstone on Bay State.
“[The construction] hasn’t really impacted daily life,” Hartel said. “I live far enough away [from the construction] that it isn’t really an issue.”
The Center will include a new dining hall, intended to replace the ones at Shelton Hall, Myles Standish Hall and The Towers, said Scott Rosario, the marketing director for Dining Services.
“The dining room will be two floors with 14 points of service and seating for more than 900. In the lower level of the building there will be a café and full service restaurant,” Rosario said.
Dining Services will also have a pasta making machine, Tandoori ovens, a gluten-free kitchen, a bake shop and an international cuisine station, he said.
“I’m going to miss The Towers dining hall, definitely,” Hartel said. “I’m definitely excited to have a big dining hall like the ones in Warren and West.”
CAS sophomore Joe Petroski said that he is excited for the new Center as well. “It’ll be nice to not have to walk to West Campus as often,” he said.
The Center will also house the CAS Writing Center and Student Services, as well as the Educational Resource Center and the Center for Career Development, said Gina Schaffer, the assistant director of the ERC.
“Since all of these important offices and services will be in the same building, students will find it easier to access them,” Schaffer said.
Eleanor Cartelli, a spokeswoman for the Center for Career Development, said that the new location’s proximity to ERC, CAS and the new dining hall will likely bring more traffic to the Center.
“We’re really excited about the new space,” Cartelli said, “We will have much more space for recruiters and for interviews.” The new space, she said, will also benefit from sharing a location with ERC.
“We are now actively partnering with ERC, helping students from the moment they arrive at BU. It’s exciting to be in the same space.”
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