UMass Boston celebrated a milestone in the construction of the highly anticipated Campus Center with a topping off ceremony held on Thursday, May 9. Students, faculty, and staff were on hand to sign a beam before it was raised to the top of the center’s structure. Also on hand to sign the beam and participate in the event were President William Bulger, Chancellor Jo Ann Gora, and other major contributors to this project.
As part of the tradition, a tree was placed on top of the beam, to symbolize that it was a safe job and that nobody was injured. Along with the tree were an American flag and a UMB banner.
Opening remarks were made by President Bulger, who recognized the need for a student center at the Boston campus, he stated, “The need for this building existed since the campus began in the 1960s.” The president noted that the Boston campus is for students who are serious-minded, and this project met the need to create a community atmosphere for commuters to gather in, study, or dine with professors. “When people can make it here through their struggles with family, work, or home they take full advantage of their education.” Bulger felt that the Campus Center will create an environment where students and faculty can socialize, share knowledge, and support each other. He added, “Students learn from other students as well as the formal education from professors.” The Campus Center will allow “students to be professors to each other, which is difficult when the campus is for commuters.”
Chancellor Gora also spoke and described the Campus Center as a “one-stop customer service center.” The Campus Center will conveniently house financial aid, bursar, registrar, administration, all student life offices, enhanced dining facilities, lounges, and conference rooms.
All who attended and spoke were grateful to the daring men and women on the workforce who are building this multi-million dollar project. Moses Coleman, a laborer from local 223, has enjoyed this job. “It has been interesting turning a land fill into a big time facility. Signing the beam is a tradition at all work-sites, it’s pretty great.”
Despite the positive atmosphere, a student, who asked to remain unnamed, reported that he was disappointed that a representative for the students wasn’t asked to speak during the ceremony. “It irritates me, this is a celebration about students, but what student was part of the program? None. If we are the focus we should participate, there was a lack of sensitivity to the students. We didn’t get to say ‘I’m a student here. I appreciate it’ (the Campus Center).”
When asked to respond to the student’s comment, Chancellor Gora said that this was the construction company’s function and that UMB did not have any input regarding the ceremony. She stated, “I didn’t plan the event. They allowed us to participate, it is not our function. A lot of people wanted to speak. We tried to make the students part of the process by signing the beam and photo opportunities.”
Before the beam was raised, President Bulger, Chancellor Gora, and David Perini, commissioner of the division of capital asset management, stood on the beam as it was raised about three feet off the ground while Bulger chanted “higher, higher.” Once the steel structure was topped off, the ceremony concluded with a catered lunch. The crowd celebrated this important time in the project, which should be completed by December 2003.