From a 9/11 memorial to a painted elephant to lamppost banners, every senior class leaves its mark on campus.
This year, the Class of 2010 will raise money to buy furnishings for the patio that will be located outside the new School of International Service building.
The furniture — including chairs, tables and umbrellas — will try to create the feel of an outdoor cafe, according to Senior Class Adviser Andrew Toczydlowski.
“The funds will cover a little bit of everything for the patio,” Tocydlowski said. “It’s a great choice of a gift; it will be a fun and comfortable place to be.”
The senior class set the fundraising goal at $20,000, which Toczydlowski says is on par with past senior class fundraising goals.
“We try to combine the senior class gift with existing university projects that don’t have funding,” said Toczydlowski. “Obviously, we keep our budget in mind — we can’t choose a project that costs $5 million. This project is realistically something the seniors can make happen.”
The senior class has raised nearly $1,000 after launching their fundraising campaign at the end of January, according to Director of Development for Annual Giving Casey Jacobs.
The patio will be accessible through the coffee shop in the new building, according to Jacobs.
The décor will be selected and purchased by the Office of Facilities Management who will keep the building’s high level of sustainability in mind, he said.
“The amount of seating and the expense of the décor will depend on how much the seniors raise,” Jacobs said.
The 2010 class officers tossed around other ideas such as an electronic jukebox in the Tavern. They ultimately decided, with the help of other on-campus departments including SIS, that this project made the most sense for the university.
“The new [SIS] building will serve as a physical symbol of the school’s tradition of global service, and innovative initiatives and the outdoor patio will be at the heart of it all,” the 2010 officers said in an e-mail to the senior class.
Donations are collected at senior class events such as the kickoff event held at the restaurant/bar Ireland’s Four Fields. At the event seniors were encouraged to make a donation of $20.10. Donations may also be made through the “AnewAU Campaign” where a drop-down box lets donors specify that their money will go to the Class of 2010 Senior Class Gift.
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