Seniors have chosen their way to be remembered by future classes — by giving shelter.
Members of the Legacy Board announced last Thursday that the 2022 senior class gift will be a permanent pavilion in the grassy area between the Paul House and the parking lot of the Mu Alpha fraternity, a space typically used for Student Activities Board events such as the Welcome Party in August and CentralHallaPalooza in April.
Deemed the Pavilion Project, the heated structure will include a conference room, kitchen, and bathrooms under a 3,900-square-foot asphalt roof. An outdoor patio with a bar and fireplace will be surrounded by irrigated, leveled grass for activities and intramurals.
“Each year the senior class gift offers each graduating class the opportunity to make their first tangible and meaningful contribution,” Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Braden VanDyke said. “The Alumni Office is honored to help steward and continue this partnership we call college from undergraduate life to post-graduate life through the senior class gift project.”
The project is estimated to cost around $600,000, according to VanDyke. A portion of the cost, around $20,000, will be covered through 75 memberships of the 1844 Society, an organization through which students and alumni can donate to various campus initiatives.
“The senior class gift is contingent upon 75 seniors contributing to the gift through memberships to the 1844 Society,” Legacy Board member, 1844 Society president, and senior Brandt Siegfried said. “It’s the easiest way to leave a lasting impact at Hillsdale, and I’m excited to work with the rest of the Legacy Board to accomplish this goal.”
The rest of the bill will be covered through donations, with naming opportunities available for large gifts, according to VanDyke.
“As Hillsdale grows, it is essential to have facilities that can accommodate the college’s many events with versatility, while also encouraging creativity,” Legacy Board member and senior Andrew Szewc said. “We are excited to devote this project to the legacy of the Class of 2022, leaving this campus better than we found it.”
The indoor conference room will fit 12-14 people around a table, with the bathrooms and small kitchen attached. The outside grass will be leveled and maintained for activities like Ultimate Frisbee, according to VanDyke.
The venue will allow for classes, receptions, and student events to have indoor and outdoor space.
Gladys Oster, events team leader for SAB, said the pavilion will give SAB a new place to host events.
“The senior pavilion project will be a great space for SAB to utilize for new events or revamp old events,” she said. “It will offer a fun new space.”
The land is owned by Phi Sigma Epsilon, a fraternity that lost its house on campus in the 1970s due to financial problems, according to Legacy Board member and senior Emma Shea. The college has shared the land with the group ever since, but was recently approached by the group to construct a structure and to transfer ownership to the college. The title will be changed with the construction of the pavilion.
“As it is a joint effort with the college, we see the importance of participating in the collective work of Hillsdale and living out our partnership not only in, but also outside the classroom,” Legacy Board member and senior Jaime Boerema said. “The pavilion will be a space that offers opportunities for community, friendship, and productivity.”
The board encouraged seniors to contribute to the fundraising for the construction, saying it will provide “community and fellowship.”
“After long deliberation, we chose the Pavilion Project for our Senior Class gift,” Legacy Board member and senior Reagan Linde said. “In choosing an addition of a physical structure to the campus, we are not only creating a new space for memories for future students, but we are providing a unique space for past students to return to.”
While seniors won’t get the pavilion in their time as students, they will enjoy it in the years ahead for homecoming and alumni events.
“I am both really excited and proud of the class gift proposal,” senior Grant Boyes said. “The pavilion not only literally cements our class’s legacy but also increases the aesthetic beauty of our campus.”